35 Years of Smoke & Gears - Harry Gerb

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Justask Harry Gerb, he’s had 35 years to work with on his 1968 Firebird. Ok, so you don’t have 35 years, no problem, Harry just also happens to be in the performance and race parts business so he can help with that too.

As far back as he can remember Gerb has always had a soft spot for cars and building things. He’d spend literally thousands of hours building 1/24th scale model cars and even built model cars for a Honda commercial back in

1986. That certainly explains his eye for detail in the build of this Firebird.

A young 16 year old Harry had already been brand-influenced and certainly had a thing for Pontiacs after seeing GTOs in the family driveway, so he was pretty set on finding one for his first car. “I found this car only blocks from my house in May of 1986,” tells Gerb. “Riding around with friends one day I saw this car painted its original Pontiac Verdoro green with primered

Story & Photos: Eddie Maloney

¼ panels and a black vinyl top.” The Firebird was a 7 out of 10 condition wise, and with everyone else he knew driving around in Camaros and Chevelles back then, Harry decided to spend his hard-earned money – 900 dollars he had saved up – and buy it just two weeks after his 16th birthday. “The car was drivable, did killer burnouts, started up every day for me, and was a good platform to build and work on,” he continued. “What else did a 16-year-old kid need? But I had no clue it would lead to a lifetime

of spent money and hard work, a successful shop building race cars and selling parts, and more good times than bad!”

A pretty rare ’Bird, the car was an original 350, 4-speed 10 bolt posi piece, the catch was that Gerb didn’t know how to drive a stick car…yet. “I learned to drive stick as I pulled away from the previous owner’s house! So as you might guess, one of the first repairs to the car was a new clutch after I taught myself how to drive it!” he added with a smile. Using the car for daily

Roll up windows, factory dash, headliner and more, and all black just as it came from the factory. Harry mentioned he wanted to keep it as factory appearing as possible to go along with the required safety and race equipment upgrades.

Straight as an arrow with unsurpassed attention to detail

transportation to high school, Gerb would make upgrades as money allowed and it’s first real transformation was a restoration/street build with Harry doing most of the work himself, including the suspension, electrical and engine. “I learned as I went along. There was no YouTube

back then, it was talking to friends that were mechanics, taking pictures so I knew how to reassemble it, asking questions and reading how-to books.”

After driving the newly refurbed Pontiac to college – always being careful to park far away from oth-

ers to avoid any damage to the new paint and bodywork – Harry got bit by the racing bug and pulled it from daily duty to once again dive into the Firebird, only this time making it a street/strip car. It was for this version of the car that Harry built his first full engine, a Pontiac 400.

The 5” Glasstek cowl hood is needed to clear the 565 BBC with Edelbrock Super Victor intake, nitrous plate and Nickerson Dominator sitting on top. Gerb also had fiberglass fenders, bumpers and trunk lid installed, and the black vinyl roof adds a touch of class to any musclecar.

To run index and be competitive, engine reliability is key. The 565 BBC started with a Dart block and has parts from Callies and JE rotating inside. Heads are also Dart and an Induction Solutions plate kit was added for good measure.

He also tossed the 4-speed in favour of a Turbo 400 and added as many gofast parts as the budget would allow. He would still street drive the car, but mostly to car shows and cruises, and since the attention to detail was incredible, he won many awards at the shows and on the track turned respectable 11.00 ETs.

Marriage and buying a home can do strange things to people, and for Harry it inspired him to tear into the Firebird yet again to create more of an all-out race car, with only rare street appearances.

The car retains its original steel body tub and doors, however a Glasstek 5” cowl hood, fenders, bumpers, and trunk lid were installed with weight savings in mind. Brent Beachley made sure the body and paint were flawless, and a custom wing by H&J Motorsports was

The Firebird is back halved and tubbed with a 4-link with x-link/coilover setup in the rear. A Strange-fortified 9-inch rearend puts the power out to the sticky Mickeys. The front maintains the stock style frame with aftermarket A-arms, double adjustable coilover shocks and rack and pinion steering.

added along with a black vinyl top. Combined with original trim and chromed fiberglass bumpers – particularly cool on the Firebird as the front is a wraparound style – it’s easy to see how the car brings home show awards along with track wins.

