Joe Szabo

[kwhizz]

Here's another Nickey story......

One Saturday in 68.....I was sitting in the Parts Dept talking to Mike (Parts Guy) and a guy walks in and wants to buy a complete L-88 engine assy....(of course they only had about six in stock)....anyhow...he was a Geeky College type guy.....I'm thinking to myself....Yeah...Right......Mike gives him a price and he buys it right on the spot......he then ask's if we knew anyone who could put it in right away.....so I said .....what are you going to put it in, he responds that he has a 68 Vette that had a 400 H.P.(Hydraulic Cam) engine and wants to go faster.....so I work a deal to change out the engine in my garage and for doing all the work ....I would get to keep his "Old" engine with 3000 miles on it.....shook hands....done deal....Mike has a Pick-up truck and I gave him the key to my garage so he could deliver the L-88 on Friday Night......the guy drops off his Vette Saturday Morning......I spend Saturday and Sunday doing the work....the guy picks up his car on Sunday night and is just tickled pink......Everybody is Happy....Right.......................Tuesday or Wednesday I call Nickey to talk to Mike and was told that Mike had quit on Monday and was moving to California.......Wow!!!!I was supprised that he didn't say anything about that to me..... too bad I think to myself........Friday Night I go over to my Garage to clean up my mess from the previous weekend......I walk in the door and the engine is gone.....I talked to the neighbor and he said that guy with the pickup came and took it away..........he was the last one to see Mike and the engine........Go Figure......

Ken

[Stefano]

Ken,
You might recognize these names I just talked to a Guy who worked at the Nickey parts counter between HS and College Ralph Greinke. His buddy Dennis Sciborski was also there. They started in 1968.


BTW, cool story, un cool outcome.

[Xplantdad]

I say we go find Mike...no statute of limitations on thievery from Ken's garage

[hvychev]

Way friggin cool story!

Stefano, did you buy Ralphs car?

[Stefano]

Yes, I have it. It is in storage, close to Senior's Beat.

It was found at a lake house in Northern Wisconsin just as it was left in 1970-71. The casting date on the 512 engine is March 1970.

Ken's story sure fills in the gap of how it got up there and
why it was dormant all these years. Now I just need the history prior to Joe and Ralph running the car. It had a few paint jobs prior to the current scheme.

Anyone have any pics of a '63 Nova BB Gasser set up like this in Gold, White, Medium Blue Metallic or a Robin's Egg Blue?

[hvychev]

Stefano, I meant did you buy Ralphs OTHER car???

[Stefano]

Got a call from "Fast" Mike, who hooked me up with 'Psycho Too' and asked me if I knew who "Little" John from Kenosha, WI is? He said that some of the info he dug up is that "Little" John built the Chassis and did the tin work on the car.

Anyone know a race car chassis builder out of Kenosha by that name

[Xplantdad]

Ken...are you there? I'll bet he knows...

[kwhizz]

Lil John Butera......was partners with Dennis Rollain at R&B Automotive in Kenosha.....John left Kenosha in about 66-67 and moved out to California and went to work for Mickey Thompson and built the Monocoque Mustangs for Ford , then he went out on his own and the rest is History.....he showed Coddington how to make Billet wheels.....Started the Billet Craze in Street Rodding.....very innovative but not a good businessman......

Ken

[Stefano]

Ken,
You are awesome! Not many people know that Little John Buttera was building race cars in Wisconsin, prior to moving out to California. I never even had a hunch that 'Psycho Too' had a link to Little John, until I got that phone call today.