Quote:
Originally Posted by 1967Z28
Lots of great history with the car, Ken. You sent me a large envelope of the history many years back but it is nice of you to share it all here. I do love Royal Plum so I'm excited to hear it is going back to that but the red and black looks nice as well and I understand why you opted to go that direction with it.
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I agree, I also just love the 1 year only Royal Plum for the 1967 Camaro line. It was a near impossible decision to make, and I mulled over the decision for months, actually, a couple of years. When I was able to obtain an original GM crossram for the car, (which in 1998 was near impossible) I realized it would need to be painted the Cardinal Red, with black vinyl top as Fred had repainted the car in late 1967. Many do not know, but the car ran with the crossram after the Bristol Spring Nationals in June of 1968 until the end of the season. Jerry MacNeish in kidding, liked to remind me his 1968 Old Reliable ran with a 4 barrel making similar times in the 1/4 as Little Hoss had with a crossram.
I had discussions with Helen Gibb and Herb Fox before making the decision, and they were both pleased with the choice I made in 1999. I always wanted to see Little Hoss as it appeared during its initial race year, but I could only have it one way or the other. It has appeared as it was when it completed its Championship season of 1968. No one questioned the fact Little Hoss ran with a crossram, because Helen gifted me the original shipping documents from Chevrolet for the crossram, (that remain with the car) which was shipped in May of 1968, as well as pictures of the engine compartment. When raced in 1967, it was with the stock 4 barrel intake system, which it will have when the current restoration is completed.
I am sure the current restoration will bring Little Hoss to a state of perfection that I only envisioned when I owned it. I repainted Little Hoss, I did not "restore" it. Dana Mecum's comment to me when he first saw Little Hoss was "It's not restored, and because of that fact, it's certainly the car you claim it to be!" That and all the original paper and documentation from Helen Gibb indeed confirmed it was the one and only Little Hoss. I cannot wait to see the car again when it has its next debut.