K2

DZ; The article I posted was printed in "The Best of Corvette Restorer" Vol 1 through Vol 5. Published in 1980. I believe the original article came out in Corvette Restorer Vol 1 or 2.

john neas

The original color on 1956 #2834 SR factory car was copper with a beige top and beige interior. The car was painted red (not venetian red) before its first anniversary.

The car has been restored to its factory color combination. Mike Hunt was the first NCRS 56-57 team leader. He did extensive research on the 56-57's which has been made available to the hobby.

Here are 4 pictures of when Mike discovered the car (courtesy of Mike Hunt)









Following is a picture of Sally Neas at Mendocino, CA on the California Mille in 2002. Rich and Char Mason in the Jerry Earl SR-2 were our running partners.

SebringBill

Any ya wanna know who gave Tyler that magnificent picture?
Hmmm....?

OldDog58Vette

HAY......nice coat.

Tyler Townsley

Come on now you need to give the REAL credit to the guy who took it. (Wasn't me.)

Good to see John N posting here, been trying to get him in the computer age for years.

Tyler

DZAUTO

Yes, it is good to see John N. use the computer a little, but if you'll notice, I've been doing some of it for him. Maybe in time he'll get more into using the computer. Right John?

john neas

Two pictures of 57 #3963 factory SR car at El Mirage Dry Lake on September 22, 1957. It set a record that day of 126.93 MPH in B sports car class. The car was owned and driven by Bruce Geisler. On that day it was entered in Moon Equipment's name. As reported by several books and magazines, this was Mr. Geislers first top end car. He was brought into the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield in 2003 as a top end racer.

National Dragster reported in the September 5, 2003 issue that Bruce had held the most records at Bonneville; 99 at that time and held 11 active records. The 37 Chev in the background was Doug Cooks car later of Stone, Woods, and Cook.

Bruce had told me that he won at least 25 consecutive drag race meets with the car. Including Lions, San Gabriel, Pomona, Colton, and Kahuku, Hawaii drag strip.

Harps

I for one am really enjoying the reading material and photos here. Please keep it up, and thanks for contributing this information to the forum!

desertpilgrim

To return to DZ's original question, the copper car's scoops would have been done on the line. The Car #7 scoops would have been installed at Smokey's Garage - #7 is the 4th car, purchased back from Don Allen Chev in Miami.
The 6 SR cars authorized and built in May/June are NOT cars that ran at Daytons or Sebring - those 4 cars: 56 #1009 (#7), #1 is the prototype
1956 body on an earlier 1955 frame and #5 and #6 are LATE 1955 chassis bearing 2 1956 bodies that were assembled at St Louis WITHOUT a windshield, door posts, side windows, wipers, heaters, etc.
#1, which was red with white coves when it went to FL in December,
probably also received its scoops at Smokeys. #5 and 6 probably got theirs at Engineering in MI before shipment to FL, because that's where the mold was for the scoops.
On my last try with NCRS about the SR's as "production" cars, I forwarded a copy of the Work Order that authorized the "rebuild" of #2822 & 2832 and pointed out that that WO carried a reference that the "SR parts should be arriving from St Louis o/a June 4" My point was that if Harley Earl AND Bill Mitchell had to wait for parts from St Louis, that pretty well indicated that St Louis was THEN the source for these PRODUCTION parts. No response.

DZAUTO

John,
Did you mean 56 or 57?

63Corvette

There is a wealth of incredible historical information on this board

Subfixer

Whether or not others agree with the information stated, it sure is a good read. I love this history stuff.

john neas

Tom
56 2834
Regards

SebringBill

OK, but I didn't see you volunteering any additional info...
1) This was (and is) a color slide.

2) Tyler has at least two more scanned from the 56 Sebring race.

