I did not read this earlier as I figured endless speculation- just read some.
Duntov's comments on the ZL-1 Corvettes was several were built "2 escaped" meaning sold.

 

No kidding? Radio antenna equipped ZL-1?

 

A side conversation, but semi related. I assume that therer are exactly the same number of hoods as the car count. I have an original L-88 hood, and J-56 parts, but have assumed that these were put on the car during its history. I also see alot of claimed genuine L-88 hoods and I see alot of claimed genuine L-88 parts for sale. With so much of this stuff floating around, were that many cars crashed/destroyed that these parts come up for sale? Or would these parts when they pop up indicate that you are in at least the same neighborhood where one of the rare beast used to prowl? Maybe we start a registry on Hoods, a registry on J-56 brakes, etc.. I do think the brakes could be counter bought, and maybe the hoods also? Alot of experts here in this thread. Just questions stemming from curiousity only!

 

I was a kid doing hot rods & one time I called the dealer w/ a list of engine part nos. like cam for prices. They said where did you get those nos. & they could not sell them. I told him I would call a dealer in H...... & "hold on a minute" & they were back w/ prices.

PS Eckler's said they had the original hood molds like L-88.

 

Isn't this the same car?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJpC9...eature=related



http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...-corvette.html

 

I don't want to pollute this thread with alot of off topic conversation, but did the Eckler hoods molded have the bottom air box etc. put in like the factory did? If I am evaluating an original, I usually look at the underside! I know Ecklers sold the rear air boxes separate and an original is a very clean install whereas I see errant glassed in jobs usually with the aftermarket stuff.

 

If it even is a legit Motion car, it would have been a Motion installed ZL-1 crate engine. This one's been kicking around the net since 2006 (maybe) and I've heard nothing as to how the engine got there other than it's "an original" ZL-1. BTW, it would be the only non Maco Shark Motion ever built with a tilt nose if real.

 

I too would like to see a book on the legendary ZL-1 Corvettes. Maybe you can answer the age old question, which 2 ZL-1's are legit. I always thought the white one with the ZL-1 stripe down the middle and the yellow one owned by Roger's Corvette in FL were the two; then John Mahr's orange one dropped a bomb on the Corvette world by publishing his original window sticker clearly showing the ZL-1 option. I heard the the orange ZL-1 was sold for over a million dollars; can anybody confirm this sale?

I thought GM offered the L-88 hood and the J-56 brake parts over the counter to racers.

 

You could buy all that stuff (including a ZL-1 crate engine if the dealership had the right connections) over the counter. The white one had a questionable history from the begining, then some "lost" paperwork quieted some of the naysayers. Newly "discovered" ZL-1's have (and will) show up from time to time and the topic will be revisited. After all, there are 60+ of the original 67 L88's around, but 5 out of 4 people have a problem with fractions. /:\

 

No wonder all of the confusion exists. I didn't realize that the hot parts were that available back in those days. Generally I thought only the connected dealerships had the inside tracks and I assumed that those same dealerships occasionally put together a race car using the hot parts and a base car. I know that some of the Greenwood cars and one of the Owens Cornings cars started as non-L-88, non-ZL-1. I have a car from the Dana Chevrolet used car lot that had some cool stuff. Every now and then, I wonder if it is something more than what it is and I should be thinking about retirement, but I don't sell the things that I enjoy! I am going to try to go back and see if RPO 684 parts, thru to the Z-06 hardware, that far back was listed for counter sales.

 

while I understand the reason for it, some of you guys are just BRUTAL!

 

I appologize if I'm beating a dead horse but, I am wondering if the "white ZL1" has been verified as a real or fake factory-built car yet, and if, like the 4-door mopar Hemi cars, the total count of verified ZL1's has grown with time?



I grew up in the western side of the Salt Lake valley in the 60's and recently ran into one of my childhood friends. He mentioned "the noisey, white Corvette" (well known in our neighborhood for it's ability to shake pictures and even shelves off the walls at home during "test drives") and believes it is, in fact the white ZL1.

Does anyone know if that car was sold through Gus Paulos Chevrolet, in Magna, Utah? As I was only 9 years old at the time, I just thought it would be cool if that was the controversial "white ZL1". If it wasn't, I wonder what engine it did carry because, with the exception of a few race cars at nearby Bonneville Raceway (drag strip -not salt flats), no other car sounded as viscous as that beast.

