IT ALL STARTED IN ORLANDO FLORIDA BY WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS
GOFASST
(Greater Orlando Florida Area Super Sport Team)


IN THE BEGINNING …………. In 1994, in Orlando, Florida, Terry Rodgers was on the Board of Directors of an Orlando based Chevy dealer. The dealer asked Terry to test drive a 1994 Impala SS late in the year. Upon returning it to the dealership, Terry placed an order for a new 1995 model. When it arrived, he asked the dealer to install a set of Flowmaster mufflers. Within a couple days the resonators were deleted and he added long 3 ½ inch chrome exhaust pipes. A few days later another Orlando Impala SS owner saw the car and left his business card in the window with a note: "I want to hear your mufflers". The next week, there were three Orlando Impala SS guys who met just to share ideas about the "mods" that each had made. Ted "Razzor" Densmore came with his 1961 cross flags located just behind the front wheel well. Steve Chapple came with his new sunroof and up-graded stereo system. Terry Rodgers had the Flowmasters and chrome pipes.

The three decided to see if we could arrange for an Impala cruise-in. They created a "flyer" and stuck it on any new Impala they saw. Immediately three more joined the group. They being Mike Marx, Ray Minchin and Troy Willrick. We nicknamed ourselves the "SIX PACK". On July 8, 1995, the first formal meeting of the 94+ Impala SS Owners Group (our first name), was held in a bank parking lot. On that special Saturday evening there were nine (9) Impala owners that met. We all parked in a line facing the street. Soon after, the cars attracted "a bunch of people just driving by" who began stopping to see the car show! We were blown away.

A formal list of Orlando area Impala owners was written down that night Before the end of the month the first "94+ Impala SS Owners Group" newsletter was mailed out to what had now grown to a list of 15 Impala owners. From 3 guys, to 6, then 9, … now 15!

The original SIX-PACK guys began to communicate by phone and emails on a regular basis. Early in November 1995, there was a BBQ party for this closely knit group and it was decided that we would all meet at the 1995 Turkey Rod Run car show to be held at Daytona International Speedway on Thanksgiving weekend. This is the largest 3-day hot rod show in the Southeast with car show participants coming from all over the country. Troy Willrick, then a Daytona based helicopter paramedic, found out that new Impala cars were not allowed into the show unless there was a car club involved. So, we kept it simple; Troy made a sign for the "club" we named the Florida Impala SS Owners Association, the original six Impala owners registered for the event as a club, and we were in the show.

Turkey Rod Run, 1995: ….. it was a rather cold Friday after Thanksgiving, but all six members of the SIX PACK and their Impalas were there. Of course the show officials parked us way in the back of the show, on the infield grass of the Daytona International Speedway. All the specialty hot rods got the front part of the show grounds. During the early part of the day we visited amongst ourselves and we officially created nicknames for each member of the SIX PACK, just for fun. This group included:

NAISSO Member #1… Razzor……Ted Dinsmore, Orlando

NAISSO Member #2… Rock… . Troy Willrick, Daytona Beach

NAISSO Member #3... Bullet ...... Terry Rodgers, Orlando

NAISSO Member #4... Rocket... Steve Chapple, Orlando

NAISSO Member #5... Travelor.... Mike Marks, Daytona

NAISSO Member #6... Billet.......... Ray Minchin, Oviedo

It was a bit silly, but it seemed like a club thing, so we did it. It also made for interesting discussions as we began to meet new Impala SS owners.

Within a couple of hours of the opening of the Turkey Rod Run show, crowds of people had found us. What a deal. We soon had hundreds of folks all over the cars. Our hoods were up, and we must have sounded-off our Flowmaster mufflers (now 3 of the six of us had them installed) over 50 times before noon. By late afternoon the Six Pack was exhausted. We were tired of talking to the hundreds of folks who just wanted to know; Are they fast? …. Are they hard to get? … I thought it was a Lexus! …..Are they really that cheap? … What motor does it have? And the number one question…..When I get mine, how can I join your Impala Club?

That Friday night we went from the show directly to an Office Depot to buy some business card blanks and some colored paper for club applications etc. At mid-night the Six Pack was in Troy’s Daytona home, working on his computer and printing out business cards with our new nicknames for everyone, along with club information sheets. We were going to be prepared for the next day!

Saturday was awesome! By early afternoon all six of us were out of business cards and all of the club applications were gone. We simply had to take names and begin a list so that we could mail out information. Sunday was the final day and again we had prepared new club flyers and business cards. There were still crowds of folks looking on when the Six Pack decided to leave that afternoon about 3 pm. What a show. What a weekend. What a thrill for our new car club.

The internet was something very new in 1995. Still, it played a major role in the initial communication links it established. The Orlando area club activities and communication about parts and customizing ideas initiated an enormous following. By December 1995 a national scope and new name (NAISSO) was created for the ’94-96 Impala club and what began as the SIX PACK was now a country wide association with many regional groups who were all creating names for their local Impala SS clubs. In February 1996, NAISSO was mailing out over 275 newsletters to members.

During 1996 and early in 1997, the tremendous pressures of enormous membership growth with over 2100 active members in the national organization, many problems began hurting our Central Florida members. 

In July of 1997, our Orlando area group with the leadership and help of Wayne & Joanne Beaman, Evans Barker and Bill & Sandra Clisby, Susan Manning Roach, along with several other active members, we decided to create a new formal name in order to differentiate us from NAISSO and the national association. In the last local club show of July 1997, we renamed our Central Florida club GOFASST. (Greater Orlando Florida Area Super Sport Team.) With our inception being July 1995, we consider our group as being the original regional club of all the ’94-’96 Impala car clubs in the country.

Since that time we have become an ISSCA Chartered Club and developed into a solid group of folks who strive to create local events which would make any Impala club proud. After several years of having the annual SIX PACK and GOFASST reunion-show during the November Turkey Rod Run, that event is now restricted to only highly customized cars and those manufactured before 1979.

In March of 2002, the then GOFASST president/leader, Roger & Phyllis Mckay  organized an outstanding BBQ and show event in conjunction with the huge Daytona International Speedway Spring Spectacular, a custom car show including over 2,000 show cars and hot rods. These annual gatherings are now a tradition and they continue to grow as we use it to celebrate our GOFASST Birthdays. This event, with participation from several Eastern ISSCA regional clubs, helps keep the history and stories of the Impala SS group alive. The history of the original Six Pack, and the beginning of NAISSO, as well as the formation and continuation of the Impala SS Club of America known as ISSCA is a wonderful story with no end in sight.

By Terry Rodgers, Original Six-Pack Member,
NAISSO Member #3, current  ISSCA Member #559,
ISSCA Director & Club Treasurer 2003-2004

On May 16, 2005, Ted "Razzor" Dinsmore passed away after a very short 4 week battle with cancer. For those who were close to him, we barely had time to say good-bye. For old time Impala Club members, Ted was famous for the "Razzor Pipe" …. The very first straight air induction system ever created for the 1994-96 Impala. 

Go to "In Memory of Ted" page for more info:  

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You can buy a Razzor Decal:

In memory of Ted "Razzor" Dinsmore, GOFASST with the help of Adam Haack and James Wallen, created a special decal. Our club is offering a Razzor decal for a contribution of $10 which will all be donated to a fund established to help pay some of the hospital bills incurred by Ted’s family. Any extra money will be used toward education for Ted’s grandchildren. You can send information requests to Terry Rodgers at Bullet96@clf.rr.com or go to the "GOFASST.us" website for more contact details.