abnormal_vetter

Hey guys,

Is anyone here fimilar with Zora's white 68 ZL1 conv press/test car?????

If anyone has some info on it or has ANY pics of the car i can't wait to hear from ypu!

Thanks guys.

grantstigers

I think the car is in the West Coast.USA, Last I heard it was getting restored. I think it is done now. Owner says some very interesting test equipment was on the car. It was an original yellow car but when he got it it was painted white. I forgot if he painted it original yellow or back to the factory color as tested.

STINGRAY1WORD

Heres a link with some info and pics.http://www.corvettelegends.com/zl1.htm

abnormal_vetter

thanks for the link, stingray but have already seen it

grantstigers, would you happen to know how i could get in touch with the current owner or even past owners???
Always loved that car and would love to learn more about it. especially about this 'very interesting components' you spoke of

Thanks mate.

73, Dark Blue 454

Some headers, 9" slicks, and 4.88's is all she needed to run in the 10's...think about that!

What HP does 132 MPH equate to?...let's say 3200 lbs.

Easy Mike

Several pictures and informaton about the ZL-1s in M. F. Dobbins 1968-72 Corvette Fact Book.

international blue

The white mule survives? I would be very surprised to hear this was true!

More info please!

Reading the Corvette Legends page, the car may have been initailly built with an M-22 as it states, but it was an M40 automatic test car when shown. The car was subsequently heavily instrumented and may have ended up dark green for a 1973 appearance. As far as I knew the car was destroyed (crushed) at the test track in Arizona.

This one would make a neat replica...

jr9170

I have never heard anybody say this car has survived and is being restored.

international blue

Further New ZL-1 "discoveries"

http://www.vetteweb.com/features/vem..._corvette_zl1/

grantstigers

I talked to the owner about a year ago. He bought some parts from me. He got the car from an estate sale in 2000 Very cheap. Found out it was the white mule. I was supposed to travel down south and take a look at it. But due to getting my car restored I didn't have time but maybe this summer. When and if he wants to show it to the public will be his decision. The original engine was in the car but damaged. (Cost the new owner lots of cash to rebuild the ZL1 engine) I guess Duntov really put the pedal to the floor boards. Apparently there were 3 mule cars but I forgot how many he said was made. But the Duntov ZL1 was not crushed. It was taken to the crusher and left there to be crushed. At those days if nobody saw anything the Auto crusher wouldn't hesitate to sell the car to someone for a few bucks and that is what happened. It was sold as salvage title.
I'll call him up and see if the car is restored but that is all I have for now. Grant

Oldpatch

Hello my dad has a l88 with tank sticker it is a 1968 white with bright blue interior we have tried for years to find the original owner all dead ends we believe that it was this car your talking about the tank sticker has all l88 options but also a odd option po1 wheel covers witch makes us think it was a press car any info will help

HamadUP

Several sources mentioned that both the white 4 speed and the red M40 cars were distroyed after the press unveiling was done, most likely they both don't have a legitimate VIN numbers as they were built as a testing mules.

Mike Ward

How could your dad's L88 also be a ZL1?

Easy Mike

The red M40 car was supposed to have "gone missing" from the parking lot of the testing center at Warren some time after its media day duties were completed. No one admits to knowing where it went.

PRNDL

The OP from 5 years ago says '68' (as does Oldpatch). Was the white ZL1 really supposed to be a 68? I thought they were only a 69 option, and maybe 2 were made.

HamadUP

Thats really interesting!, I hope it "survived" the years and would pop-up to the surface soon!

gbvette62

The ZL1 was only offered in 69, when 2 (or possibly 3, depending on who you believe) were built.

The white ZL1 "test mule", was a 68. It was not a production ZL1, but instead, a car Duntov built from a production 68 L-88.

The July 69 issue of Car Life Magazine, tested the car. In the article, Duntov said that he built the car to replicate how an "amateur racer's car" could be built.

Duntov's 68 was a white, 4 speed, convertible with a hard top. It also had power brakes, but not steering. Duntov removed the upholstery, headlights, mufflers, heater, bumpers, etc; and replaced the stock cast iron exhaust manifolds with header/side pipes. These modifications reduced the cars weight by 400 pounds, and the aluminum pieces reduced it's weight another 175lbs. As tested, the car weighed 2,908 without the driver or fuel.

I'll try to post up the article shortly.

gotz06?

Very interesting

gbvette62

I always thought that the red automatic ZL1, was the car that Bill Mitchell used to build the red 1969 "Aero Coupe" show car. I'm not 100% sure about this, but that is what I thought became of Duntov's automatic ZL1.

The Aero Coupe was powered by an aluminum ZL1, attached to a prototype 4 speed automatic, and featured 70-72 style egg crate fender grills. Other changes to it included a unique hinged one piece targa top, in place of the t-tops, and a one of a kind rounded windshield a-pillar and header design. It also had a taller, molded in, wrap around rear spoiler, similar to the one used on 70 up Camaros.

Bill Mitchell used the Aero Coupe as his daily driver and also as a pace car for SCCA Can-Am races. In 1974, Mitchell returned the car to GM Design, where it was modified with a 75 nose and rear bumper, and a rear view "periscope" was added to the roof panel. The redesigned Aero Coupe was renamed the "Corvette Mulsanne".

Below is the article on the white 4 speed ZL1, from the July 69 issue of Car Life Magazine, that I mentioned in my previous post.

Oldpatch

I want to get my dad this book I'm going to look on eBay i like that it says it started out as a stock l88 my dad has his tank in a storage with tank sticker still on it an we got it out an looked at it an the car was ordered nov 2 1967 an the build date is feb 9 1968 I don't know what that means I sure wish I could see a pic of this car before it was prepared for race or testing I want to see if it had po1 wheels cause why would any one order po1 wheels on a l88 in less it was a press car like thes test mule thanks for posting this cool photos !!!!! We can see spcl l88 427 m 22 j 56 an po1 lol I also see hard top