Looking for a particular '57

[Steven B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

DAN HAMPTON needs to chime in here. HE MAY HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT THIS CAR. Dan owns

The Pizza Man, '54 Corvette (serial no. 99). Eight time NHRA World Record Holder in E/F/G/H Modified Production.
Won more World Championship Points in three consecutive years ('67-'69) than any car in Street Eliminator history.
Powered by a 292 GMC 6 Cylinder with a B & M turbo Hydro, it was billed the "World's Fastest Six Cylinder Corvette".Campaigned from 1962-1971. Fastest recorded quarter time was 12.17@118 mph. Unofficial fastest time:11.97 in 1970. Beat Dick Landy and the Dodge Factory Team at '68 Winternationals.

I have a picture from '67 Nationals that can barely be made out (Brownie camera hundreds of feet away) that looks as if the '54 may be making a bi-run. No other car is in the picture. The '54 is white with what appears to be a black Plasticon type hardtop. Does anyone remember Lance Hill's red 56/57 or the Nassau Blue BB coupe named "Indignety"? I think it may have been an Indy based car, white steel wheels on back with Cragars (IIRC) on front.

Steve

[James G.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Dan HAMPTON says Jim:
I would contact Steve Hendrickson out of the Twin Cities (Mn). He has a lot of contacts re: old race cars. Steve owned this car.

http://www.americancarcollector.com/car-profiles/corvette/item/206-1961-%E2%80%9Cbig-john%E2%80%9D-mazmanian-drag-car

DH

[James G.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Steven, you mean these of EARL BRITT

[Dick B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Dick
Didnt John wreck the wagon in Indiana Labor Day weekend approximately 1967?
Regards

John Sorry I Can't tell you what wagon my buddy was talking about I thougt he meant the Diiana wagon, you know what they say about assuming.Thanks Dick PS my buddy has a little can fog left.

[Steven B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Jim, that is it! Great pictures! I miss chrome reversed.

Thanks!

Steve

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Dick -

I talked to Larry Junker (Ken's nephew) who still lives in Fairbury. Larry remembers that his uncle did own a fifties Corvette. He gave me a phone number for Ken in Colorado. So far I haven't been able to reach Ken, but I'm still trying.

Jerry

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

John -

I'm sorry I missed your call yesterday. You didn't leave a number, so I can't call you back. I would like to hear what you have to say about this '57 though.

Jerry

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Dick -

Ken Junker called me back today. He did own this '57, and he was very helpful.

It was already painted '63 Chevy "Agean Brown" with green, orange, and yellow highlights when he got it in 1972. It was also lettered as "All In The Family" in silver on both sides. He removed the lettering and drag raced the car with a hired driver. After a year or two he sold it to the young Chevrolet Service Rep who called on his dealership.

That Service Rep was soon transferred to Detroit and stored the car at his mother's home in Omaha. The last time Ken saw the car was at a mid-seventies indoor car show. It's appearance hadn't been changed at that time.

While Ken did receive a Rochester FI set-up with the car, he resold the unit separately.

Ken is sending me some color photos of the brown paint job that I'll post here when I get them.

Jerry

[Dick B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Jerry great news your getting closer . Dick

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

To all who helped:

I was provided a Michigan phone number today by Maxine Parsons (through Marvin Ripes) of the man who has owned this '57 "for the last 27 years". Marv said he's seen his old Corvette, and that it has been stripped of all paint. It's currently stored in a building as part of a large car collection.

I'll try to contact the owner this weekend. I'll let everyone know the outcome of my phone call after the smoke has cleared.

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Well, the search just got much curiouser. I talked to the current owner this afternoon. He lives in southern Michigan. But SURPRISE!, his car is definitely NOT the '57 previously owned by Ken Junker in Nebraska and raced as "All In The Family".

The current owner has been in touch with Marv Ripes and John Dianna. He has authenticated his car through details they told him about the chassis. Plus, when he first saw the car in 1981, it was still wearing the Joe Anderson "Hot Rod" candy black / pearl apricot paint job. Right now it has no drive train or paint.

Thanks again for everyone's help. I really do appreciate it. I don't know if the current owner will ever sell this car to me, but he has my phone number and he knows I'm serious.

Jerry

[Nicholas L.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Will you be able to get some current pictures that you can post?

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

This summer I'll travel to Michigan to photograph the car. I doubt I'll have any good photos before then. Remember, the car is currently stripped of all trim and paint, and there's no engine in it. The original drive train, interior trim, and purchase paperwork are all long gone.

This is not a factory FI or HD brake car. I doubt it was even a factory automatic. It was never driven by a celebrity, and it only held the NHRA drag record in I / stock automatic for a little while a long time ago. In other words, it's a plain-jane '57 that was stripped for drag racing in the late sixties. There's going to be little of interest to other NCRS members when I do get photos. The car is interesting to me only because it caught my eye in 1969 and attracted me to a life-long hobby. I expect everyone else to yawn when they see it, or perhaps look at me like I have a fetish for hippos.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Jerry,
Sounds pretty exciting to me, no yawns here.
I look forward to seeing more info.
Bruce B

[G B.]

Re: Looking for a particular '57

Jerry,
Sounds pretty exciting to me, no yawns here.
I look forward to seeing more info.
Bruce B

Bruce -

Since you showed interest, I wanted to close out this thread for you. I hate it when people ask for help with something (like I did), but then never post the outcome.

I didn't go see the '57 last summer. I didn't go anywhere. Shortly after I located the car, I had to change my plans for the future. This just isn't the right year for me to take any trips or pursue a new car project.

The car is still stored in southern Michigan by the same owner. He's called me twice looking for FI parts and old magazine articles about his car. I helped him all I could. He's not at all interested in selling. He says he's going to put it back on the road by next March in the form it was raced in 1971. I guess we'll see. And who knows, my life's direction may change again and so might his.