Paul Campbell

Back in 1982 or ’83 while I was living in Michigan a friend bought a Austin Healey Sprite drag car that had been campaigned by a couple of GM engineers from the Tech Center. Odd-looking car, with a fiberglass “LeMans” aerodynamic front end with a small block Chevy hooked to a Ford auto trans. and shortened 9-inch rear (if anyone remembers the car).

My friend soon lost interest and I purchased the complete motor, which (per the Corvette Black Book) appeared to be a NOS 1963 Corvette block. It was never stamped with a VIN, apparent, as it had never been decked. The prize for me was that it came with aluminum heads and seven fin corvette script valve covers with “OFFY” (Offenhauser?) breathers. Since I only wanted the heads for a project I had in mind I gave the short block away, not realizing what it was worth. Kept the Edelbrock C3B dual-plane though, thinking it was worth something, go figure. Wondered at the time how that block walked out the back door at GM.

Upon examining the heads I discovered they were dated 6-24-59 and also have the number 3772895 cast into them by the valve springs. Interestingly, only one of them also has this same number cast on the outside bottom of an intake runner. They also have a type of roller rocker assembly I have never seen before that looks like an early design. Only the fulcrum is roller not the tips and each has a small number 42 cast on it. I realized that there were much better, newer design heads for what I wanted and set these aside for the last 20+ years.

Pictures here: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paulecam...12558772#page1

(edit: might have to copy & paste link)

I’ve decided to sell them and did some research in the NCRS archives and saw several of our Forum regulars participated in the discussion of these heads. I learned a little of the history of them and know they are the “late” version. I also saw that some of these exact heads have been offered for sale for what seems to be crazy money (not the same as sold, I know), but, considering what a set of mid-year knock off wheels are selling for…who knows?

So, Forum experts, anyone care to venture a guess what these heads are worth or where to sell them?
Anyone have any info on those roller rockers?

MikeM

"Wondered at the time how that block walked out the back door at GM."


Maybe a more pertinent question would be "where did the heads come from"?

The block was available from a dealer for $232.50 plus $10 core charge in '63.

Even though I'd admit I'd like to be their owner, the heads probably have little more than curiosity value. Much like a set of original '63 KO's. A rare and unique piece(s) for sure but not considered part of an original factory delivered car, therefore not much value except for wierdos like me that like this kind of stuff.

KyleDallas

The crew chief for the 1960 Lemans Team owned by Briggs
Cunningham was Alfred Momo... whose name would later become
famous as a producer of racing steering wheels and safety equipment.

Momo and Cunningham enjoyed the support of GM for their Lemans effort... but Momo was absolutely unyielding in doing anything to the cars that would compromise durability. When Cunningham rented the track at Bridgehampton for a 24 hour practice session to prepare the Team for LeMans and it was discovered that the stock factory steel wheels would not hold up to the strain...and Momo replaced them with Halibrands.

Duntov wanted the Cunningham team to run his Aluminum heads
on the cars for the race.... But Momo refused.. an act that caused
some friction but ultimately proved right as the only surving car, #3,
had to stop in the pits with just a few laps to go to recieve a
manifold "ice bath" because the motor was overheating.

I think the heads you have are great.. a very interesting novelty
and important piece of GM machinery.. but I think the value of them
will be truly subjective... I don't honestly know if they are similar
pieces to the heads Duntov preposed for Lemans use.

Briggs Cunnigham ran a Museum in California that featured many
of his important race cars but sold those cars to the Miles Collier
Museum in the Mid 80's. The Collier Museum is in Naples, Florida and
might be a place that would find your heads valuable.

They might also make an interesting display for a Chevy dealer
or GM executive. I would be surprised if crazy money changed hands
for them... but I do hope they find a good home... good luck..

Paul Campbell

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. In '63 I was still dreaming about learning to drive and staring at a neighbor's SWC. I heard that GM "recalled" the heads due to porosity problems thought these might be returns that were available to engineers to play with.
Never expected crazy money but read that Jack Podell had been trying to get big $$$ for a set for a long time.

