"Mr. 4 Speed" Episode 1: Born to Win - A Documentary on the Life of Herb McCandless
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- Опубліковано 7 лип 2021
- Growing up in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee, Herb’s mechanical prowess and work ethic sets him apart from other children. It’s during his formative years that he learns to compete and develops a keen drive to win. It just seems natural that Herb is pulled to the streets for Saturday night “acceleration contests” and quickly moves up to organized drag strips, becoming a successful regional dragster and hugely popular with race fans.
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Awesome, like the simplicity of the cars verus the computer cars of today!
Today on my 70th birthday I'm watching this great documentary about one of my favorite racers of all time. What a great birthday gift!!
Good story. Many guys who loved drag racing understand Herbs story. Herb was an important racer from that 60’s era. Herb was in the right place at the right time. Herbs story was similar to a lot of drag racers stories of how they lived and breathed drag racing.
what a wonderful time to have been a gear head. I remember very well watching Herb along with Ronnie win many races, and this story is a wonderful tribute to a fine man not just a great racer. I feel lucky to have lived during this era
This is the best thing on UA-cam now. I knew Sox&Martin were out of Burlington but didn’t know a fraction of the history of Herb. I live just south of Burlington outside Siler City and this is so cool the history! As a Mopar guy it just don’t get any better than this. I met Ronnie Sox in 2005 at Rockingham shortly before he passed. Still have his autograph as well as Herb’s on a business card. This is great! Thank you for sharing!
Whoever did all the lettering on these cars sure had some style.
Hell yeah man
Brought back many
wonderful memories.
@@bubbakushingtonIII 7
I am so fortunate to have grown up in the time where I could watch this team Race. Those memories will live forever with me. Still have my beautiful 70 Plymouth. I'll be buried and that car will go to my kids. I'd never have the heart to sell it. This is a wonderful video and brings back a lot of great memories. Looking forward to many more :-)
Yes, excellent video!
You're a hundred percent correct.
Get buried in your Plymouth
So lucky you were able to see that it must have been the greatest Time compared to today's political garbage
Be buried in the car for Christ sake pal.
Shout out to the man that took time with him.its tough for a young man to grow up in a single parent home without a father. every kid needs a man to look up to.
John your correct cause most boys who grow up without a dad or a man around turn out to be sissy's!
@@wildestcowboy2668 maybe not real sissies but soft ass individuals crying to their momma's when life gets hard.I take that back. that is a real sissy!
Sox & Martin are my all time favorites with Herb is like icing on the cake. I own a 1967 GTX and had owned a copper GTS with a factory 383. Heard the GTS is in Florida now. Mopar fan for sure, great guy and video.
68 dart with the 426 hemi 4$peed was a man's car.
I'm watching this as the last one of the four docos. You guys have done a fantastic job with this. For one thing, letting the man speak without continual interruption. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. I hope you're doing more.
Yeah, there are some youtubers who constantly interrupt their guests in order either keep the guest on topic, or to steer their conversation in a specific direction. But there are also narcissists who interrupt their guests because they love hearing themselves talk.
Herb had no problems expressing himself.
Proud to say I get to talk to this legendary man a few times a year when he calls for parts
I went to Lakeland many times in 66-67 while stationed at Millington.
Thank you Mr 4 Speed for making History you are a special Hot Rod, and real truly Professional, God Bless.
Mr 4 Speed
Herb is such a wonderful man. Great documentary ‼️
Awesome insight in to the pinnacle of sixties drag racing! Well produced with fantastic images from the era. 😎👍
wow what a amazing documentary. i love watching herb and brian do the hemi challenge from indy and the chance to see this is awesome. i hope to see more of these in the future. thanks to everyone involved.
Loved the Mopar drag racers back in the day; Arlen Vanke, Dick Landy, Herb McCandless, Billy Stepp and many others. But there was only one "Mr. 4-Speed" and that was Ronnie Sox. The man was a virtuoso with the "Slick Shift" modified A-833.
As a Dayton native, I'm always glad to see people still remember Bill Stepp.
