Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

[William L.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Phil; I'm sure Jim can tell the story better but what we were told was that to get under Shelby's skin they wore the CS T shirts and when their hands were dirty they would wipe their hands on their shirts and use them as rags. From what we were told it drove Carroll nuts.


Rich; When we were doing our research on the car we asked why the split was cut out? The answer we got was... What in the hell kid, you think they gave us a new car every year? Here's the parts to make it look like a 64. You couldn't see out the damn thing anyway!!

158.45 mph on Sears bias ply street tires????

[James G.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Great photos Bill. Do you have any more of the car? I believe you are correct about the history of the "street" car.

Today, we are trying to find out what happened to all the cars Mickey Thompson had.I believe there were five Z0-6 BIG TANK cars total.
I also believe that Mickey was really a front for Chevrolet factory racing at Riverside 62 and Daytona February 63.

His first car received was AIR SHIPPED via FLYING TIGER lines in September 12, 1962 to LA. Doug Hooper showed us the telegram confirmation at the Carlisle Race Car Reunion 2009.

This car was a very early vin number Z0-6 that Doug Hooper drove at Riverside in October 62, and more than likely was an engineering car. Quite possibly the same coupe in the film with Dick Thompson and Davey MacDonald at the proving grounds used in introductory Chevy adds.

Don Meline, Cal Club SCCA Pacific Coast B/ P champ in his own 1960 Corvette in 1963, also was a crew person and employee of Mickey Thompson. He met with Doug and me in 2009 and explained how he worked on the XP-119 winning Riverside car every day and night until Riverside. There was lots of brake testing on that car at the track, and they also discovered the valve train was subject to coil bind at high RPM. Doug insisted a 3:36 posi diff be installed, so he could keep the RPM down and "save" the engine for the 3 hour race. It worked, and Doug and XP-119 came in first.

Both Doug and Don went to Daytona with the same car that Doug raced at Riverside and the other three cars that were Mickey Thompson cars. Two cars had the 427 Mystery Motors, most likely prepared by Smokey Yunick in Florida and two were regular fuel injection 327 Z0-6's.

After the last Daytona race Sunday evening, Doug and Don and everyone else were giving their final check and fired. GM Corporate put the hammer down.....no more racing! They both took the long way home thru New Orleans for Mardi-gras, and said "Never quit your day job"

Mike Philsbury discovered racer Merle Brennan purchased some of Mickey's cars, but the history from March 1963 thru the 70's is very scattered. Mike believed the Hooper XP-116 car went back to Detroit. It is still MIA.

[William L.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Jim; Those are the only 3 pictures I have of the car at Bonneville in 1964. I do have some information about the 2 owners of before Mike Pillsbury. I will gladly give you that info but I don't think I should post it on the web. So you can call me at 314 795 1967 or e-mail me a bdlacy1@yahoo.com.

I took a lot of heat for an article titled "Mickeys Thompson's Last Ride?"that came out in Corvette Fever Dec 1998.
The title for that article came from this picture and caption in Motor Trend Dec of 1964.

[William L.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Jim' you cant see it in these pictures but in the one I have you can clearly see it says " Own By Corvette Service Co. Inglewood Calif". Wasn't Corvette Service Co. owned by Norm Burger?

[Michael H.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Phil; I'm sure Jim can tell the story better but what we were told was that to get under Shelby's skin they wore the CS T shirts and when their hands were dirty they would wipe their hands on their shirts and use them as rags. From what we were told it drove Carroll nuts.


Rich; When we were doing our research on the car we asked why the split was cut out? The answer we got was... What in the hell kid, you think they gave us a new car every year? Here's the parts to make it look like a 64. You couldn't see out the damn thing anyway!!

158.45 mph on Sears bias ply street tires????

Bill,

I use to have one of those CS t-shirts many years ago when I lived in Southern Cal. I remember seeing the Shelby's lined up at the LA airport. I also meet Dick Guldstrand at Baher Chevrolet in Manhattan Beach back in 1964. I was 14 at the time and my dad bought a new 64 Impala SS from Baher and the salesman took us to the back of the dealership to meet Dick and see his race car . Dad was big into racing so we spent a number of weekends at Riverside and Willow Springs, it seems like it was just yesterday.

Mike

[Steven B.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

What is the history of the Flying Tigers car that Foyt drove? Years ago Currin advertised it for sale.

Thanks!

Steve

[James G.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

DOUG HOOPER'S Shop was "CORVETTE SERVICE COMPANY", and it was in Inglewood, CA.

I need to call Doug and ask him about these photos, and Bonneville.....and his involvement in racing at Bonneville in 1964.

I am trying to get the history correct on each RACE Corvette for the REGISTRY OF CORVETTE RACE
CARS.COM that Jan Hyde, and Wayne Ellwood and I have created.

[Dan H.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Hi Jim, I was at 1966 Daytona 24 Hr race. Dick Gulstrand was there in a 'mystery' engine 1966 Corvette in Prototype class I believe. Was this a later 427 car?
Dan

[James G.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Hi Jim, I was at 1966 Daytona 24 Hr race. Dick Gulstrand was there in a 'mystery' engine 1966 Corvette in Prototype class I believe. Was this a later 427 car?
Dan

No Dan,
This was 1963 DAYTONA with the new 63 STINGRAY. There were two "427 MYSTERY MOTOR" Corvettes entered by Mickey Thompson. Race dates were February 16 and 17, 1963

[Philip C.]

Re: Newly Discovered '63 Z06?

Jim' you cant see it in these pictures but in the one I have you can clearly see it says " Own By Corvette Service Co. Inglewood Calif". Wasn't Corvette Service Co. owned by Norm Burger?

Hi Bill That was Norm Burgers with the 64 rear window, he also changed the hood and rocker mouldings to 64 style and even messed with the sail area scopes. Phil 8063