HH Visits Cranberry Connection Racing and the British Columbia Hot Rod Association Feb. 2, 1999

It came about as the result of a phone call. "You gotta come to this" said an excited Doug Harder. "He's got a new shop...you have to see it. Besides, the club is meeting, there'll be a bunch of people you know, some great old stuff". Ok, Ok...I need to get out for a night, so it was that I set out for the 40 minute drive west to Richmond, BC. To some of the most fertile land on Earth.

The Fraser Valley delta is composed of sand, silt and whatever else the mighty Fraser River has brought down to the sea for eons. Smack dab in the middle of it is a huge patch of land used for growing cranberries. A few decades ago the elder May went out on a limb and bought up a huge parcel of land good for little else than flooding - perfect for cranberry farming. Today three May brothers till the land that is one of the largest cranberry operations in the world.

One of those May brothers is Glen, owner/driver of the quickest and fastest Ford-powered vehicle to ever go down a drag strip...so they tell me, I'll have to check the DragList to confirm it for sure. Regardless The Cranberry Connection 94 T-bird is a blue oval lover's wet-dream. All Fomoco and with numbers like 6.42/221, backs up it's in-house nickname: CRANZILLA.

Although I had been to the farm many times in the past, my last visit came over a year ago. Oh baby, was I in for an update!

The new 60x120 shop is like everything else around here: very well built, clean, and done in-house. Glen gave me the tour a few years ago and the trick, one-of-a-kind farming equipment this place has produced is amazing. The CC Racing machine shop is not a bigtime, full-time operation, but you can be assured there is very little they cannot produce.

As I pulled into the yard I was surprised to see a lot full of at least 50 cars...the 'old guys' of the BCHRA were here in force. This is a cpl year old group that got together and re-formed the 50s club that is now doing a wonderful job reviving, and keeping alive much of the rich nostalgia history the Vancouver region has to offer.

The first thing many of them saw as they walked in was Glen's '32 Duece Coupe. "I remember seeing that thing parked on Hasting Street in 1961 when I was 18" said one graying, smiling person. He had not seen it since. "When I came in here and saw it I almost fell over" he said with a longing look in his eye that made him look 40 years younger.

I didn't have the time to get a lot of details, but do know that it appeared in a few major magazines of the era, and was originally constructed sometime in the late 50s. Today it's in near perfect original condition. From the bar bumper, the laid-back grill to the T-bird mill, the tuck & roll black interior to the low stance that is simply perfect, this is one historic car. It was easily the star of this show, and was parked lovingly right beside the meeting chairs, so the boys could glance over and daydream...

I met up with Glen and his engine builder Mike Titleborn (Crew Chief Grant Husdon couldn't make it this nite), and quickly was whisked away to the 'office' to hear of the team's plans to hit some IHRA Pro Mod races starting in March. We talked of old times...fun times, and I can ad these guys to my list of people I hope to see at a drag strip in 1999. I could go on, but can assure you that I will have more about CC Racing here in a few weeks.
Mike & Glen

Back in the shop, the meeting was still going, so I had a chance to shoot some of the other vehicles without a bunch of people around.

I started at the far end with Mike's orange-as-orange-can-be '51 Chev sedan. When I asked him how long it's been like this I was surprised to learn that it ran a 10.69 (with a rollered, bottled 302) back in 1987 at Seattle. "Ya, they sent me home after that" he laughed in regards to the complete lack of even a roll bar.

Today the huffed mouse looks right at home under the hood of this great looking car. "I bought it in 1974 (when he was only 14) for $80 My dad wouldn't even let me park it in the driveway" he added regarding the rough shape the old stovebolt was in when he brought it home.

Beside it was Sherry May's '63 Valiant Signet 200...

Glen's wife wanted a convertible a few years ago, so the job of 'restoring' her cute, little white ride went to CC guy Larry Shannon, who got 'a little carried away'. I recall doing a feature on this 392 motivated piece back in June 1995. Here are a couple of lines: "Oh I drive it every day" says Sherry. "I do the shopping, pick up the kids from school"..."Bake the tires? Ya, no problem, anytime, anywhere" says her hubby. Today some work is on tap. Glen wants to replace the 'flaky' Holley fuel injection setup with a good ole' Carter, and power steering will be added...this is a ladies car remember.

Other stuff on this include a 500 watt soundsystem with all the goodies, 3x3 frame, Ford 9", coil overs, ladder bars, gorgeous interior, and a set of homemade mufflers that have the neatest tone you have ever heard!

Next up was Glen's newest acquisition. A restored 47,000 mile Boss 429 1970 Mustang. "Oh man, this thing wails!" says a wide-eyed owner. A Vancouver car it is #409 of 499 cars built, and maybe the perfect 'driver' for the guy who wheels the baddest Ford door car in history.

Then, siting all by it's lonesome is the original Bad-Bird. The car Victor Bray HATES! A rather significant history-making drag car, for back in Sept. 15 1993, at the Eagle Motorplex in Ashcroft BC during the NHRA WDRS finale, the Davenport Fabrication-built, Walt Austin KB-powered bullet shocked the drag racing world becoming the first door car ever over 220mph. In fact it ran the number twice that day with a best of 221.7.

Glen told me of going to Australia just after that and meeting the legendary Victor Bray. "Oh YOU'RE the Bastard" he said of Glens runs made just as the Aussie pilot was closing in on the mark. I suggested it would make a perfect Top Comp car and the boys just smiled.

The other lineup included a brush(painted) blue '27 T pickup...that got Jack Williams attention. The guys lovingly call it the 'Jughead Mobile' in reference to the Archie comic character.

Also here was a nice '57 sedan delivery that came from Ashcroft. Originally a one-seater it now has a bench along with a 390 under the hood backed by a C6.

Then comes the truck. "It's a wild ride" laughed Glen. No kidding...The '69 is powered by a 390 that has to be one-of-a-kind. Completely home made it features twin turbos on a modified 427 port manifold, a Joe Hunt magneto, and more fabricated pieces than you can imagine.

Oh ya, it runs on methanol. "Remember the time the carpet caught on fire" laughed Mike. "Ya, we sat there and wondered what the heck was going on with all the smoke" said Glen. All of a sudden they both simultaneously realized it must be a...."FIRE!!! alcohol fire!!! Yes a wild ride if there ever was one. Of all the vehicles here, this is one I would turn down a ride in.

As you can see it was a great evening. There's still a little bit of finishing work to do around the place, but it's nearly complete.

Thanks to Doug for inviting me, and thanks to CC Racing for hosting this deal. I came up with way more stuff this nite, but will have to wait. I assure you it WILL be worth it! LP