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Anatomy Of The DickHarrell Edition Supercar Camaro « Reply #20 on: Jun 1st, 2004, 3:00pm » Quote Modify
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Jon Asher
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ANATOMY OF THE DICK HARRELL EDITION SUPERCAR CAMARO
SYLMAR, CA 4/29/04 How many times have you heard someone say, "Man, I shoulda bought one of those Camaros when they were brand new back in ‘69" as a flawless collector’s car cruises slowly by with just that "right" exhaust rumble. How many times have you said it yourself about a Camaro, regardless of production year?
Well, it’s too late now, ‘cause Chevrolet is no longer building the Camaro. Up until this very second, if you wanted a new Camaro there was only one choice – buy a used Camaro, which for you would be a "new car."
Okay, stop gnashing your teeth in frustration. While we said you only had one choice about getting a Camaro, we weren’t exactly telling the whole truth and nothing but. If you act quickly you could become one of the lucky 30 or so buyers of a brand new, never-been-driven 2002 Chevrolet Camaro, and not just any Camaro, but a very unique Dick Harrell Edition Supercar Camaro that could be powered by an all-aluminum Chevrolet C5R race engine that’s been modified for street use.
Sound impossible, or maybe just improbable? Well, thanks to a dedicated group of muscle car enthusiasts, which included engineers from Chevrolet, the design staff headed by Matt Murphy at GMMG, Incorporated of Marietta, Georgia, Matt Berger’s team at Berger Chevrolet of Detroit, Michigan, three-time IHRA Funny Car World Champion Dale Pulde and Harrell’s daughter, Valerie.
"My father had quite a reputation for building outrageous street cars back in the Seventies," she says. "I honestly wasn’t aware of that as I was growing up, but in the last few years we’ve put up a web site about his career(www.dickharrell.com), and I’ve had a lot of contact with his fans, and almost all of them want to know where they can get their hands on Camaros like the ones he built with several Chevy dealerships back in those days.
"It’s kind of ironic, really. My dad was one of the early Funny Car racers, and he always raced Chevrolets. After some years of doing that he branched out and started running 427 cubic inch Camaros on carburetors and gasoline, and fans loved what he and a few others were doing. Finally, he and a few other racers approached Jim Tice, who was running the American Hot Rod Association, who realized that guys like my dad and racers like ‘Dandy Dick’ Landy, Sox & Martin, ‘Dyno Don’ Nicholson and Bill ‘Grumpy’ Jenkins racing heads-up would bring the fans, so he started what was called Super Stock. Within a year or so that became Pro Stock.
"When my dad began racing in Super Stock his interest in streetcars really blossomed, and he got more and more involved in that. It was his personal input that made a lot of those late Sixties, early Seventies Camaros so valuable to collectors. I honestly believe that it was more than just the cars themselves. The fact that Dick Harrell had a hand in their design increased their ‘credibility,’ if you will, with the hard-core streetcar enthusiasts. GMMG and Berger Chevrolet are going to rekindle that interest in customized, driveable street cars with Dick Harrell Edition Supercar Camaro.
Page 1 of 2 « Last Edit: Jun 1st, 2004, 3:24pm by valerieharrell » IP Logged
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Val
valerieharrell Dick Harrell God
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~ Live life to the fullest ~
Gender: Posts: 263 Anatomy of the DickHarrell Edition Supercar Camaro « Reply #21 on: Jun 1st, 2004, 3:02pm » Quote Modify
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Jon Asher Page 2 of 2
"I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ve already driven one of these cars and they’re nothing short of awesome. The power is impressive, the exhaust has a cool rumble to it and the cars are exceptionally good looking. I can’t wait to get my hands on one I can call my own."
Due to the limited availability of new Camaros, Berger and GMMG have assembled a fleet that includes Z28s, SS models and even a few B4C models, which is the police interceptor unit. After modifications the Dick Harrell Edition Supercar Camaros will be available with three different V8 powerplants. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 engines are based on the 346ci LS6 powerplants, producing, respectively, 400 and 500 horsepower. The top-of-the-line Phase 3 powerplant is a 427 cubic inch monster based on the LS1 GM race block, and is destined for 20 of the 30 cars to be built. This is the engine that, with the proper internals, is the fire-breathing C5R race engine pumping out 630HP.
Half of the cars that will become Dick Harrell Edition Supercars are already equipped with 6-speed manual transmissions, while the other half will be available with automatic transmissions that Chevrolet engineers are currently designing to handle the high-horsepower loads in street driving situations.
Naturally enough, when you add a ton of horsepower to a new car suspension, modifications aren’t just a good idea they’re mandatory. GMMG, Incorporated will have welded subframe connectors, Koni shocks and Eibach springs. New 34mm front sway bars are also utilized, along with new 1LE rear sway bars. The cars will be available with the vaunted 12-bolt rearend with a choice of 3.73:1, 4.10:1 or 4.56:1 gearing.
Interior changes include custom seat inserts of charcoal suede with "Mr. Chevrolet" stitching, while the dash includes silver faced gauges carrying the 1969 Dick Harrell logos instead of "idiot lights." The cars will carry stock Chevrolet colors, although any of the cars that came with original factory black paint can be customized to meet the buyer’s specifications. In addition the exteriors will carry special Dick Harrell-themed logos and lettering.
With just 30 of these cars to be made available, early ordering will be the key to getting your hands on one of these outrageous new Camaros. To get that process started, contact: Dale Pulde at Dalepulde@aol.com or Matt Murphy of GMMG, Inc. at (770) 592.6261.
- End - « Last Edit: Jun 1st, 2004, 3:27pm by valerieharrell » IP Logged
posted
They are going to be sweet Camaros. It just takes real deep pockets to afford one. Posts: 5682 | From: Dearborn,Mi. | Registered: Feb 2002
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westell
Hey, could someone hand me a fire extinguisher?
Member # 2034
posted
i was always told, if you're gonna dream, dream big. i have lots of dreams
quote:Originally posted by westell: i was always told, if you're gonna dream, dream big. i have lots of dreams
But the difference bewten this dream and actually owning one, is the lint in my pockets! Posts: 5682 | From: Dearborn,Mi. | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by westell: i was always told, if you're gonna dream, dream big. i have lots of dreams
But the difference bewten this dream and actually owning one, is the lint in my pockets!
Greg you are not bye your self
-------------------- Willard (Mike) Scott Worldwide Camaro Club North Carolina state Rep. 2001 SS convertible with all SLP opts. Sunset Orange Neutral top Neutral leather http://community.webshots.com/user/wmss Posts: 737 | From: Siler City N.C. | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Nice cars but I'd rather have a C6 with about $20k left over for what it would cost to own one of these. The difference with the Yenko's and COPO's back in the day is that people paid like $7k for them, granted that was a lot back then but seems like nothing today and they've appreciated since then. When you pay $60k plus for a car, how much will it really go up in value??
Posts: 46 | From: Newtown, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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