Mr. Blister...

**WILMASBOYL78** · #1 05-28-2008, 04:46 AM

Met an interesting guy this weekend near our upstate retreat...I've been meaning to stop and check him out for the last couple of years and I finally did on Friday. His name is Don Dezalia and he operates Dezalia and Sons Automotive in Schroon Lake, NY....he is an old time drag racer and gearhead...he was working on a 63 Vette when I pulled in the yard and next to that was a 66 SS396 Chevelle...so we got to talkin' shop and I found out the Chevelle was an original 9,000 mile L-78 car that Don bought new!!! 4.88 gears from the factory...still has the original M-21 and factory shifter. He worked in a Chevy garage and was a weekend drag racer. Eventually the L78 was replaced with a crate LS-7...car runs 11's. He has been all over the norhteast...Lebanon Valley, Utica-Rome, etc...he campaigned the car as Mr. Blister....thoughtsome of you "old timers" might recall the name. He also races a 90's vintage Camaro on a regular basis...it also runs in the 11's....he has lots of photos and cool vintage stuff...I plan on making more visits to see some of his collection. It was cool finding a big block muscle car guy 2 miles from our house. I told him that he would be on the Yenko Site and he said ..."what's that..??"

wilma

Novadiecast · #2 05-28-2008, 04:51 AM

Do I see tow hooks and a tow bar in front of that chevelle?

x Baldwin Motion · #3 05-28-2008, 05:35 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Do I see tow hooks and a tow bar in front of that chevelle?

[/ QUOTE ]

that's exactly what I just said !!

**mockingbird812** · #4 05-28-2008, 05:52 AM

Thanks Wilma!

**WILMASBOYL78** · #5 05-28-2008, 06:17 AM

Yes, boys...those are tow hooks and a tow bar sitting on the ground....oh, I forgot to mention...Don and his buddies actually got together and built an 1/8 mile track in North Hudson, NY...way back when. It is long gone now...the "greenies" would never allow drag racing in the wilderness....some spotted owl might have a nervous breakdown

Chris_69_SS · #6 05-29-2008, 04:54 AM

He races at my home track Napierville. Last I saw him he was running a newer style camaro. Before that an 80s malibu.

syclonegs2003 · #7 05-12-2020, 10:10 PM

I vividly remember this car.. I was looking at the cars in the lot at Ti-Motors (Ticonderoga, New York) in August 1968 and saw this red 66 Chevelle SS396 that had white shoe polished numbers on the windows.. I had been looking at a new red 68 Camaro SS396 there when a guy in the lot told me that the Chevelle SS was Mr. Blisters car and that he raced it at North Hudson drag strip and won often and was unbeatable on the street... I asked the guy if the new Camaro SS396 would beat the Chevelle and he said hell no. I never did meet Don but always remembered that car. The guy also told me Mr. Blister was inside the service bay talking to a mechanic.

**Crush** · #8 05-12-2020, 10:47 PM

You can tell by the way he is dressed, just a brick and mortar type of guy who loves to wrench and go fast as time allows.
Cool story!

**wheelhop** · #9 05-12-2020, 11:38 PM

Wonder if he ever dated Suzie Chapstick

**PeteLeathersac** · #10 05-13-2020, 12:10 AM

'

Sadly 'Mister Blister' Don DeZalia Sr. passed away 5 or so years back.

His son/grandson kept the '66 but '63 Roadster went to another 'Vette enthusiast.

~ Pete

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