toddalin

Did Gary tell you what he had done to the car/engine? I can't imagine that he would have left it as a stock 390 hp build.

sub006

On the 1968 C2, allowing time to perfect the C3 before its '69 introduction.

mattnSD

Please let me know if you do. I have several more pictures of slalom events in San Diego as well.

mattnSD

Oh my god! My car!!!!!' That's crazy!!!!

mattnSD

I'm blown away. It has the knock-offs on it that Kathy claimed it had when new. She purchased an over-the-counter set from Clippinger "in her papers" and years afterwards traded them for a set of Aluminum mags. She regretted that decision. There they are! CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY!

Dr L-88

THANKS Derek!

TCracingCA

Rex I don't think we are done. I know with me, as long as someone doesn't **** me off, I will continue to share.

jimgessner

My wife Dee sold Rita a beautiful Palamino show and trail horse that won everthing. We lost Grant three years ago. Brian Chmielewski is still very involed wikth GRA. Joann and George Lynch's white LT1 went back to the midwest and was restored to show condition. San Diego's PARVIN RUSSELL, Jim Watkins, Len Cunningham and his 63 Z0-6, with the HAL SPRING's old Mickey Thompson Silver Bill Krause 63 Z0-6 that I thought was ''to old and beat up'' ...

ED CAROLE kept them all painted well at Vette Set Body Shop. Chuck Hance and Debbie Weaver raced hard from Coast Corvette, Bill and Suzie Staebell, Allen Morris .......now you got me thinking and looking more.

THANKS DEREK.....You are awaking the sleeping side of my old brain.

We need to have an old WSCC, SIC-SIC BBQ and Reunion Race.

jimgessner

I HAVE BEEN ASLEEP DEREK, AND ALSO OUT OF TOWN A LOT SINCE MAY 1ST.

I remember DICK Takashima, and his wild 64 fuelie. Great driver. We lost him about 6-8 years ago.

jimgessner

The WALT LISTER BLACK 1965 BIG BLOCK 396 car was owned in 2000 by Mark Marbella. He sold it to a collector in TUCSON, who still owns it today with other 396 Corvettes.

DENNIS McCOSH owned the Lister car after Walt sold it to him. Dennis had all the SIC-SIC AUTO-CROSS / SALOMN records from 1959 thru the late 80's. I need to call him.

toddalin

We ran in the local So Cal events from about 1985 until about 1996 when the '91 went off warrentee.

A friend autocrossed Porsches and he got me into it after we got the '64 in '84. Back then we did a lot of running at Lion Country, Fry's Stadium, Norton AFB, and even Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos.

In '87 we bought a 1st day production '70 roadster (350/350, 4-speed, 3.70:1 gears) for autocross, but found that it was too original to change and didn't want to break original parts, so this became an NCRS driver/show car until it went to Japan and now belongs for a CF member in New Zealand.

In '91 we bought one new and autocrossed and raced it extensively for 5 years. (At this point, everybody was running C4s.) Then it was too expensive to autocross the car after that because of the possibility of breakdowns, of which there were several under warrentee, typically related to the active handling.

Connell Chevrolet would not honor a warrentee for cars involved in racing so we told them that we engaged in "skill events" and never had a problem.

Back in the day Lotus West would put on yearly "driving schools." These were the best bang for the buck because you would get a night of classroom session, then two days on the autocross track, typically Lion County. If you drove a Corvette, it was a sure bet that Brian, Rita, Joann, or some other hot Corvette driver would be your instructor. And there were only 3 - 5 students per instructor, so you got lots of seat time in both their and your car.

Those were the days.

TCracingCA

It was sad that the one Lotus giving a ride along went off course at Lion Country (Irvine Meadows) and decapitated both of them led to an end to that venue. So you can see our car. I have posted some video up, and that is probably getting old- but I will put the link up again because it specifically was during the time period you are talking of. My Brother was usually beat by Don Burke in the Merlyn and ran comparible times to Doug Jacks in the 911. John Brema and Chris Lung were right there also in time. George Lynch, Bill Martin, Bob Lung, Green Sr., and Emilio Cervantes were in the next tier and sometimes higher. Brian Chmielewski, Grant Byers etc.. Thus I will see if I can get that link of my brother driving!

Here he is in my Dad's former Gold car now blue, also turn your speaker volume up because they made them run the full mufflers which wasn't the norm at this event- the pipes are on and not off:

jimgessner

1966 Corvette race car, coupe, vin #6761, nassau blue/ blue originally
427/425hp, 4 sp, TI, PW, PDB, AM/FM, Full tint windows. Sold new at Harry Mann Chevrolet, Los Angeles (documented).
*
Story goes that Errol Brown was the original owner of the car and soon after buying it took it to Dick Guldstrand (noted Corvette racer) and had the mods done to race SCCA Cal Club events and SCC SCC Autocross / Salomn. He ran with Bill
Knight and Bill Cooke back in these days. The car raced in A/P big block class and ran Riverside, and other Southern California tracks in the late 60’s up thru the late 70’s.
*
Next owner was named Andy Andersen also raced the car. 3rd owner Ron (the Cowboy) bought the car in 1982 and stored the car until 2006 when he installed a 350/350 69 Corvette engine and got it running for the street. Engine was pro built by Troyce in Yucaipa and makes about 400 hp. When Ron found the car, there was no engine. Amazingly, the original transmission , with vin number, is still in the car. Never damaged.
*
Laurie “TEX” Schrab in Phoenix raced against this car in the late 70’s. Andy Salvaggio (recently passed away) remembers racing against the car also. The sign on the side is H&R Dyno, a Dyno shop run by Owen Hixon (longtime Corvette racer) and Les Ritchey (Performance Assoc.) and was located on San Bernadino Ave., West Covina. Both gentleman have passed. Les’s son continues on with Performance Associates , also in the West Covina area.

