[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