need info on a bronze 66 427 Dana chevelle

[Vettefinderjim]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been waiting hoping the Bronze car story would clear up by now..is this the same car that was in a magazine a long year ago as a fresh find and the guy even had a proto type intake from GM with it, it was found in Cal with Dana lic frame on it, or is this car just happen to be a twin to the real car,

[/ QUOTE ]

HELLO CONFUSED, CONFUSED. I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRONZE CHEVELLE IN THE THE Super Chevy Dec 04 Chevelle 40th Anniversary issue. If you " READ" the article, it tells a story how many of us believed the car to be Bob Dembroski's 66 CHEVELLE 427 SS he got from Joe Pike ( CHEVROLET PR CORVETTE guy in 1966) when Bob was half owner with Payton Kramer of DANA Chevrolet. Now the author, Bob McClurg, did his own literarly twist to the story, but basically we all gathered at Dick Guldstrand's shop in Burbank on a beautifl October day for inspection and photos of Dave's neat car .

Mind you now, Dave called me some four years ago after purchasing the car in San Diego exactly like you saw it in the magazine...........DANA licence plates and all, and asked me if "IT COULD BE A REAL DANA CAR?" I said we have to ask the people who worked there. I know Dick Guldstrand well, and Dick was the Manager at DANA of the Corvette Division BACK IN LATE 1966 after his job with Roger Penske. So Dave and I went to Dick's shop in 2001 when the car was purchased, and Dick said without a window sticker or some other paperwork I can't say it IS TRUELY a DANA car, but it sure looks like DEMBROSKI'S DRAG CAR.

Over the next three years, Dave did lots of looking and fact finding and FOUND all the people in the magazine article. "LOOKING FOR THE TRUTH", Bob McClurg offered help in "A" Sharing the DANA story with REAL,LIVING former employees, all LEGENDS here in So. Cal, and "B" Hopefully we will find the history of the car.

Both senarios worked . Many people enjoyed the HISTORY LESSON, .......and the "real" second owner, now in his late 50's came forward after his son saw the article on the newstand. RESULT....!! The car originally was a 325hp /396, 4 speed car that owner #2 had purchased from his boss in 1968.
2nd owner proceded to install a 68 L-72 , 427/ 450HP ENGINE purchased from the local Chevy dealer,.. then purchased the 'drag pack' suspension parts from DANA and went drag racing.
He still has the 68 engine in his garage!!!

The rest is history , and DAVE recently (May 15th) sold the car to long time friend Bob A......, formerly from Southern California, now living in Arizona. Dave had Bob sign an afadavit that says something like " THIS CAR IS IN NO WAY A DANA CHEVROLET 427 CHEVELLE" so no legal liability would ever come back to him due to misrepresentation. And the price was far less than a DANA car would command.

I personally almost bought the car myself, but due to my MS health issues, I realized I would never drive and enjoy the car. It is a beautiful rust free original paint and interior car with a 69 or 70 396/375hp L-78 engine and runs and drives like a 35000 mile car would have in 1969. One of the best in the country if you like ORIGINAL paint, rust free cars.

The last line in the news article says, " IF YOU HAVE INFO ON THIS CAR PLEASE EMAIL DAVE AT [email protected]"

Please read the article........no one here is trying to rip off the world, or tell lies.....or distort the truth. My reputation and Dave's is way too important for a few $$. NOT EVERYONE IN THIS HOBBY IS OUT FOR PROFIT. Some of us still like a good old Hot Rod . See you at the Father's Day Rod show at Pomona this weekend,..... you will see what I mean. Just old good gear heads having fun.
Regards,
Jim Gessner

[Vettefinderjim]

[ QUOTE ]
so the whole article is BS???...I recall reading the guy that worked at Dana recalled this one sitting in the corner in there shop..is there a post somehwere where the car went from being a long lost Dana car to just a clean old heap.

HEH BUDNATE.....THE STORY IS "NOT BS WHY SO NEGATIVE HERE???
I dont recall reading anything negative about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Belair62]

Jim...that is pretty cool history in it's own right ...Dana drag pack !!!

[hvychev]

Jim Relax.....I too along with I bet a lot of others are VERY confused with this whole story. Most of us got our info about that car through magazines. Most of us are not privileged with "inside info."

For the record the car is not a real Dana car right?? I am curious as to how or if the car was "discovered" with the Dana plate frame. I know that should not be that big of a deal but Dana plate frames are not that easy to come by. I personally know that some of the biggest memorabilia collectors out there comb the Earth for stuff and still don't have one in there collection.

One last note I would like to make. I have to read the article again but I was not aware that Bob Mc Clurg wrote it. If he did in fact did write it, it seems to be a trade mark of his to make MAJOR mistakes when writing articles about our cars. I personally know of 5 articles, includung the one he wrote about my Deuce, that have been WAY off or have caused MAJOR controversy.

[budnate]

Jim, you took it the wrong way, it was a simple question about the car in this post, I agree it is a pretty cool car and like I said , I just never read where it went from being a Dana car to a nice old car, and this thread has been all over the place with no facts coming forth, I appreciate you stopping in and telling the truth on the car, see ya at SCR8 and I will by ya a soda.

Bud.

[Jeff H]

I thought somebody stated that they saw the car at a cruise night with a sign saying it was a DANA car. That's where the controversy starts. I havne't seen the article so I can't say if it's easy to read or misleading in any way. But it's good to hear it straight from you Jim, that's what people were hoping to hear.

[MYSTERYCHEVELLE]

Thanks Jim.. I didn't have the energy to write all of that... I thought the link to my post at Team Chevelle was sufficient in stating the car IS NOT a DANA car and that Dave never said it was. Oh well... Dave is a true Car Enthusiast and though I know many here may not know him, I will say.. not a better and more Honest person out there. Magazine articles are always poorly written and hyped and full of errors these days, sad to say... but this one can now be put to rest.

[Vettefinderjim]

Hi Frank,
Dave sent me the following:

" The car had one Dana license plate frame on it when I bought it and the second one was given to me later. And as a matter of fact I kept both frames and the Smokey Yunick intake( which was in the trunk when I bought it) so this car would not be misrepresented.

Also Bob McDonald (Crew chief on the 67 DANA Corvette L-88 driven by Guldstrand-Bondurant- Yenko) sent me an original Dana Hi Performance brochure dated 1967. Also I was given a business card from Dana with an order from Dick Guldstrand dated 6-21-67. All 3 items where given to me FREE !! REAL CAR GUYS are great aren't they?

I just hope everyone in the hobby understands how important integrity is about these cars, especially the "rare" ones. All we really do here is 'CARETAKE' for the vehicles and enjoy them to our best. And when done, hopefully the next owner will do likewise, in a FRIENDLY manner."

I hope this helps in answering any other questions.
JIM

[Belair62]

Magazines and their articles are entertainment Frank ! There are always extras here and there and a few mistakes or embellishments ....at least your car got ink !!! Can't take them as gospel. Bob McClurg has been around forever...wish I could see his scrapbook from all these years.

[TimG]

Jim, you're correct. All we are is caretakers for these cars, hope to see you at Bloomington.