History Old 57 Corvette Gasser out of chicago

Anyone know any history on this 57 vette the story I was told is that it was from Chicago and ran in the late 60’s and 70’s. It has a chrome axel with chrome leaf springs and shocks, Dana 60 with long lift bars (look like they are made from square tubing). Grand Automotive in on the sides along with Gary Brown engine builders the doors are missing so I don’t know what name was on the car.
It think it was from the Grand Ave. area of Chicago I’m not that familiar with the area.
If anyone has any info on this vette I would be forever grateful
Thanks, Marty
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That's so awesome.. Can you look inside the engine bay and try to figure out what motor mounts are in there? Does it appear that a stick transmission was ran or an automatic?

Can't wait to see what becomes of this one.

 

holy smokes!!!

 

I only know, I wish it were mine....JOHN

 

Anyone around the Grand Ave. area of Chicago in the 60's & 70's come on guys think back

 

Hey Marty, I have a friend who is a Chicago "lifer" I'll put him on the trail.

 

Grand Ave is where Grand Spaulding Dodge is located, and there are still alot of shops and companies along the sides. Bump.

 

Thanks Rick need all the help I can get on finding out info on this vette

 

PM Norby48 and ask him to send this link to the Chicago Gearheads clubs, lots of older guys in that group they would probably know.

 

That is badass.

 

thanks I pm him now

 

Wow, bad ass! Good luck with your search. Wish I could help!

 

MARTY! DUDE! HOLY CRAP! That is Sam Gianino's Ex-Modified Sports/Gasser, know as the Executioner. I can put you in contact with my buddy Eric. He has been trying to buy this car for years and knows much of its history after Sam sold it. Congrats buddy, you got a famous one.

 

Here is one of many pics you will find. PS, my buddy Eric, is pretty sure he hates you

 

Do I smell a restoration a brew"n.

 

MMMMMMMM!!! Love it!!!!!

 

more! more! More info more pics!!!i love 57 Vettes!

 

Redline, is that your old girl back in the day?

 

That thing is bad ass!

 

HOLY SHIT! This is almost as good as the guy who found the Davis & Ingram fiat.

 

The HAMB is slipping, that took almost 6 hours to ID. What are the plans? I vote to keep it a gasser.

 

Wow ......... sweet score.

 

Those things are super light, mine weighed 2650 with a hardtop, 327/360 & a 4 speed. Hell of a street racer in 1964

 

awesome ,what are your plans?

 

Yep! 1968 67 mo 302/4-speed.Twas that way when I bought it minus motor.Kenny(in pic) still had motor,I bought it and put it back in and it was a legal D/G car. I raced it and ran it on the street that way for a couple years.ran 12.50s with 5.38s(the ones I just broke) and 308s on the street.I never topped it out with those 308s but 6000 rpm in 4th was really haulin the mail! twas on the verge of flyin....many stories as I have owned it almost 30 years! Note the Z/29 emblem on the grill...This was 1968...(old pic) he ran the 68 World Series at Cordova with it.... Sorry guys hope I aint intrudin!

 

Great car!

I have an old Chicago area racecar (AHRA) that has a Gary Brown built AMC motor. I was told Gary Brown specialized in Chevy motors but never found any info on him.

There seems to be a lot of drag history from IL so you should be able to dig up a lot.

If you turn up anything on him please let me know.

Again, great car! Congrats!

Josh

 

kool

 

Boy that vette rang my bell, everything about it are just like the Snap Too that we raced in the late 60s at the Stardust. If memory serves me , we gutted the doors, lost the windshield and top and had it down to 2345 and ran as as a C/A . There were some cats that showed at the '69 Winternats with a Cammer powered '55 vette, brtal combo but they had tranny problems and never got in the show, they had towed clear from NY, bummer !

 

If it is the Executioner that is a great find. I watched that car run numerous times and it is one of the reasons I got hooked on these old Vette drag cars. Here is a pic of the car in early 1967 when he ran DM/SP with the hardtop. At this time he was sponsored by Midwest. I recently spoke to the owner of Midwest who sponsored Gianinos car in early 67 and then owned the black Vette behind Gianinos. The black car lost the hardtop part way down the quarter one time and so they kept it as a roadster for awhile. Don't know why Gianino took his off for the Nationals in September of 67. I ran with some guys that ran a Vette in gas and we used to run into Sam (and his wife at the time Heide) at a number of tracks. I also remember the car at Autorama in 69. Truth be told I can describe the interior and even the shifter of the black car but cannot remember much on fine details of the Executioner other than it ran good in MSP and Gas. He occasionally ran D/A but I cannot rememeber how good he ran against the altereds.

He won class at Indy in 67 and 68 and won street eliminator as well in 68. A great running car. He always seemed to run consistent. Glad to see someone that appreciates these old Vettes found it. Would like to hear the story of the post Gianino era, with a windshield attached to the car etc.

Great find-Jim

 

I have an old copper printing plate with this car on it! it's backwards, of course since it was used to print GM ad's for mechanic schools. You can see it says "The Executioner" across the nose. It has the hood off and some guy wrenching on the injected small block. I always wondered about this car. How cool.