What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Does anybody remember Herman Chapman from Colorado? He was a super stock racer/engine builder in the 70s. Where is he and what is he doing now?

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Herman still around the Denver area. I've heard he's got a place up in the mountains. Not sure what he's doing these days. Had a guy ask me the samething last weekend at a car show here in denver.

Bobby Stevens

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Son of a gun could sure build some motors!!!! I recall a Car Craft article that had him playing with a '59 Biscayne{I think} with a 348-never heard a lot about it. Doug Schriener

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

I really liked Herman and his wife. Very talented man! Hope they are doing well.

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

If you ran a sm.blk chevy in the 70's 80's and were fast you had a herman motor. A buddy bought a ss 283 w/ chapman motor. had cast pistons, leaked 2%. At the time he had the best ring pkge out there. No high dollar parts just a lot of smarts. gsa 612

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Herman and Virgina were one of the best during their time . I will never forget when Herman was doing my engines during the early 70's . we went to test at Irwindale,Ca ( sp) and after a test run I came back and of course pitted right next to Herman . of all things my starter just fell off the engine hanging there , and Herman came up to me and said Don , no sense in coming out to race if you are not fully prepared to run with no mistakes , ever since then I blame Herman for my over the top getting ready way early to go to a race with my very well learn lesson of being ready to run when your get there no mistakes . lol

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Don't let Don try to fool ya! He was anal long before he met Herman & Virginia, but Don's car is always ready for the race. Don on the other hand ... ??... old friend.

You're right though Don. Herman & Virginia were good people. Herman was always trying something different. He told me that he once ran the 283 with just a top ring. He said it "oiled a little" and laughed, but it was pretty fast.

Jerry

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Herman built my 283 when I started "serious" racing in the 70's. Fast enough to set the record at Thunder Valley at a D5 race. I remember going to teardown at Rapp Chevrolet and pulling out my "toolbox" (which looked a lot like a fishing tackle box). Lotsa people looked and laughed, but Herman just smiled and said that I'd be "allright". Got the engine back together around 4 AM, then headed to the hotel in Sioux Falls. An hour and a half of sleep then back to the track. Herman looked everything over, had me start it up, he ran the valves, and we were faster than before teardown. While Herman was doing this, Virginia was talking to my wife, explaining that racing wasn't always this hectic...and that a full night's sleep wasn't necessary. They made sure that their customers felt like "family."

Rick Carlson
D7 & Lucas Drag Boat announcer

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

I met Herman & Virginia when I was going to the races with the Dalrymple Brothers in the mid 70's. Jim used Herman's motors to set records & win races in Division 5. I remember going to their house in Englewood & Herman built the engines in his garage. They did treat everyone like family & they gave me a Chevrolet belt buckle for my birthday or Christmas, I still have it today!! Herman always wore those unique fishing hats. Herman was always inventing new products for motors & was always submitting ideas to Chevrolet. I think Jim Weakland & a few other racers still keep in contact with Herman & Virginia. If anyone locates an address for them please shoot me a PM

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Herman and Virginia were good people, for sure.

Herman had a great sense of humor...very dry. I was in Denver for the Div.5 banquet and tech. meeting one year and stopped by his place in Englewood to pick up some cylinder heads. When I was getting ready to leave, I asked Herman what the quickest way back to the hotel was. I told him I was staying at a hotel out by the old Stapleton Airport.

Herman motioned for me to walk outside with him and he stood there for a minute looking up at the sky, then pointed up and said: "Follow that plane!"

When Super Stock had liberalized the suspension rules and allowed narrowed rear ends and any size tire, it seemed like every car out there had 14X32's on 'em. Herman used to talk about his theory about how they would be faster with a pair of 7" Drag 500's on each side. The visual alone cracked me up.

One of A.J. Foyt's cars in the Indy 500 museum had a 'Herman Chapman Racing Engines' decal on it. But that's a whole 'nother story...... -Al

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

bobbyd6, a local guy wayne coulton bought the green 69 rag in the mid 70's, ran it into the early 80's. painted it red, I believe he still has it. gsa612

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

I have a couple more stories one year we were at the winters and we all stayed at the Uplander in Upland, Ca I think it was during the late 70's and Herman wanted to pull his motor out of his race car and none of us had a hoist so Herman saw a truck from the telephone company with one of those tall hoist so he went over and had them back up the truck with the hoist to take the engine and out and put it back in .
The other story was Herman's station wagon that qualified number one with at that time nine inch slicks as he wanted to make a point about tires then he even decided to see if the car would go quicker on 7 inch tires which is did but according to him a little scary on the top end . lol by the way old timer Jerry I resemble your remarks lol

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Dennis Maurer was formidible, too...

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

SO ???
He wasn't the character that Herman was !!

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Yep, I knew Wayne Colton, even been to his garage in Winnepeg!! Wayne & Ritch Ahrens were friends so I knew him that way too. I did hear awhile back that Wayne still has the ragtop

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Don I remember staying at the Uplander in '76 & while I was swimming I believe Lindsay Wagner came through the parking lot in a limo & had to get out to shut the door on one of our tow vehicles & Of course I missed it!!