3) I got them from Ed Keeney, a gent that ambled into an NCRS FL Chapter meet in a mall in Stewart, FL in the early 80s. I was one of the first people he talked to at that mall and then he excused himself, saying he'd be back shortly. When he returned he started handing out ORIGINAL owner's packet materials he had lying around (i.e. pins and patches). I managed to snag an Owner's Pin (in the blue box) and the original Owner's Card for his 63 Conv. Turns out he owned King Chevrolet in Exeter, NH and went to Sebring for the races every year. I was able to visit him the next day and get some slides copied. The 56Sebring slides held their color very well; alas, the 57 slides faded. I did get a couple of great shots of new 54 Corvettes at his showroom as well a nice shot of him and his 58 Corvette with Dayton wires and the NH license plate "ZOOM".

SebringBill

There ya go again about Don Allen Chevrolet!

DZAUTO

OK, I don't get it!

Tyler Townsley

Its an inside joke. You have to leave it to an CPA to be oblique. Check my gallery photos for the images Bill was talking about. Here is an additional image John sent me earlier.

http://www.sirgalahad.org/tyler/misc/56racers.jpg

And another of his car.

http://www.sirgalahad.org/tyler/misc/sr1.jpg

Tyler

desertpilgrim

The 1960 Camoradi Corvettes were delivered through Don Allen in Miami.
I had contacted Ed Augustine and asked if I could place an ad in their newsletter asking for any of their "junkyarders" to keep an eye out for "Don Allen" chrome script.
Shortly after Cypress Gardens, I ran into Mike Pillsbury at Pomona and he gave me TWO different sized "Don Allen" and said "They're from Bill Herron.".
I finally got Bill's phone # and called him to Thank him for the 2 scripts;
he said "Two? I gave Mike THREE!". When I asked Mike, he said "Well,
what if I find the other Camoradi car?".

ctjackster

That statement accurately sums up the significant distinction I was trying (poorly) to describe in another thread. It might not be at all relvant for most folks, but whether something was installed on the assembly line itself or off the line in the Heavy Duty or "Heavy Repair" area is of significance to some.

I'm not sure what gave rise to this sudden flurry of historical data on the forum lately, but I like it

DZAUTO

I guess I got this one started, simply because I have a great affinity for the really old or early performance stuff.
Most people who are interested in the early heavy duty or very hi-performance Vettes, usually think of the 57 with the 579E option. But that IS NOT were it started!!! The 57 579E pkg was more or less the culmination of earlier efforts in 55 and 56 to make the Corvette more of a competitive sports car, rather than something for the CEOs to be seen in.
Obviously, the handfull of special performance 56s are extremely crude by today's standards. But this is where the first breath of life for transforming the Vette took place. Personally, my all time favorite Corvette is the 56-7 body, no matter how obsolete it is. Plus, these early cars have a certain magnatism and magic that today's Corvette can't touch. Yes, today's Corvettes are faster, quicker, corner, stop, have all the convenience features, tunes, hi-tech computer features, etc, etc, etc. But they don't have the magic of the old ones. A new one passes by and no one notices. A nice early Vette passes by, everything and everyone stops to look.
How many people give a second look at a new Ford Crown Vic? How many people stop dead in their tracks when a fine 32 Vicky rolls by? Oh, you don't like Fords?, OK, so how many people give a second at an 06 V8, front wheel drive Impala SS? Just another cookie cutter 4dr sedan? But what happens when a 62 SS409 4sp rolls by. Its got a special magic!

A close friend of mine (John Neas) has done as much, if not more, than most others to document, restore and display these very early efforts to make the Corvette a genuinly competitive and desireable sports car.

I've said before, and I still maintain, that had it not been for these very early performance efforts with the 56 Vette, it is VERY PROBABLE that the rest of you would NOT OWN, nor would you even know the name Corvette!!!!!!!!!!!
Always remember, there were ONLY 700 55 Vettes built, and the reason is because the project was just about to die!!! Had the 56 not turned the corner, it is very possible that there would not have been a 57 or a 58.
So, show a little respect for the remainder of the 3.467 56 Vettes that were built! You owe the existance of your car to them.