How many ZL1s did GM give to racers?

[GRB]

I have been under the assumption for years that GM gave one to Dick Harrell and one to Lamar Walden. At the last SEMA show I attended, probably 8 years or so ago I bought a Camaro book from the author of the book who then autographed it. We were just standing there talking and somehow in the conversation he said that there is no record of GM giving a ZL1 to anyone other than Dick Harrell. I didn't know what to make of this and didn't really care. Now I have heard that same thing again.

Maybe it's one of those memories that have been obscured by time or maybe there is some real proof somewhere. I tend to believe what I've always heard and that is that two racers were given cars. Is there another opinion and any proof of it?

[sYc]

Though some would like for you to think that Dick Harrell owned the '69 ZL-1 he raced, car #1, it was in fact owned by Fred Gibb. And from what Helen has said, none of the ZL-1 they received were free, far from it.

[GRB]

As I understood the story GM gave away two ZL1s to prominent GM racers because the cars wouldn't sell and this would help get the word out. Is this not true?

[JChlupsa]

I thought The Grump got one of them. or was it they gave out just the engines

[Chevy454]

Grump just had an engine, not sure if he bought it or not, though...and I've never heard of *any* racer getting a complete ZL1 Camaro.

[COPO_Anders]

But it was built using a siamese Can-Am block, wasn´t it ? And he used a shorter stroke crank with that bigger bore block, the rumour says.

[William]

Bill Jenkins ZL-1 Camaro was not one of the 69 production cars. It was built as an L78/M22 SS and retro-fitted with a ZL-1 engine from one of the Ammon R. Smith ZL-1s.

http://www.camaros.org/copo.shtml

[Charley Lillard]

Probably my ZL1.

[Kim_Howie]

Whiner http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[Salvatore]

[ QUOTE ]
But it was built using a siamese Can-Am block, wasn´t it ? And he used a shorter stroke crank with that bigger bore block, the rumour says.

[/ QUOTE ]I believe you are correct Anders! I am not sure Grump ever really liked the ZL-1 block and so forth. I do remember Jenkins, while maybe not getting cash in hand from Chevy he got loads of parts to sell. Heard that a few times years ago but no real proof!

[GRB]

I think there is some proof that Dick Harrell was given a ZL1. I'll do some checking on that. And I know for sure that Lamar Walden claims he was given his.

[sYc]

I do not know about LW, but it is a known fact that ZL-1 #1, the car with DH on the side, was owned by Fred Gibb, not Dick Harrell. Car was delivered to Fred Gibb Chevrolet I beleive on Dec. 31, 1968, bitter cold, infact, so cold the car(s) would not start. If you need more proof, attend CFV and ask the "first lady" herself, Helen Gibb, who still has the records.

Dick was just one of several drivers to race the car for FG, with the most successsful being Jim Hayter, who won a World Championship.

A few years a go I was shown a newspaper clipping from back in the day, where Frank Nichols from our neck of the woods had been hired to drive the ZL-1 for Fred. Previous to this Fred and Dick had made the trip Doniphan, MO to see Frank, as he was a master at getting lots of HP out of a smallblock Chevy, and they were looking for an edge for Lil Hoss. Apparently it worked.

[Kim_Howie]

Fred owned all three race cars. Little hoss, #1 ZL-1 & my car. I have a copy of the statement of orgin & a copy of the title when the was transfered to Fred.

[GRB]

What I'm wondering, and it's just curiosity, when Reggie bought the #51 LW was he under the impression that he was buying it from the original owner? Or did LW acquire the car somewhere down the road, race it and then store it?

[GRB]

I believe Harrell would have been given a car numbered between 51 & 69. It appears the racers were given these two cars when the cars turned out to be so hard to sell. LW was allegedly given car #51, however it may be that the Platts, Hubert and Phil (?) were given that car and it was later acquire and raced by LW.

BUT, this may have all occurred in the few years following the tragedy at Yellow River drag strip near Atlanta (need to Goggle) and I'm not sure how much the Platts raced after that. I believe the driver of the funny car that went into the crowd, Hubert I think, never drove a race car again. The accident was proven not to be his fault but the driver never got over it.

It was Huston and Hubert Platt. Rocky Platt or Randall Davis probably have pertinent info on the ZL1. That race was in Spring 1969...I had a ticket but didn't go.

[GRB]

Interesting day yesterday. I heard from two GM historians (?) who both claim GM did not give away one single ZL1 to anybody. Until I see proof otherwise that settles a tiny piece of history for me.

[Keith Tedford]

Magazine articles back in the day indicated that Jenkins and others were using the 4.44" bore CanAm blocks rather than the ZL1 block. They got better power out of the big bore shorter stroke combinations it was claimed.