1969 ZL-1 convertible

[Jon H.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Mike, this car has quite the markeitng spin on it. A lot of dollars on the line here. All I can say if there is a buyer out there that is going to drop 7 figures on this car, they better do thier homewwork.

[Patrick B.]

[Jon H.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Pat, I completely agree! I know you have been posting on the forum along with myself and Stan about the issues with this car. I think this car will bid (Some real bids some not) to seven figures and end in a no sale. The auction won't let the bids stay in the six figures. Unless there is a collector out there with a ton of money and doesn't do any research on the car.

[Edward C.]

[Rick G.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

I have no dog in this fight other than finding the truth but. Worth note NICB records which contain the ident can be checked with proper credentials, regardless of whether done legally or by deception the day, date, time and individual accessing the info is all recorded in the file, you will find the file for the orange car which contains the ident was accessed recently just prior to the appearance of the new iteration tank sheet with the ident in place. It is supposed to take crime or events such as theft or insurance fraud to access these records. Knowing the ident had appeared after being previously missing in action. The NICB record was checked and surprise, surprise the file had been recently accessed so the searching party had access to the ident.

Roy below is a link to another claimed ZL1 which I am sure you are aware of. Notice they also claim validity thru the NICB.

Corvettes :: 1969 Corvette ZL-1 427-430HP (corvettes-musclecars.com)

[Richard S.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Was there ever a documented official ZL-1 factory
stripe kit? Each example appears to have nothing in common with the other.

[Philip A.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

They need to find a real sucker to get millions of dollars for a fictitious “closed chamber ZL-1”.

Lots of us are watching this on. And I’m very happy to be on the sidelines. Could you imagine the craziness if in the future another ZL1 WITH proper documentation ever shows up? Crazier things have happened….

I am confident this car will sell, disputed or not. There are people who believe it is what is claimed (or willing to speculate). Look at all the fake '67 427/435s that sell. If a future ZL-1 with proper documentation shows up it will not invalidate this car. It will more likely raise question to the number claimed to be manufactured. The biggest shock to this hobby is going to be if GM ever locates documentation of what each Corvette (serial #) was born as.

[Bill B.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

In Kevin Mackay's book "The Corvette Hunter", Chapter 20, Kevin describes two 1969 ZL1 cars that were "ordered from the factory" ... a yellow manual transmissioned Coupe, and an orange convertible with an automatic. He also indicated a total of 94 ZL1-spec engines were produced. Kevin went on to indicate that (at the time) both ZL1-optioned Corvettes were in the hands of private collectors and that both were worked on by his company, Corvette Repair.

Kevin has a respected history and knowledge of rare Corvettes (it is his passion!), so I have no doubt that Kevin did due diligence in researching the vehicle histories via documentation while these vehicles were in his possession.

With that said, the question is ... is the vehicle offered for auction the actual same vehicle that Keven was describing? If the video link Michael posted in thread #28 above was recently and specifically made in reference to the vehicle offered at auction, then I am inclined to believe that it might be the real deal. I don't believe Kevin would risk sullying his respected restoration reputation on a questionable rare offering.

[Michael J.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Is there a signed affidavit from Mr. Mackay that states he guarantees this is the real deal, one of the only two Corvette ZL-1s ever produced in St. Louis?

[John D.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

The description appears to say the M40 automatic transmission is perfect for clutch dumps and full throttle launches.....

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

In the CF discussion of this car, one of the commenters provided a GM memo about the open chamber head problem that supposedly caused Chevrolet to build the ZL-1 engine for the orange convertible with closed chamber heads. It said that GM had durability concerns about the open chamber heads developing cracks in the intake ports. As a result, a change in the casting would take place on March 15, 1969, but the finished heads with the improved casting would not get to the Tonawanda engine plant until May 1, 1969.

So what did GM do about the durability concerns about the open chamber heads before they were resolved by the improved version? Did they suspend ZL-1 production? Did they substitute closed chamber heads as promoters of this car say? No, they built the entire 50 Camaro Gibb order and most of the other ZL-1 Camaros with the heads that had concerns. The idea that this one and only engine was built by Tonawanda with closed chamber heads when they did not hesitate to use potentially problematic heads on nearly every other ZL-1 demands more proof than a Corvette restorer’s say so.

GM did delay changing the L88 prior to the improved open chamber heads, but the the proof that there was a different policy for ZL-1 engines (perhaps because of the extra head studs in the open chamber heads?) is the existence of an entire fleet of ZL-1 Camaros with the problematic heads.

[Kevin G.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Wow, 2,850,000 sold!

[Michael J.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Well that is a bit less than the famous Rebel L88 racer brought back in 2014, so much more like an L88 than a Zl-1.

[Roy S.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

If it was a real sale, definitely L88 race car territory. Not real ZL1 money.

Judski yellow car value north of 6M, as I know for a fact that has been turned down.

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1969 ZL-1 convertible

Hill climbs and drag racing by an obscure driver is nothing like the LeMans, Daytona, Sebring road racing history at the highest level of the rebel L88. This was more like a million dollar L88 and a 2 million dollar ridiculous BS story. One of the potential bidders thanked the CF discussion for helping him to avoid a mistake.

Didn’t the 67 L88 that qualified first the in GT class at the 67 LeMans with well known drivers sell for about $3 million.