The CONVINCER II

[COPO_Anders]

Yesterday I spoke to the guy in Karlstad who initially told me how to find the Convincer here in Sweden. I sent him the pic of the car in yellow paint with red and blue stripes, and asked him if this is how he remembers the car. When we talked about it an hour later he said that it was his friend who had the car repainted this way. His friend sent the Convincer to Erlings Billack (Erlings Carpaint) in Leksand in 1986 (give or take a year), and Erling must have done a good job as it still is flawless according to the Danes.
He also told me that his friend only drove the Convincer 25 miles before selling it. Racecars/musclecars wasn´t his thing !

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/[/img]

[COPO_Anders]

The &quot;repaint&quot; in 1995 or later was obviously just putting &quot;Idunsgatans Bil&quot; on the sides of the Convincer. I thought they had done a complete repaint as I have never seen photos of the car in yellow/red/blue before.
It´s kind of sad that the owner who had the original hood sold it in the early eighties. But I guess that´s what happens to racecars, being changed over time.

[COPO_Anders]

At last a colour pic of &quot;The CONVINCER&quot; in it´s second paint scheme, taken i 1981.
Photo taken by Jan Nyrén, Motala Sweden.

[HappyCaptainBob]

Hello everyone, I'm late to this thread but new member.
I was there when the Convincer II was new. Peter Dedella (Peter Parts) worked at Holsey Chevrolet in JC, NJ. I knew him by picking up parts for Sip Automotive as a mechanics helper. When the car arrived it was stripped of everything including the interior. Even the battery was replaced with a motorcycle battery. The car was brought to Sip Automotive in JC where it could be transformed under the supervision of Doc San Filippo, the owner of Sip Automotive and a street racer legend in his own right. (1955 Chevy) The first thing done was the car was driven the length of the Garden State Parkway and back. This broke the engine in so it could be disassembled and blueprinted. One shock was left off the rear to help compensate for the torque passing through the posi-traction rear.
As for the robbery attempt. The car was kept in his garage with a security system outside his bedroom window. The thieves made it pass the security and into the garage undetected. Peter had the car chained to the floor so they couldn't move it. I never heard of a fire but there may have been.
Over the last 45 years I told that story many times. I purchased my first car from Holsey Chevrolet and eventually I ended up the General Sales Manager at Bell Chevrolet after it was purchased from Holsey.

[COPO_Anders]

Good to hear Bob, and welcome to the site !
Just a couple of days ago the first Swedish owner put up a photo of the Convincer on facebook. It shows the car in the Swedish Harbor after having been unloaded from the ship. I´m having trouble loading it up on here, but I´ll manage sooner or later.
I´m a bit surprised that there are no pictures of it at dragstrips in the US other than the ones I have found in the magazine from Englishtown. Please share moore stories about the Convincer !

[TJF]

Hi all..
I have talken to the Danish over today, he bought the car for 15 years ago ($8500) Done noting on it, stan stil since he bought it... Without Engine and trans! It have only 3600 km on the odometer!! Stil yellow like the picture Anders have posted.. He would not tel about the vin...And its not for sale!!!!
Do somebody now what the Price tag will be in that condition???
Yours sincerely Torben jensen Denmark

[jannes_z-28]

Here it is, just of the boat that brought it over the ocean.

[COPO_Anders]

Thank´s Janne !

It´s funny that it has KITSON, Eatontown on the quarters. That´s the ordering dealer for my old white COPO Camaro.
And &quot;Neighborhood Garage, Jersey City NJ&quot; is there to.

[COPO_Anders]

I saw a few weeks ago in some old paperwork I have that Copo Connection listed the Convincer II as being a Kitson Chevrolet car. I therefore ordered the NCRS shipping report wich confirmed that the delivery dealer was Holsey Auto Sales Inc. Official production date was 05/27/1969. Dealer code 151 in zone 35.

[COPO_Anders]

Here is a picture that turned up on Facebook today, taken by Kjell Severin on Mantorp Park in 1978. Sorry, I can´t upload it correctly so you have to click on it.

[img]https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...ild_frn_mantor[/img][/url]