talking 69 ZL1
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
talking 69 ZL1
My 69 vette has set in box's in the basement for years, about 30.
It was purchaced in lebonon Pa on a used car lot named "Car Village".
The vette is white with a brownish interior. it has a 350 SB in now but was reading other posts about the ZL1 and started to dig in the box's of parts. I found the shifter council full of dust, mice, spiders and the engine plate says 427---- ZL1 although in very bad shape. I looked on the back to see if it was a repo or something and looks to be original with the rivets smashed down flat with the surface. What else should I look for. The car was bought at "Car Village in Pa and the salesman told me the car had a story. The original owner was a doctor in Lebonon Pa and kept it locked up in the garage. The doctors son took it out and wrecked it, so he bought another white 69 and changed all parts over so his dad wont kill him. I dont know if I has the original ZL1 or the one to full his dad.
This is the car Im asking question about as I try to put it back together.
It was purchaced in lebonon Pa on a used car lot named "Car Village".
The vette is white with a brownish interior. it has a 350 SB in now but was reading other posts about the ZL1 and started to dig in the box's of parts. I found the shifter council full of dust, mice, spiders and the engine plate says 427---- ZL1 although in very bad shape. I looked on the back to see if it was a repo or something and looks to be original with the rivets smashed down flat with the surface. What else should I look for. The car was bought at "Car Village in Pa and the salesman told me the car had a story. The original owner was a doctor in Lebonon Pa and kept it locked up in the garage. The doctors son took it out and wrecked it, so he bought another white 69 and changed all parts over so his dad wont kill him. I dont know if I has the original ZL1 or the one to full his dad.
This is the car Im asking question about as I try to put it back together.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
From: Princeton MN
Any chance of finding a build sheet on top of the gas tank?What redline does your tach have? Single fuel line?Does the car have dual pin front calipers?(J56) with PB booster would be a required option.Should be radio delete also.Fan shroud would be doubtful also.L88-ZL1 used a special radiator also.Thses are just a few things to look for,and all could of been added or changed over the years.Good luck.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
I did see a radio delete plate in a Box. The tach redlines at 6000 yellow at 5300. Dont know what a dual pin caliper looks like. I dug up the radiator and its all aluminum. I wish I could post attachments but I have to few posts.
Last edited by TOM B1; Sep 17, 2005 at 03:20 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,380
Likes: 1,067
From: Virginia USA
Considering there were only 2 ZL1 Corvettes produced in 1969.
Here is a interesting read:
ZL-1 Information
Here is a interesting read:
ZL-1 Information
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
From: Princeton MN
calipers
Originally Posted by TOM B1
I did see a radio delete plate in a Box. The tach redlines at 6000 yellow at 5300. Dont know what a dual pin caliper looks like. I dug up the radiator and its all aluminum. I wish I could post attachments but I have to few posts.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
I called NCRS and they said there are more than 2 ZL1 cars around.
Records that they found indicate about 12 were sold and more were built and driven by the sales people or were gifts by GM for there top dogs. Well thats what NCRS said.
Records that they found indicate about 12 were sold and more were built and driven by the sales people or were gifts by GM for there top dogs. Well thats what NCRS said.
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Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
From: Kissimmee Fl
The impression that I got was that about 10-15 ZL1's were made but only 2 were sold to the public. I vaguely remember reading that the others were used by employees like Duntov, etc., used for testing and so on. Afterward they were transformed into L88's or destroyed altogether. The yellow one has been run through the mill, if you read it's history. It is hardly a virgin yet still valuable, even though it represents the car it once was more so than is the car it once was.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
Well being in storage and torn apart for 30 years I would say my shifter housing with the ZL1 engine plate is original, and the radio delete plate. The story the salesman told must have been true but I have the clone to full his father, I wonder if this guy is still alive so I can get info.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Funny story, there. I chased a one owner(supposed) black 69 ZL1 for 3 years, owner was a Vet whose son killed himself in the car in 1972 and sat in the garage for decades. It was bought new locally, the pics seemed to check out but the closest I got to the car was when I heard about it being worked on by a local vette shop about two years ago. Lost track of the person since. Freakin' wild goose chase 
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 16,978
Likes: 7
From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
Something does not compute here...you state that the tach redlines at 6000....that is small block redline....ZL1. L-88, L-71/89 all red line at 6500...so what gives?
Are you telling us some tall tales?
