RogerD's 69 COPO/Dick Harrell Chevelle

[Granddad Coker]

Originally Posted by jfan68

Roger and I were pretty good friends in high school and afterwards. We were most likely found head down and posterior up under the hood of some car we had stuck together. I’d built a ‘55 Chevy hardtop with the perquisite worked over 327 and had graduated to a used ’62 fuelie vette.

I lived in a typical small Midwestern town here in Missouri that at the time had a population of about 150 people. For any excitement we had to drive 25 miles south to Kansas City or the same distance north to St. Joseph. SO when Roger called me up one late afternoon and asked if I wanted to ride down to the city. I was all in. Not a word was mentioned about him getting a new car.

He showed up in the driveway in this shiny orange 69 Chevelle. As I came off the porch I noticed it was just a plain Jane Malibu, but still a beautiful car to my eyes. A few things stuck out like the funky "V8" flags on the fenders, black hood stripes, hood locks and it had an SS hood and SS wheels but no other SS markings - couldn't quite figure that out back in the day. But plain as it might have looked I’d been around enough motors in my short life to know that what was idling in my driveway had something very potent under the hood.

I climbed into the passenger’s seat and scoped the inside of the car out. The only thing that set the interior off was the required bug Sun Tack strapped to the steering column. At first I was a bit disappointed at the automatic transmission as “in the day” real hot rods had four speeds.

Roger backed out of the drive and headed up the main drag of my town ¼ of a mile to the turn that took you out to the highway. He was just idling down the street explaining that it was a car especially prepared by Dick Harrell’s shop and sold to him through the biggest Chevy dealer in K.C., Bill Allen Chevrolet. He turned left for the 2 blocks that took us out to the highway by the old tavern. He eased out to the south where the highway is looking down a ½ mile straight slightly down hill. I can remember it so clearly as he lined up on the highway and pulled the trigger. Holy Christ! The damn thing just exploded with power and pinned my young behind deep down in the upholstery. The motor wound up and it shifted well up in RPM. I thought Roger was running it manually through the gears but I looked over and it just shifted that way. I don’t know for a fact that the transmission had been worked over but it sure shifted like it had a kit from B&M or somebody in it.

What I can swear to is what it like riding in that beast. There are two memorable cars form my youth that came right out of the dealer with that kind of horsepower. My neighbor, who had been my Scoutmaster, bought a 67 Dodge station wagon with a 426 wedge and a 4 speed on the floor. The other was Roger’s DHCP Chevelle. If I can remember no other time in that car I most certainly remember quite well that first ride and can mentally picture that first walk around including the Dick Harrell sicker on it’s hind end. I was there and it was real enough that it stuck with me so vividly for 40 years.

KUDOS to Roger for tracking down and restoring his old Dick Harrell Chevelle - saw it when he brought it to the ACES event last September in Kansas City and the restoration was absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!


JFAN68

Great story that is the was it was, we lived in Illinois and had a 68 Chevelle and took the 396 out and went to KC at Harrell's shop and purchased a 427 from him and put it in. Lots of power.

coker

[Ms Grumpy]

It is so nice to hear the history on a car. Not the paper trail that people have found on the internet, but the passionate way someone felt about a car. The way that JFAN wrote about his first experience in Rogers car and the bold memories that he has because of a car is wonderful. Thank you for sharing such a great story.

[shadowgray396]

Congrats Roger, great write up.

[314Chevelle]

Welcome to the forum, nice car

[flash]

Great story behind this car and I love everything about the car ,the owner getting it back all these years later and the fact that he is sharing with us all.

[MrsDickHarrell]

As always, I try not to get too far in the middle on these issues that keep surfacing on the Dick Harrell name. Since 2009 I have read and listened to the embellishments of claims of my name, my deceased husband's name, plus my family's name to boost claims & value of this -------orange---- car. It is also important for me to mention the unnecessary, uncalled for, in addition to rude, arrogant emails and phone calls on the demands to license this car. Now I read about RogerD adding Dick Harrell's NHRA Drag Racing Hall of Fame induction to bolster his stories, which by the way it is the DON GARLITS INTERNATIONAL DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME, the most PRESTIGIOUS DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME that Drag Racing has to offer.

