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Posted

Here is the start of one of Smokey's Chevelles. Flared out the wheel wells and made the dip in the roof, starting on the chassis - floorpan next. Got lucky with pics, the car is for sale now and the site had a bunch of pics.

post-6966-0-19601800-1297808331_thumb.jp

post-6966-0-66492600-1297808339_thumb.jp

post-6966-0-81198300-1297808349_thumb.jp

Posted

Interesting project. Please keep us updated. I don't remember that "roofwork" being so obvious, though, but maybe it's my memory.

Between Zora Duntov and Smokey there are no greater proponents of big block Chevy power.

Bob

Smokey wasn't just "big block Chevy" power, he was "engine" power.......he had no brand loyalties whatsoever. He once said that he would build a John Deere if thats what the rules favored. Very colorful character.

Can you post a link to the site where I can find pictures?

Thanks,

Mike

http://www.canepa.com/inventory/racecar_1/Smokey%20Chevelle/

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Smokey was knowen as the the biggest cheat in NASCAR. GM was only know for it small blocks, Chevy big Blocks were knowen for blowning up in NASCAR. Very few in line-up in the 60's, couldn't make the 500 miles. Thats why NASCAR went to small blocks, Chevy could get into the races and to cut the speeds. At the time Chrysler had a Hemi ready to go in 1966 with 1000 hp.

Posted

yeah the roof dip is to much for a 1/24 scale car if you seen the real car from the side you could barley tell it was there also i want one i love this car .

Posted

Interesting project. Please keep us updated. I don't remember that "roofwork" being so obvious, though, but maybe it's my memory.

Smokey wasn't just "big block Chevy" power, he was "engine" power.......he had no brand loyalties whatsoever. He once said that he would build a John Deere if thats what the rules favored. Very colorful character.

http://www.canepa.com/inventory/racecar_1/Smokey%20Chevelle/

Whoever did that site has the car incorrectly listed as a 1967 Chevelle! OOPS! LOL

Posted

Whoever did that site has the car incorrectly listed as a 1967 Chevelle! OOPS! LOL

"Built for the 1968 Daytona 500 the car was actually a 1967 body with a 1966 nose that Smokey felt was aerodynamically superior to the ‘67 front end sheet metal."

From what I remember reading about this car, it was closer to a 7/8 scale version of the real car, which, if true, would really make accurate bodywork a LOT of work.

Posted

It is a 67, Smokey thought the 66 front end was more aerodynamic. So he modified the body to use the 66 rear bumber and taillight panel. There where 2 Smokey Chevelles, the one for sale if the last of the 2. The other one was wrecked and GM wanted the parts back from the car, because of the controversy. Smokey had the car cubed and sent to GM.

Posted

Smokey was knowen as the the biggest cheat in NASCAR.....

Actually, what he did wasn't really cheating. He was a master at manipulating gray areas of the rules. For instance, the rule book would specify the size of the fuel tank, but said nothing about the size of the line, so he would snake 7/8" tubing all over the car to hold another 5 gallons. The rules would state the ride height BEFORE the race, so Smokey would put balsa blocks above the springs to get through inspection. Once on the track, at the first bump the blocks would break and the car would drop 2". Hey, it was legal when they checked it, like it was supposed to be. Nascar re-wrote a LOT of rules because of him. Smokey actually had a lot of contempt for the ones that flagrantly cheated.

From what I remember reading about this car, it was closer to a 7/8 scale version of the real car, which, if true, would really make accurate bodywork a LOT of work.

Nope, it was full size, but because of a few tricks it gave the illusion of being undersize. The front bumper was reworked to make it taller than stock (to serve the same purpose as a chin spoiler), then narrowed to blend in with the fenders. The rear bumper was narrowed quite a bit too, again, to blend in with the quarter panels. Also, the windows were relocated towards the outside to smooth out air flow. The rules at the time did not specifically state that you could not do this. But the body itself was not 7/8 scale.

But then again, I could be wrong. :rolleyes:

  • 3 months later...
Posted

Whether Smokey was a Cheater or not - he WAS a genius!

He never finished High School, Flew for the Flying Tigers, Searched for oil all over the world, and raced in darn near every race series in the USA. He just had superhero-like instinct for everything mechanical.

I bought his Auto-biography. I read about half of it. They published it using his phrasing, punctuation (or lack thereof), and colorful language and euphamisms. Great Book.

The world became just slightly less colorful when Smokey passed.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Have you ever noticed that the drivers name was never put on the Yunick Chevelles? Thanks for the link. I might just have to build a model of this car since all those reference pictures are available..

Posted

Could you please tell us how you bulged out the rear quarters on it? They came out GREAT an I'd like to try and see if i could do it. Thanks! :D

Posted

Hi, I cut off the quater panels and bent them with my fingers. When they were blunged out enough I bonded them back on the body.

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