Another COPO Camaro Found

[scuncio]

Freakin' MAGAZINES! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Very Cool car Matt!

[Supercar_Kid]

Here's a pic of Matt Murphy's L-78 that I took at the York US 30 Musclecar Madness show this summer. It's a little blurry, but it's the best I've got. Awesome car. Berger L-78

[camarojoe]

Maybe this one's a little better... from the Camaro Superfest in July.

[MotownMadman]

Matt,
Is this the same Arons car we talked about on the phone about 5 months ago you were going after, or is that one still out on the loose? I Believe you had said the one you were on to was a B and A car, this the same one without Booth? Congrads on the addition to your ever growing herd of horsepower, and thanks again for the other stuff.
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]

[matt murphy]

Motown,

This is the same car. I don't remember saying anything about it being an A or B car, but I didn't know much about it when we talked back then. I had a picture of this car from the 1969 Dallas Spring Nationals, that I bought two years ago, and thought it was a cool car then, but to find the car in almost the exact same condition was a treat. Gordy Foust won the event in SS/E that weekend (which I found out when he came to see the car at our shop) and it also went on to win three other events that I have found out so far. I have quite a few pictures of it, but they are all too big to put in an attachment here. I will work on a link to them shortly.

To explain the pictures in the two attachments, the first one was after I got it and had time to put the original Berger Decals on the door with Dicks name on the fender. Berger's old parts Manager, Jim Leukins reprinted them for me since he said that he helped Dick Arons with the car and parts in 1969. The second picture was pretty much like I found the car, minus the Florida mold and mildew. After taking the second owners stickers off the car, I found some more original painted on items that he covered with stickers. One, in particular was the Mechanics name, Rich Maskins. Rich went on to start a company called DART Cylinder heads, and still runs it today. I met him at the US Nationals this year at Indy and he was pretty excited to hear that the car was still together. He also wants me to let him know if we get it back to running form. He said he drove it a bit back then.

Also, there is a small picture of it (and a 1967 Camaro twin to it, in color and design) at the US Nationals in 1969, in the book, "Super Stock . . . Drag Racing The Family Sedan." Not sure how it did there. Brian found me a bunch of articles on the car and Dick Arons, as well as, the original "For Sale" ad that Dick put in the Nov. 21st and 28th, 1969 National Dragster magazine. Asking $4,600.00 for it. I took the car in a trailor to Dick Arons shop after the Superfest and showed it to him. I was surprised to find him and his shop still around, but was glad I did because he had quite a few pictures if it that he gave to me. I think it would be great to see Dick and Gordy make a few passes with it next year. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]

The second owner was Dick Wolverton, who raced it from the early 70's until 1986, and every year at the Gator Nationals from 1973 until it's last race in 1986. It sat in his car port in FL from 1986 until I got it back in June. Dennis Barker at Berger Chevy told me about it and I owe this find to him [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img] (that's a root beer cheer dennis). It is at Berger Chevy right now, or at least parked with a few of their other specialty cars in storage waiting for the Vette Fest.

I plan on showing it and racing it a lot, since it has a neat Drag Racing history to it, as well as some pretty cool Camaro legend Sponsors in Berger and Motion (it is not a Motion car, sorry Dave, HAHA). I think Dick said that their best time with the car was around 10:74 at 127 mph. Dick Wolverton pulled out the original engine setup (put it on an engine stand, and it came with the car) and had Booth/Arons Racing Engines build him a 396/325hp engine to race in SS/HA sometime around late 1972, which is still in the car now. Ironically, from the early photos, it had 427 emblems in place of the 396 fender emblems. I found the original 427 emblems in the glove box. Dick put the 396 ones on it when he put a 396 in it in 1972 or so. It is an animal with the built 396 in it, and can't wait to see it lift the front tires again with the 427 back under the hood. Stay tuned for more photos and articles and a link coming soon. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif[/img]

[Charles]

Is this the Super Stock Camaro that Odus Rigsby and Bob Hall were involved with? Was a Maroon color the Arons "team cars color"? Wally Booth seemed to like "Green" cars! Thanks.