Jim Kirby's 1968 Harrell Funny Car for Sale!

[Charley Lillard]

You will notice Bill Porterfields 02 ZL1 no Longer says Dick Harrell on the side. I'm not sure if his 69 still has it or not..Kinda Sad....

[MotownMadman]

Considering that bit of info Charlie, I would say someone is going to great lengths to protect the name or turn a profit. Seller says he is letting the funny car go to buy a maroon 68 Harrell 427 68 Nova, appparently from the same person he bought his Yenko Camaro from. Hmmmmm......
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]

[396L35]

This is for Mike Guarise, lets get something straight the car was never owned or driven by the late Dick Harrell, I was there when Jim Kirby told us the story about the car. Jim had the car built for him by Don Hardy back in 1968 and this is around the same time Dick had his car built. When Jim first raced the car it was painted gold, it wasn't repainted to the Harrell colors until Harrell and Kirby joined up together later on in 1968. At that time the car was painted with Dick Harrell on the rear quarter and Kirby's name on the front fender along with Boemler on the door. In 1969 Harrell took his car back to Hardy where the 1968 body was exchanged for the 1969 body, but it still had the 1968 frame. Jim had nothing but good things to say about Harrell. The reason him and Harrell broke up the team is when Harrell put a HEMI in his car and Jim refused to switch to a non-Chevy engine. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif[/img] I can respect that!!! As for the car, it is the real thing and it has never been altered, wrecked, burned, etc. Jim had to take off the Harrell name when they split up, and in the right light you can see Dick's name still in the gold leaf, as for the Boemler logo, that was removed and Super Rat was painted on top of that and belive it or not you can see the logo outline on the side of the car. You can believe
anything you want about this team but picture don't tell lies. Jim had a whole S--T load of pictures his car with Dicks car and the two of them were right next to each other. I think that you need to come down to St. Louis to see the car for yourself and bring anybody else that wants to come. It might be your only chance to experience something that was so close and was part of the Harrell experience. Enough of that, Charley Bill's car doesn't have Harrells name on it anymore, it has Bill Porterfield on the rear quarter now. Maybe he didn't want to pay for the rights either. I think that sucks, here are two pieces of racing history that can't even show there true colors because of money, where the hell is it going to stop????? I wonder if Bill has to pay rent on the #1 ZL-1 because Harrell used to race it, or all the spectators at every track that Harrell ever raced at has to pay a royalty fee,
or my freind might have to pay cause you can still see Harrells name on the car, or the whole State of Missouri because Harrell used to live here. I understand the pain of a lost love one, but to actually try to make money off of something that the person was part of is crazy. I know the owner of the funny car isn't saying anything that isn't true to sell this car, its just a great piece of racing history that is still with us and not destroyed by time or anyother un-natural disasters. This is America lets try to act like Americans. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif[/img] Last for MotownMadman, Kevin does have a 1969 Yenko Camaro, and is thinking of buying the Nova, he just has to sell this car cause his wife doesn't want him to have it and that is the truth. She doesn't care about all the other cars that he has or wants, its just that this is a race car and she doesn't want this to get in the way of thier business restoring cars instead of racing nostalgia cars. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]

[MotownMadman]

396L35,
Who in the heck is trying to charge money? They are basically holding history hostage! Porterfield went way out of his way to restore the ZL-1 to be the Harrell car, now history has to stop for the next generations so they cant experience it? If Dick were with us I am sure he would want nothing more then to see his life's work and ambitions respected and paid tribute to by having his name out there for everyone to see and enjoy to this day. He wouldnt want a few bucks in his pocket, he would want to hear his name over the loudspeaker at the drags! I would give anything possible to have that funny car, I would put Dick's name back on the car and let the attorneys try and catch me to try and take it off. The current owner didnt give me a ball park figure, so I dont know if this is something feasible for me to alter my life to go after or not. This car needs to be put back as it was to preserve history! A new owner could always get a legal name change to Dick Harrell then put it on the car!
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[396L35]

I'm glad you feel the same way as I do. I have been part of this cars history bringing back from the dead out of Kirbys garage and it has been fun. The person is Harrells daughter, she is the one that caused the sell of the car to be put on halt. She feels that she owns the rights to her fathers name and wants to be paid for the name where ever it may appear, even on a race car that was helping her father put food on the table for her when she was younger. Jim Kirby used his money to buy the car and Harrell came to him and asked him to race under his flag. I feel this car should have that name with it without paying the royalties from some greedy person. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bs.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]

[MotownMadman]

Find out what the bottom line is with your friend if I give my word to run the Dick Harrell name on the car. Let me know.
Thanks,
Motown [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]

[396L35]

I think if you go down to see him and look at the car you can get your your answer from him. It's only a five hour drive from Chi-Town. I don't know what he wants for the car nor do I know what he gave for it that was between him and Jim and I didn't want to know. He probably would be willing to trade for the car but like I said its not mine to say. I know he was going to reword it and put it back on ebay, but if you want to see it I will tell him to hold off. I dont think the car needs to be redone. It is kinda cool to see the faint letters in the gold leaf and Dicks daughter cant take that away. Mark [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]