Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454

[Rich Biebel]

I met Chip Gerst during the mid '80s while traveling to some races with my good friend Dave Schapiro. Dave ran S/G and brackets all over the eastern part of the country and me and a couple friends drove his truck and trailer many times to races. Chip raced for a couple years as well mostly in S/G. He started out with an early Corvette and then had an Olds Cutlass-Hurst Olds that I believe was a former WJ Pro Stocker. He won S/G at Indy in around 1985 or 1986 with the Olds.... Chip had a body shop at the time if I recall right. he went on to become involved in collector/musle cars. I saw him many times on the TV auctions usually with Reggie Jackson and later on with Joe Amato......I did not realize he bought the Chevelle from Ray before the big sale a few years ago. Looks like Chip did real well to say the least on that sale.....


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/au...1CHEVELLE.html

[Larry Fulton]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/au...1CHEVELLE.html

For this to come from a newspaper, this is a good article, that's worth reading.

[Don Whitmore]

Can someone comment on how many '70 Chevelle convertibles were made with the LS-6 option and how many, other than the Briggs/Allen car, made it to the strip?

I remember the Briggs/Allen car, more so when Urevig had it; saw him drive it to the semi's at Columbus Spring Nats one year...that included a certain SS/I stick Camaro of Bennett & Siranni (sp?) who eventually won eliminator, another Truppi/Kling car I think...

[7820]

There is one of these in San Diego in a private collection...it is a 4 speed car. The owner told me that only five were made....five 4 speed cars.

[Joe Fasano]

I think the number was 18 convertables both Stick and Automatic. Six was the number for automatic and 12 four speed cars. I remember this number when I did the research on an LS-6 I bought in 83.

[Paul Ceasrine]

I found some interesting information. But the numbers do not sound correct.
1970 Chevelle (production; 442,046)
1970 Chevelle (convertibles; 7511 or 1.7%)
1970 Chevelle SS396 (production; 49,826)
1970 Chevelle SS396 (convertibles; 847)
Now these numbers are way out-of-whack.
Chevelle SS454 (production; 3773)
Chevelle SS454 (convertibles; 64)
Can this be possible. No exact amounts of 4-speeds versus automatics.
But, if Ray Allen raced that Chevelle at NHRA-sanctioned points meets and championship events, GM would have to produce a number of 50
produced, or the Mopar guys would have protested him into oblivion.
They would have never gived him any slack, not back then.
More confusion. Don't know if you guys are old enough, but back in
mid-70 GM was advertising the hell out that SS454 car combination.
Paul C

[Paul Ceasrine]

Someone at B-J (tech-advisor) just told me that they think only 17 convertibles were produced, with the LS-6 and automatic combination.
And that the Briggs Chevrolet car was either the #1 or #2 car, with that combo????
As for some correct drag racing info. That car competed regularly at
E-Town, New Jersey in the summer of 70, and won a bunch of S/S Eliminators. How many exactly,, (more than 6 and less than a dozen)
Some say 9...The SS/EA NHRA record at the time was held by
Don Cobb (11.56 @ 120.80) with a 69' GTX Hemi convertible.
The Chevelle ran in the 11.50 range. The Chevelle did win the
SS/EA class at the 70' Nationals, but did not win S/S Eliminator.
Ron Mancini won it with his SS/AA Hemi Dart over Lou Downing in
his SS/D AMX.