Rocky Childs of Childs and Albert Passes
After a brief recent illness Rocky Childs , made his last pass this Monday.
I am really going to miss this man.
Rocky Childs & Jim Albert
Childs & Albert
They are racers to begin with but what most people know them for is there high quality aluminum rods. They started out rebuilding rods then they went into other area’s of the high performance & parts.
C&A rods were the strongest pieces out there made & used by the top NHRA teams.
Rocky still owns the patents on his deep cycled rods run in top fuel that he designed.
C&A bearings were some of the finest made, designed after the “Vanderville” .
C&A had some of the finest steel rods made in the industry.
C&A manufactured some of the strongest tool steel pins made.
Plus they sold the very popular Z-Gap ring they & Bruce Walker came out with exclusively
Rocky ran a 37 Chevy Gasser early on, which Randy Winkle of Famoso Speed Shop now owns , then the Fuel car back in the 60’s with another partner “Barnes”( cant remember the whole name).Eventualy a rear motor top fuel car that Bruce drove.
The car that gave them the most fame was of course was Ronnie Scrima Chassis “ The Addict “ front motor dragster.
It’s drivers included Walt Stevens- Tom TNT Toler- Dwight “Salisbury Steak”-Pat Foster- Bruce Walker.
It was the runner up to Warren – Coburn – Miller at the 1968 Winternationals.
Rocky & Jimmy were also honored at the CHRR for their accomplishments in the aftermarket high performance area besides their racing careers .
Jimmy sold his portion of the company to Bruce Walker over a decade ago then Rocky retired & sold his portion to Bruce some half dozen years ago.
He and longtime friend Ray Akerly & C&A employee started Akerly & Childs performance Rings & Bearings shortly after selling C&A .
They continue to sell some of the best bearings & rings to this day, which I use exclusively .
C&A’s asserts were auctioned off last year when the company went under.
On a side personal note:
At the 93 Hot Rod Reunion I was asked by NHRA to run my car. On the second day of racing I had catastrophic engine failure. It was so bad it blew the cam out the back through the converter jamming it & blew the Hilborn timing cover to pieces, pistons were rolling down the track as I came to a sliding halt. It spun a rod bearing and the broken rod went through the motor at 8000 rpm.
The engine was 6 years old, but it was all I had in the world.
Shortly after that we had the 94 Northridge earthquake, ½ mile from my house.
Months after the earthquake, I was trying to get some parts while still cleaning up the mess. I only had 1 head & the injector left. I got a lead on a good block & had the money to buy it. About this time Rocky was getting the Addict’s chassis repaired after they had found it back east.
Rocky asked Rod Hynes, long time employee & friend if he knew someone who would lend them a trailer for a week. Rod knowing me for years called. I said take the Chevy Wagon & trailer as long as you like.
Coming back on the freeway with the Addict in the rear view Rod & Rocky were really digging it . Like back in “the old days” on an open trailer. Rocky enquired Rod about my situation.
Rocky told Rod, “Have Stormy give you $500”. I gave Rod the money not knowing what to expect, Jobber price, WD on a set of pistons?
What some people may have not known is that Rocky was a diabetic for over 50 years, so he looked at Grim Jim for quite a spell, telling him to f off all the while.
Rocky did it on his own terms & beat em all.
Rod showed up at my house a week & a half later with the following:
New 6” C&A Aluminum rods
New High Compression forged racing pistons (for nitro)
New tool steel piston pins
New Z Gap racing rings
New C&A main bearings
New C&A drilled rod bearing
New C&A cam bearings
New HP oil pump
Get the picture.
Some called him gruff; I saw a different side of the man.
Rocky helped a “nobody” get back to his dream.
I will be forever grateful to this kind man.
Nothing was posted during the week as many of us knew of Rocky's grave condition and out of respect for Sharon's privacy I did not post.Sharon kept Rocky informed of what was going on by phone when he would come to. She held the phone to his ear when they cackled the car, Rocky smiled.
Thank you my friend & rest in peace.
To Sharon:Rocky's loving wife who was always there, Words cannot express my sorrow.
To Ray Akerly: Thank you guys for always helping me.
To Rod my friend, I'm soo sorry.
