Vehicle Description
Many of you have likely heard of the legendary Chevrolet COPOs,
where a couple of horsepower-loving dealers around the country
joined forces with some ne'er-do-well GM executives to dupe the
system and unleash a select few, unbridled horsepower muscle car
monsters as high-performance 'promotional cars' for their
showrooms. Names like Don Yenko and Fred Gibb still ring in our
heads when we think of these 'Central Office Purchase Order'
supercars from the late-'60s and early-'70s, but not many know the
engineer/drag racer that actually took these wild ideas and made
them work in real life. That man's name was Dick Harrell, aka 'Mr.
Chevrolet, Mr. Excitement', and he was rewarded through Fred Gibb's
Chevrolet dealership in LaHarpe, Illinois with an order of fifty
COPO 1968 Chevy Nova L78 Big Block cars with special competition
3-speed automatic transmissions. Dick then converted twenty of
these COPO cars from the 396 engine to a 427 and they were sold
through a network of Chevy dealers. Those cars are pretty much the
Holy Grail of the muscle car world today and are worth millions,
but their more attainable spirit lives on in this drop-dead
gorgeous 1968 Chevrolet Nova Dick Harrell Tribute. With a
professionally built 427 L72 V8 under the hood and show-quality
restoration, this faithfully executed tribute captures the essence
of those legendary Hi-Po cars, and better yet, you can actually
drive this one!
Cranberry Red was on the list of authentic COPO colors
(specifically for '69 and '70 Yenko Novas), so seeing this very
similar shade of Matador Red on this gorgeous '68 Chevy II really
stirs up the high-horsepower memories in us all. It's a beacon of a
color that serves as a warning to anyone who thinks it might be a
good idea to tangle with it on the street, and a huge upgrade over
this Nova's original Island Teal. For a brute-force machine, this
one is also quite pretty, with great sheetmetal prep and borderline
show-quality paint that shines like it's never heard of a drag
strip. Really, we're only calling it borderline show-quality
because of a few water spots and because technically nothing is
'perfect', but this beauty sure is close with a deep luster
accentuated by the gallons of clearcoat that sealed the color in
place. It hasn't been abused, either, because the doors fit well,
the quarters are straight, and everything lines up too nicely to
have been truly used in anger. All the Dick Harrell COPOs were
original SS cars, so this one correctly wears the blacked-out front
grille, tailpanel, and subsequent 'SS' badging, and that aggressive
(and correct) Stinger hood and hoodpins up front preview the
monster that lives underneath. Like must COPOs from the factory,
you can forget stripes or even any significant badging, allowing
the '427' emblems on the fenders, bright chrome bumpers, and
unobstructed slick-red finish doing all the talking.
Black buckets are an upgrade over the basic benches found in most
of the non-Camaro COPOs and you'll appreciate them when you're out
stomping around on the street. Everything is new to the build, from
the seat covers to the carpets, and again it sticks to the simple
recipe that anything that doesn't add performance got left off the
build sheet - including a radio and A/C delete set-up that sheds
weight. A vintage SunTach on the steering column is an important
COPO option and there's a trio of auxiliary gauges below the dash,
and with this huge engine those are pretty much a must-have, while
the rather non-descript chrome T-handle shifter that splits the
seats is correct as well, as these Harrel Nova's all came with
3-speed automatics. It looks quite authentic all around and
everything is in great shape, creates a cabin that you'll be
looking forward to driving in every chance you get. The trunk is
neatly finished with spatter paint and carries an original redline
spare and jack set, just in case.
So, all that's just fine, but the real reason this car wants to
party can be found under the hood. That's a genuine 427 cubic inch
L72 that came with a 425HP rating from the factory, which has
ballooned with the addition of a lopey Comp camshaft and mechanical
roller lifters added during the build that was finished a mere
1,537 miles ago. Detailed the way it was when it was new, complete
with Turbo-Jet 425 Horsepower decals, it looks every bit the part
of Chevy's ultimate muscle car. Chrome valve covers, Chevy Orange
paint, and factory-style details like hoses and tower hose clamps
all give it a fresh-from-the-skunkwerks vibe. The automatic
transmission follows the spirit of the Dick Harrel COPO Novas,
however this one was tastefully upgraded to a modern 4L80E 4-speed
overdrive unit that can easily manage all that power and the modern
road. It channels power to the battle-tested 12-bolt rear end
filled with 4.10 gears, all hanging on a newer heavy-duty
suspension that features sub-frame connectors, trailing arms, and
fresh components throughout. Hooker headers feed into a Flowmaster
dual exhaust system that sounds downright erotic, and power
steering and power front disc brakes vastly improve the driving
experience of this bruiser. Cragar S/S wheels are performance
classics, especially when wrapped in period-perfect F70-15
Firestone redlines that fill the fenders.
Hard to resist the appeal of the magic '427' number, isn't it?
Enjoy all the fun and iconic status for a fraction of the price
with this well-built tribute. Call today!
**Please note this car comes with a clean Texas title with the
remarks "Rebuilt/Salvage" issued by KY.
