After reading the same article that is posted in the article's section of this website from the November 1968 issue of Popular Hot Rodding, I become interested in exploring the possibility of owning a 427 powered Nova with the mentioned experimental transmission. At the time, I owned a non-SS 66 L-79 4 speed Nova. Upon checking with the local authorized Chevrolet dealership, they called Dick Harrell Performance Center in K.C., Mo. An agreement was made, Knowles Chevrolet accepted a trade-in as down payment for the new Dick Harrell prepared 427 Nova, the car was ordered (Fathom Blue being the only color left) with the extra options included, and the building of the car was begun. On November 11, 1968, the car was driven 285 miles from DHPC in Kansas City, back home. With the 4:10 gearing, the gas mileage was probably in the area of 5-6mpg? The car, even though it was modified, still retained the factory 90 day warranty and was fully financed by GMAC with all the aftermarket options. Added options are the A&A fiberglass hood, Crager SS wheels, Sun tachometer, Spring Clamps, 8:00 X 14 M&H Slicks, Jardine headers, and the 427-450 h.p. engine. Total cost of this car was $4524.64.

This car was raced nearly every weekend for the first 3 years owned. It ran consistent low 12's as received from DHPC with stock 4:10 gearing, no traction bars other than the spring clamps, by opening the headers and using 9" slicks. With 4:88 gearing, larger 15" slicks, traction bars, and different converter, the cars best time was an 11:71. After owning this car for over 20 years, I still did not know about it's true heritage of being derived from 1 of 50 68 Nova's Fred Gibb Chevrolet was successful in getting Chevrolet to build with a redesigned Turbo-400 automatic transmission, until talking with Fred Gibb in 1989? This contact with him certainly opened up a bit of new history that had survived a lot of years, with not many people knowing what the 50 Nova's advertised some 20 years previous, in AHRA's Drag World. It was learned by talking with Fred, these cars were built through his request by the COPO process, to get Chevrolet involved in the automatic classes of NHRA drag racing. Chevrolet had never before, put an automatic transmission behind a high torque, solid lifter engine, which was the newly introduced 396 L-78 in April of 68.

Enclosed is a couple of present day pictures.

Ray Morrison