[COPO]

An update on my car.

Someone posted the pictures to a FB Ohio Drag Racing site and within a day, a member of that group knew the car and prior owners. A site member alerted me and I reached out to him and he gave me one of the prior owners names and I gave him a call yesterday afternoon.

The prior owner knew the full history of the car other than the day one owner. It was sold out of Martin Chev in Warren, Ohio and when the new car had 300 miles on it, the car was stolen and stripped of its engine and trans, cowl hood, etc.

The prior owners drag racing buddy bought it out of the wrecking yard who recovered the stolen vehicle for the insurance company. This was late 1969 or 1970.

The car was then made into a full time race car with some modifications over the years including a 6 point cage, frame connector, rolled quarter lips, a slight widening of inner wheel wells, narrower gas tank, and relocating the springs inward to allow a bigger tire.

They raced it for a number of years with a 302 and 4 speed and it was a very consistent car and the prior owner won numerous regional annual points challenges.

At some point the bottom of the car was painted white and the front discs converted to drums for less drag. A common modification back in the day. The prior owner explained they painted the bottom white not to see oil leaks but to make it easier to change out the 4 speed in the pits at night. The light would reflect off the white bottom and it made a trans swap much easier.

After a few years the prior owner a spoke to bought the car from his friend and continued to race that car successfully. Eventually he sold it to a city police officer in Salem Ohio (or maybe Alliance) and the car sat in a storage unit for almost 20 years.

He later bought it back from the Officer in mid to late 1990's and raced it again with a 302 and 4 speed and was very successful. After a few years he sold it to another acquaintance who kept it a couple of years before I bought it without a motor and trans in 2002 and it's since sat in storage for another 20 years.

The prior owner is 75 years old, but remains quite sharp and was rattling off the ET and MPH he ran. I think it was normally mid to high 11's with the 302.

The low mile and 99% rust free condition are legit as it was never a street car other than a day or two before being stolen. Fortunately, the thieves didn't mess with any VIN's or the TT as those are unmolested and original (pics posted above) It's a blue car with white strips from the factory, but since the theft recovery it has been black as it appears now in the posted pictures.

While it doesn't have exactly 300 miles as they never hooked up the odometer upon making it a race car, the fact it was only drag raced and stored for 40 years without racing it, points to a likely mileage of under a 1,000 or 2.

The car has a clean title and it lists the mileage as 300 actual.

Mystery solved and was great to speak with the prior owner who knew the history inside and out and he was excited to hear the car was still around.