Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Dick Harrell seems to be a popular subject. He worked with Bill Thomas, Nickey, Yenko, Fred Gibb, and others. here is an early pic of Dick getting some air under the front wheels. The FX drag cars looked "funny" with their altered wheel base and this started the Funny Car class.
http://members.aol.com/yenkochevelle...ellwhelie2.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Here is a pic I posted before. It is an early SS Camaro small block 427 conversion. I think it started out as a Harrell/Nickey/Thomas car then became a Harrell/Yenko

http://members.aol.com/chevelleyenko/images/yenko67.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Sixtiesmuscle,
Is this the 'Garfinlke' Camaro that you were refering to?

Joe C,
Thanks for the pictures.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Joe,

I have always like the early Novas and had a 1965 SS with a 6 cylinder many years ago. It took a long time to find another one with a V-8 (283 Four-Door car). I swapped the engine, restored the car and enjoyed racing the unsuspected competion back then.

However, relating to the FX cars, I had always wanted to put a 327/360 Fuel Injection engine in mine (like the FX cars) but it was cost prohibitive at the time to purchase a Fuelie engine.

Rumor has it that this set-up in a Nova could beat the Vette. I would have like to see that. Thanks for pic and the memories.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Mike Garfinkel had some type of deal to run this car with the Harrell Yenko name. Mike was an AHRA points champion in a Pontiac the year before. Not sure who owned the car.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

There are some interesting pictures in the 'Super Stock Drag Racing the Family sedan'.

Such as the fastback Bill Thomas Chevy II on page 156.

Dick Harrell lined up against a Richard Petty sponsored 10.0 sec Barracuda on page 150.

Lots of Harrell pics ect...

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

here is a story about Dick H. from the draglist.com web site. Libby refers to a "genuine Z-16 Chevelle" that Dick had but I think it was really a early 64 Chevelle that Dick bought and dropped in his Z-11 427 motor in. I saw this car in Dick's scrap book when on display at the SCR when Dick's daughter was there.

"I first met Dick Harrell at Wes Jerde's speed shop in Kansas City in about early 1967. But I had seen him match racing at the Kansas City "old strip" (where the second NHRA Nationals were held). He ran a '63 Z-11, a '64 or '65 Chevy II with a Z-11 motor, and one of only two genuine Z-16 '65 Chevelles I have ever seen. That was the first of the 396 Chevelles, but I believe it had a 427 in it at the time. I am not sure this was his car (I never asked him), but he had it there just the same.

When Dick moved to Kansas City later that year to start his Dick Harrell Performance Center, I was offered a job there. I was on layoff at the time and jumped at it. I stayed there until late 1969. In that time I put a lot of 427s in a lot of Camaros, Chevy IIs ('68s were Chevy IIs and '69s became Novas), and a few Chevelles. (Read it in SS&DI July Œ68).

We also did a lot of custom machine work and built more than a few race cars, like Fred Gibb's ZL-1 Pro Stocker, for instance. I have often wondered what happened to that. I think it was the #1 ZL-1. I left Dick when he was getting ready to move the shop to Mission Kansas. This is a story about one of my experiences during that time (summer Œ68).

I had been racing my AHRA B/HR Œ55 Chevy at Kansas City the Saturday night all this started. Dick had a match race in Pittsburgh, Kansas, with the "old car" (his recently reacquired '67 Camaro) while Charlie Therwhanger had the "new car" (Dick's '68 flopper Camaro) in Union Grove (Great Lakes Dragway) at the "Olympics of Drag Racing." I got home about midnight from the drag strip and shortly after that the phone rings.

Dick says, "I need you to help me. Charlie has torn up the motor and I have the motor out of the old car now. I need you and Norm (I cannot remember his last name) to take it to him and help put it in the car so we can race tomorrow." I said, "No problem Dick. Be right there."

Well, making a long story short, we drove like a bat out of hell all night and got to the "HO-JOs" in Kenosha, Wisconsin, about 8:30 Sunday morning. Sure enough, there was Charlie and Jerry (Stanger, I think) waiting for us. We set the motor in the car and I went to the room to take a shower and catch a few winks. Guess what? In the shower/bathtub, Charlie had overhauled the tranny the previous night! BIG mess! I went to get some breakfast instead.

