Origin of "ZO6"

[mike cobine]

Re: Origin of "ZO6"

While at Speed Weeks in Daytona in '89, I was at Smokey's garage and "Old Reliable IV" was on display. The front fender had on it "Aluminum Please Do Not Touch".

[mike cobine]

Re: Origin of "ZO6"

According to the "1969 Chevrolet Passenger Car Prices" by Chevrolet Motor Division (black book from Merchandising Dept - New Cars, not the salesman's guide), there was more:

Z21 - Exterior Style Trim Group (bright moldings and pinstripes) Included in Z22.
Z22 - Rally Sport Package (hidden headlights and moldings)
Z23 - Special Interior Group (woodgrain horn shroud and lower cluster insert, bright pedal trim, etc.) Included in the Custom Interior option Z87
Z27 - Actual RPO code for the "SS" package. Included the 300 hp 350 engine which has no L-number in this book, a special hood, and a special 3 speed transmission. You still had to order a 4 speed.
Z28 - Well-known performance package. Included the 302 engine, no rating on hp, and the 302 had not L-number in this book. The special hood is not listed as part of it. Did not include the 4 sp or power disc brakes, but were mandatory.
Z87 - Custom Interior (seats, door panels, woodgrain instrument panel, etc.) Includes Z23
ZJ7 - Rally Wheels, caps, and trim rings. The Z28 15x7 wheels, not the SS 14x7. Those were N66 apparently.
ZJ9 - Auxiliary Lighting package Different for each model, so ZJ9 was four different packages with four different prices.
ZL2 - Special Ducted Cold Air Hood Not listed in this book.

Another intersted note is that the Standard were the:

140 hp 230 six .. Model 12337 and 12367
210 hp 327 V8 ... Model 12437 and 12467

Optional engines were:
L22 ... 155 hp 250 six .. $26.35
LM1 ... 255 hp 350 V8 ... $52.70
L35 ... 325 hp 396 V8 ... $63.50

The 302 was only part of the Z28 option, not separately.
The 300 hp 350 was only part of the SS Z27 option, not separately.

It is small wonder the go-fast guys of the time went in and just ordered the highest hp and left, because you really need a map to figure out what goes where with these packages and options.

[mike cobine]

And to add to that

This booklet is apparently early, maybe even preproduction, as it does not list the ZL1 option in Corvette. It also does not list L88, M22, or L89, and those available the previous year, not a midyear option that would mean not listing.

Z24 - for many today, this is the little Chevy Cavaliar, but this was the 1969 Chevy Impala SS427.

Z25 - The SS396 325 hp Chevelle with a special 3 speed.

MA6 - the Corvette dual disc clutch, but it was also in Impala, Chevelle, the wagons, and Nova.

[Tom P.]

Re: And to add to that

The ZL2-Special Ducted Hood (this is the legendary Cowl Induction hood), as listed above, and it is correct that it is a "package", NOT just a hood (the plain domed hood was part of the Chevelle SS pkg, The ZL2 CI hood was optional). For the 70-72 Chevelles (69 ONLY on Camaro), it was ONLY available with a BB, although, I have installed the COMPLETE CI Hood pkg on my 70 Chevelle conv with a SB(400). I had no clue just exactly how many components were required to make a CI hood function as it was originally intended to be until I started ordering parts (now I understand why it is a "pkg"). When I decided to install the CI hood back in 98, I spent $1300 including paint by the time it was installed and functional!
I don't know what the purpose of the L in ZL2 is for, unless it designates that it is ONLY available with a certain engine (in the case of Chevelles it would only be a BB). I guess it's kind of like the 69 ZL1 (both Camaro and Vettes), which is BOTH an engine and a pkg. But yet, in 63, the Z11 Impala is both an engine and a pkg, but there is no L in Z11. And, one more instance of that situation is the 65 Z16 (Chevelle) it is also an engine and a pkg, but yet there is no L in Z16.
And, a final twist. In 71, there is the ZR1 and ZR2. Both are a specific engine and a pkg! No L in those either. (maybe the R is for "Race"???????????????)

[mike cobine]

Re: And to add to that

My ZR = Zora's Racer was a bit tongue in cheek since there was speculation that is what it meant back 30 years old.

The L in ZL1 is just an L. The Z- options run from ZEx to ZWx in the '76-'82 parts book. The Z01 to Z98 run after the alpha versions.

