ZL1 #1 in the paint booth

[JoeC]

I found these on the Peterson Digital Archive

It looks like ZL1 #1 getting its second style paint job

this was labeled as 1970 Harrell shop ,there are amazing pictures on there

[1stGenFan]

Joe, I believe you are right on about this being the #1 ZL1 being prepared for the 1970 season.

After the paint booth, a later stop was Detroit. Paint and hood look the same.

The Peterson archives have a wealth of Dick Harrell pictures, and AHRA events.

Photos courtesy the Gibb Chevrolet archives.

Ken Boje

[ZLP955]

Great photos, thanks for posting. Agree that the Petersen archive is an outstanding source of period photos that capture everything great about that era; I managed to find a few pictures of my own car there. Ah, nostalgia.....

[JoeC]

here is the ZL1 # 1 at Beeline and has no tunnel ram, no big scoop and looks like the window sticker is still on it.

The AHRA Winter Nationals was at Beeline Dragway Scottsdale Arizona on January 26, 1969

Dick Harrell picked up ZL1 #1 from Fred Gibb Chevrolet on Dec 31 1968
that left him 27 days to race prep the car and get it to Scottsdale Arizona along with his Funny Car and a Nova

Dick Harrell won in his Funny Car that day

Arlen Vanke won Super Stock

[68camaroz28]

Joe, not sure that is the zL1 since paint is somewhat different and ss/e would be a lower hp 396. But thanks for posting great pics.....

[CamaroNOS]

I just love looking at these types of pics, they really bring me back to a great time and place.

Paul

[x33rs]

Joe, there is some video of this as well of some Dick Harrell cars at Beeline at the Winter Nationals. I know the Nova is on there, and I think this ZL1 too. The sound is dubbed but the action is cool. Some of the videos show glimpses of Grumpy toys both Nova and Camaro, and Dave Strickler as well as a few of the locals legends around here.

[RALLY]

Joe, I believe you are right on about this being the #1 ZL1 being prepared for the 1970 season.

After the paint booth, a later stop was Detroit. Paint and hood look the same.

The Peterson archives have a wealth of Dick Harrell pictures, and AHRA events.

Photos courtesy the Gibb Chevrolet archives.

Ken Boje

Love the Cragars and how the car is sitting with the back tires tucked in and low slope to the front. That was a real beauty.

[Dave Rifkin]

Love the Cragars and how the car is sitting with the back tires tucked in and low slope to the front. That was a real beauty.

I also enjoy seeing these old photos of the cars as they were prior to being tubbed for larger slicks.

[JoeC]

Joe, not sure that is the zL1 since paint is somewhat different and ss/e would be a lower hp 396. But thanks for posting great pics.....


The cars changed a lot but I believe it is ZL1 #1 with the first style paint

It is AHRA so the class is different then NHRA

The Arlen Vanke has SS/E in the window and it was a Hemi Barracuda. It looks like SS/B painted on the sail panel which I think was for NHRA

[x33rs]

I seem to remember the story of that ZL1 at Beeline in 69, and how it had the wrong carb on it for the class. They had to scramble for a carb to pass tech. Something about it being such an early production it didn't have the right carb.

[JoeC]

xxx

[JoeC]

this is from the Super Stock and Drag Illustrated drag test of ZL1#1
looks to be the same car. It may have been before it went to Beeline

Something else I have been trying to figure out.
In an article from 1969 , it said three ZL1s were being built at the Harrell shop when the magazine writer was there. One for Grady Bryant, one for Shay Nickols, and one for a West Coast racer. I wonder who it was for?

[x33rs]

Any pictures of it with the hood up? It looks like they might be running a W30 style air cleaner judging by the scoops under the front valance.

Also appears it may have a 1 piece fiberglass front clip on it.

[JoeC]

ZL1 #1 had different paint jobs 1969 and 1970 , then many other paint jobs

there was also ZL1 #15 with similar paint built for Larry Leatherman

[1stGenFan]

Joe, not sure that is the zL1 since paint is somewhat different and ss/e would be a lower hp 396. But thanks for posting great pics.....

The pictures on the track are from the 1969 AHRA Winter Nationals, which reflects the original paint scheme applied in January of 1969. The first pictures of this post are when the #1 ZL1 was repainted after the 1969 season, and before the 1970 season.

The SS/E designation/category may be weight based for AHRA Super Stock? Arlen Vanke beat out Herb Fox in the Semi-finals of the Super Stock class at the Winter Nationals, which is shown in this picture. A 426 Hemi vs a 427 ZL1. The E may also indicate it was the Eliminator round(final)?

I have a 1969 AHRA rule book and may need to check it to see if Super Stock had specific designations for weights and cubic inches. I know in 1970 there was a handicap start system, based on weight of 7 lbs. per cubic inch, with a minimum of 2500 pounds. This may have been the same for the 1969 season.

[Keith Seymore]

The SS/E designation/category may be weight based for AHRA Super Stock? Arlen Vanke beat out Herb Fox in the Semi-finals of the Super Stock class at the Winter Nationals, which is shown in this picture. A 426 Hemi vs a 427 ZL1. The E may also indicate it was the Eliminator round(final)?


"E" indicates the specific class within Super Stock.

K

[L78racer]

a few pics.

[454_Malibu]

:beers: Sweet Nova, Still around?