Harry knew the chassis would need the biggest overhaul and he opted to backhalf and tub the car along with installing a chromoly cage certified for 7.50 elapsed times. A 4-link with x-brace and double adjustable coilover shocks sus-

pends a Ford 9” with Strange Ultra center section, 35 spline axles and 4.56 Pro gear. Up front, the factory framerails were integrated with TRZ Motorsports A-arms, double adjustable coilover shocks and rack and pinion steering. As a result of the work, the Firebird sits low to the ground with the sizeable 15x14 rear rims with 33x10.5 Mickey Thompson tires tucked nicely up in the wheeltubs and the front slammed just enough to give the car that slick muscular rake.

You won’t be disappointed when you poke your head in the window either, as the ‘strive for perfection’ theme continues. To be honest, there is probably as much original equipment in the interior as there are race parts as not only did Gerb keep the factory dash structure and pad, he also kept the factory style steering column, carpet, door panels and headliner. The rear area is filled with wheel tubs and custom tinwork highlighted by a large Pontiac emblem airbrushed between the tubs. The well-executed cage work includes a funny car style halo for the driver and

extends through the firewall where it meets up with the front framerails. The factory dash holds a full array of aftermarket analogue gauges installed using a trick center-mounted custom 4-gauge mount, and electronics are fastened to the passenger side firewall.

For reliability, consistency and maintenance, Harry knew he’d be best to opt-out of the Pontiac engine program, especially since he planned on running a quicker Index class car where all three of these things mean the difference between winning and losing on race day. In Index racing,

Weld Racing Magnum Drag 15x3.5 fronts are wrapped in Mickey Thompson tires while beadlocked 15x14 rears sport 33x10.5 Mickey Thompson tires. The car has the perfect stance!

Any chance we get to travel to an event and meet new people, we jump in the rig and hit the road!

Harry Gerb

Harry is a very competitive Index Racer with numerous wins under his belt

He typically races in the Northeast, near his home in Pennsylvania but does compete in many of the big events in Virginia, Georgia and Florida.

Harry Gerb’s 1968 Pontiac Firebird 8.50 Index/Street car

Body & Paint:

Brent Beachley did the body and paint. Glasstek fiberglass 5” cowl hood, fenders, bumpers, and decklid. Custom wing by H & J Motorsports. Black vinyl top.

Chassis Modifications:

Backhalf and tubbed with 7.50 Certified chromoly cage. Stock style front end.

Suspension:

Rear suspension is 4-link w x-link locator, Competitive Suspension double adjustable coil over shocks, Strange Ultra center section, Strange brakes.

Front suspension is TRZ Motorsports A-arms and rack and pinion, Competitive Suspension double adjustable coil over shocks, Strange brakes.

Engine:

565 Cubic Inches with Dart block, Moroso billet oil pump and oil pan, Jesel belt drive and ARP hardware.

Rotating Assembly: Callies Magnum Crankshaft, Callies Ultra H-beam rods, JE Nitrous pistons, Clevite coated bearings, ATI Balancer and flexplate.

Cylinder Heads:

Dart 355 heads with 2.350 titanium intake valves and 1.80 titanium exhaust valves, PSI triple springs, T&D shaft rockers. Moroso billet rail valve covers

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Nickerson Performance 1250 Dominator carb, Edelbrock Intake, Product Engineering 460 GPH Fuel pump and regulator, Sunoco Racing Maximal fuel, Redhorse Performance hoses and fittings.

Electronics/Ignition:

MSD Power Grid, MSD distributor, spark plug wires and crank trigger, Speedwire switch panel, Spaghetti Menders nitrous oxide relay board, Turbo Start 16-volt batteries, Powermaster starter and alternator. Custom wiring and install by H&J Motorsports.

Miscellaneous:

NGK spark plugs, Lemons Headers.

Power Adder:

Induction Solutions nitrous plate system.