The ZL9 is "Interior, Luxury" 1976 - 1981 and has nothing to do with an engine, so the L is just an L.

or if it was the first ZL assigned, the assigner may have thought L for light or knowing how fast it would be made L for Lightning or maybe his name was Lynn or it could have just been the first available letter.

Now no doubt when someone assigned the characters, they may have placed them according to their own letter-word associations, but within the guidelines of the GM RPO codes. ZR1 and ZR2 may well have been R because someone said "well, this is a race package, and we haven't used R so it will be ZR1 and ZR2 for Race 1 and Race 2. But the only way to know would be to find the guy who assigned them 36 years ago. It could be the guy's name was Robert or Rick and these being his first assigned, made them Z Robert 1 or Z Rick 2. Just as much sense unless you can find written proof on how they were assigned.

I have assigned passwords to protected items at places I have worked, and since people often use their favorite interests in project names and such, I used a lot of Corvette references in passwords, like 63Sp1itW, xp720cpe, C2fue11y, C3rat427, and so on. A Corvette person will read lots into these passwords; a non-Corvette person will just see letters and numbers of a password.

No doubt someone assigning RPO numbers thought about similar things and when the number was completely open, then did some creative assigning.

[John H.]

Re: And to add to that

The ZL2 ducted cold air hood on the '69 Camaro didn't include anything else except the hood and controls, but it was only available on top of the SS package (which could have had the L-48 350, or L-34/L-35/L-78/L-89 engines) or the Z/28 package. It didn't become available until December, 1968, and only 10,000 went on production cars between then and the end of '69 Camaro production in November, 1969. Of course, every '69 Camaro you see these days has one, and they're still available from GM, and Goodmark makes a reproduction that's perfect.

[mike cobine]

Aren't Camaros great?

You build them the way you want, and no one complains.

[Warren F.]

Re: Aren't Camaros great?

Mike:

Your just not hanging around the right Camaro hidouts, there are plenty of originality fanatics out there in this crowd. I was one of them, when I was showing, restoring a '69 L78 SS convertible and '69 L35 SS/RS convertble.

Heck, I bet John Hinckley can direct you to them as well!

[Tom P.]

Re: Aren't Camaros great?

But not as great as Chevelles! I have NEVER EVER EVER had one single complaint about my 70 conv with a SB400 and CI hood (and other options). But I almost completely stay away from Corvette circles these days because I am so sick of Corvette "experts" and non-experts ragging on me about my 56 with FI on a SB400, 4sp and black Daytona weave carpet and black dash (just to mention a few things). I just found out a few months ago that a VERY well known NCRS person (now deceased) complained about my 56 being in a regional meet a several years ago. I've always remained an NCRS member, but some of them sure do have an unsatisfactory attitude toward people with "personalized" cars.

[mike cobine]

Re: Aren't Camaros great?

I agree that some really get on a roll picking on things wrong with a car out in public. Now at Bloomington, there was very prominently displayed in the For Sale group a red Sting Ray convertible that was on eBay a few weeks back. It had an extended Mako Shark type nose, falred fenders, and other modifications. I heard a few make comments but for the most part kept on going. Possibly one of the best receptions a car like this has had in a long time.

But there seems to be many who want to pick out all the little items on a car. It is one thing if someone says it is original, 100% stock, etc. but it is another is they just say it is a nice driver.

Other cars most seem just to enjoy the car, comment on the neat way someone did this or that, and comment on the quality of the work (really nice ... or don't you think he could have painted that ...). But Corvette people all seem to be 50 year-experienced top level judges who can exist only around 99.8 point or higher cars and are forced by law to expound upon what is wrong with your car.

I tend to pick out the stupid things, like bare metal roll bars in street cars.

[John H.]

Re: Aren't Camaros great?

Try our website, link below - the definitive source for '67-'69 Camaro restoration data; we also have "the numbers" on over 10,000 cars in our (private) database to assist owners in authenticating potential purchases, tracking the base cars that miraculously become SS and Z/28's and Pace Cars, and tracking the trim tag (both real and fake) and VIN plate swaps that have become a cottage industry since prices have skyrocketed. If you think fake trim tags are a problem on Corvettes, it doesn't hold a candle to the same problem on 1st-generation Camaros .




Camaro Research Group