Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

Did your friend ever check to see if it was a original Bucket seat car,there is a way to tell.Ask him that question and get back to me.Courtesy Chevrolet was to have sold a few Fred Gibb/Dick Harrell cars.I believe their still in Phoenix.

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

Dan it is NOT an original bucket seat car. It has always been an bench seat column shift car. He has an incredible amount if info about Dick harrell and Chevy II's. This car is definately NOT one of the Gibb 50, but it IS an original big block SS car.

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

Dan I as well as Mark know Courtesy in Phx. sold a Harrell car or two, but to date none have surfaced here in the Area. This car was bought by Mark in Wisconsin in 1978 just as it is now, L-88 and all for the princely sum of $800 . Mark told me that the person he bought this car from found it in Oklahoma somewhere sitting behind an old speed shop. As far as Courtesy Chevrolet goes, this dealership IS still in business here in Phoenix and Mark and myself have spoken to a couple of people who remember a Harrell 427 Chevy II on the dealer floor in 1968. If there is any Harrell Chevy II's here in the valley I have not heard of any (I have lived here for 30 years now) and neither has Mark, who happens to have his finger squarely on the pulse of the Nova scene here.

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

I meant say that the Courtesy Chevrolet was still in business,not that I thought the Dick Harrell Nova's sold there were still there.I would be on the lookout for any 68 Nova SS big block,since if the Harrell badgeing was removed it might go undetected. 901 total not 902,total 68 SS Nova 396.234 L34 and 667 L78.
98 came with the Th400 and out of that came the 50 Copo 396 375hp,which in turn 15 to 25 of these could be Dick Harrell 427 conversions. This leaves 48 396 350hp th400. So since Marks car did not come with bucket seats and is not a one of the original Copo cars then it started life out as a L34 car and became a 427 conversion by Dick Harrell.It is 1 of 48 automatic 396 350hp cars,which is very rare in itself

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

Yes Dan it is quite a rare and nice car. I have been trying to get some good pics and some info from Mark to send in the the site for the Monthly Cover car. When he gets some good pics I will send them to the site(hopefully later this year). Perhaps you have seen this car when it was on the cover of Nova Times a few years ago (I am not sure of the month),it is Fathom Blue with Black Interior.

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

The first article I saw on Brewer's car, way before they shared the "tuning" tricks, stated the Brewers started with an original SS396/4speed car, which they rebuilt with L89 heads and a TH400 to optimize the combo for the drags.

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

MikeA;
I think the reference of '6 cylinder' and 'Brewer's Nova' was in regard to the front coil springs. It is believed that the car has 6 cylinder front coils or 'trick' springs. Apparently, you couldn't put your little finger in between the coils when it was being teched for the PSMCDR. Additionally, when you look at the photos of the Nova vs. Hemi feature in MCR, you can see that although the Nova appears level, the ground is not. The front end sits very low on this car, but is very high in the launch photos. We all know how grandma's Novas are supposed to sit!!

I think the lightweight part came about due to the heads, and that he cut the radio in half!
M

Re: PSMCDR '68 Nova SS
 

Muscule Car review had 2 articles on Phil's 1968 Nova (that I have seen). I have them both. On about the pure stock drags and the setup of Phils tricks he used on his Blue Nova. The other was when he raced the Hemi (it did an 11.90's) and beat Phils very low 12 second pass.

Above what people were asking about the springs. The first year at the pure stock drags Phil B. used moroso trick springs but the officials gave him a hazzle so he replaced them with worn out 6 cylander springs. To get the corect ride height with the 6er springs he had to use blocks as well to raise the ride heigth.

It also stated in the article that the car weighed 3240 Lbs without driver.

Phils car is very fast and with slicks I'm sure he would see high 11's He also states the Nova is really not a street car. Many of the mods he did for the track would not be a good idea on the street.

Bruce

[Edited by Bitterman (09-14-2001 at 09:07 AM).]