☰
conceptcarz.com
✕

1970 Chevrolet Camaro Flip Top Funny Car

Coupe

As the 60's era of Flip Top Funny Cars closed, a new breed of Funny Cars began to emerge. They were lighter and the tube chassis was much stronger, built to absorb even more horsepower. More chassis makers began to emerge across the U.S. Here on display is a Don Hardy chassis built to the specifications of Dick Harrell, known as Mr. Chevrolet. More importantly, these chassis gave the driver more protection from inevitable 200 mile per hour mishaps.

Prior to the start of the 1970 racing season, Dick Harrell placed an order with Don Hardy to build a specialty chassis to be fitted with the new 1970 Camaro body style. Hardy provided the bodywork, aluminum interior panels, and parts to go with the basic chassis.

Dick Harrell finished up the race car with plumbing, wiring, safety equipment and wheels and tires. He then added the 427 cubic inch Chevrolet engine that was supercharged, fuel injected and burned nitro methane fuel.

This Camaro raced in AHRA events and match races during the 1970 season. In later years the body was used on a variety of chassis with various paint schemes. It was very successful during the 1970 racing season.

The body was recently located and in conjunction with a replacement replica frame, it was outfitted with period correct components. The Dick Harrell Camaro is capable of starting on 100% nitro-methane.

Coupe

The start of the 1972 Flip Top Funny Car racing season witnessed the departure of factory racing team efforts. They were replaced by young up and coming racers that were eager to compete on a National level.

In 1972 Gervase and Johnny O'Neal built the King Rat utilizing a Logghe chassis. They campaigned the King Rat into 1977 with measured success. It was one of the few Camaro funny cars that utilized a 427 cubic inch Chevrolet block, while many of their competitors had switched over to Chrysler Hemi power.

The King Rat spent most of its racing career on the West Coast in Southern California, then a hot bed of funny car racing. In that interim it managed a best elapsed time of 6.72 seconds; that for a nitro burning Chevrolet powered mini Camaro body, was truly unique.

The King Rat was purchased by Ken and Ray Bigham in the late 80's. A full restoration began in 2017. It is being debuted at the 2018 Concours d'Elegance of America where it was seen in public for the first time. The King Rat marks a time in nitro funny car racing when it was still affordable to the local enthusiasts that sought to go fast on a budget.