Transmission:

Reid Case Turbo 400 by Czerniak Racing, Neal Chance bolt-together torque converter.

Rear: 9” Ford with Strange Ultra center section, 35 spline axles and 4.56 Pro gear.

Rear:

Strange brakes front and rear.

Tires & wheels:

Weld Racing Magnum Drag 15x3.5 front w/ Mickey Thompson tires. Weld Racing Magnum Drag w/MacFab beadlock conversion 15x14 rears w/33x10.5 Mickey Thompson tires

Interior: Autometer gauges, Hurst Shifter, Kirkey seats, RJS safety equipment.

ET & MPH:

We run this car in the 8.50 Index Class—8.50 @ 164 mph. The car has been as fast as 8.30.

Special Thanks

“First and foremost, special thanks to my wife Jackie and son Matt, without their love and support during race day and in the shop between events none of this would be possible. They are an absolute invaluable part of the H&J Motorsports Race Team. Most people have no idea how important a great team is to winning races and championships. Very special thanks to Bob and Sandy Borawski, Al Czerniak, Mo Bolduc, and Brent Beachley...each person has had a hand in our successful career, and I cannot thank them enough!!

I would also like to thank some very special sponsors who have become even better friends over the years and are crucial to everything I do in my shop as well as at the racetrack. Redhorse Performance, TurboStart, Nickerson Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels, Powermaster, Moroso, Autometer, TRZ Motorsports, Induction Solutions, Strange Engineering. These relationships have been long term and appreciated very much and with multiple displays at shows and races we have increased product awareness for all of our sponsors.”

Accomplishments:

“Everything we do with this car has been memorable. It is very hard to pinpoint one thing but I would like to list some of our team’s accomplishments and some very special events we were asked to attend with the car.”

• 5-time 8.50 Index Track Champion

• 4 Time NHRA “Wally” Winner

• 2019 PRI Trade show-We were asked to display the car on the Redhorse Performance Booth

• 2020 Sportsman Nationals Winner-Maple Grove Raceway

• 2020 Halloween Bash Winner-Atco Dragway

• 2021 Lights Out 12 6.0 Index Runner-Up-South Georgia Motorsports Park

• 2021 Fuel Tech Streetcar Reunion 5.49 Index Winner-Virginia Motorsports Park

• 2022 Dragfest Car show-We were asked to display for the Northeast Index Racers.

• 20-time 8.50 Index Class Winner.

From left; Jackie Gerb, Harry Gerb and Matt Gerb

especially 8.50, you can expect the staging lanes to be packed with cars, sometimes hundreds of them, so going rounds without added work is important. The 565-inch big block Chevy started life with a Dart block. A Callies Magnum crankshaft and Callies Ultra H-beam rods with JE nitrous pistons rotate inside. Dart 355 heads boast 2.350 titanium intake valves and 1.80 titanium exhaust valves, PSI triple springs and T&D shaft rockers. An Edelbrock Super Victor 2927 intake is topped with a Nickerson Performance 1250 Dominator style carb receiving an ample supply of Sunoco Racing Maximal fuel via a Product Engineering 460 GPH pump and regulator. A stout Turbo 400 (with Reid Case) by Czerniak Racing and a Neal Chance bolt-together torque

converter back up the big block.

As with any horsepower junkie, fast and quick is good but faster and quicker is better, so for those “just in case” moments in drag racing, Harry added an Induction Solutions nitrous oxide plate system into the build, meaning that while he strives to run his 8.50 index and get to the finish line first, he has gone 8.30s with the Firebird just for fun.

No detail on Harry Gerb’s Firebird was missed, and there’s no doubt that it runs as good as it looks…which is absolutely amaz-

ing! “We are very competitive with multiple wins and championships in the 8.50 Index Class at multiple tracks, and still get our ‘street fix’ driving to car shows as the schedule allows to show off this stunning dual-purpose car,” Gerb added. So, while you may not have 35 years to build your $900 car into a work art that can win races and shows alike, chances are you have a few minutes to look Harry up and find out how he can help with your project so you can enjoy it right now.

...fast and quick is good but faster and quicker is better.