At breakfast, I overheard other racers talking. Word was "Harrell's car is broke. Guess one of us will get a single first round." I looked around to see who was talking and it was the Jungle man himself talking to someone. (I donÃt remember who.) Just as I was finishing my coffee, Charlie fired the car in the parking lot. That got a LOT of attention, including the local cops, but it all worked out OK. Charlie had a good line of BS.

Needless to say, we got to the races on time. Charlie won the first round but lost second round to... I cannot remember who -- Schumacher's Stardust Cuda or maybe the Ramchargers car -- I am not sure. (Wonder why I can't remember? It has only been 32 years ago! HA!)

I crashed so hard I really don't remember the ride home, but the memory of the trip will never fade. Wish I knew whatever happened to or where Therwhanger is now. I would like to talk to him again. I still miss Dick and will never be able to thank him for all the memories I have, but I thought I would share this one with you.

Dave Libby

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Here's a photo of the boys pulling out ZL1 #1's transmission in the Holiday Inn parking lot:

http://www.1967z28.com/fredgibb/holiday-t.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Here is a part of a Tommy McNeely interview also from the draglist web site

"It was a time much different from today when "Sunday! “ Sunday! “ SUNDAY!" radio ads screamed of Ford against Chevy and Dodge against Pontiac. Tact and tactics were not part of getting paying customers through the gates and after all, early FX/FC races were slightly more of a circus act than spectators were used to. All the extraneous stuff was fun for the fans -- pie fights, putting on fire suits right out front, rosin, burnouts, and radio and PA shouting matches. Nobody wanted to lose or they didn't get paid as much or asked to go to more races. But the show was a huge part too.
There were times when a car was outclassed by its competition so the driver threw lead or cylinder heads in the trunk and went into big wheelstands -- the spectacular action of the wheelstand drew our attention away from a better performance. The "loser" ended up being the winner because he gained more ink and fans. It was exciting to watch.
"And scary too some times but we were too young to know the difference. I was 19 when I got the Falcon. I refer to Dickie and Hubert a lot because they were probably my greatest mentors at the time. One of the first things Dickie taught me was if you know you're going to lose, load the trunk and put it on the back bumper"

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

There is also a picture ,in the mentioned book of Dick Harrell's 'Good Guys' 64 Chevelle running an 'old' Z11 430hp 427 (He must have pulled it from his '62 race car). Sponsorship on the car is by Bill Allen enterprises.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

1969 ZL1 Harrell With just Ray Sullins script on the paint scheme.
http://communities.fr.msn.ca/BornFor...to&PhotoID=280

[Edited by copo9566aa (05-01-2002 at 01:18 PM).]

[Edited by copo9566aa (05-01-2002 at 01:19 PM).]

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

http://www.corvettes-musclecars.com/...1Harell(5).jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Another shot of Ray Sullins with the #1 ZL1

http://www.1967z28.com/fredgibb/gibb48.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Nice Pictures thanks for posting
More Dick Harrel


http://members.aol.com/yenkochevelle...elyenkofc2.jpg

http://members.aol.com/yenkochevelle...l69camaro2.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

http://members.aol.com/yenkochevelle...harrellfc4.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

This is a picture of a picture in Dick Harrell's scrap book. Probably one of the first Chevelles to hit the drag strip and it had a 427 but a 1963 Z-11 not a MK IV. The BB Chevy wasn't in production yet.

http://members.aol.com/yenkochevelle...harrell64c.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Did'nt the ZL1 get damaged a few years ago on tne way to Indy Super Chevy? If I remember correctly it caught fire on the trailer. I remember them backing it off and there was extensive fire damage. Something broke on the trailer's suspension causing the fire.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

T Billigen,

Here is how the #1 ZL1 looks today, it was re-restored after the 1991 trailer fire by Bill Porterfield. Shot was taken at the 2000 Fred Gibb Memorial Car Show in LaHarpe, Il. First time Fred's racecars were ever in front of the dealership together. He sold "Little Hoss" on November 6, 1968 to make room for the #1 ZL1 delivered on December 31, 1968.

http://www.1967z28.com/fredgibb/gibb...ler%20both.jpg

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Looks good as new! Neat picture!

