68 nova (body in white?)

[black69]

could you have ordered a nova in white for drag racing purposes? I know mopars could have been ordered that way, and wondered if chevy's could. were any ever converted from 350/350hp to a big block?

[JK98SS]

Wasn't there one at the last SCR?

[black69]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JK98SS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wasn't there one at the last SCR?</div></div>

I just looked through some of the pictures posted for scr13, and did not see one.

[PxTx]

It was at SCR12.

http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww101/Plowman7/Tunnel%20Ram/Thumperd2031.jpg

http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww101/Plowman7/Tunnel%20Ram/Thumperd2030.jpg

[bashton]

Indeed, this was a &quot;body in white&quot; purchased directly through a dealer in Illinois by Rich Vitiritti, who is the current owner.

Rich and his wife re-located the car several years ago, (Rich had sold it many years prior), sitting outside rotting away and were able to purchase it. They spent several years restoring the car to its former glory. The car was on display at the recent MCACN show and there are more pics of it in several of the photo galleries on the MCACN website. www.mcacn.com (http://www.mcacn.com)

I am quite sure that this is the only known surviving documented &quot;body in white&quot; Nova.

Bashton
MCACN Managing Member

[black69]

thanks bob. It's good to know they actually made one (in 70). Did they do this in 68? Or would the 50 dick harrel copo cars be the only ones you could get for that year?

[Chevy454]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: black69</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thanks bob. It's good to know they actually made one (in 70). Did they do this in 68? Or would the 50 dick harrel copo cars be the only ones you could get for that year? </div></div>
The '68 *Gibb* COPO cars weren't &quot;body in white&quot; cars...

[black69]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chevy454</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: black69</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thanks bob. It's good to know they actually made one (in 70). Did they do this in 68? Or would the 50 dick harrel copo cars be the only ones you could get for that year? </div></div>
The '68 *Gibb* COPO cars weren't &quot;body in white&quot; cars... </div></div>

thanks!

[Kim_Howie]

The 50 GIBB novas were not dick harrel cars. Fred was a new car dealer. harrel was never a new car dealer. Fred ordered the cars and the only invovement dick had was some 427 transplants in a few and he super tuned a few.

[Jim Ferron]

A little off the subject here. As a kid, there was a guy who road raced at Lime Rock...maybe 3 miles from where I lived, [Lime Rock was about 45 min drive] He raced all kinds of Fords, had a racing team...and my buddies and I used to hang around the barn he used as a race shop...This was maybe 1973...he had a late sixties Mustang...probably a 1969, body in white just sitting on blocks next to the barn. Quite a sight to see. Brand new, refrigerator white....never had a bolt in it....First time I ever heard the term 'body in white'

[black69]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jim Ferron</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A little off the subject here. As a kid, there was a guy who road raced at Lime Rock...maybe 3 miles from where I lived, [Lime Rock was about 45 min drive] He raced all kinds of Fords, had a racing team...and my buddies and I used to hang around the barn he used as a race shop...This was maybe 1973...he had a late sixties Mustang...probably a 1969, body in white just sitting on blocks next to the barn. Quite a sight to see. Brand new, refrigerator white....never had a bolt in it....First time I ever heard the term 'body in white' </div></div>

I am more familar with mopars than GM, and I knew they had 'body in white' e bodies availaible for racers in 70. It appears they had a 70 nova for GM. Sounds like Ford had it for mustangs in 69 according to your post. I wonder how early this concept got started with all of the big 3 actually. Could a dealer order a bare 68 nova (w/ GM full knowing it would be for racing, no warrantee) or would they have to order a stripped down 6 and pitch the motor, rear and trans, interior, glass, chrome, etc. Or would Chevy direct them towards those Gibb copo cars.

[copo-2]

The 1968 Nova exterior color's included &quot;Ermine White&quot; as a regular production option. For the purpose of racing, you could order a low option car with the engine of choice, the 4 or 6 cylinder probably would have been the cheapest intially? However, by the time the car was being built for competition, it may have actually been cheaper to go the route of a low optioned BB as you would then get the heavy duty suspension, radiator, rear, springs, engine, carb, brakes, etc., that would be needed anyway? As for the Gibb COPO nova's, they came in 4 different colors, Matador Red, Tripoli Turquoise, Grecian Green, &amp; Fathom Blue. Could Gibb have ordered Ermine White in these ready made factory race cars with a 90 warranty, I would guess that would have been possible? Too, one wants not to forget the special requests of those wanting taxi cabs, police crusers, etc., which were built under the copo process, also. But for racing only, as has been proven several times with claims of the one and only holy grail, imo GM probably was not going to mess with a one of one down the assembly line? Remember GM got out of sponsorship racing in 1963, while Ford &amp; Chrysler continued on? Too, rember the white 68 Nova of Bill Jenkins that wasn't factory built?

[black69]

well I did locate a car a guy wont sell. The dealer ordered it from GM (white 4spd, 350) and on day one of receipt, installed a 427 and drag raced it. Its still in original as raced condition but it can not be had and wont see the light of day for a long time. 1200 miles. oh well.

I think it would be a body in white case, but at this point it does not matter as I won't get it (I am first in line if ever).

[old5.0]

The &quot;body-in-white&quot; terminology refers to purchasing a bare shell in primer with no drivetrain, no interior, no &quot;bolt-ons&quot; attached and no vin number or MSO. I don't know when the practice began, but I know of numerous 79-present Mustang drag cars that began as bodies-in-white, as well as several 3rd and 4th gen F-Bodies, so it seems to have been continuous since the 60's at least, and probably earlier.

[black69]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: old5.0</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The &quot;body-in-white&quot; terminology refers to purchasing a bare shell in primer with no drivetrain, no interior, no &quot;bolt-ons&quot; attached and no vin number or MSO. I don't know when the practice began, but I know of numerous 79-present Mustang drag cars that began as bodies-in-white, as well as several 3rd and 4th gen F-Bodies, so it seems to have been continuous since the 60's at least, and probably earlier. </div></div>

It sure sounds like the same type of car like the 70 mentioned in this thread. Car had its 350 in the parts department for a long time before being sold off. Car still has its dealership name on it and it did win alot (which I like), the inside is like a time capsule. I thought it was a conversion car by some of the other famous folks, but it is not, unless they had the 427 built by someone famous. It was a big dealerships's high performance baby.

Someday.