ZL1 Corvette vintage road tests - help needed!

[Rob Clary]

I'm trying to track down all of the vintage road tests of the '69 ZL-1 Corvette.

The May '69 issue of Motor Trend has a test, as well as the July '69 issue of Popular Hot Rodding. I've heard rumors of a test by Road & Track, but I don't know which issue! I have a copy of the PHR road test, but I have yet to track down a copy of the Motor Trend or Road & Track tests. Anyone know which issue of R&T I need to look for?

If anyone could offer any advice, by leading me in the right direction, or even by sending me a copy of the articles, I'd greatly appreciate it!




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[Clem Z.]

try www.corvettearchive.com *NM*

[Michael H.]

Re: ZL1 Corvette vintage road tests - help needed!

Rob,

I THINK I have the May 69 Motor Trend here somewhere but not sure. I'll look for it. I do have a Dec 68 article from Hot Rod magazine on the ZL1 engine and I did scan all the pages from that article a few years ago. I can send them to you but if you don't have DSL or cable internet, it may take a long time. Each of the six or seven pages are over 2000 kb each.

Michael

[Mike M.]

Re: ZL1 Corvette vintage road tests - help needed!

I think I have one in a '69 Car Life magazine (forget what month). If I remember correctly the car was a test vehicle for Chevrolet and Zora A-D supervised the testing by the magazine. I think it was either a white car or another very light color and I remember the car having flared fenders (rears at least). Article was titled something like "The Wildest Corvette Yet." I know I still have the magazine, just not sure where. If I get time this week I will search for it. Can fax copies of the road test.
Mike

[Rob Clary]

Re: ZL1 Corvette vintage road tests - help needed!

You guys are LIFESAVERS!!!! I would gladly take whatever you guys could send me, as I'm having a tough time finding anything. I've got DSL, or you can fax it to my work (417 area code, 778-7221).

Many, MANY thanks, y'all!!!!




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[James W.]

Re: ZL1 Corvette vintage road tests - help needed!

Rob,

I not sure of the year, 1968 or 1969 but I have the magazine that tested all Corvettes of that year which included all engine options. I've read the articles and I've been looking to find a good home for the magazine. It was given to me by a co-worker and I'll give it to you if you would like it. Just email me with your mailing address and I'll send it to you! My email address is jwest@oppd.com.

Best Regards,

James West
Omaha, NE.

[Roger Legge]

Re: ZL1 Corvette vintage road tests - help needed!

I do not remember the magazine, but I have an article where one is drag strip tested. If memory serves, it was a TH400 Corvette that was more or less a test mule for Chevrolet. I'll find it later today and get the details. Interesting article.

Roger

[Clem Z.]

please let me know also because a friend

owns a THM ZL-1 it may be the same car

[Rob Clary]

Re: please let me know also because a friend

Hey Clem...would your buddy's name be "John M" by any chance?




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[Roger Legge]

Re: Interesting Site

Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I keep getting an error trying to post a URL. Go to corvettearchive.com/c3.cfm and you'll see several articles. I'm almost positive the article I have is the October 1969 Motor Trend article. I'll check later today.

Roger

[Clem Z.]

Re: please let me know also because a friend

sure is

[Mark #28455]

ZL1 mule

Check the photos of the white ZL1 "mule" car with the flared fenders and hood pins. If I remember correctly, that car was actually built from a 1968 body - look at the door locks, they will likely be the 1968 style.

Let me know what you find.
Mark

[James W.]

Re: ZL1 mule

The Magazine I have is a July 1969 Car Life. On the cover it reads "Wildest CORVETTE Test Yet, Every Body Style, Every Engine, Every Transmission, Every Radio, Every Major Accessory." The white ZL-1 in the article is a 1968 hardtop convertible built by Duntov/GM. Duntov is interviewed regarding the car. The only ZL-1 testing was a quarter mile time of 12.1 seconds and cornering at 1G. The rest of the article covers other 1969 Corvettes both small and big blocks and gives specifications and performance testing data.

Regards,

James West

[Everett Ogilvie]

THM ZL1 ran in the 10s all day long

Somewhere I have the article where the car was set up and handed over to the press for a day at the drag strip - it ran high 10s all day long with morons driving it. This showed off the durability and power of the car...

No ZL1 or L88 magazine test ever had good quarter mile times - they always gave them a car with auto and 3.36s and no one could launch it. The car that was set up for the day at the drag strip is the only time the real potential of these motors was revealed.

[Rob Clary]

Re: THM ZL1 ran in the 10s all day long

Making the chore even more impossible to get a good test was the very things that made the ZL-1 & L-88 what they were. The humongo bumpsticks they both ran were not designed for street duty, especially when trying to breath through a fugly set of exhaust manifolds. The cam & manifolds were a mismatch from the factory, but Chevrolet didn't intend for them to be left stock anyway.

I actually think an L-72 or L-71, with it's smaller cam, would have been handful for an L-88 or ZL-1 car, if they were all in stock trim. Smaller cam, vacuum secondary carbs, etc...Now, throw a set of headers into the mix, and the L-88 or ZL-1 is gonna freight-train that same L-72 or L-71. Game, set, match...




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