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

This is the same ZL1 #1's with Leatherman(Larry Leatherman) lettering on the Yenko Logo or another ???



[Edited by copo9566aa (05-09-2002 at 01:53 PM).]

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Nice write up in the Dec 1989 Car Craft Mag on the #1 ZL1 with a centerfold pic of it. Esp like the valve covers stamped Offenhauser with the Dick Harrell cast emblems on them. Just wondering were the DH emblems cast into the covers or where they attached with fastners.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

copo9566aa and others,

I have a pic of the 69 car, lower photo that JoeC posted above. It reads "Super John" on the rear 1/4's with the Dick Harrell crest on the door. I am not sure which car this is, or if it is a ZL1. Anyone care to comment? My file of the pic is too big to attach.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

68TopStock
You can send me the pic and i will resize it for you.
That doesn`t say anything to me "Super John"

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Here is a pic of a Dick Harrell sponsored car, driver was "Super John", same car as JoeC posted above. The wheels are the "Bad Ones" made by Kelsey Hayes. Dick and Fred agreed to put them on their cars in 1970 for a Kelsey Hayes marketing program.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Another pic of Gibb/Harrell Camaro ,but '70 with RS (Front end)The wheels look the same "Bad Bones".
Thanks 68TopStock for the info.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

The above is the Gibb/Harrell GT-2 racer that was raced along with Kim's 70ZL1 ProStock in 1970. I have a pic of it in an advertisement. I'll try and find it and post. This is one of the cars that needs to be found and brought back to life. I know very little about it at this time, and have just started researching it.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

I found an old classified ads in a old magazine dated July 1973,with a Dick Harrell 70 Camaro for sale by John.B
("Super John" 70 Camaro ???)

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

I found another article with a GT2 1967 Harrell/Dunlap Camaro
in HP-Cars Sept 1971
"Cool info" about Dick Harrell car lettering
(Katy Neff of Kansas
City did the expert lettering. Now,
many of you may be wondering if
Katy is a girl, and let us tell you that
she most definitely is. This very
talented, young lady has done the let-
tering for several years on some of
the prettiest cars in the country, in-
cluding all of Dick Harrell's cars ) [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Wow... you guys really have an interesting thread going here! Whaddya say we keep it going and add another photo for discussion! Here's a rare photo of Dick Harrell's short lived Chevy II at Minnesota Dragways in 1968. Based on what I've read, Harrell had high hopes for this machine but it never performed as expected, so it was raced only a short time before it was retired. Anybody care to comment or add any further information about this car? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks,
Tim "Hotrodchev"
1968 Nova SS
1968 Chevelle SS
1969 Chevelle SS
1972 Cheyenne Super SWB

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

hotrodchev,

Welcome Tim! You found me out here in cyberworld with the rest of the fanatics. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] This thread is one I hope will lead to a pic of every Harrell and Gibb sponsored car that raced.

Tim, you know how to downsize pics to fit, send more.

Come on the rest of you guys, lets anty up some more pics.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Hi Ken,

Here are a couple more photo's I acquired taken at Minnesota Dragways in 1969 with "Boemler" featured as the sponsor. Maybe you would be so kind to comment on these photo's for me as I'm not real familiar with this sponsor myself. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Thanks,
Tim "Hotrodchev"

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Here's the second pic. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Tim "Hotrodchev"

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

This is Jim Kirby's 68 bodied funnycar. It was originally painted gold in early 1968 prior to him being sponsored by Dick Harrell. I have a June of '68 dragworld that says Jim was here in MN with the car, painted gold. It raced against the topless Nova pictured above. The car ended up being rebodied in 1970 with a '70 body, and is supposed to still exist.