[1stGenFan]

:beers: Sweet Nova, Still around?

The 1968 Dick Harrell Chevy II was destroyed in a trailering accident in 1970.

The drivetrain ended up in Harry Kalwei's 1970 Camaro Pro Stocker.

[JoeC]

there were a few 68-69 Harrell Nova's that were race cars

The Gibb Harrell Nova was said to be originality an L79

one ran with 396 and one ran a 427

[JoeC]

The Peterson photos had some of the 68 Chevy II showing the paint

[1stGenFan]

The Jack Walker car was a Gibb Copo Nova. Jack Walker has been trying to find it. I spoke to him around 2004, at one of the reunions, and he keeps contact with my friend Harry Kalwei, whom I fortunately converse with regularly. He told me how when he bought the car at Dick's shop, it had a blown 396 engine. It was painted a color similar to the fuchsia color found on the Fred Gibb sponsored Chevy II Dick ran at the end of the 1968 season. According to the Gibb Chevrolet records, Jack's car was the #22 COPO Chevy II/Nova. VIN 114278W370191. If it was, then it originally was Tripoli Turquoise. The engine of his car ended up in one of the other Gibb Copo Nova's if I remember the story's associated with these cars.

There is conflicting information that lists the Gibb sponsored COPO Nova as the #13 car, VIN 114278W369928, a Matador Red car. This is noted in the previous COPO Connection list of these cars, developed before I met Jack Walker in 2004. This list is no longer available, however, I have a copy. The late Dennis Hartweg told me he thought the fuchsia car was the #13 car, however, I do not know if he was referring to the COPO Connection list, or if he had definitive information, due to his research of these cars, and the fact his father worked at Gibb Chevrolet during the time these cars were there. He was close to my age, so was a young teenager of 14 or 15, in 1968-69. I do not know what resources the "COPO Connection" used when compiling the list. Helen Gibb allowed me to copy some of her archives, when I visited with her in 2000 to research my restoration of "Little Hoss", and my conversations regarding the fuchsia car were several years later as I delved into the history of the Gibb Chevrolet racing program.

Dick painted one of the COPO Nova's a fuchsia, almost metalic pink, and ran it during the end of the 1968 season. Helen Gibb told me they were asked by Chevrolet to enter the car for Chevrolet points during the later half of the 1968 season. Dick entered the car at NHRA events in Portland Oregon, Denver, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. I found this information in a copy of the AHRA Dragworld newspaper reviewing the Gibb Chevrolet 1968 season. Helen did not remember what happened to the car, and thought it was sent back to Chevrolet. I believe Jack ran his car during the 1969 and possibly the 1970 season, at AHRA events. Jack told me he sold his car in 1972 to a fellow in Joplin, Mo.

I have no proof these are the same car, however, my conversations with both Jack Walker, and Helen Gibb are interesting in regards to the COPO Nova program of Gibb Chevrolet. It is clear that when viewing the color photos of the Jack Walker car, the main paint is red or a variation of a metallic red. Jack added the window trim, as the COPO's did not have window trim, so don't let this throw you off.

The 1st 3 photos and the last are from the Gibb Chevrolet archives, courtesy of Helen Gibb. The 4th from JoeC, other 2 are from searching on the web, or as noted.

I should start writing about the cars I know about under a separate heading under the Gibb Chevrolet or Dick Harrell section. I am sorry to hijack this thread about the #1 ZL1. I apologize for the diversion of the original poster's intent.

Ken Boje

[L78racer]

pic.

[1stGenFan]

"E" indicates the specific class within Super Stock.

K

Here are the specifics of the Super Stock class for the 1969 AHRA season. This is from the 1969 AHRA Rule Book. The final wording after 2 pages of instruction state "Super Stock will be designated as S/SE".

A further explanation earlier is "All races will be run on a heads up basis, the cars will be handicapped by weight."

There were no classes within Super Stock for AHRA. That was reserved for the 5 Formula Stock classes, under special Formula categories.

I reviewed this with a former Super Stock and Pro Stock AHRA driver, who indicated he believed the "E" stood for eliminator. The class was known as Super Stock Eliminator.

[Keith Seymore]

Nice; thank you.

K

[EZ Nova]

1stgenfan,

Looking at the weights for the popular engines, it is certainly worth looking to run a 396 @ 2692?????

Back in the mid '90's, I did my '69 Nova to play on the street. Motor was actually a '72 4 bolt 402 STANDARD BORE. It was set up to L78 specs, (forged crank 7/16's rods TRW 11.5 to 1 pistons) We ring and bearinged the shortblock. Heads were '70 LS^ closed chamber casting 292 I think?? We ported the heads, used same 2.19/188 Manley valves. Comp .660 solid roller with Holley 800 on a strip dominator intake. That car was about 3200 lbs with a M21 and 4.56 gear. I only ran it 1 time in the 1/4 due to no roll bar and getting kicked out. Car ran 10.40's.

Now take out 500lbs and get some time and tweaks done. That could have been a 9.50 car after refining the whole deal.

The 200 lbs more for the 427 Chevy I don't think it would be worth it. And a Ford 427 TP motor at almost 3000lbs or a Hemi at 3300+ would have it's hands full with a 396????

[69z2x4]

I don't know how you would get a 396 car that lite. All the Camaros and Novas I had weigh about 3000 lbs with a bb in them.