Welcome to the site Bill,
Please keep those stories coming.Love History lessons.
Please keep those stories coming.Love History lessons.
Bill. Glad you gave us the info on your Dad's car. I met your Dad years ago at a car deal . He was with Eddie Coop. He was a Chicago cop. Eddie had and probably still has a 61 fleetline with a 348. I think he said he bought it new.
I was after Z-11 parts and info at the time. I think he told me after it was sold it got crashed and ended up in a bone yard.
There was another Ragamuffin car that ran at US 30. That was Wes' car. He ran it in 64 and 65. Motor was done at Speed sport and was a mid 11 car. It was sold and had a glass front end installed and the motor was set back. Wes lost track of it.
Wasn't your Dad a plumber? I believe I mixed up the stories because I always thought they were the same car. How's dad doing??
Bob
I was after Z-11 parts and info at the time. I think he told me after it was sold it got crashed and ended up in a bone yard.
There was another Ragamuffin car that ran at US 30. That was Wes' car. He ran it in 64 and 65. Motor was done at Speed sport and was a mid 11 car. It was sold and had a glass front end installed and the motor was set back. Wes lost track of it.
Wasn't your Dad a plumber? I believe I mixed up the stories because I always thought they were the same car. How's dad doing??
Bob
CHEVYLS6
Member
yes my dad was a plumber and he still hangs out with ed coop. he is doing well and still lives in des plaines. bill
Bill. I'd love to talk to your Dad. Any chance you could post pictures of his car? Some guys I know out here have been looking for some, but no luck so far. Bob`
Ok. I had some free time, and found / read this old thread. Has it been continued somewhere else ? Good read.
Brings back a lot of old memories.
A couple friends of mine owned the Ziggy 62. I actually bought a 365/327 from one of them back in 1971. Frank sold me the 327. Jack Kniola (Kniola's Speed Shop) let me do the install in my 61 belair bubbletop in the back bay of his 1st shop. Frank had Ziggy's car for a few years then sold it to Rich. Rich had it for several years and sold it to someone
down in Texas, I believe.
Frank had bought the 62 from a local city cop (Elwel) {spelling}? Elwel was racing the car with the 327. The black 62 was never driven on the street as far as I know. Ziggy bought the car new and just raced it. I never knew him, but heard he died in a head-on collision as a young man. Still lived with his parents when he was killed.
That car was beautiful. Black with red interior.
Sorry, I guess this thread should be reserved for Barber John. I got carried away. I met the Barber. Saw his car at car shows, but never had the luxury of seeing it race.
Brings back a lot of old memories.
A couple friends of mine owned the Ziggy 62. I actually bought a 365/327 from one of them back in 1971. Frank sold me the 327. Jack Kniola (Kniola's Speed Shop) let me do the install in my 61 belair bubbletop in the back bay of his 1st shop. Frank had Ziggy's car for a few years then sold it to Rich. Rich had it for several years and sold it to someone
down in Texas, I believe.
Frank had bought the 62 from a local city cop (Elwel) {spelling}? Elwel was racing the car with the 327. The black 62 was never driven on the street as far as I know. Ziggy bought the car new and just raced it. I never knew him, but heard he died in a head-on collision as a young man. Still lived with his parents when he was killed.
That car was beautiful. Black with red interior.
Sorry, I guess this thread should be reserved for Barber John. I got carried away. I met the Barber. Saw his car at car shows, but never had the luxury of seeing it race.
Just read this thread for first time. Although I'm retired in Tennessee now, I see a lot of Northern Indiana area guys on this thread. My brother Ron and I were South Bend boys. Ron bought a '63 Palomar Red Impala SS 409/425 from Gates Chevrolet new. I threw in some money as well and somehow we got our Dad to sign for purchase. I restored car in early 90's and I'm re-restoring again now.
I remember (maybe not as well my brother) all the names and dragstrips mentioned (Barber John, Dick Brannan, Osceola, US30 ... ). We made passes at these strips but more for the adrenalin rush than to win. We couldn't afford to break anything.
DRC, Did you ever run Red Williams? Oseola was his home track also.