This car is also known as the second '68 Harrell funnycar. It was owned by Jim Kirby, and is different than Dicks personal '68 funnycar. Later in the year it was painted a dark purple or maroon. I think Boemler Chevy was a MO. based dealer. The name has only been seen on this car. It apparently only had one tank in the front for gas, as Dick's had 2 moon tanks for fuel and H20. I think I have this straight. Tom, do you care to comment?

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

I do not have a lot of info on Dick's steel bodied cars but have spent hours researching Dick's 'glass cars. Dick's first FC is actually an "altered" wheelbase car, a 1967 Camaro which will have the Yenko shield on the side. Square tube frame, metal body with fiberglass doors, front clip, trunk lid, etc. This car first ran injectors, then went blown. The car is being restored up North. Dick's second FC is a full fiberglass, flip top style 1968 Camaro. This car was painted at least 3 times, red w/black top, all red and red? with the gold leaf. Most pictures show the car with the Courtesy Chevrolet shield on the side. This car ran a blown big block. It is owned and being restored by the Yenko Sportscar Club. The second '68 FC is the Kirby car. This car was used by Dick to help him fullfil his many race committments. This car ran both injectors and a blower. A couple of years ago Jim still owned the car. Not for sure about the body(what year). Going on magazine articles, I had thought that there may have been a 3rd '68, but have been assured by Dave Libby (who worked for Dick) that there were only the two. Dick's 1969 FC is the much photographed Gibb Camaro, which matched the paint scheme on the '69 ZL-1, red? with gold lace. It is owned by Dick's daughter Valerie. I have heard reports of a possible 2nd '69, or at least part of one, but this may be rumor. In the fall of 1971 Dick was killed in his 1970/71 Camaro FC, which was cut up and buried in a land fill in KC. There was also a DH Vega during this time, which the where abouts is unknown. Tom

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

69 funnycar-looks like a duck talks like a duck could it be?Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Tim
Not sure where your body came from but the frame is probably homemade or made in the '80's or '90's. Some '69 F/C from that era besides Harrel was Mike Burkhart, Bob Steakly, Dale Chevrolet Super Hugger among many others. I just looked at some pics and all three of the above body's were identical including the Harrell car body.
Even if you take off all the updated rollcage tubes per NHRA specs, it is still not an early design. The Harrell '69 chassis was all round tube, front to rear, even the main bottom tubes. The firewall forward section for instance had 2 parallel tubes, one on top of the other about 10 inches apart running horizontaly to the front. I sold a mag on Ebay about 10 months ago with the Harrell '69 F/C and made a copy of the article for the second highest bidder and remember how the tube frame was configured-compared it to a Harrell F/C model kit for sale on ebay and was curious how close the model was.
Dave

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Dave we already know about the chassis its the body and sheetmetal work thats similar to Dicks.I never thought it was Dicks but the info I've received from68\30 Steve and Ratpack I'm not counting anything out it had to be somebodys.Its a stock body with sheetmetal work identical to Dicks 70 camaro thats the concern.Don Hardy couldn't give me a diffinative no that he didn't do it but he didn't give me a yes either.We are in the process of trying to figure out if there could be some relation to Dick.Either way it's a neat piece of history.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Tim check on the inside of the rear trunk. I have a picture of the rear 3/4 shot of the Harrell car and it has a short spoiler molded onto the rear. Looks like your rear spoiler was bolted on. The spoiler I'm looking at is very short and does not wrap around the body. It is not bolted on.
This Nova shot I'm attaching says the frame/suspension was designed and set up by Dick Harrell but the frame was actually built by Don Hardy. The Harrell '69 frame was near identical to this one for reference.
Dave

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

Dave both myself and Ratpack checked the spoiler area out.The current spoiler has been added.The area where the the spoiler is now looks to have been repaired at one time.Don't know if that means anything but we had assumed with that repair it could have possibly had a molded spoiler.

Re: Dick Harrell drag car (new thread)
 

copolocator,

You need to find a Hardy chassis for your body. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Have you made any measurements, and compared them to Dick's and others bodies? What is the wheelbase? Just curious.