"Gold Rush" 1966 Chevelle

[dinoKeymaster]

Got this e-mailed and tried to zoom in…Paulie right on the money

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[fdcoby]

I don’t think thats the Chevelle were looking for unless it was lettered up like that before i got i never lettered it like that ,but thanks anyway.

[bbd564Participant]

Doug: That’s the car. The lettering was removed before it was sold to you.

Bill d

[fdcoby]

Oh ok, how do you no it was in CT about 3 or 4 years ago? Do you have any record of the vin number? My son races on the Modified tour one of the crew guys is a police officer in Mass i don’t no if they get in trouble for checking if a car is registered because were trying to find it but i could ask if i had the vin number i don’t think i have anything but i will look.

[bbd564Participant]

I have no record of the VIN. I saw it a car show in CT and I think it was the same car, gold, black bench seat interior, tow tabs on the front looked the same as what was on there back in the day, the owner mentioned it had some repaired front end damage (from a towing accident when Ben owned it) and the build date on the car was about right for when the car was purchased. Am I absolutely certain, not really, but there is a pretty good chance it is the car. The guy that had the car said he bought it from someone in Easton, CT and that guy who sold it to him told him it was a car from down south. So at the time I figured Ok, it is probably not the car. And I did not ask him what his name was, where he was from or any contact info. After I left I thought more about what the owner told me and what I saw I thought it was a pretty good chance that it is the car.

I have to laugh at myself that I can remember small details of cars from 40 years ago but I can’t remember what I ate for lunch today.

[fdcoby]

Repaired front end damage would have been me one nite i was trying to get this Blonde out of the Bar on NewHaven ave, tractor trailer truck guy stopped for a beer when he pulled out he drove over the right front fender and suspension, his company paid to fix the car. The car was fixed right, work done at Twin Lights Auto
Body across from the bar surprized he would mention it, anyway i have the blue one comming i think i bought the car the year i got out of the Navy 69 from your brother sold it in maybe 71 or 2
Like a thousand guys took our time growing up for granted all those great years of cars being made, just get rid of one and get another who new they were going to be the greatest years to grow up in
and how much the cars were going to worth today. it was something driving a mid 11 second car on th street.

[bbd564Participant]

Just found this in The Dover Chronicles section: May 19, 1968 Class Winner SS/D:

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[fdcoby]

And if you search all the times he was as fast as a B/G and there were not to many more classes faster.

[paul-ceasrine]

I believe the photo at Connecticut Dragway is from,,,,,,September 15, 1968
This was one-week after the 1968 NHRA Indy Nationals

NED 1 Points Meet @ Connecticut Dragway (September 14 & 15, 1968)

Bill Flynn ran a 10.87 @ 127.50 MPH on a (SS/B record of 10.64)

The SS/D record at the time was 11.31

pc

[bbd564Participant]

quote Paul Ceasrine:

I believe the photo at Connecticut Dragway is from,,,,,,September 15, 1968
This was one-week after the 1968 NHRA Indy Nationals

NED 1 Points Meet @ Connecticut Dragway (September 14 & 15, 1968)

Bill Flynn ran a 10.87 @ 127.50 MPH on a (SS/B record of 10.64)

The SS/D record at the time was 11.31

pc

Paul, thanks for the information on this. I am pretty certain that the photo was from 1968 but I have no idea when in 68 it was taken. It is interesting to see the 68 SS/D record. The best this car ran was an 11.70 at a little more than 121 MPH.

[paul-ceasrine]

BBD,

1968 SS/D record was set by Sox & Martin (11.31) at the 1968 Springnationals (June) at Englishtown.
They did it with their 1967 426 Hemi GTX.

Both Grumpy Jenkins (in his 1968 SS396 Nova, white w/black vinyl top) and Lee Cameron in a 1968 426 Hemi Super Bee
both tied the National Record in 1968.

1968 NHRA National Records for Super/Stock (September 1, 1968, before the Indy Nationals)
SS/B…..(0.00 to 6.99 wt/hp)….10.83……..1968 426 Hemi Barracuda
SS/C…..(7.00 to 7.69 wt/hp)….11.16……..1968 SS396 Camaro 396/375 HP
SS/D…..(7.70 to 8.69 wt/hp)….11.31……..1967 426 Hemi GTX
SS/E…..(8.70 to 9.49 wt/hp)….11.64……..1968 428 Cobra-Jet Mustang
SS/F……(9.50 and up wt/hp)….11.93……..1968 Z-28 302 Camaro

SS/BA……10.94……..1968 426 Hemi Dart
SS/CA……11.25……..1964 Race Hemi Dodge (Steel Nose)
SS/DA……11.51……..1963 Max-Wedge Plymouth 426/415 HP
SS/EA……11.92……..1968 Camaro SS396 396/325 HP
SS/FA…….12.17……..1968 Ford Fairlane 428 Cobra-Jet

I remember ‘GOLD RUSH’,,,,,,,,,a real nice 66′,,,,,,,,and 11.70’s for back then was flying,,,, 😀

paul

[paul-ceasrine]

‘Gold Rush’

In 1968, the NHRA re-factored the 66′ Chevelle 396/375 HP ‘L-78′ to (395 HP).

Unfortunately, it set them with a 8.66 Wt/Hp factor, putting the 66’ Chevelle with 375 HP in SS/D (7.70 to 8.69 Wt/Hp).
But, that 8.66 Wt/Hp was a nice factor for B/S (8.50 – 8.99 Wt/Hp) in 1968.

With a weight of #3372 lbs., B/S was a ‘great class’ for the 66′ Chevelle SS396/375 HP.
In SS/D, it was matched with the 66’/67’/68′ Street Hemi’s, 63’/64′ Max-Wedge cars and 66’/67′ 427/410 HP Ford Fairlanes and Mercury Comets.
Defintely a ‘tough road to hoe’

The 66′ 396/360 HP ‘L-34′ Chevelle SS396, a good combination for C/S or SS/E, SS/EA.
The 66’ 396/325 HP Chevelle SS396, a good combination for E/S, E/SA or SS/F, SS/FA.

Of the 241,600 1966 Chevelle’s built (production numbers), only 3100 were built with the 396/375 HP ‘L-78’ engine option
or (1.3%)

[bbd564Participant]

Paul:

Thanks for posting the Wt/Hp factors. Interesting stuff. Bill D

[paul-ceasrine]

Bill,

Any info I can dig up, I like to share it.
Wish I never threw out all those Drag News, National Dragters and other newsletters.

It makes it harder to dig up information.

Those 1968 Super/Stock weight breaks, interesting.
The 66′ and 67′ Chevelle SS396/375 HP cars ran in SS/D, while the slightly heavier 68′ Chevelle SS396/375 HP cars
got to run in SS/E.

40 lbs. of weight (in the right direction) made a big difference for Super/Stock.
But in Stock Class, they all ran in B/Stock.

pc

[fdcoby]

Paul thanks for the info all i no now is and i can’t remember but if that car i bought from Ben ran that class and it was 375 hp one of 3100 built and i’m sure Ben’S brother will come back and read this, i should get thru xmas and NewYears then prepare to jump off a bridge..lol

[Author]

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