1967/1968 Dick Harrell funny cars

[Jeff H]

I know I'm seeing several different paint and sponsor setups in these pictures. And I can't really imagine how the opening door would really be set up on the one car. But if I assume I'm looking at 2 different cars it also looks like both were solid red at one time and both had the black top at some point in time. The latest picture shows the "Howards" in what appears to be black or dark paint but it appears as a light color paint in the other pictures. The "*" is in some pictures and not others. And there appear to be fender and quarter pinstripes in some pictures but not others. Would they have used Kirby's car and painted over Kirby's name for whatever race they needed it? It seems like way too many changes to be 1 car showing up with different paint/sponsors that many times but I guess it's possible. If there was any way to date the pictures it would help understand if there was a sequence as the car changed. But it's hard to look at old photos that could be distorted and the black/white photos that could be reflecting a gold or silver background as light or dark depending on the angle. Whhhewww, my eyes need a beer!

[Belair62]

Hey Rob...just a side note...the 66 GTO Grey Ghost was not a fliptop and had a drivers door...they used a fence gate latch !!! I cant figure out why there would ever be a door on a flipper...

[markjohnson]

As far as doors go, I guess the reasoning is for a very quick exit during a fire. Those were the days before on-board fire suppression systems and I believe even Gas Rhonda was burned badly in a funny car fire. If you've seen the video of Dick's famous wheelstand in New York that ended in a fire, it's amazing how fast he gets out of the car!

[Belair62]

By the looks of that car I think he would need Hurst tool to get out !!! These guys were nuts !

[Mr70]

Those guys were Warriors!


...Adios "G Dog"

[Chevy454]

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I feel that the 1968 car started out either as an all red car with no roof, then went to the red/black roof (which in the pics actually looks like a vinyl roof..complete with a grain texture..vs. Tom's black paint), of course you can change first red/blk then to all red at this point until dated evidence comes in..

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Something else to note...the black "vinyl" top on the red/black car was a *spray on* type vinyl top...that is why it has some texture to it, but it was still painted on...that info was straight from Dave Libby himself. So changing the overall paint scheme on the car wouldn't have been as simple as a "mask it & spray it" deal...I'm betting it would take some time to get the vinyl roof area smooth...

Sooo...any ideas on the tin-work and a functioning door?

[sYc]

Since some folks are not buying the two car theory, lets see how the one car theory flies.

We know the car was all red, no spoiler, real tail lights in early ’68, in California.

Next it appears in KC , Red with a spray can black Vinyl roof, spoiler (no vanes) and real tail lights. And no door?

Fast forward to mid ’68, the car now has a spoiler with vanes (some one did a hell of a job with the vanes), the tail lights are now molded in (once again some one did a great job), a functional door, and beautiful tri-color burgundy, with lace paint job.

Now, according to the attached article, notice Dave Libby under the car that is still red/black, it says that the <font color="purple"> “The tri-colored burgundy on the new Camaro was sprayed by Corky Larson, of Phonnix, Ariz, Harrell’s original hometown. The car took eight weeks and $12,000 to compete and…
</font>

Now ask yourself these two questions. Would Dick do without his racecar, right in the middle of the race season, to simply have his car repainted, keeping most of the same sponsors on the side of the car, and B. would Dick have paid someone $12,000, in 1968 mind you, to repaint his racecar?

[JChlupsa]

I like the last part of the caption
"Since Dick has <font color="red"> another similar car </font> , he has appointed his top wrench, Charles Therwhanger, to drive the new car

[MikeA]

Based on that article alone it seems pretty clear there were two cars.

[55chevy]

Ok.. I've been watching all this and I have something to add... Here is a quote from Dave Libby taken from the Harrell site and the pic he posted.

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OK. As I understand it the owner has been quoted saying"thats my car."
That is incorrect. Altho it cannot be seen in this picture or at least clearly defined because the seam is hidden behind the blower/injector this car has a working door. True enough it was used very seldon but it was there none the less.
There is a video tape of Dick getting in the door that many here have seen
that I happen to have a copy of which just today sent to be processed into
some still pictures. The car in this video shows Dick getting into the car through the door
The so described Tri-color Burgandy paint on this car was done by Corky Larsen
of Phoenix AZ and is in fact that color in this picture. Also I might add the
much studied "Vanes" on the spoiler were added by Larsen when the color was changed on this car from red to the above mentioned color.

One more thing worth mentioning the "flaw" in the pass.side "door" where the bottom sort of juts out as if the door was not compleatly closed (bottom)
as photographed on the car in question. That "flaw does NOT exist on the car in the picture. IMO that is a defect in the mold the body was made from and
exactly matches Bruce Larson's 68 car Houston Platts's car
(body mfg by A&amp;A fiberglass of Atlanta I believe). Not Fiberglass Trends of CA. or Fiberglass LTD. of Chicago

Well I fully expect this to be spin doctored but it does not matter truth is truth, even if it isn't what one wants to hear
Oh yes one more thing the similar car mentioned in the text is pointed out and is Dick's 67 car in it's last livery before it was sold to Bruce Neff (yellow/Blk)

Hopefully this will be my last post on this subject.

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