GCD1962

True - what value do they really have. The alum heads had nothing but problems. You wouldn't install them on a car, so what use are they? Rare, yes, but basically worthless except to look at and say, Hey I have a pair of the alum heads

Ironcross

First production Vette scheduled with aluminum heads were the very early and very few 61 315 HP FI engined cars, and most of them if not all were recalled as serious leakers of some form.

Paul Campbell

[QUOTE=GCD1962]Rare, yes, but basically worthless/QUOTE]

Yep. Certainly worthless to me as I have no intention of using them. Just trying to find out if they are worth anything to someone else.

Anyone have any info on those roller rockers?

MikeM

My foggy mind is recalling that the model year 1960 featured aluminum transmission case, aluminum bellhousing and aluminum heads. Maybe aluminum radiator?

I've seen Podell's heads. I thought they were Mickey Thompson heads.

Did my memory fail me, again?

provette67

he was also asking $100K+ for a aluminum block but the same kind of block sold for $6300 on Ebay.You know the old saying there is asking price and then there is the selling price.I think they would be cool on a historic looking vintage type race car.

Paul Campbell

Does anyone know if Jack Podell ever sold his? They are no longer listed on his web site.

Over 200 views & nobody has any info on the roller rockers? Historical curiosity I guess. Just wondered if they were from a known manufacturer.

DZAUTO

Speaking of an alum engine in a vintage race car, the below SRII (the 4th one), which belongs to a dear friend of mine, has an ALL ALUM 350 in it. The block is a GENUINE Chev block (I don't know just what the vintage is because there is NO casting date on it. I THOROUGHLY examined it when it was a bare block). But the heads are aftermarket alum.

desertpilgrim

The Cunningham cars at Le Mans all raced with motors different than the ones they were built with - one actually used the short block for one of the 11(from memory) aluminum head motors assembled by the general - but NONE appeared at LeMans with aluminum heads. They had already been deemed defective and withdrawn. They would NOT re-appear in 1961 in an aluminum configuration.
The long and the short of it is that if you find a 1960 with aluminum heads, your first question should be "How many miles have you put on it?" because there is not going to be many left.

Loren Smith

Here's the link for Podell's heads:

http://www.jackpodellfuelinjections....eads/index.htm

Also, when the all of the pictures of the Don Schlag collection were up on the De Pere Auto Center website last fall, they had a picture of identical heads with the same 6-24-59 cast date. Click on http://www.depereauto.com/, then click "part stash" to see some of the parts from that stash. Also:
http://oldcarsweekly.com/Default.asp...4#1524Articles

Plastic Pig

There was a single head on Ebay I was bidding on a while back. IIRC it went for around $1300. It had no rockers.

Paul Campbell

Thanks for the info. I hate to go ebay for all the usual reasons, but this gives me some "real world" comparison.
I don't think the rockers or, unfortunately the valve covers (modified) are worth anything and figured I'd throw them & the rockers in with any sale just to keep them together. Just to satisfy my curiosity, I would like to find out about the rockers but it seems no one has any leads.

Paul Campbell

Saw those and that is when I got interested in selling mine but, as we all know, that collection sold as a package deal. Mine have been gathering dust almost as long.

Plastic Pig

I know you hate Ebay, but just for reference I see Corvette valve covers with breathers like that go for around $100+ as well. Hot Rod guys dig that stuff.

Paul Campbell

True but, unfortunately, these valve covers had a few fins ground for clearance - putting a sbc in a AH sprite was a tight fit.

Trabuco Fred

I have run a set of the 59 aluminum heads on my Bill Thomas Cheetah for many years. I have run most of the vintage races on the west coast since 1994 with the aluminum heads and had no problem with them. We did port them. They came from the Traco shop in Culver City in the mid 80s.

jim lockwood

Fred, a good friend who has the #43 '57 Corvette Ken Epsman drove in 2002 has a pair of those heads. They look like they've been successfully run and I've been encouraging him to use them on #43.

Jim