@@joshuagibson2520 Its too bad Billy had to be racing Mopar Pro Stockers when NHRA decided they didn't want Chrysler to be competitive anymore. Had he been at his peak in '70 or '71 he would have been a very capable threat. NHRA sucked after they decided to factor the Chryslers out of existence.
@@johnmcgowan2585 I agree even though I've been a Chevy guy for decades. It wasn't right.
To this day I'm not much a fan of NHRA. I'd just assume go a local test and tune night and watch the local guys. They're hungry and passionate about racing. NHRA doesn't feel like that to me any more.
This was awesome, great to see the history out there!
What a gentleman... with fletch !!! Thanks...
Man.. I was born 40 yrs too late. What epic times to be young in America. 🇺🇸 Excellent video. Very well done. 🍻
I'm afraid a generation like this will never exist again. Just glad we got it on video to live on forever now.
Amazing story thank you for sharing , I was a kid 1970's Memphis TN and remember Lakeland . Neighbor had 69 Camaro big block Modified Production that rattled the kitchen widows and cabinets when he started it up.
Great story. Herb is definitely a legend. I talked to him at the Holley MoParty and he is one spectacular guy. Wish I knew him personally.
Wonderful driver wonderful stories. I treasured my hot rod magazines and model cars. How times have changed.
And not for the better
Took the...text right out of my...oh nevermind.
Well said, Sir.
@@hypetype7654 if I ever wished I had a time machine it's now.
I had the pleasure to work for Herb in 1994-1995. I remember on a couple of occasions where I got to listen to Herb and Ronny talk about the good old days. I stood there in disbelief around two great drag racers of their time. Some awesome stories for sure!
Herb told me about a time when they would weigh the car before the race and not after. Said he had a pair of slicks with water in them for the weight check 🤣.
Glad to see Herb still enjoying life!
Did a man named Ken Hensley ever work for Herb? He would talk about Herb Mcandless a lot. His son Matt was who taught me how to build engines.
@@jamesgriffin7351 I don't remember him.
I can't ever start to say how MrMcCandless is a motivation after watching these videos. I took a 70 Challenger T/A clone to Columbus for the MOPAR Nationals back in the early 90's. If I'm not mistaken He used to e
build a INDY Cylinder head/McCandless Hemi to raffle off? I just loved watching this Man enter act with the crowd, laugh, tell stories, and build a motor like it was nothing. The World needs more Herbs, less Politicians.
Awesome story that needed to be told! I'm sharing this on my channel... Hopefully it will get you more viewers and subscribers!
Andy
You win Andy, I'm here.
Thanks!
Does pimping your channel in the comments like this really work?
A MUST WATCH of the entire series! Herb McCandless is quite an inspiration.
Amen to that. This is really Great Stuff ! ❤
mr 4 speed that name reminds me of my late friend he was running a 67 ss rs 427 yenko ,he put in a 400 turbo so it would be quicker on the shift found out he kept breaking out of time so he put the 4 speed back in and ran 10 flat 3 times in a row and set a track record
This is great, I lived in La Verne Ca next to the Pomona fairgrounds, my best buddy's uncle was a TV reporter for ABC and he got press passes for the tower side seats and pit passes every year for the Winternationals.
I’m loving this! Thank you!
I can't even describe how awesome this is! To have the stories told by Herb himself is absolutely priceless! Looking forward to every episode!
Just love seeing the pictures of Herb with that little grin on his face when everyone else is looking so serious. Like he knows something they don't, because he very likely does!
Thank you, this was a monster labor of love and happy to see it out now!
Well done, and captivating. I was a kid when these cars ran, but subscribing to Hot Rod and Hot Rodding Magazine I was a fan of drag racing. I remember the Sox & Martin Cudas they were legendary cars.
Yeh...I was a kid then too, back in the 60s in elementary school someone would bring in a HotRod magazine and we all pass it around like a Hustler magazine. It got abused by quickly stashing it in the desks to hide it from the teacher. By the end of the day it would get back to the owner all raggedy and worn out.😁
Outstanding, thank you so much for this.
