Dave remembers his first car well. While in high school in Mission, he bought a 1934 Pontiac sedan for $35. At age 17, he attended a drag race at the Abbotsford Airport. Dave entered his dad's car and, of course, dad didn’t know (or did he?). During the same period, Dave founded the Road Ramblers car club.

After the closing of the drag races at Abbotsford Airport in 1957, Dave bought a 1941 Ford coupe then a 1951 Chev coupe. He modified the Chev extensively by lowering and adding custom touches. The car was painted Lime Fire Green with pin stripes and scallops. The engine was a 292 cubic inch Jimmy. The first showing for the car was at the Dominion Store at Main and 14th in Vancouver.

In 1959, Dave bought a 1938 Ford four-door sedan. It had a black Fred Welsh paint job and an Olds engine. Dave called it Black Beard. The car was entered at car shows in New Westminster and the 1962 Pacific International Motorama.

During 1962-63, Dave worked at Payless Auto Accessories. In 1962, he built a dragster at Hemrich's Garage on Main Street near Marine in Vancouver. Charlie Loo supplied the blown Lincoln motor. The car was sold to Barry McKenzie who found the car 35 years later in the BC interior and has purchas-ed most of the pieces for restoration.

Dave partnered in two dragsters, a blown Chev, with Bob Nottingham, in

DAVE JOHNSTONE - Inducted 2004

Pioneer - Hot Rod, Custom Car and Drag Racing

Nottingham-Johnstone Dragster, 1963  (Dave Johnstone collection)

By Doug Harder – edited by Tom Johnston, 2004

 

Dave Johnstone, 1995

1963, and in 1966, a Ford flathead car, with Jerry Normand.

In 1967, Dave turned to the water with ski and drag boats. By 1969 he was partners with Norm Church in a busi-ness called Western Speed Marine. They had a boat called Bad News with a 396 Chevy. It recorded 72 mph at a one-time race at Deas Slough. In 1970, they bought a Charger hull, put in a bigger 454 Chev engine and called it Super Charger. It went 95 mph. The next step was a drag hydro. Jack Williams sup-plied a blown Chrysler engine, and Barry McKenzie was the pilot.

In 1971, Dave stopped racing when son Derrick was born. In 1973, Dave teamed up with Dave King to campaign a 1973 Vega alcohol funny car for 3

years. The car went 7.30 et at 170 mph. This car was still around in 1998 as the Say No to Drugs high school drag rac-ing car. In 1978, the King and Johnstone team bought a Corvette funny car which ran 6.90 et at 200 mph.

Dave left racing for 10 years. In 1989, when his son Derrick turned 18, they bought a 1949 Chev wagon. It has been a great race car, and Derrick has driven it to a lot of wins and titles. Dave's fondest memory was at the Woodburn, Oregon dragstrip in 1993. There were 127 cars in their bracket and Derrick won every round to emerge as champion.

Dave is now retired and lives in Cloverdale with his wife Gwen.