Gibb COPO Nova Found
 

Hello, new to group. Been working on acquiring a specific 68 Nova for 20 years. We have come to an agreement on price. Verbal agreement sold. Car is rough, but VIN appears to be on the Fred Gibb list. If all goes well, should be homeon Friday with car. Long drive, 4 days.

Would begin the journey to restore it, and keep as close to original as can be.

Finally Picked it up. 1968 Chevy II.
Fred Gibb Nova.

Very cool and congratulations! What's the cars history? Not converted I assume?

Getting history from first owners who bought it from Gibb for racing.

Has 2 sets of racing lettering under paint.
Original Grecian Green is coming thru, which leads me to believe core panels except hood are original.

I don't believe 427 emblems could be correct, should be 396.

I didn't look too close yesterday, loading car. Today I realized it has a12bolt rear end.
Owner thought it was a 10bolt.

How do you search this SC forum. I'd like to locate partial VINS on the panels.

Fender Emblems

Could be a Harrell or Gibb Chevrolet 427 conversion. The old COPO Connection list of Gibb Chevy II's list 3 of the Grecian Green cars with a notation of Harrell involvement. A fourth went to Branine, who sold several Harrell 1968 Camaro and Chevelle conversion cars. Do you have the name of the original owner? The list indicates 28 of the cars with the original owner's names.

I recently spoke with one of the former Gibb employees who indicated he thought around half a dozen of the Chevy II COPO's were converted to 427 at the dealership. The original engines were kept for warranty replacements.

I wouldn't throw away the 427 emblems. Any metal badges on the left front corner of the hood or console, or traces of filled holes indicating where they were originally rivetted when sold new? Ray Morrisons COPO has red 427 emblems, the black emblems may also have been used?

Attached is a picture of Ray's Dick Harrell 427 conversion COPO.

Very interesting post about the possibility of being one of the Fred Gibb Novas?

A good starting point in learning more about the car would be in taking a picture of the firewall tag and a vin number, if you care to share? That would be a great benefit to help in getting started to see if it is tied to the Fred Gibb lot of 50? Evan if it isn't, It could have still come through the dealership?

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Paint remaining a similar style to Dick’s own cars including ZL1 Nova as Magazine article Member Copo-2 posted here…
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthre...=182679&page=2
Welcome aboard also looking forward to more of this car including history.
:beers:
~ Pete

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Wow, that's amazing information.

All we know, is the original owners are believed to be from D&D Speed Shop, Peoria Illinois.
We have found that his son is building cars, and visits a local speed shop weekly.
Dave & Denny are D&D will have last name soon. VIN is car # 5 if original to car.

Speed Shop Name is painted over Grecian Green, but under the striping. Name on car is "Chevy II" much on rear qtr.

Team, is there a sheet of where partial VINs in panels would be. I'd like to verify panel consistency, as they appear original, but would like to verify, if Possible. Thx.

Number 5 on the VIN list is 369684, color listed is Grecian Green. It was sold on April 25, 1969, from the Gibb dealership to Eugene Gehrt. Under the notes it states: Harrell, Stinger Hood.

Partial VIN's would be located under the blower motor on the firewall, and on top of the right side of the firewall, under the cowl panel, which is removeable. Some panels have date codes, which can be found, but how to decode them is a topic I will leave for Nova experts.

I love when anyone is finding the history of famous, rare cars.

VIN : 114278 W 369684

What is on windshield tag area. Several numbers look similar cowl trim tag as well.

Please post pictures of the top dash VIN tag, this is under the windshield and of the firewall tag. The firewall data tag will list the build date by month and week, probably 07A. The body build number is similar to the VIN but is not the VIN. It also lists the interior option and paint code. Paint code will be HH.

This is great information. In the picture it's sitting down in the front. Does it have an engine in it? If so what engine?

He put a 327 in it to drive to work for 6yrs. EF code 327 PG.

It's coming out, does turn over.

Time for an l88 or ls6/7

Here is vin number tag. Hard to get the light to shine right.

735 int code.

H-H paint code

Hard to read rest. Someone painted trim tag white, then black over it.

Friend wants to sell me his 68 L88 with Aluminum heads, it's a Corvette tri power code, not Nova. Hes swapping out of his 68 Camaro for LS engine.

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Wow and best put the grab on that if priced right, any #’s or story on the ‘Vette it's from?
Congrats again to have landed a real Gibb Nova, can’t wait for more!
:beers:
~ Pete

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Never had a trim tag so hard to read.

This is AMAZING!!!!!

That would be perfect. Any chance trans or rear is original.

Just looked at the list and your car is a confirmed dick Harrell 427 car. That’s awesome!

The rear is a 12 bolt. The drums are painted red & white, which is what you did with Cragars, rusty drums don't look right. So being thr rear drums are painted red, I'd say this rear tends to look like it's been there for awhile. I have to look for the code on it.

Trans is TH400.
Can see X member thru rotted floor.
Seen this before with a L78 Camaro and not tie subframe.
Floors front front seats mount back, floors are clean.

Car has powered drums brakes. A frame snubber is stock. (Corrected)

Would be awesome if the trans was original as not many made and hopefully the rear is BV coded as it was built with a 4:10. Restore those 427 emblems.

Would the code for rear end be on the passenger side tube. Saw one once on a Camaro few years back.

Congratulations

Yes,facing towards the front of the car.Be nice if you could get it to MCACN in a few weeks.
Great find,keep it coming.

What is MCACAN

Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals!

https://www.mcacn.com/

Steve, this car is a roller right now.
Not sure how to attend a show with a car that does not drive.

Doug

Is there acway, O can purchase any document copies, of the history from Fred Gibb. ?

Doug

Checking for rear end code today.

I will see if Ann has the dealer prep sheet for this car. I am doubting it but will check tonight when I get home.

Just how everyone would like to see it. :)
Your Nova would fit right in the Barn Finds & Hidden Gems section.

Thanks to 1stGenFan & SS427 for their chiming in on information of the recent purchase you were fortunate in finding. Also, thanks to you for posting of the vin# and cowl tag, which shows a lot of the information that leads forward to an ongoing search of being a Fred Gibb 9738 COPO, even without the now known Vin#’S. Of course, if you get the known posted vin#’s, that pretty much sums it up as being the real thing? Congratulations on your find!

Posted below, is the picture of the firewall (cowl) tag you posted. Looking into some of the valuable information it holds.

First thing would be the build date? Your tag showing as 07A! This information that shows it being built the first week in July, which gives us information if there is need to examine any farther? Now known that these 50 cars were all built the first 2 weeks of July & delivered by July 15. The O7A denotes that it would be 1 of 3 colors, either Tripoli Turquoise (KK), Grecian Green(HH), or Matador Red.(RR) All of these had the interior (735) trim code, of black in color with vinyl bucket seats. 10 of each exterior colors.

20 of the O7B, 2nd week of July 1968 were built in Fathom Blue (EE) with Blue interiors (740) trim code & vinyl bucket seats. Simply put is the fact that the cowl tag posted would have the 07A or 07B code to start looking into the Gibb COPO novas?