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Anyone remember the wagon he ran at Pomona '79? All I remember was a green '68 or '69 Malibu wagon that looked "thrown together" with small tires running SS/NA and kicking serious class ***!!! Didn't know it was Chapman until the announcer mentioned it.

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Gary, that was a '71 or '72 with the low h.p. 402 motor.

It's been a few years now, but if I remember correctly..... the motor was rated at 300 hp in the '71 and 240 hp in the '72. It was the same combo that Buck Kinney ran in his Chevelle convertible. Herman also did his motors. -Al

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

I too remember being at Herman's shop with my dad, but being only about 7 or 8, I had no clue.

patrick

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

It was the ugly green one right? Never did remember the year. But it was fast, and left very hard!!! That was the year Buck won S/S at Pomona.

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

In 1973 I bought my first real race car, a Super Stock Nova. My quest for more performance, quickly lead me to local legend Herman Chapman. I had watched his 69 Chevelle, 65 Chevy II and 67 Chevy II wagon run and they were all fast, even though they looked less trick than most street cars. I thought I knew pretty much all there was to know about building engines and racing. If I just got one of Herman’s secret Lunati cams and a set of his trick rings, I knew my car would run like his. Of course it didn’t. He showed me I didn’t know everything as only Herman could. His no nonsense, work hard, don’t spend money on trick parts that don’t work attitude, was a perfect match for a young racer with little money, but a lot of enthusiasm. Herman would always make sure I had the parts and machine work I needed to make the next race. He taught me a lot about engines, racing and hard work. In the days before incremental times and data loggers, he was a master at watching a race car and knowing what it needed to run faster. With Herman’s help my car got faster and faster. We became friends and did a lot together. I could write pages of stories about Herman. Unfortunately a story that started about 1995 stands out most. Herman gave me and about twenty of his other friends and customers the opportunity to invest in an invention of his. It sounded great. It was going to revolutionize the camshaft-valvetrain industry. We would all soon make a LOT of money. I gave him my money and waited. I haven’t heard from him since about 1998. I think only one person made money on that deal.

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Aaah haa and how many of you guys will fess up to giving him money ? I would say beach in florida not cabin in colorado mts. Hey ldfjr how much did you put in on his retirement fund? Also was there a check post marked wahoo ?

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

[QUOTE=OLD INJUN;227351]Aaah haa and how many of you guys will fess up to giving him money ? I would say beach in florida not cabin in colorado mts. Hey ldfjr how much did you put in on his retirement fund? Also was there a check post marked wahoo ?
Don,
This is the first that I have ever heard of this! I invested my money made from our drag racing days into education, and it paid off. We now have a high school coach-educator, an engineer, a writer-politician, and a business-woman. One of them even has a drag car.

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

hey every body herman is my grandpa (my moms dad) he is still living in the moutains and he is doin ok had a couple heart problems but nothin the doctors couldn't fix virginia is doin good had reconstructive surgery on her knee last year he don't don't have anything to do with racing anymore but he does still love it and he tells me he misses it all the time in the next couple years I might get something going with his help so all u guys better look out lol and for the guys that wanna say he took ur money and disappeared he still lives in the same house he built in the late 80s so shut the F up and bad mouth someone else because he is deff not living with extras but for all u guys that miss him he is healthy and I'm trying to get him out to the track soon hope to see u out there god bless and he will always be the best low budget race motor builder of all time I love u grandpa

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

. U need to go bad mouth someone else because if u were close frinds u would no where he lived the same place sence late 80s the house he built in the mountains

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Glad to hear that your grandfather is OK. I don't recall ever seeing a 183 word sentence with no punctuation and about 60 misspelled words. It is a little hard to follow.

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

happy that Herman and Virgina are doing ok , We enjoyed them being at the races and I suspect that i could come up with some more stories ,like the animals that were in a pen and doing burn outs with the rental car but of course not> we were young then and we knew the Koppiens who i can come up with a few more stories , darn we had a lot of fun in those days lol :D

By the way Eddie i was never ask to invest any money with Herman not sure what that is all about , we were too busy having more fun that we deserve>

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

You need to look into getting an education before you start calling names!
You should also know that this country has freedom of speech!

JimR

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

[QUOTE=Eddie Rezac;227455]I've never heard a thing about this either....I bought that old 65 Nova SS the Day my son Jason was born and 1 complete motor after that...thats all I contributed..
"why would you deburr a block?? if it aint fallen out by now it never will"
I remember when that garage floor was dirt!! Helluva guy! And Virginia too!
Larry DeForrest

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Hey Don, they were good times, and ya, sure remember many of the stories with you, Herman & Virgina, and 'we knew the Koppien's' (that's funny)....sure like your new SS car

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Yep I knew Wayne Colton, I was always with Dalrymple's back then, also my friend Ritch Ahrens was good friends with Wayne

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

For those who may have missed bobbyd6 thread Herman passed away in March 2021 RIP...gsa612

Re: What happend to Herman Chapman
 

Another good one lost..
RIP