Detroit Guys: Jim Funston or Merollis Info?

[L78racer]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you know Sales manager Bob Hirsch or maybe Bill Barnwell pictured below?



From Chevrolets Central publication..
Funston's "Pit Stop" was located across Gratiot and half a block down.They averaged 22 new performance car sales every month,which alotted for 14% of Funstons overall new car sales.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I knew 'Candy Bar' Bob Hirsch. He was my aunt's brother. He got me the job there. He is deceased.
Ah yes, the 'Pit Stop' kept the service department very busy. I was a young gofer and service writer. Lots of BB sucked valves getting fixed and short blocks going in. Guys would slip a junk yard short block into a warranty engine job and take the new short block home. Nobody cared about numbers. The customer was glad he got a new motor after beating the sh!t out of his car. Detroit streets were teeming with muscle iron.

[L78racer]

Some pics. Scunio, I mentioned to you that Little Joe's car was White/ Black. That may have been before or after this blue one.

Detroit Cobo Hall Autorama.







'67 Camaro called the Mod Topper.

[scuncio]

Killer pics, keep them coming Paul!

[Mr70]

Groovy!

[owners2]

Wow awesome old pics. Those cars are so COOL Looking.

[JQ]

Paul, do you happen to know if Funston Chevrolet owned the blue Nova that little Joe drove? Sorta like Fred Gibb and Herb Fox did with little Hoss...

[1967Z28]

Paul,

Can you tell me any more about that Mod Topper car and do you have any other pictures of it? It looks like it could be the 25th Z-28 I was talking about.

I like the body-color rally wheels. I have seen a few Z's like that with all appearances of being a factory job. Have not seen white stripes on a Granada Gold car though.

Thanks,
-Jon

[L78racer]

[ QUOTE ]
Paul,

Can you tell me any more about that Mod Topper car and do you have any other pictures of it? It looks like it could be the 25th Z-28 I was talking about.

I like the body-color rally wheels. I have seen a few Z's like that with all appearances of being a factory job. Have not seen white stripes on a Granada Gold car though.

Thanks,
-Jon

[/ QUOTE ]

I was wondering if it was a Z also. The car may have made an appearance or two at the drag strip also. The body shop had some very talented people. I'm pretty sure the wheels and stripes were done there, but not certain. The guy who would have painted it was around at a local cruise night several years ago. I have not seen him since. Funston and other dealers would doll up cars like this all the time. I remember seeing a sort of spray-on vinyl top on cars. Trim shops would sell packages of mouldings and tops etc. Plain Jane Novas and such would get spiffed up.
The Mod Topper theme just went with the times. I remember it sitting right there and that was before I worked there. I have no other pics. My cousin gave me the ones I posted. I'll see if there are any more.

[L78racer]

[ QUOTE ]
Paul, do you happen to know if Funston Chevrolet owned the blue Nova that little Joe drove? Sorta like Fred Gibb and Herb Fox did with little Hoss...

[/ QUOTE ]

That is a good question. I do not know the answer. Knowing how things ran around Funston, I would say the dealership owned it - whether they knew it or not. I'm sure any racing breakage was covered under warranty too. I used to get my broken 4 speeds fixed 'under warranty' all the time.

[L78racer]

Got this pic from a friend.