I sold an 09 once to a guy from Merrillville that I think was in the car that collided with Ziggy, or maybe it was a friend of his. I first saw Ziggy's car at Corvette Bob's shop in Valporaiso. Had some beautiful fenderwell headers. Wonder who the guy in Texas is. He shoild join the forum. Ronni...Find that guy!
Not me (at least not that I remember) but maybe my brother did. Unfortunately, my brother passed away last year. After I moved away from South Bend, we used to bench race on the phone over the years. I miss him and all the 409 knowledge he had.
Ziggy's Pop passed away recently, and a 409 (original to the 62?) was found under a stairwell, behind a false wall
when the old house was being prepped for resale. A relative of the family has that 09 now, and from what I've
been told is actively searching for the black 62.
Wasn't the original motor a 327??
No. But it did have a 327/365 in it when a friend of mine bought it back in 72. He sold the engine to me and I put it in a 61 Belair Bubbletop that I had at the time. Frank sold the car about 5 years later to Rich Kopanski, and he put a 409 back in it. As far as I know, Ziggy bought the car new, with a 409, at Enyhart Chevrolet. That 62 was beautiful!
Black with red interior.
nathan chambers
New Member
Hello, I was/am a friend of Rich Kopanski, I was wondering if anyone had some old pictures of him racing or any pictures or copies of any of his super chevy magazines. I would be very greatful to have some copies. thank you.
I knew John well. But, as a member of Corvette Coventry of SouthWest Michigan. Yes, I can tell you he kept the ole 409 but had a nice vette as well. As a club member he introduced us to his then girlfriend, later his wife.
His long time friend John "Trash" Kerbis, both were often seen with a cigar in mouth and a never ending smile their faces. I believe ole "Trash" was the wrench under the hood of that made that 409 go straight, pretty fast a quarter mile at a time. John and his wife stopped by to visit years ago as they passed though Atlanta, that was the last time I saw, him. I'm tickeled to see that he had a daughter. Sure would like see the red chev. again some day.
I'll share one cool story with ya. When "Trash" was tuning up the 409 in the garage at home just before race day, John's Mom, while standing in her kitchen, would knock on the window, that was the signal that the house was vibrating a certian way, that was the assurance that the motor was ....OK to go! Absolutely true I promise!
- Joe Weimann
alrighty i was in trail creek (mich city) today talking with my buddy Doug Wood and his buddy Kenny Johnson pulled up. they both had some info on the barber John car and the Ziggy car! Kenny said he re-did the body work on the barbers car, i guess it had been done poorly and he had to weld in patches and relead. they both knew Ziggy, Kenny thought Jack Kniola had kept up with the whereabouts of the Ziggy car. Bob when say the car was at corvette Bob's shop, do you mean Ira Chez's shop?Bob Muzza (?) rented space from Ira in the 80's, i used buy vette parts from him. before that he rented space from John Cortina in portage.both Kenny and Doug seemed to know almost everyone mentioned in this thread.
david montanbeau
Well Known Member
Just saw this thread and you mention the Midwest 409 club. back in that time, did you ever go to Great Lakes Dragway for the 409 meet? A guy named Mike Zubal Cloned this car in the early 80s with a z11 upper end. I drove a black fully restored 62 409 409 ss from Det. I did the Mechs on this car. My dad was one of the developers of the w at the Tech center in Det. He brought home many a cars to test them on the street back then with the w. They even put one in a 63 Corvette also.
David:
You note that "My dad was one of the developers of the w at the Tech center in Det. He brought home many a cars to test them on the street back then with the w. They even put one in a 63 Corvette also."
Now that is interesting to hear about
. Did your father ever bring one of those home, or had you seen one? Even sweeter would be some pictures if you have any. We always wondered about a 409 in the new Sting Ray!
Best,
TomK
You note that "My dad was one of the developers of the w at the Tech center in Det. He brought home many a cars to test them on the street back then with the w. They even put one in a 63 Corvette also."
Now that is interesting to hear about
. Did your father ever bring one of those home, or had you seen one? Even sweeter would be some pictures if you have any. We always wondered about a 409 in the new Sting Ray!Best,
TomK