Stormy
After a brief recent illness Rocky Childs , made his last pass this Monday.
I am really going to miss this man.
Rocky Childs & Jim Albert
Childs & Albert
They are racers to begin with but what most people know them for is there high quality aluminum rods. They started out rebuilding rods then they went into other area’s of the high performance & parts.
C&A rods were the strongest pieces out there made & used by the top NHRA teams.
Rocky still owns the patents on his deep cycled rods run in top fuel that he designed.
C&A bearings were some of the finest made, designed after the “Vanderville” .
C&A had some of the finest steel rods made in the industry.
C&A manufactured some of the strongest tool steel pins made.
Plus they sold the very popular Z-Gap ring they & Bruce Walker came out with exclusively
Rocky ran a 37 Chevy Gasser early on, which Randy Winkle of Famoso Speed Shop now owns , then the Fuel car back in the 60’s with another partner “Barnes”( cant remember the whole name).Eventualy a rear motor top fuel car that Bruce drove.
The car that gave them the most fame was of course was Ronnie Scrima Chassis “ The Addict “ front motor dragster.
It’s drivers included Walt Stevens- Tom TNT Toler- Dwight “Salisbury Steak”-Pat Foster- Bruce Walker.
It was the runner up to Warren – Coburn – Miller at the 1968 Winternationals.
Rocky & Jimmy were also honored at the CHRR for their accomplishments in the aftermarket high performance area besides their racing careers .
Jimmy sold his portion of the company to Bruce Walker over a decade ago then Rocky retired & sold his portion to Bruce some half dozen years ago.
He and longtime friend Ray Akerly & C&A employee started Akerly & Childs performance Rings & Bearings shortly after selling C&A .
They continue to sell some of the best bearings & rings to this day, which I use exclusively .
C&A’s asserts were auctioned off last year when the company went under.
On a side personal note:
At the 93 Hot Rod Reunion I was asked by NHRA to run my car. On the second day of racing I had catastrophic engine failure. It was so bad it blew the cam out the back through the converter jamming it & blew the Hilborn timing cover to pieces, pistons were rolling down the track as I came to a sliding halt. It spun a rod bearing and the broken rod went through the motor at 8000 rpm.
The engine was 6 years old, but it was all I had in the world.
Shortly after that we had the 94 Northridge earthquake, ½ mile from my house.
Months after the earthquake, I was trying to get some parts while still cleaning up the mess. I only had 1 head & the injector left. I got a lead on a good block & had the money to buy it. About this time Rocky was getting the Addict’s chassis repaired after they had found it back east.
Rocky asked Rod Hynes, long time employee & friend if he knew someone who would lend them a trailer for a week. Rod knowing me for years called. I said take the Chevy Wagon & trailer as long as you like.
Coming back on the freeway with the Addict in the rear view Rod & Rocky were really digging it . Like back in “the old days” on an open trailer. Rocky enquired Rod about my situation.
Rocky told Rod, “Have Stormy give you $500”. I gave Rod the money not knowing what to expect, Jobber price, WD on a set of pistons?
What some people may have not known is that Rocky was a diabetic for over 50 years, so he looked at Grim Jim for quite a spell, telling him to f off all the while.
Rocky did it on his own terms & beat em all.
Rod showed up at my house a week & a half later with the following:
New 6” C&A Aluminum rods
New High Compression forged racing pistons (for nitro)
New tool steel piston pins
New Z Gap racing rings
New C&A main bearings
New C&A drilled rod bearing
New C&A cam bearings
New HP oil pump
Get the picture.
Some called him gruff; I saw a different side of the man.
Rocky helped a “nobody” get back to his dream.
I will be forever grateful to this kind man.
Nothing was posted during the week as many of us knew of Rocky's grave condition and out of respect for Sharon's privacy I did not post.Sharon kept Rocky informed of what was going on by phone when he would come to. She held the phone to his ear when they cackled the car, Rocky smiled.
Thank you my friend & rest in peace.
To Sharon:Rocky's loving wife who was always there, Words cannot express my sorrow.
To Ray Akerly: Thank you guys for always helping me.
To Rod my friend, I'm soo sorry.
Stormy
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