What a incredible story and documentary Can’t thank the team enough for creating such a masterpiece! Long live Mr. 4spd !
Amen for sure :)
He was very good at what he did there is not many people like him
It's funny ... I saw this video about "Mr 4-speed", and I thought to myself, "it's about time the racing community finally acknowledges my personal contributions and my world-class stick-shifting skills"! But then I watched the video, and realized they were talking about some other guy who was also good with a 4 speed. Dammit, that guy stole my nickname! (Just joking 😁)
Side steper. Straight up
Beautiful to see,read, feel the truth of the Beginning
Fantastic!! Well worth the wait to watch!!
I’m so glad this and many other stories have been saved like this. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you very much for posting!
I just finished watching all of these, absolutely incredible, I love cars and all I do is watch videos like this when I'm not messing with my junk hotrods and involved with social media car people. I truly hope yall get many, many millions of views on here. The thing that touched me the most was what he said about family. I am a 38yr old Army veteran and I don't have a family. I am completely dead broke.
Great job. Thank you for sharing
This is super great to see ! Thank you so much ! Really great history and life story
Great video! I loved every second of it!
I could hardly wait as a teenager to buy the next issue of Hot Rod to druel over the Sox and Martin cars with their front wheels hanging on the ball joints just above the pavement, as they left the starting line. Many of those pages ended up taped to my bedroom walls!
Hello Glenn, how are you doing. I hope you are safe and in good health. Looking for a new friend and i saw your pic here. I hope you don't mind thank you.
I just watched the first of the four episodes of "Mr 4-Speed." What a great story you are telling. Herb was at Mopars in the Park a number of years ago with a number of other drivers as well other people who were in the Chrysler racing program when he was driving. He's a great story teller and a nice, humble person. On another note, I'll bet there are VERY FEW UA-cam channels with 10 videos and over 4,000 subscribers. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of what you have on your channel and hope we will be able to see more content from McCandless Antique Auto.
I met Herb many years ago in the pits at Indy. Only 90 miles from home, I made sure to go go to Indy as often as possible. This video explains the many cars he drove for other owners. A true Mopar guy.
Dad loves going to Indy, one of his favorite events of the year!
Thanks for bringing back memories of my youth. Huge fan of drag racing as far back as I can remember. Herb was absolutely one of the greatest racer as well as a gentleman. Thanks again.
Excellent doc. Can never get enough of stories like these from people like him. Really got me in the "feels" when he was speaking on his work/future victory being snatched away for corporate interests. He earned that win, as far as I'm concerned (Sorry, Dandy Dick).
Thanks for doing this and for sharing it with us.
Here's to you,
Mr. 4 Speed!!
Ive watched this twice now.
What a man...😎
Possibly the BEST story of racing I've ever seen ! I love drag racing and did it years ago and might be doing it again soon but never knew all this about Herb McCandless and drag racing. Especially with seeing and old friend who's since passed a few years ago in Wichita Del Blades. I was good friends with him and his family and learned a lot about racing and engine building and car building etc etc etc. This is a GREAT 4 part story !!!! Thank you !!
Awesome story .Thank you for sharing .
Fantastic documentary, enjoyed every minute of it.
What a great story!! I cant stop watching it.!!
Grew up in Winston Salem. Early 70's Sox & Martin and Herb McCandless were who you went to if you want to have a winning Mopar.
This drew some serious tears,,,, These men made me the man I am today... Hard core..
Thank you so much for this series. I've subscribed and hit that LIKE. I don't use one of the modern cell phones so the notifications won't help BUT I clicked it anyway because I know how UA-cam works. Loved this first episode, heading on to episode #2. Thank YOU!! By the by, I'm 74, had a S/G car in the mid 80's but had to bail out of the port when all the fancy electronics came to the sport. Anyway, I'm a fan of Herb and all the gents he raced with. Off I go to #2!!
Thank you John and I hope you enjoy the rest of the episodes!
