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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are a few people who have stood out over the years. I would like to list them below. Not necessarily in any order, as each person has influenced me in his or her own way.

I want to start out by thanking my Dad, Jay Passon. As I was growing up, he taught me the basic mechanical knowledge that I have carried and built upon for 35+ years. I can remember assisting with many brake jobs done in the driveway on various Chrysler products throughout the years. When I was just beginning to dabble in the Chrysler A-833 business, he encouraged me to press on with it. As the years went on, and Passon Performance expanded, he was there every step of the way. He has held the esteemed title of “Head of Engineering” since I began business. He always manages to find a way to get done what needs to get done. I think he has removed several thousand broken-off bolts in tailhousings and probably fixed twice that number of threaded holes in cases, tailhousings, and bellhousings over the years. He hand built all the various fixtures that we use almost daily to repair the different components of these transmissions and bellhousings. I can tell you that I would definitely not be where I am today without him. He has always supported me. Most important, he has supported me when so many others did not. He manages to offer the perfect balance between support, guidance, and a kick in the ass when needed!

Next, I want to thank Brian Higgins from SK Speed in Lindenhurst, New York. I was introduced to Brian back in 1993 when I undertook my FIRST A-833 rebuild. I was in need of some gears and sliders. I found an ad in one of the National Dragster magazines that I would take back to college when I returned on a Sunday night after wrenching on my 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger all weekend. Brian recognized that I was a younger kid, and he answered my questions and sent me the right parts. He told me that if I needed anything else, just give him a call. I never forgot that and took him up on that several years later when I started my business. Brian was kind enough to work with me, allowing me to take advantage of flexible payment arrangements as I was just getting started. This was especially important since I didn’t have two nickels to rub together. A number of years later, my first visit to SK Speed left me speechless, to say the least. I have never seen so much transmission inventory in one place. I left there a changed person. I could not comprehend how someone could amass that much inventory. Several years later, I was fortunate enough to acquire all of the A-833 inventory from him. I was truly humbled, and I consider myself lucky to be taken under the wing by one of the smartest people I have ever spoken to when it comes to a manual transmission from the muscle car era.

I’d also like to thank Herb McCandless. You would likely have to be living under a rock if you have not heard his name. Herb has had a very successful drag racing career since the early 1960s. Starting out in, believe it or not … A CHEVROLET! This quickly changed once he witnessed the success of Chrysler products on the strip. He started his Chrysler racing career in a 1965 Plymouth called Mr. 4 Speed. The name spoke for itself, and his successful racing career continued up to driving for the famous Sox & Martin racing team. After his racing career was finished for the most part, he started a company called “McCandless Performance.” He quickly rose to be on the short list of the suppliers directly recommended by Chrysler. His long successful racing career fit well with the business of making Chrysler cars fast. He had a full-scale machine shop and engine-building facility as well as the means and skill to build rear ends and transmissions. Also, not to be forgotten, was chassis setup. He is the man that I named my business after.

I bought my first rebuild kit from McCandless Performance. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1993 and I called on a warm summer afternoon just before 5:00 p.m. Like almost every time I called, Herb’s wife, Marie, answered the phone and passed me off to Herb. I started asking questions, and in short order he made a list of the parts I needed. Recognizing that I was a younger guy, he said “Hell, if you get stuck, you call me and I’ll walk you through the rebuild over the phone!” That offer has stuck with me to this day. That’s just the kind of guy Herb is. His knowledge of what makes these cars run is enough to overwhelm anyone. Through the years, I have gotten to know him more and more and have been honored to be a guest at his home on several occasions. I have been lucky enough to listen to many a story from back in the glory days of drag racing. He is constantly supporting me in any way that he can. I cannot stress enough, how honored I am that he believes in me enough to recommend my services to someone!

Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank Stacy. Writing this book has been the most involved project that I have ever undertaken. There were more than a couple times that I wanted to throw in the towel, but she convinced me to press on and reassured me that it would all be worth it … she was right!