The legendary cross country race where EVERYONE got arrested!

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Jim Smoot tells the incredible story of his run in the 1984 4 Ball Rally
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#VINwiki #4ballrally #cannonballrun

[@Ultimatebubs]

I see that Ed serves Mexican Coke for his interviewers. Classy!

[@jodywales6760]

ED=CLASS

[@mexicanspec]

It is the best.

[@pauliewalnuts240]

I prefer colombian.

[@benjaminsmith6063]

@@pauliewalnuts240Peruvian

[@fukkyoutube]

@@pauliewalnuts240panamanian

[@NerdyMeathead]

Crazy that the 930 tt he was talking about only made 300hp but in the gas crisis era that was prob insane

[@TwoDollarGararge]

A Ferrari made 250hp that was very good at the time

[@RevSolution4U]

Being a kid from St. Louis born in the late 70's and having a 10 year older brother that was obsessed with vans, I remember Fantasy Coachworks very well. My father had a maroon one and my brother had a blue one with carpet in them and my brothers with wheels and a HUGE stereo system with 4 kicker 12's in it. Seeing their Porsche contributed to my love for the Porsche brand.

[@jimsmoot2985]

Thanks so much to VINwiki Founder - Ed Bolian, for allowing me to share this story...AND, Thanks for the Coke!!

[@Sean-John]

He's got some great stories, and im sure many that can't be said on KZbin.

[@PowerSports]

I'm his son and can attest to that. 🤣

[@lyfandeth]

Haven't heard Parade mentioned in ages!

[@mariodesmo]

The 80's were a magical time to be alive as a car nut/gear head. I am so glad I was there at numerous nefarious events and activities, and for the memories. If you young guys only knew. Things are so much more controlled, organized, and lawful today... LOL

[@oregonhighway]

Warmed my heart to see that Pantera billed as a Ford Pantera ⚪🔵⚪

[@hedge24]

Loved this story.... keep them coming!

[@stevenrais9360]

It would really be $30k in 2024 dollars

[@bryang9601]

This guy is AW3sOME!!! Have him in more Please!!!🙏

[@rwdplz1]

Did you know the 2002 Ford Econoline E-250 has a speed limiter at 90? Yeah neither did I.

[@cigarsgunsandgasoline8032]

click the e-brake 1 click... just enough to turn that brake light on... might disable the governor... it did on my '97 Ford!

[@JaredBrown_hkuspgtr]

Didn't get first, but you still won. Epic story...!

[@jimsmoot2985]

Was a "winning" experience for sure!

[@thespicemelange.1]

What a great story, It looked like it was so much fun living back then.

[@markk3453]

Wow. Longest cannonball story I ever heard but loves every min !

[@ianhardin1148]

I grew up in STL and I remember the commercials for Fantasy Coachworks! "...and live the fantasy!."

[@PowerSports]

Here are links to several of Fantasy Coachworks' commercials; digitized, restored and uploaded with permission from "Fantasy" Jim himself. 1980: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqHPoJxpiqeNo9E 1983 #1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIGoq3lnn5Wferc 1983 #2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opbcmpqMfb11hpY 1985 #1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppyvpmSpp6p2j9E 1985 #2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/goC3Z2Wshqd-sNk 1985 #3: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIqQq2ymn799d9U 1986: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKTKlZiqaZiLf8k 1987: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amfUhY2jocyfg9E

[@jimsmoot2985]

Some great shots of the Orange Quest Rally Van in these vintage TV commercials! Thanks for posting!

[@Atlas.X9X]

Why are these old stories always better than a story that happened in 2024 from a content creator?

[@PintoPopProductions]

Had a magnetic CB antenna blow off the roof of a rental car once when my friend decided to test it out on an open stretch of highway in the Nevada desert years ago. How fast was your van going when it happened? By the way, a 2013 Buick LaCrosse is electronically limited to 131mph. That was a surprisingly good rental.

[@GRIMRPR6942]

Back in the early 80's i had a 77 Chevy short wheel base van. The van culture at that time was fantastic. 2% for life (if you know, you know).

[@ScrapYardproductions]

I really enjoyed this one. I had never heard of this race before. what's the fastest time?

[@jimsmoot2985]

36 hours and some change...

[@bigbird2451]

Time to bring that race back!

[@jimsmoot2985]

I know a guy!

[@racinjason99]

There's been a lot of boring stories on here lately, but this one was great! 👍👍

[@DUNEYREAGENT]

This ol man is a great story teller ❤ love it

[@jimsmoot2985]

Who you calling an "ol man" ??...LOL!!

[@joseph_the_human]

They didn't even really know where they were going That's insane!!! 🤯

[@roncurtis8174]

14:28 The guys in first place 100% coordinated to have a friend report the race as soon as they drove past

[@cartrips9263]

26:51 I heard some blood vessels pop.

[@SModelMafia]

Awesome story, I love how they keep dropping back to the bikini models. Thanks for sharing

[@Shoultes]

Best story in awhile

[@andymair7992]

What a great tale! 😃

[@thespicemelange.1]

Sounds like somebody's wife didn't want them in the race.