The 100 miles the car had already accumulated before purchase doesn't surprise me, as that car regularly blasted down nearby 7200 West 3-4 times a week all summer (test drives or employee perks?), bringing a chorus of curse-words from my parents as another picture frame shook off the wall and exploded on the hardwood floors below.

 

WOW, 3 years on a thread? I'm sure some of the guys that have posted had enough. And the guy that "sounded" like he was an expert most likely figured he couldn't win. And I think justifiably so. Some baseless statements if you've done any technical reading and or had your mitts in an L88/ZL1. I have a "how to Hot rod BB chevy" from 1973. Really cool book, might still be in print. Listed many GM part #'s. If anyone wants me to look something up, let me know. It's on my bookshelf in the garage and I have to wash my hands after using it because of dust and grease. Anyway, I read it cover to cover many times as a kid and referenced it with every BB build (several L88's). The ZL1 internal differences were "because" of the aluminum casting. They had to beef up the webs, they had to add the bosses for the extra head bolts in the lifter valley, stainless shim between the cam sprocket and the block... There was nothing internal except the cam to make any more HP. Camaro ZL1's different from Corvette ZL1's? In what way? Sorry, don't think so. As far as I can tell, the '68 and earlier heads L88 maybe some '69's were closed chamber and iron or aluminum nearly identical castings. Same as the open chamber starting in '69, although the exhaust ports on the aluminum might have been round exits. So the "other people call me an expert" statements about L88 parts not fitting in ZL1's... wrong. Same crank, rods, pistons, etc. ZL1 cam was bigger. Just 'cause you saw >100HP increase in HP in a ZL1 over an L88 does not mean it was stock. I have never seen an open chamber aluminum head, I don't know if the extra bolt holes for the 2 extra head bolts on each head are there in all the castings, or if the ZL1 head was a special casting. But I do believe the ZL1 was basically an all aluminum L88 from what I have read.

My 2 cents and NOT an expert (my friends don't even call me an expert)
Dan

 

so were did this guy that claims he's a zl-1 expert go ?

 

Ancient thread, but an interesting subject. I live near the Gulf car in Pa. and have seen it many times, but I guess he sold it.

 

Yes, the story on this car, written in an earlier Vette Views magazine did mention that it was sold through the Paulos Agency in Magna, UT.

 

theres one in ''punta gorda fl'',at muscle car muesam on hwy 41

 

I always thought--for the last 40 some years-- there was only two ZL-1s sold new in '69 but read with interest all the posts here on the third oen, the orange one owned by John Maher. Since the discussion took place 7 years ago I was wondering if the NCRS or any other "originality" authority ruled on the authenticity of the car; i.e. built new with the ZL-1 despite the fact the tank sticker looks different than at least one of the other ZL-1s.

PS I wrote the 1969 Chevrolet Corvette brochure and no one told me about the ZL-1. Why tell the ad agency and confuse them...?

 

do tell,every resto buff would love to hear about the advertising on the 60's-70's gm cars and corvettes?

 

Sometimes you felt like you were a gang of pirates and another ship of pirates was going to steal your prey (steal your account) so you got alongside and blasted them.

It was a very competitive business, not for the feint of heart (did I spell that right).
Coupla memories. The crew that took the ;'67 Corvette big block out to find a lonely looking road in Calif., I think they found it in Needles, the headline was something like "The Disappearing Machine". It rained for a week when they were in Calif., so you can imagine the expenses just to get one shot.

I thought up the idea for a Corvette brochure using older Corvettes all on black and white pages contrasting with the new one, so they went out and bought 3 or 4 old ones and repainted them so they would photograph right. I thought at that time the Corvette wasn't that old so they needed a little history to sell the new one.

I was loaned Corvettes to go on trips for Corvette News, one time i went to Pennsylvania and was on some rally around a circular route around Pittsburgh and I went off the road into a farmyard, no damage to the car and was invited inside the house for what looked like gruel. The farmhouse was like something out of the 18th century.

The account executives were the interface between the client and the ad agency creative people. The creative people were considered "wild cards", too untamed and quirky to ever meet the client.

All kinds of creative people came through trying to get a piece of the pie, even the guy who directed "A Man and a Woman" got a Chevrolet commercial to do; I wrote a commercial for Jean-Claude Killy, the skiier but he couldn't pronounce "Camaro" (he would say CAMA ROO).

Those are a few of the memories from over 43 years ago