I was heavily involved and in charge of all paper work, conversions, repairs and any work that was performed in the DHPC the entire time it was in operation until it was closed due to Dick's death.

I had close contact with Dave & Norma Libby and Oop prior to Dave & Oop's passing. I also worked closely with them and other employee's in the shop with any and all work that was performed.

I try to always do what is right and strongly know the following statements are true and a fact:
"This orange-----car was never at DHPC and I have never talked to RogerD on the phone, nor have I seen RogerD in person & never have seen this orange car. There was never an invoice typed at DHPC on this orange car. I made no work order or conversion order for this car."

These statements are made by me for another reason - to be in fairness to those people that have purchased a genuine Dick Harrell car.

A MUST READ:
See Claimed Harrell Vehicles: Undocumented: Certifictes Not Issued:
http://forum.dickharrell.com/showthr...?t=1228&page=4

I was there and I lived it and I am still living it!
__________________
Elaine Harrell "Mrs. Chevrolet"

[RogerD]

With all due respect to "Mrs Chevrolet" and her associates . . .

"I was heavily involved and in charge of all paper work, conversions, repairs and any work that was performed in the DHPC the entire time it was in
operation until it was closed due to Dick's death."

"This orange-----car was never at DHPC and I have never talked to RogerD on the phone, nor have I seen RogerD in person & never have seen this orange car.
There was never an invoice typed at DHPC on this orange car. I made no work order or conversion order for this car."

BULLSH*%!!

My circa '69 docs & details therein quietly convey what happened in 1969 without any need for further explanation.

RogerD <><

[MrsDickHarrell]

You have been really great at twisting my comments as well as others who have tried to help you with this process.

Your photo shop quote of Aug. 26, 2009:
"The paperwork is verified (thru her mother who actually typed up the window sticker)"

1. I DID NOT SAY I TYPED THE WINDOW STICKER FOR YOUR CAR!

2. Tim Lopata IS A CREDIBLE SOURCE, HOWEVER, HE DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY CONCERNING OUR Dick Harrell Verification Certification process.

You should re-read the forum thread where the subject of your car is posted!

http://forum.dickharrell.com/

CLAIMED HARRELL VEHICLES: UNDOCUMENTED: CERTIFICATES NOT ISSUED
Ms. Harrell has both common law trademark, federally registered trademarks, & the rights of publicity associated with Dick Harrell®.

Warning: Anyone purchasing cars purporting to be an authentic "Dick Harrell" car should ensure that the seller/owner has clear evidence of the right to use the Dick Harrell name. Suggestions for potential purchasers including a warning that anyone purporting to sell an authentic "Dick Harrell" car should have a certificate or letter of authenticity to prove that the car is authentic and can retain any Dick Harrell trademarks, etc.

And Here:
http://forum.dickharrell.com/showthread.php?t=1228

[FlintTony]

Are you saying the paper-work that Roger has from DH is no good?

[RogerD]

My quotes = exactly what Tim and Valerie posted on line for the world to see.
Tim's post and email to me were almost 3 years ago, you were in the loop!

No twist, exactly as Tim and Val posted. . .

From: "Tim Lopata" <copo427@charter.net>
To: "Roger Day"
Date : Aug 24, 2009: Tim Lopota
"The paperwork is fine the vin and trim look good . . .
Both of us have gone over documents font types,invoice numbers dates etc.
She even called her mother . . .”


Aug 26, 2009: Tim Lopota "The paperwork is verified (thru her mother who actually typed up the window sticker) . . . This is a Harrell car . . .".
Ye
Aug 31, 2009: Valerie Harrell "I can guarantee Elaine Harrell and "Copoloco" Tim Lopata are trusted and valuable sources!

The "certificate" I saved dates back to 1969 . . .
They are original, authentic and legitimate . . .
Bill Allen Chevrolet was not in the business of selling "clone" Harrell cars with fake Harrell "certificates" (MSRP's) and Harrell badges . . .