CALLING ALL GIBB & HARRELL PICS & STORIES!!

[55chevy]

Hi all. I've just noticed a lot of the other subjects have been getting alot of posts but the Dealer Specific topics haven't been getting a lot of posts lately. I'd be interested in seeing some pics and hearing some stories [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Dig 'em out and start typing. I'm sure I'm not the only interested one on this subject.

Ed
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]

[Kim_Howie]

Check vintage picts under super cars dissc. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[davenkc]

I now have pictures and can tell the story of the "other" red Chevelle if you would find it interesting? I will post it later this week when I get the pictures scanned.
Dave Libby

[Mr70]

That would be very interesting to me.Please post those at your Convience.

[SS427]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif[/img] That would be great. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
Rick

[68TopStock]

That would be great. "Little Hoss" will finally find out what happened to his long lost planned stablemate.

[mc25t190]

look at the ZL1 post january delivery. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]

[davenkc]

Hear is the promised story,

I believe a few of you met me at last years reunion and others my recognize my name because I am mentioned and my picture is in several of the magazines about the early days of the Dick Harrell Performance Center. I am Dave Libby and this story is of the "other red Chevelle"
I am sure most have seen or at least pictures of Joe Swezey's red Chevelle. This was the car I came to the reunion to see and just to see it again actually caused me to choke up a bit. I am the guy who all those years ago did the actual work on the conversions of all five of the Chevelles. I have told a number of people of the existance of another one like Joe's car that was sold to my older brother and after much searching I now have pictures of it which I will post after I tell its story.

It was one of the early arrivals to the shop and the last of its kind to leave. It was orginally destined to be one of the red/black "team" racecars and as such spent several months sitting in the back of the shop with the engine and trans removed. Well the "team" of red/black cars didn't happen and when it was all said and done it was still sitting there sort of an orphan. My brother asked Dick "what are you going to do with that car"? He was told "sell it" and making a long story shorter a deal was struck. The car had all the trim modifications done and Bill (my brother) liked it so I left it as it was,put a 396/375 out of the pile of them we had back in it and it was delivered to Bill. FYI it was a 4 speed w/ 411 positraction and was no slouch in performance as it was.

My brother and his family planned a vacation and set out for Colorado Springs CO. from his home in SO. KC. Before he left I told him to take it easy on that new engine... you know the drill don't hold a steady speed and watch the temp
He assured me he knew how to handle a new engine and that after all a lot of what I knew about engines he had taught me anyway. Again making a long story shorter the thing spun the front main bearing about halfway across Kansas with about 650 miles on it. He called me with a "come and get me plea" so I took Dick's f/c hauler and went to get him and family. After we got the car home and back to the shop (again long story) The car became a for real 427 Chevelle instead of just looking like one This time all was fine and after several months an a few thousand miles it was one of thr faster cars around SO.KC

One evening he left the car in his driveway when he had painted a couple of hoods for Dick (this was long before the days of OPP) he left them on saw horses till morning and during the night the car was stolen.
A week later it was found in Independence MO. on a dead end side street minus its engine and trans but otherwise intact except the trunk lock had been punched out.

We set about locating another engine and after a week or so found a "Corvette 427" advertised in the paper. Bill called me on a Sunday and we went to look at it. Sure enough it was a Hi pref block,aluminum heads complete minus carb. It had a true L-88 intake on it (no divider). I told Bill it appeared to be a genuine L-88 engine. He bought it and we took it to his house that day. I took it apart and sure enough it was a true closed chamber L-88 with 12.5 pistons.full float pins,crossdrilled crank,rods babbit dipped on the pin end .. it had it all.
It had no sequence# on it so I assume it to be a parts dept supplied engine. origin unknown. Bill said he would like to put a turbo hydro in the car and I said why not? I located a B&M modified trans and that worked just fine, he found a console somewhere and we put it all together in his garage.

To say that car performed would be a gross understatment, that baby flew but wouldn't hardly pass a gas station..

After s few months herding the car around Bill grew weary of driving what was really a race engine on the street (hi maint believe me) he asked if I had something a little calmer to put in the car. I did I had a 390 hp 427 that I was going to put in my tow vehicle, we worked out a deal and that went in the Chevelle and the L-88 wound up as a +30 race motor for a 68 Chevyll I was building in my garage.

Anyway the Chevelle eventually was sold to a local Dr. who bought it for his son and a few months later the young man totaled the Chevelle and died in the wreck. The car was sent to the shredder sometime in the spring of 72.
So now you know the story of the "other" red Chevelle.

That brings you to the same place I am in the knowledge of "where are the DH Chevelles"? I know where the red ones are/were and where one of the green ones (a very special one) are, so there is one more light green one and a medium blue one out there somewhere. They have a black interior and a black vinyl top and there is only those two to be accounted for. It may make "finding a needle in a haystack easy by comparision but unless they suffered a similar fate as this one someone know where they are...

The pictures are not very good and one has been damaged by water I guess. I tried to clear them up with my photo editing program but the result was a "doctored " look so I decided to post it as it is. Sorry for the poor quality but these are the only known pictures of this car. Also note these were taken after the theft recovery (the lack of a trunk lock) Electric solonid replaced it.
Dave

[davenkc]

Here is the first picture

[davenkc]

a side view