In '82 my partner and I purchased a 1967 SS that had never seen the street. A guy named Jesse Ballou had apparently bought the car factory stock and built it for 1/8th mile immediately. We purchased the car engine-less from the second owners.
We modified the car for round track dirt, and purchased a fresh 327 that was +.30 w/a new ss crank, from some drag guys who were just given sponsor money and went big block before the new rebuild had a run on it.
I noticed that RickyD mentioned a '67...but I am almost certain your pops is a '68, yes? I know our car was always mistaken for a '68, because for whatever reason, one of the previous owners had bondo'd in rear quarter marker lights, which is the ONLY difference between a '67 and a '68.
I think I can see rear quarter light on that ride, yes?
Tell your pop he is the man!