Pat you are correct on that score. Ferd Napfel's 55 was a very successful runner. The picture above I have a note is the run for street eliminator at the 1966 World Finals. Napfel had taken a class win in F/G and Deloy Naeb took his class win in D/MSP. Naeb went on to win street eliminator in this match up. This 58 Corvette has since been restored. Here is a picture of it on ebay in late 2009 I believe and now as it is restored. Great running car as well that set a couple national records.
Yes Jim I know a little about it. Picture was taken from the tower of Dover drag strip probably during class eliminator, thats my MG running the blown corvette. It was around 1963 because we still had the short headers and the newspaper box hood scoops. The corvette was fairly new it being a 62. And since it was blown it either was heaver or smaller cubes. I think I have his name in my papers. I have that picture and may have even taken it but I don't remember. I know we talked on this thread about resto vs hot rod but during this time you just put your hard earned money into a car just to go racing and Corvettes had no wall street, investment, Mecum value. Pat
Pat I thought that was your car. The 62 looks pretty new and it has white walls on the front which dates it a bit IMO. The one thing that strikes me is that the car may be easier to ID since the guy cut his rear wheelwells. That looks like a pretty tall tire. With the blower I believe the story of the car and it's owner may be interesting. You probably could tell a pretty interesting story about your car as well.
Unearthed and available. I have no connection. https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/d/1961-chevrolet-corvette/6620893346.html
Rumblegutz I saw that car for sale on Craigslist and wonder if the car will sell for this price. I would be a tad afraid of the rust that may have formed with the moss. Even though there is not a bird cage per se there are areas of the structure that are prone to rust and then areas under the dash. Also the kickups and the rear brace just under the rear bodywork that seems to rust quite regularly. At that price without an engine and the potential problem the pool of buyers may be limited to an extent. But then again they may see that all of these sell at some auctions for silly money so they believe all of them will sell for a "fortune". The resto mod crowd really only want the body anyways so it may go that direction. I have helped friends buy early Vettes lately and they all bought good examples IMO for less money (when you figure in all of the extra parts that came with the various cars).
Jim, you make very good points and I'm with you. Sellers frequently go fishing for all the money whether the car is worth it or not.
There was no mention of a title or paperwork. I've done cars like that, no more even if he gave it to me. No at this stage of my life I need to just get in and start it up, put it in gear and go. I'd pay a premium for that. Pat
Pat I know the sentiment. For years I wanted a 1961 Ford Starliner but I did not want a project-I wanted a done car-to leave me time to work on some of my other derelicts. I finally found one that had a body off restoration (not 100% type resto but nice IMO and was the feature car on Powerblock sometime ago). I went to Tennessee and bought the car and like it but for a "done car" I have found myself working on the car lets say a lot. Every time I look at the car I really like it for looks but it seems to need a bit of tinkering. It is one of those deals that I am not sure you can buy a trouble free car unless you pay a king's ransom for it. I have beat some troublesome cars in the past and this is one I hope I beat as well. For the first couple of years I fought engine leaks and trans leaks (390 with a C6) and finally have pretty much solved those issues but I remember reading with a chuckle that if you take a picture of a car of this vintage with a 390 be careful where you set the picture because it will leak oil as well-LOL
No matter how much I try I cannot wrap my hands around those front wheels LB. Like showing a crucifix to a vampire.
And it shows how much camber changes side to side running a straight axle under heavy acceleration and lifting one side. Lots of stress on the passenger side front tire and wheel LOL.
The other thing about the car is the serious setback. It looks like he went with 25% to me. I remember an old Vette at Milan with serious setback and I never saw the car make a good pass. Fun to watch for the first 330 maybe (if that much). After 330 you went to the concession stand. There had to have been at least a handful that were successful with the serious setback I suppose and maybe this was one of them.
Except in this case both front wheels are still on the ground and the positive camber seems to be a function of the front axle used as it is pretty close to equal on each side. Roo
Jim, at least they are real spindle mount 12 spokes, not the bogus bolt on 10 spoke crap that most everyone (who could not buy a clue even if you gave them a big bundle of cash) uses on their "gasser" street cars. Roo
Roo, you are right on that they are spindle mounts and may very well have been the ticket to some success with this car but they look out of place to me personally number one and I wonder how well they handled. They are reminiscent of the early Vette called Half Breed (that is still around and has been for sale on several sites including ebay-although updated with what I believe are a different set of spindle mounts). The spindle mounts on the car as it was for sale may have been appropriate as it very well may have run as an altered. The car above may very well have run as an altered as well. I suppose I have a certain look imprinted in my brain as to what an old Vette that actually ran in gas (and MSP as well) should look like and these particular front wheels and tires are just not what I would have thought were the best choice. As to the modern 10 spoke wheels I am not a fan. I have a good friend that runs them and he build beautiful cars and Nickey has put them on the 61 Vettes they built and a few guys on the HAM B run them-so I bite my lip a bit. Certainly not my cup of tea and I probably should leave it at that so I don't unnecessarily offend some decent builders. Half Breed as it was being sold recently.
Jim, interesting to note that both the Stingray in the post that prompted this discussion and Half Breed both have the later 18" 12 spokes while Half Breed currently has the older (and wider) 15" version. Like you I would think that the tires are a little small for the wheelbase and the car weight in both cases. Maybe on a traditional altered ("T", Fiat, Bantam etc. but they just look wrong on a 'vette. Roo
Half breed is in Kingston NY and is for sale. I think the price is 25K I don't exactly remember. The picture on the trailer was at GG Rhinebeck 3 weeks ago. It looks like the picture that Jim posted with it coming off the line, seems to be running as a fuel altered. Pat
This is Half breed with it earlier paint job. The car as it sits today does not have the original suspension wheels tires etc. It was parted out here in town by a crack head. then the gutted remains where bought and pieced back, mocked together with swap meet finds.
LB I actually found that photo of the Midwest 62 Vette at a swap meet. I spoke to the owner builder/owner of the car in the 60s and could only dream of finding it in a garage for sale someday. The go to driver most of the time was Al Maynard. AL passed on a few years ago sadly but I ran into him at Detroit Autorama in 2010 when I exhibited my black car. Anyone that knew Al would know that he had an impressive collection of Chevrolet parts-he was a fanatic on hard to find good stuff. When I pulled my car up to the registration desk, Al and Wally Knoch came over to look over my car. Wally who made a name for himself driving Fiat altereds (two of which he still owns) is still the proud original owner of a black 62 Vette and we run into each other occasionally at shows and reminisce here and there. When Al looked my car over he told me that he drove a 62 for Midwest Auto and I think I surprised him that I was familiar with the car. I told him I would love to find the car and although I cannot remember his exact words he told me he wishes he could find it too. That kind of told me that he did not know where it was. Something about the look of that car to a 62 Vette nut like myself that puts a smile on my face. Here is a pic I kind of blew up that was in the background of another racecar.
AL was a good guy, gone too soon. I met him at Hershey, sold him some Camaro parts. He sat down on my pickup tailgate with me and we discussed Camaros like we were on the same level.
The Jalopy Journal