[@t20594]

Ed is slacking on killing the spammers in the comments

[@MorrFraud]

Paid for bots to boost the channel! This channel used to get a lot more traffic pretty quick after an upload. Now it's obviously lots of bought subscribers. Huge subscriber count, dwindling views counts, bot interactions to try to boost the channel! Just pathetic, really!

[@squeakers27]

What a great story, hope he has some more from the 80s

[@kalrandom7387]

Good story.

[@davidlobaugh4490]

Best VinWiki ever. Best boss ever.🤠

[@jimsmoot2985]

Getting PAID to race cross country...A pretty good deal!

[@kellyscars]

Sounds like a party!

[@larryboles629]

WHAT A HOOT!!!!!

[@AlpinaBiturbo346]

Fantastic story

[@olsonspeed]

Adventures in Vaning, big fun.

[@mattg9971]

Hotel del coronado!

[@dalefarmer.568]

Great story !!!

[@AmandaBaker-qy7cr]

Can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve!

[@dougg1075]

That ban is awesome. I want one

[@pkuudsk9927]

The Vanin's of the 80's was the place to be. Our vans were decked out to the 9's, the girls dressed so hot ice cream melted in the freezer. Anything that made more than 120 hp was considered fast, so a van with a 440 cammed, heads ported would blow the doors off a Porsche. And you knew you were getting laid if she jumped in your van. Dam them were the days.

[@jimsmoot2985]

Livin' the Fantasy!

[@danielashmore8844]

Great story

[@rich873]

to live in simpler times.....

[@gsfinatic]

Love it!!!!!!!!!!

[@2vcrew782]

I was born October of 1983

[@392nightrunner]

The Steve Sleeve

[@dillonpartin10]

I'm willing to bet someone in that race tipped off the cops

[@evernewb2073]

ehhhh, the race was an annual thing and from what little I know of it I _think_ that somehow one of the first couple years in which they ran it they managed to piss off half the trucking industry because most years they had truckers nationwide spotting against them and calling in locations (which is pretty much the exact opposite of what I expected when first reading about this). over on the cop side of things the police's attitudes would range anywhere from this fellow's experience of "sooo, what place were y'all in 'fore we pulled ya over?" clear the flip over to some instances of cops straight up firing guns into traffic at cars that roughly match descriptions and ramming people off the road. the racers have caused surprisingly little harm in the history of the cannonball run but cops have killed a fair few people both participant *and otherwise* while acting like the villains in an action movie. the current record was set by just some guys in a mostly normal car because they got the bright idea to run it anyways while Covid had the streets basically empty, no cops and more to the point no _traffic_ is one hell of an advantage.

[@jimsmoot2985]

We suspected that too...But it could have been someone at the host hotel or just a local person who saw all of the cars take off from the parking lot of the Marriot.

[@jpgreen8115]

Who else wants to build a replica Dodge van?!

[@jimsmoot2985]

I've been seriously thinking about building a replica and trying another Coast to Coast run. Less gas tank and more motor this time!

[@jpgreen8115]

@@jimsmoot2985 Would make another great story... will be watching!

[@gg_vard]

Is the app on android geo locked and unavailable outside of the US?

[@dougshaw2944]

#thoughthiswasarace

[@jimsmoot2985]

I'll never forget his face when he said that...And he was dead serious!

[@planetzebulon21]

Is that the type of “coke” you were consuming. How did you pay for that sheet.

[@violinmiata]

What are you doing and why? Driving a van with shag carpet and a roll cage as fast as possible because of cross country illegal race. Yep, makes sense.

[@jimsmoot2985]

But we have this letter from the Chrysler Corp...And NO it is NOT a forgery!

[@jayster.k.wiseguy]

LeMans is one fersure~

[@momcramer3920]

🤡And they say my generation is dumb. We all do dumb things as kids

[@jayster.k.wiseguy]

does not seem really too smart...if "on the street" at least folks can clear the way~

[@robertfrancis6967]

Man views are dropping, this got posted 6hrs ago another channel I watch posted 6 minutes ago and has more views. I'm still a daily viewer here just thinking maybe time the sauce needs a new spice to reinvigorate the old recipe that doesn't seem to be working as well as it once did

[@joshuagibson2520]

Bingo

[@MorrFraud]

This is the most bought subscribers channel I have ever come across. When the number of subscribers vs. view count and like and comments are this disproportionate, there is a reason why!

[@FluffyFerretFarm]

His stories are priceless.. yes, that's right, the Capitol of New York was a small nowhere town in the 80s🤣🤘🏻

[@FluffyFerretFarm]

And who can forget when $10,000 in the mid 80s.. is $100,000 in 2024🤣

[@BCaldwell]

Epic story.... I'm sure you could have edited it better. Showing the same pictures 100 times was a little annoying. You guys can do better. Nonetheless, Great content as always VinWiki

[@jimsmoot2985]

Lot's more photos in the TV commercial links that are posted above!

[@DanBeanner-zo3ms]

We need someone to do a real long distance accross america Fort Zachary Taylor Keywest to Port Flattery Washington 3700 miles. That is a real race not the cannonbaby wannabe race.

[@dorianvrbancic7976]

15 seconds ago❤❤ I think that deserves an e46 2.0i sedan🫠