Features Corvette hot rods - picture thread

I believe that this is the same Corvette pictured above. If I remember correctly, this car was originally built for Bonneville or dry lakes competition by Jack Lufkin and it was subsequently sold to Doug Thorley of header fame who campaigned it Modified Sports classes.

As I have commented in previous posts, during the mid-60s Doug's header shop was located on Whittier Boulevard in East L.A. just a couple of miles away from my work. Doug's shop was a great place to hang out after work because the parade of local drag cars passing through that shop never seemed to end.

This picture of Doug and your's truly was taken during the Hot Rod Magazine drag race in, I think, 1965 or 66. The venue for the HRM event was the back straightaway of the Riverside Raceway in what is now Moreno Valley, CA.

 

Jim Dillon, has your research established whether or not this car still exists?

c

 

Chuck sorry I did not see your post. I have not documented whether this car exist but not sure of course.

 

Super nice,

jp

 

It would be interesting to know. I don't think that Doug competed in the Corvette very long. It was shortly after the picture was taken at Riverside that he was seized by the funny car phenomenon and built "Chevy Too Much, " an altered wheelbase '65 Nova. I knew the Corvette program was in trouble on the afternoon when I stopped by his shop and saw Hubert Platt's AWB Falcon with injector stacks on an FE427 sticking through the hood. After Hubert's headers were fabricated, Hubert demonstrated the prowess of the combination with a few blasts across the small parking lot and Doug was hooked! For anyone who wasn't around during that era, I can confirm that shortening the wheelbase on a Falcon or a Nova was carrying a good idea (altered wheelbase on a Plymouth Savoy) to an extreme for the sake of putting on a show.

 

I agree Chuck with how crazy some of the short AFX cars were. I learned how to cringe it seems with them and with old Vettes with a 25 % setback. I never tried to track down the history of Doug's Vette. If I run across something I suppose I will make a note.

Nice 61 Jason-looks like one of the Nickey cars.

 

That needs to be saved.

 

I am quite sure it has been sold since this picture. Whether it was actually saved I am not sure.

 

I’ve posted this before but it’s just so cool.

 

From Beeline dragstrip, Phoenix, AZ, circa 1965...

 

Bob that is Chuck Forstie's 62 that he raced from 1968 through 1971. It may have raced into early 1972 (I believe)when it was destroyed when the competitor crossed the centerline. Pretty cool big block that set a number of AHRA records.

 

I just recently found this thread again and am still working my way backwards thru 330 plus pages, so apologies if these have been posted before. This car belonged to Glen Rapp, Marion SD, who owned Rapp Chevrolet and Thunder Valley Raceways, where the photos were taken. And secondly, Earl Brits Pizza Man Corvette, from Sioux Falls , plus some other local vettes.