Memories memories,,, i remember building the old wooden soap box cars. Lived in West Virginia ao there was plenty of hills to coast down. I can't tell ya how many times I needed stitches but being from the hills we just put a band aid on it if we had one, tape a piece of an old shirt, whatever we had we used.
Excellent video excellent story saving this and posted it on my Facebook page for friends and family to check this out thank you for the video excellent story behind this fabulous race car driver thank you very much from San Diego California!
Hi
What a Fantastic Video....Cheers form Florida, Paul
wow! what an amazing story
I love this was the best
Very well done documentary!!!
Wonderful days. I caught on in 67 just a couple years after the local big guy’s were racing in So Cal; Butch, Landy, Bagshaw, Lambeck Etc. Really enjoyed those days !!! Thanks
Dean Tate I spent many a Saturday afternoon watching the racers trailering the cars into Lion's Drag Strip in Long Beach!
Fantastic!!
Man this was great. I can't wait for the next episode. I'm a huge mopar fan and love sox and Martin and herb. I would love to have been around back in the 60-70s.
We posted all four episodes today!
I remember him growing up what a true pioneer of racing the best
Thanks Al!
@@mccandlessantiqueauto6509 When we were 18 or so Bill Jenkins was in Berwyn, Pa in a small gas station, he would tune our Chevys by putting a brick on the gas pedal and then go under the hood and tune them with the engine screaming, never saw anyone lease do that. When he tuned a Chevy it was tuned! Great Video you put out
This has been Absobloodylutely Marvelous to watch. Thank you for producing and uploading it. What is the music at the start ?
I'm from Halls, Tennessee. The dragstrip there was visited by Herb, Eddie Hill, and many others in the 60s.
Knoxville Dragway ⅛ Mile
Sorry I missed the live feed 🥺. Great podcast my man I have alarms set for next week! Ur Van passenger
"100 percent perfect Video "great job.
Awesome!!!
What an awesome American true story, this is why I Love this country because our dreams become reality as long as we hustle for it
Wow what an Awesome story 😁👍🏾
Great guy! I talked to him at his place in Haw River back in the 80's buying parts for my 73 Challenger.
Always been one of my Heroes 👍👍👍👍👍✅✅✅✅✅
I don't know why but I got pretty emotional when he was talking about meeting his wife and the trip to Tennessee overnight in her dad was angry and then they got married I don't know why but that was emotional for me I don't know why I got choked up but what a story I love it
great show guys!
i get to see herb just about every day! he visits orreilly auto where i work and picks up parts and do-dads for his projects....
herb reminds me of mr john whitaker(my auto mech instructor back in school)whom i admired and respected...
i bet herb would fit right i the rc dragracing scene! hey herb thats a hint tossed your way! they do heads up pro tree and all!
2:13 - this shot with his divorced mother and the Christmas tree reminded me of my own mother (RIP) - Evelyn (Van Den Ham) Rutledge. Even though we were not a wealthy family - not even middle class in fact - my mother always made sure her kids had a great Christmas.
Every year there was a well decorated tree - beneath it would be numerous presents with all us kids names on them - and there would be plenty of food and treats for everyone to devour all day long. Not to mention her loving smile throughout the entire day.
Now this might not seem like a big deal to most people - but when you are a single mother - working at minimum wage jobs (she was too proud to go to get Government handouts) - trying to raise three children - and keep a roof over their heads - it isn't easy to say the least.
She would start buy presents in August for us kids and hiding them in the house. She would work all day long - come home and cook dinner for everyone - and after dinner would do house cleaning. Weekends she would be doing everyone's laundry with a wringer washing machine and a cloths line.
She would start her Christmas baking at the beginning of December. Short bread cookies - mince tarts - you name it - all cooked from scratch. Nothing but the ingredients got bought at the grocery store because we simply could not afford store bought goodies.
The only reason we were able to buy the house at 2065 - East 45th Ave in Vancouver BC for $10,000 in 1965 is that when we were living on the Army Camp in Rivers Manitoba (while Dad was in the bar pissing away his paycheque) she would sewing dresses for the officers wives in the evenings and hide the money from Dad. She sewed enough dresses to have the down payment for that house.