*
Current owner Dana Hurt in Corona area would love to get more history on the car. He and I discover this car together in the Inland Empire. Dana has recently purchased a dated blank pad 427/425hp engine to be installed some day.
Car is registered and street driven and has many of the original race parts in boxes. Car was raced with American Racing 200S Daisy wheels when he bought it in 2009. They were polished by that owner. and he still has them. Dana sells MUSCLE CARS, but this car is not for sale. The sign on the windshield explains how he is trying to get history on the car. Much has been gathered as described above, but as in any find, if these cars could talk, more could be learned. So if anyone has any info please call me or email me thru the Forum.

Dr L-88

I sold Dana four mint 15 X 10 magnesium Torque Thrust D wheels about 3 years ago for this car.
Offered him all 6 but he wanted only 4.

Dr L-88

Derek......................you continue to amaze me with your knowledge and memory and library of pictures of these cars.
THANKS!!!!!

jimgessner

DANA is a MUSCLE CAR dealer, but this Corvette is one of his personel cars. He has vision of driving it at a vintage race in the future and that is why he bought the blank pad 427/425hp engine. He is the only owner since he found it in Yuiciapa in 2009, and Cowboy Ron owned it since 1983. He really is a nice guy, and has kept many nice cars for many years.

jimgessner

You say, '' Thus when I had money saved, I only looked at race cars! Thus I just like cars. I could do the same about Cobras, I could give you full detail on everything Vasek Polak ever had in his dealership. ''

One of my hero's is DAVEY JORDEN. A really great guy. He and wife Norma raced together as a team many cars, including Vasel Polak Porsche and JIM GARNER L-88 Corvettes. See http://www.airl88.com/jordan/
DEREK we have been in many of the same circles.....just never met, or I don't remember.

Dr L-88

Thanks Derek!!!!! I hate that you've spent most of your weekend researching this history for us, but I, for one, sincerely appreciate your time and efforts to do so. I can't tell for sure but it may very well be my car. I have no pics of my wearing that many decals, but of course they could be easily added and removed.. I can't tell from this pic, but from your vantage point does it look like the rear fenders are flared? There are no signs of my car ever having any body damage or modifications.

Again, thank you very much for information and photos of my car.

Rex

jimgessner

You said ''Jim I do know you. It is because you are a Corvette Hall of Famer. I don't walk up to you, just as I wouldn't with Jay Leno at the Burbank Book Store. If you are talking with me, I feel privileged''

Thanks for the kudo's. I was very fortunate to get into the BLOOMINGTON GREAT HALL. I have high regard for the organization and its people. The CORVETTE MUSEUM in Bowling Green, KY has its HALL OF FAME that has about 12-15 race people. I appreciate you sharing all you knowledge. I and Jan Hyde and Wayne Ellwood created the REGISTRY OF CORVETTE RACE CARS for that very reason, SHARING.

DAVEY JORDEN is a good friend. I have been to his home many times. I was on his production team with the Fabulous 50's Race Club for the Concour de Provenance show at the Botanic Gardens in Rancho Pales Verdes every October. That show was a great event of old race cars and their histories. Judging was on the PROVENANCE as much as the cars. We had 5 years of events, led by DAVEY and his wife NORMA. Last year, they retired from the selfless job, and no one has come forward to pick up the pieces. It takes a lot of work.

Again, thanks for your sharing. Look forward to a one on one some day soon.

Dr L-88

Derek,

I REALLY wish that I or SOMEONE could provide you with something on Cloyde. You've done SO much with researching my car I just wish I could return the favor. I've searched the internet all morning but I'm sure you've done that already..................in fact most of what I found on the internet were your posts searching for information. Maybe Jim Gessner can find something in his files. Jim is also VERY knowledgeable on the cars from that era.

I'm going to check the rear fenders on my car again to see if there are any signs of modifications. Also, hopefully soon I'll get the original roll bar put back in it. It came with the car when I bought it but a previous owner had removed it ........................for whatever reason. I wish I lived closer to you guys out there. Would love to have you all inspect my car. I love it, even if it doesn't have the pedigree of some high dollar race cars. It's probably the neatest Corvette I've ever owned in my 45 years of being a Corvette enthusiast.

I plan to put the "correct era wheels" that are on the car in the pictures. Not sure if they are American Racing Torque Thrusts (probably are) or Ansens or just what they are, but I'm looking for that look in a wheel. It has a set of repro knock offs on it now. I have a set of magnesium Torque Thrust D-spokes that I "could" use on it, but the D wheels didn't come along until 65 or 66 so they might not be 100% accurate for the car. I also have an NOS set of 7.00-15 Goodyear Bluestreak Sports Car Special racing tires that I would like to put on it, but since they are NOS, I kinda hate to even use them. They're probably more valuable on someone's race car with provenance or in a museum. Besides...............Terry ran Firestones and I plan to get the car back to what it was when Terry raced it, including the dual air meter FI unit.

Good luck with your search and thanks again for sharing with me and the forum members.