Verne Frantz

LMBRJQ 60

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
This is very sad. I have been in contact with Verne over the dash from the Dan Gurney car.
As it was converted to RHD in Australia and Verne did the change back to LHD in recent time before it went to the UK to its new Owner.
I purchased the dash insert off Verne about 43-4 years back then last year purchased the sheet metal which is sitting in Nebraska waiting to get to the west coast.
Verne was always real good to discuss things with.
It will be a great loss to our community with his knowledge gone.

Steve
 

4onthefloor

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
I was talking with Verne during the last few months on e-mail and on 2 forums almost every week.
Hard for me to know he is not there....
I actually have a pair of his original 62 Chevy hood hinges and springs that I am zinc plating and restored the hood springs(already painted black). To Send them back to him. I think they are off or for his 62 Impala SS Nassau blue 409 Hardtop. His hinges did not need new rivets might have been NOS.
Do you guys know who I can send the hinges to for the car(address them to..). I will not have them ready for a few weeks have to pick them
up from the Zinc plater. I am sending them at my cost no charge.


Paul Stensland
Probably just send them off to his wife with a note. He has been in poor health on and off for quite a while now. He certainly had a passion for our cars originality.
 

DonSSDD

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
His 62 had tow bar tabs on the front, I believe from back in the 60’s. He was a drag racer back then with his 409 4 speed from what I have read. He was an anal guy about x frames and I mean that in a very admiring way. A very honest fellow who would tell it like it is. His records on our cars were extensive amd if he authenticated a car, no one doubted him.

I checked on ChevyTalk, he was last on line there Feb 7, I wonder what happened?

RIP Vern.
 

63 dream'n

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 4
Probably just send them off to his wife with a note. He has been in poor health on and off for quite a while now. He certainly had a passion for our cars originality.

For preserving the ethics and or integrity of not falsifying cars......!!!!!....... that’s why his knowledge of accessory codes was never published......he didn’t want to give anyone the ability to create fake cars.......
 

Tom Parsons

Member
I VERY, VERY rarely post here, but I felt it needed to be done now.
Verne and I were very good friends, through email, forums and in person.
A few years ago, we were together in Dallas. He was there verifying a 350hp/348 61 and I was at an NCRS event. He rode back to Mustang, OK with me in the 56 Vette. His seat was all the way back and he STILL needed more leg room. He spend the remainder of the weekend with me and then I took him to the airport to fly back to NJ.
I provided him with some 4sp and rearend information that he was going to include in the book he was accumulating information for.
God bless you my friend.
 

oldskydog

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Shocked to hear this. I corresponded with Verne quite a bit over the history of the W engine and the progress of his book. I hope it was far enough along to be published after all the work he did. He told me he was talking to his publisher about another book or volume as he felt he couldn't get everything he wanted to into one book. His passing leaves a great void in the knowledge base of our favorite powerplant and the cars they came in.
RIP Verne, we will miss you greatly.
 

pvs409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
I think Vern may have been talking to Car Tech Books from Minnesota. The reason I know is that Verne directed Car Tech books to call me about doing a book on how to restore 61-64 Chevys.
Verne wanted to do a all original restoration book from what I understood.
I never agreed to do the 61-64 how to Restore Book (Car Tech asked me over a period of over a year into November of 2020). As others have said here Verne was writing a book, I don't know how far he got. I called Verne and asked him what he thought about doing a 61-64 book as they were asking. Verne said at least 6 months of your time.

Paul
 

ragtp66

Well Known Member
Verne always took the time to answer the endless amount of questions I had while I was restoring my 58 Impala and I am forever grateful. It was always a pleasure talking with him. He was an incredible source of knowledge and willing to share it and he was always so humble. It seems so unfair that the good ones always seem to get called home way too early. You will be missed dearly my friend. I never say goodbye I prefer to say until we meet again.

God bless your family and loved ones during this difficult time.
 

62bubble

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
Back in 2010, I had contacted Verne via E-mail, and had asked him if he could tell me where the X frames for our cars were made. I had been asked several times by folks that were restoring an X frame car , why some had an open C- channel and some were boxed in the rear. This is the complete response that I received from Verne: "The rumor about the boxed frames being Canadian built, has been around too long. There were three (3) suppliers of frames for our Chevys: AO. Smith-They made an open channel frame for CONVERTIBLES.... Budd Company-- They made an OPEN channel frame for all other models. CHEVROLET (or Detroit)----They made the boxed frame for all models , EXCEPT CONVERTIBLES... He further stated: No frames were made in Canada... But, since Detroit is so close to Canada, it's possible those were the only frames shipped to the Canadian assembly plant. (thus, they became "Canadian" frames)...... End of quote: I am sure that some of our members had probably asked the same question of Verne, however, as I recall there was some controversy about this subject on this site a short time ago.. It is for this reason that I pass this information along in the name of our friend Verne, so that other members who may be asking the same question , will now have their answer. Thanks Verne ,,RIP...
 
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