Are you telling us some tall tales?
I picked that up also. The trim plates are very easily changed. Not many changed the tach. Many ZL1 engines were dropped into Vettes also.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
From: Salem MA
Originally Posted by Alexarz
That white Duntov ZL1 was always about my favorite vette ever. Too bad they crushed it, the bastards! I would love to put some titanium on it!! 
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,606
Likes: 839
From: PA
Well...
The Daytona yellow ZL-1 is most certainly a factory built ZL-1... Documentation and a very clear ownership history tell us that.
What we don't know (and won't know until complete detailed GM production records are published) is whether this yellow ZL-1 Corvette is one of the two that are claimed to be produced for sale in the GM summary records (which by the way, may or may not be complete).
So until someone can verify the completeness of those summary documents and can tie a specific VIN to those summary documents, I intend to keep an open mind as to how many were built... There just isn't sufficient evidence to prove otherwise.
Regards,
What we don't know (and won't know until complete detailed GM production records are published) is whether this yellow ZL-1 Corvette is one of the two that are claimed to be produced for sale in the GM summary records (which by the way, may or may not be complete).
So until someone can verify the completeness of those summary documents and can tie a specific VIN to those summary documents, I intend to keep an open mind as to how many were built... There just isn't sufficient evidence to prove otherwise.
Regards,
Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
From: Kissimmee Fl
The yellow one certainly is an original ZL1, but it was separated from it's engine in the early 70's, if you read it's history. Supposedly the original engine was found years later, all blown to bits and was rebuilt and returned to the new owner at the time. The story seems a bit sketchy to me. I would never want to own a car like that anyway. What good is it? The owner cannot use it because of it's value. I prefer to have a corvette to enjoy driving, not for status. Besides, the present owner is an unpleasant rube. I live very close to his corvette store and I went there several times to look at vettes. If I was not wearing an Armani suit, they treated me like a scrub in their store. They have some cool cars in the store, however. There are a few collectibles, L88, ZL1, etc. as well as a few others with very low miles (pace car, 1982 vette, etc.). I would never buy a car from such rude people, though. Usually dealerships are friendly. This one is particularly nasty and arrogant. I have never seen anything quite like it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,131
Likes: 4
From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
Originally Posted by TOM B1
My 69 vette has set in box's in the basement for years, about 30.
It was purchaced in lebonon Pa on a used car lot named "Car Village".
The vette is white with a brownish interior. it has a 350 SB in now but was reading other posts about the ZL1 and started to dig in the box's of parts. I found the shifter council full of dust, mice, spiders and the engine plate says 427---- ZL1 although in very bad shape. I looked on the back to see if it was a repo or something and looks to be original with the rivets smashed down flat with the surface. What else should I look for. The car was bought at "Car Village in Pa and the salesman told me the car had a story. The original owner was a doctor in Lebonon Pa and kept it locked up in the garage. The doctors son took it out and wrecked it, so he bought another white 69 and changed all parts over so his dad wont kill him. I dont know if I has the original ZL1 or the one to full his dad.
This is the car Im asking question about as I try to put it back together.
It was purchaced in lebonon Pa on a used car lot named "Car Village".
The vette is white with a brownish interior. it has a 350 SB in now but was reading other posts about the ZL1 and started to dig in the box's of parts. I found the shifter council full of dust, mice, spiders and the engine plate says 427---- ZL1 although in very bad shape. I looked on the back to see if it was a repo or something and looks to be original with the rivets smashed down flat with the surface. What else should I look for. The car was bought at "Car Village in Pa and the salesman told me the car had a story. The original owner was a doctor in Lebonon Pa and kept it locked up in the garage. The doctors son took it out and wrecked it, so he bought another white 69 and changed all parts over so his dad wont kill him. I dont know if I has the original ZL1 or the one to full his dad.
This is the car Im asking question about as I try to put it back together.
Good luck on the resto!! I'm sure your ZL-1 will take it's place in history when all is finished. Maybe the missing ZL-1 block has been hidden by the salesman from Car Village in the back room somewhere....
Looking forward to many more posts documenting the resto.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,148
Likes: 477
From: NM
Originally Posted by TOM B1
I found the shifter council full of dust, mice, spiders and the engine plate says 427---- ZL1 although in very bad shape. I looked on the back to see if it was a repo or something and looks to be original with the rivets smashed down flat with the surface.
tom...