69 Zl-1

[Michael B.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

According to a May 1988 Vette Mag article, Walker paid Zagos to find both ZL-1 motors which he did. Both were being used in drag boats. The article says Walker purchased both motors prior to having a frame off restoration. It does not say which motor was installed for this restoration. Walker sold the car to Mueller in January 1986 who sent it to Naber's Bros for a total strip and repaint and suspension redo. It does not say if both motors went to Mueller at that time. This was all before the Federal Seizure Auction in October 1991.

[Dick W.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

According to a May 1988 Vette Mag article, Walker paid Zagos to find both ZL-1 motors which he did. Both were being used in drag boats. The article says Walker purchased both motors prior to having a frame off restoration. It does not say which motor was installed for this restoration. Walker sold the car to Mueller in January 1986 who sent it to Naber's Bros for a total strip and repaint and suspension redo. It does not say if both motors went to Mueller at that time. This was all before the Federal Seizure Auction in October 1991.

Mueller sold the car for an astromonical sum prior to the seizure. I do not remember the purchaser's name, who subsequently lost it to the Feds

[Ronald R.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

The yellow car definately had a restamp job. I looked it over and did the due dilligance myself.
RDR

[Ken R.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

As part of the road tour to San Jose, we got to see some of Reggie Jackson's car collection in Seaside, CA. Just so happens he has a ZL1 camaro. Here are some photos I took.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Karman1965/ReggieSCars#

[Clem Z.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

As part of the road tour to San Jose, we got to see some of Reggie Jackson's car collection in Seaside, CA. Just so happens he has a ZL1 camaro. Here are some photos I took.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Karman1965/ReggieSCars#

didn't he have one up for sale at BJ ?

[Jamie F.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

No, he was trying to buy one that he used to own. It was a reboded car, but he still wanted it. He didn't get it.
The consignor had 4 Yenko's and the ZL1.

[Steven B.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

According to a May 1988 Vette Mag article, Walker paid Zagos to find both ZL-1 motors which he did. Both were being used in drag boats. The article says Walker purchased both motors prior to having a frame off restoration. It does not say which motor was installed for this restoration. Walker sold the car to Mueller in January 1986 who sent it to Naber's Bros for a total strip and repaint and suspension redo. It does not say if both motors went to Mueller at that time. This was all before the Federal Seizure Auction in October 1991.

'Anyone know where the boats were? In 1970 I was in the AF at Grissom AFB, IN with a guy who's dad had bought him a '68 Motion with full Motion body work. The car was repainted blue and had the original red interior. He swapped the 427 for a ZL-1, then took the ZL-1 out and put it in his boat that was in Florida as I recall. 'Same guy got busted for "borrowing" a ham from the AF and serving it at an onbase Saturday night party.

[Terry M.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

'Anyone know where the boats were? In 1970 I was in the AF at Grissom AFB, IN with a guy who's dad had bought him a '68 Motion with full Motion body work. The car was repainted blue and had the original red interior. He swapped the 427 for a ZL-1, then took the ZL-1 out and put it in his boat that was in Florida as I recall. 'Same guy got busted for "borrowing" a ham from the AF and serving it at an onbase Saturday night party.

It was Grissom in 1970? I would have expected it to have still been Bunker Hill AFB by then.

[Tom M.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

As part of the road tour to San Jose, we got to see some of Reggie Jackson's car collection in Seaside, CA. Just so happens he has a ZL1 camaro. Here are some photos I took.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Karman1965/ReggieSCars#

KEN, THANKS FOR THE PHOTOS, On his 67 L89 he shows 430hp should be 435

Tom

[Steven B.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

It was Grissom in 1970? I would have expected it to have still been Bunker Hill AFB by then.