So mom - thank-you for all the lovely Christmas Days you gave to us
And more importantly - all the wonderful memories that are still with me to this day.
Dang, buddy sounds like my mother to the tee. God Bless Her Loving Memories, & God Bless You My Friend. Lord I Miss My Mother[Died2011] from a heart attack. Miss her soooooo much, but the Memories live on....In My Sister & Myself HEART"S......
What a cool man
great documentary
My drag racing hero! I still have a hand written letter from Herb bk from 80s about putting sm.journal chevy rods in a 360.
I’m glad to here he ran at my home-track, Union Hill.
Im so lucky to live in ronny sox home town with the family ronny sox was a great guy in my opinion he was the best IV grew up with or around some of the greatest drag races ever. Ronny was a friend who never turn anyone away from his shop my friends visit his shop and when ever we could went to all his races IV even got ronny race autograph cars photos and cars also david ronny little bro was a close friend .
Excellent 👍
Great video!!!!!!!!
Just subbed and looking forward to more......... 👍👍👍
Thank you! The response has been better than expected. Looking forward to creating some new content.
@@mccandlessantiqueauto6509 Well good, keep those cool vids coming and you will get more and more subs! I'll be watching, looking forward to the next one... 😉
GREAT video. Forwarded to a buddy.
L O V E THIS!
A great American story !
Awesome video! Wish i was around and racing them.
Amazing racer with personality!
My step-grandfather raced at the old Lakeland dragway in a 1962 Ford Falcon that he wedged a K code 289 in when he came back from Vietnam in 64. How small the 62 Falcon was, especially stripped down, would of been really light. And with a stock K code 289 putting out around 270 horsepower I bet that car hauled ass!
Kickass
Total package builder/driver. Legendary.
Liked and subscribed
Right now is another huge moment in drag racing history happening right now with the Dig or Die series and NHRA joining into the fun hopefully thats all and doesn't have rules change lol.
No longer with us for interview, but we need a DOC on drag racer Bill Stepp. Aka Billy the Kid from Dayton, Ohio area.
He was part of the Sox and Martin crew. Supposedly had mob ties but never was convicted of much of anything. The world needs the truth on Bill Stepp. Doesn't have to be a 4 part DOC like this. A good 15-20 minute video would suffice.
Good Stuff
my Dad who passed last year was original owner of 71 gtx 440 curious yellow(we still have it) and we live right by woodward Michigan.
I learned how to drive on an old International 4 speed farm tractor at like 8 years old, my cousin who was about 5 years older sat on it with me and told me what to do, after that you can drive any car with manual or auto.
5:01 I love the story but have to say this... My dad from poor Letcher county in eastern Kentucky had his first car at 10...it was a $10 1937 Oldsmobile. Dad was born in 1940. He had several other cars before he got his license. The nicest was a 4 door blue '50 Merc. He was hot roddin thru the hills at 15 years old and the idler arm dropped off close to 100mph (speedo pointing straight down, and if you know these cars the original idler arm is an engineering disaster) when he dropped off the side of the road in a straight stretch and hit a concrete culvert wall. Drove the passenger wheel up into the floorboard...and nobody got hurt. Next morning dad went to get it and the local sheriff cussed dad out like no tomorrow for leaving a wrecked vehicle on the road like that...but never even asked for his license, which was good because dad was only 15 and didn't have one yet.
That story alone makes it sound like dad was a moonshiner, but he wasn't. He said he hauled one single load one time and decided he didn't want to go to prison if caught so from then on he only Drove like a moonshiner but didn't haul any more.
I could write a book on dad's car stories in Kentucky growing up in the mountains. I got a few pictures to prove it. Dad always said he ought to write a book on his life but would have to "call it fiction because ain't nobody would believe it".
I'd read it for sure
The only thing good about getting this old is I remember all the fun runnin with the early day big dogs. If you had that much fun and freedom today they'd lock you away.
Very impressive video. Why no mention of Mc Candless designing Norton motorcycle chassis though?