C2 Corvette Factory-Installed 427 Hoods on Small Block Cars: Fact or Fiction?
Did Chevy really install stinger hoods on some small block-equipped C2 Corvette examples? Or is this just another alien abduction story?
Here at CorvetteForum, we love a good controversy just as much as the next person. And if you want to poke the proverbial bear that is your average Corvette fan, there are a number of easy ways to do so. One of our favorites is the discussion surrounding the possibility that Chevrolet installed 427 hoods on a number of small block-equipped C2 Corvette examples. So of course, we were interested to see the responses to this thread, started by jerrybramlett.
“Ken Kayser’s new book Zora’s #58053 briefly mentions the story of 427 hoods installed on some 327 Corvettes on the ’67 assembly line. He said this happened for a few days during the February – March period. These small blocks had big block hoods installed without 427 emblems or stripes. Of course these cars would have all been within a limited VIN range.
Kayser doesn’t reference any specific document to support this story. Over the last 3 – 4 decades that I’ve heard this story, it’s never been supported by any first-hand witnesses or GM document trail. I accept that it’s possible. However, it does seem odd that no first-owner photos or original factory paperwork have ever been found.
Here’s a place to start: has anyone ever encountered a ’67 original owner who said he bought a new 327 Corvette that had an un-striped big block hood on it in the dealer showroom?”
As emdoller points out, this highly controversial topic is nothing new around these parts. But he’s saying there might be a chance!
“HIGHLY debated on this website with the conclusion being: Hell no. I’m still trying to get in touch with the original owner of my ’67 to get a definitive answer on my car out of curiosity. Given everything I’ve read, I have to believe he had the BB hood installed on the L79 car.”
Quite a few people, including a guy that Yellow6t7 met, claim their C2 Corvette came equipped as such. But how can you truly know?
“Jerry at Corvettes at Carlisle along the C2 Corvette registry mid-year row, there was a guy with a ’67 yellow small block coupe with a big block hood. His VIN was 12345. He said he was the original owner and the car came with the BB hood. Wish I took his name. Sure others have seen the car.”
Indeed, gbvette62 has heard a few stories in his time as well.
“I’m pretty sure that John Hinckley, who worked at St. Louis during that time period, has posted on here numerous times that it didn’t happen. The first I ever heard the story was when Nolan Adams included it in his restoration guide 30 years ago.
There use to be a Lynndale Blue ’67 coupe here in NJ that the owner claimed was one of the rare stinger hood small block 67s. He had a fancy display board telling the story of how a screw driver broke the small block hood mold, taken word for word from Nolan’s book. If I remember right, his had 327 badges and a stripe on the hood.”
Many members, including Critter1, are quite familiar with that particular car.
“’67 #12345 belonged to Roy Bratz. For years he claimed the BB hood was original. It wasn’t. One day about 10 years ago, I asked him to please post a picture of the hood support reinforcement under the fender skirt. Which would have been mounted on the other side. He did so. Below is what Roy claimed is the original factory installed reinforcement. Obviously not.”
But even the owner in question, 1955 copper, doesn’t seem to believe the story!
“I owned the ’67 for many years. Noland told me it came with that hood, not me! I had it repainted years later and added the stripe because I like the look. That’s the whole story, people.”
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