DREGSZ

Hi All

Anyone seen this custom C2 track car out of Tx?

It has the ugliest rear bumper I've ever seen
It has some Aggie Cross, (autocross) and drag race history from the early 80s out of Huston area, w the NCCC.

I'm looking at the possibility of buying it locally.

Wondering what to pay for a customized C2 race car with limited history and the ugliest bumper conversion on earth,
Your input please?

http://community.webshots.com/album/570549348ITSRlY

looking for local/race history too

Thanks
Evan

62Jeff

Hmmm, it sure looks like Jim and Patti Carols RP car from SJCC. It was ugly and black for a long time, then they had it completely redone to a very nice standard. It didn't have that rear bumper though.

Shouldn't be hard to dig up the 1982 Convention drag results from NCCC to see whose it was.

DREGSZ

what is SJCC? (San Jacinto Corvette Club)
What is an "RP" car.
any chance of getting in touch w Jim and Patti and getting these pics in front of them?

Thanks
Evan

62Jeff

Hi Evan,
Let me do some digging, see if I can find my old NCCC magazine (Blue Bars) to see who won the NCCC drags in Houston so I can confirm once and for all whose car this is. Then if it is the car I think it is, I probably have pictures of it at local events from the 1970s into the 80s (if I can find them). If it isn't the car I think, I still may have photos.

It could also be a few other cars.

Your definition of SJCC is correct. Jim passed away several years ago.

Jeff

DREGSZ

Thanks Jeff,
I appreciate your digging in and looking.
I'm still in touch with the guy I sold my last C3 resto project to and he sent me up pics this year, still happy w me and the car, so I don't mind asking for a little help through the community.
I think I have some good vette Karma to work with.
THanks
Evan

DREGSZ

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2205...04574513UZWKcg

62Jeff

Here's the car I'm thinking of.

The most significant issue I see is his car had a cut-down windshield but the one on your link does not.

Large size so you can see the detail. The drag strip is June 9, 1979 in Dickinson Texas, the air field is June 10, 1979 at Scholes Field in Galveston
<deleted by me out of respect for the previous owners - you have a PM>

June 8, 1980, still Galveston
<deleted by me>

May 13, 1978, Little River Dragway outside of Austin, Tx.
(http://www.littleriverdragway.net/index.html)

Note the huge wing on top. Obviously the car was still in work at this point.
<deleted by me>

62Jeff

Forgot to answer 2 questions:

RP - Race Prepared. It was the class the car ran in. LRP was Ladies Race Prepared.

Value - I don't think the history of any old NCCC autocross car should add any value to the vehicle. It's not like it was an SCCA Champion. I'm not sure what to pay, I suppose only you know what you want to use the car for and how much you are willing to pay to get that.

DREGSZ

Jeff,
This is an awesome fast response!!
undoubtedly it is the same car.
The rear bumper was added to make it street legal.
I think it looked better, or at least in the correct time warp, painted black in grainy pics.

In terms of what I would do with the car, i would take it to track days both road course and drag, and street drive it, but I would seriously want to replace the rear body clip and possibly doors to something of a C2 resemblance or even GS roadster proportions.

If the cage had an SCCA stamp it would make a huge difference to me as the car would be closer to SCCA vintage legal, but I'm guessing it doesn't

The current owner is asking $15k, and to my mind almost any 65 roadster with a 65 VIN tag is probably worth close to that, except for maybe this one, because even though it is memorable, it's also hard, (offensive) to look at, and needs lots of body work to get it back to pretty.

So the next topic would be along the lines of where to find aftermarket mid year rear clip body molds or panels to convert it back to "vette".

Thanks Jeff, you did an awesome job as the "el rapido historian"

Evan

62Jeff

The cage would have had to pass NCCC safety inspections, which included a small 1/4" I think diameter hole for observing the wall thickness. I do not know how closely NCCC safety rules mimicked SCCA.

I do not remember the car ever being raced in SCCA wheel-to-wheel racing. The only SCCA racing I can think of it doing was the Solo (autocross) stuff our club did from time to time.

Personally, I like the car because I saw it raced for many many years and remember when it was so ugly Jim called it the Black Bitch. This was before it was even in primer as in the 1978 photo.

But I understand many wouldn't see it the same way as I. I'm hesitant to reach out to the widow, Jim's death was very unexpected.

I have a few more pictures of the car that I haven't scanned yet. I can do so if you wish, but probably won't get to it this evening.

DREGSZ

Don't contact her on my behalf, it would be quite unnessesary at this point,
scan more pics if they are easy to find, but don't put yourself out too much
Yes, if NCCC cage was similar to SCCA that would be helpful, also my concern is $$ to convert the body back to C2 and if I could live with it the way it is and for how long because I really don't like the way it looks

62Jeff

I know where the extra photos are, it's just been challenging to remove them from the photo album after 30 years, without damaging them.

Considering this car was stripped down and the door shells molded in place, you are a Looooong way away from a car that has opening doors and looks like a midyear vette.

DREGSZ

I'm not so sure that I care if the doors open or not, just as long as they are shaped like midyear doors.
I'm guessing the car is super light, probably sub 2400 #s