Valley Head Service

09/25/2026

Throwback Thursday to the late 1970's when Bob Pickett toured America with his funny car and sponsorship from the U.S. Marines. Bob was another funny car racer based out of Granada Hills (north of Ranaldi, west of Balboa) when you could field a nitro burning car out of your garage.

Right around 1970, Bob teamed up with Larry with a Mustang bodied funny car but had a chance to race the Demon bodied car for Pete Everett. Nevertheless, the two remained freinds throughout the years and even after Bob moved to Florida to retire.

09/04/2026

Throwback Thursday - we had a little input on how well they performed.

Henry Ford II refused to let Chrysler's 426 Hemi dominate NASCAR without a response. Ford engineers answered by creating the legendary 427 SOHC, better known as the "Cammer." Starting with the proven 427 FE side-oiler block, they replaced the traditional pushrod valvetrain with single overhead camshafts for each cylinder head. The engine featured hemispherical combustion chambers, massive 2.25-inch intake valves, 1.90-inch sodium-filled exhaust valves, roller rocker arms, and an unusually long timing chain that stretched nearly six feet to drive both camshafts. The result was an American V8 capable of producing 616 horsepower at 7,000 rpm with a single four-barrel carburetor, while dual four-barrels pushed output beyond 650 horsepower.

Although the Cammer was specifically designed to challenge Chrysler's Hemi in NASCAR, the sanctioning body banned it before it ever competed, arguing that it was too exotic for stock car racing. Instead of becoming a NASCAR legend, the 427 SOHC found its true home in drag racing, where its ability to rev beyond 7,000 rpm and produce exceptional horsepower made it one of the most feared engines of the 1960s.

The Cammer powered many of drag racing's greatest names, including Mickey Thompson, Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Connie Kalitta, Don Nicholson, and Jack Chrisman. Connie Kalitta's Bounty Hunter won the 1967 NHRA Winternationals with a 7.17-second pass at 218 mph, while Don Prudhomme recorded the first six-second Top Fuel run in history using Cammer power. In A/FX competition, tube-chassis Mercury Comets equipped with Hilborn mechanical fuel injection and running up to 80 percent nitromethane produced nearly 1,000 horsepower, delivering low-eight-second quarter-mile times at more than 180 mph. Although it never raced in NASCAR, the Ford 427 SOHC became one of the most iconic and influential racing engines ever built.

07/31/2026

Throwback Thursday to ~1982 when Larry and his brother Russ went to visit the Speed+Sport Motors factory in Stuttgart, Germany to inspect the production of the new Kodiak F1 sports car. They were there to discuss about being the US distributor of this new project, and the first prototype did eventually make it to the states.

This car's body was the first to be made out of all carbon fiber. Orders were being taken before the factory somehow caught fire and the program was lost before it could get going. However, all was not lost for Russ and Larry as while there, they both bought Mercedes-AMG's; Russ a 4-door 500 SEL Sedan and Larry a 500 SL Roadster and brought them back to California.

07/24/2026

Throwback Thursday to an unknown time. A typical look for Larry as he searches his memory bank while in conversation.

Saturday, July 25th would be his 90th birthday. He's gone now, but seeing this photo brings back many memories of countless conversations in that office.

05/22/2026

Taken from the pages of an old magazine. Funny Car driver Paula Murphy was part of the traveling show. Note the two parachute packs but only one parachute.

04/30/2026

Its a slow grind of a project building a racecar from scratch, but Steve Foster of Santa Maria has completed the fabrication of the headers for the ThunderPower heads he's using for his wheel standing Vega Panel Wagon.

He's now working on the plumbing and wiring before having the body painted and then is should be ready for testing.

03/20/2026

Throwback Thursday to 1977 and the Magic Mountain Troll of McCloskey and Jordan shown here with a flathead Ford. This team the previous year was the AHRA Top Comp Eliminator World Champion with a SBC.

1977 Division 7 Bracket Finals in Bakersfield. ID help greatly appreciated.

03/13/2026

Throwback Thursday to the mid 1970's when Bob Pickett drove the Marines sponsored Oldsmobile Starfire. This was part of the same recruiting program that also featured Don Prudhomme in the Army Chevy Monza (later a Plymouth Arrow) and Tom McEwen in his "Go Navy" Plymouth Duster Funny Cars.

Bob Pickett in his U.S. Marines Olds Starfire at the 1978 Bakersfield March Meet.