Hi Terry! Bunker Hill AFB (Bunker Stump Airplane Patch) became Grissom May 12, 1968. Some of the printed history is incorrect/incomplete as follows. In the following history it notes GAFB receiving Reserves in 1971, but a Wing was HQ'd there in 1970 in S-9. I was on active duty there in 1970 and early '71, then became employed with the DoD in '71 and was the only occupant of the old B-58 housing (2 barracks inside 8' fence and topped with razor wire) while there. Used to swim in the pool which between WWII and Korean War was used to store grain. Sometime I will tell you the stories of the Marine F-4 pilot who landed for repairs and fired it in a hanger and was off the ground before hitting the runway, the Canadian AF Colonel who came in one night in a C-47, the RIF'd Sky Cop who detonated charges, and the Airman who wrapped himself only in The Flag outside the gate. 'Many good memories of that place---

Steve


The history of Grissom Air Reserve Base dates to July 1, 1942 when it was opened by the U.S. Navy. At that time it was named Bunker Hill Naval Air Station and served as a training base for naval pilots. During the four years of Bunker Hill NAS, thousands of pilots were trained for the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. One of its most famous alumni of Bunker Hill NAS is former major league baseball star Ted Williams.
After the war, the base was closed and it reverted to its former use as farmland. With the outbreak of the Korean War, the Air Force needed a base where it could conduct nationwide and worldwide operations. Again, Bunker Hill become the logical choice. Negotiations were begun with the Navy (who still had the title to the site) to reopen the base as Bunker Hill Air Force Base. To simplify the legal aspects of construction, it was decided that the Navy would let all major contracts and supervise construction of the nearly $25 million in new facilities. In 1982, the Air Force gained the title to the base from the Navy.
The base was reopened as a Tactical Air Command Base. The formal opening was June 22, 1954. That year, the 4433rd Air Base Squadron and the 323rd Fighter-Bomber Wing called Bunker Hill Air Force Base home. In 1955, the Air Defense Command's 319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron joined the forces at the base. The Strategic Air Command arrived on the scene in the mid-fifties and SAC's 8th Air Force assumed jurisdiction of the base on September 1, 1957.
In May 1959, the 305th Bomb Group and its B-47s arrived. Later that same year, the first KC-135 Stratotankers were assigned to the unit. Two years later, B-58s began replacing the B-47s. After 26 years of bearing the name Bunker Hill, the base was renamed on May 12, 1968 after Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, a native of Mitchell, Ind., who was one of the original seven astronauts. Colonel Grissom was killed during a fire in his Apollo capsule while still on the launching pad at Cape Kennedy, Fla.
On Jan. 1, 1970, the 305th Bomb Group was replaced by the 305th Air Refueling Wing and Grissom became one of the largest tanker bases in the country. The Air Force Reserve became part of the Grissom community in 1971 when the 434th Special Operations Wing and its A-37 aircraft moved to the base. For the next 23 years Grissom was home to both active duty and reserve personnel.
In 1978, a second Air Force Reserve unit joined the scene. At the height of its operations, the base was home to one active duty wing and two Air Force Reserve units. Due to changes in the Air Force mission, two units (one reserve, one active duty) were deactivated in 1994. In October of that year, Grissom was realigned as an Air Force Reserve facility. Today, the base is home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing and is one of only four Air Reserve Command Bases in the nation.

[Terry M.]

[Edward C.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

I saw the white ZL-1 in the Otis Chandler collection in Oxnard, California in about 1986 and it was presented as the 1 of 2 production. Is the that car lost now and its validity in question. Ed

[Peter G.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

I think Camaro was an F body car so here is a picture of 50 ZL1 Camaro's in the GM storage lot. PT

That looks like the "radioactive storage lot" in Cannonsburg PA, and those look like double COPO 9561 Camaros waiting for their Yenko stripes to me.

[Peter G.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

Was Zora's white hardtop a production car or made up in engineering? When I was at Milford on business in '74-5 I asked about the car and one of the engineers said he thought it was still stored somewhere, but wasn't certain. He did tell me they (engineering) were building a wilder one than the ZL-1.

While researching for my book, I was told the white convertible with the hardtop was an engineering car. It had many 1968 features including the ignition on the dash and the unique '68 doors.

[Peter G.]

Re: 69 Zl-1

after the article about john maher's ZL-1 came out john and i stopped to see rogers ZL-1 and he was very anxious to show it to us and explain all about it. when he found out who john was he shut up and left us standing there. i guess 2 documented ZL-1 was not what he wanted to hear about.

I had the opportunity to inspect John's orange ZL-1 at Bloomington back in 1996. At that time it did not have the ZL-1 block installed, an L-88 was there instead. John told me the ZL-1 was in a safe place. However, he did not want to talk about the tank sheet.

Has anyone seen the tank sheet for this orange Corvette?