1971 Photos of My Z/28

[ZLP955]

Hi All,
I wanted to share a couple of old photos that I recently discovered, of a former race car that I bought back in 2011. Pictures are credited to the copyright holder, the Petersen Automotive Museum/SEMA Digitization Project and they have many more cool period photos at the website http://archive.petersen.org
These 3 photos were taken at the 1971 AHRA Grand American series held at Long Beach CA (Lions Dragstrip).
Some of you may have seen the thread I started in 'General Discussion' over at the CRG forum, or the recent thread I began here at sYC asking about the racing class shown on the car's windshield.
The hunt for more photos continues, but I am super-excited to have uncovered these three shots. They clearly show the original plate number (my username), and the Clippinger plate frame confirms the NCRS Shipper Report info. I still have both front and rear Cali black plates from the car.
Tim

[454_Malibu]

Sweet

[X66 714]

Poor man's cowl plenum induction :)
...Joe

[Spooky]

She's a beaut!!!

[mockingbird812]

Wow - that is terrific Tim. congrats!!! The “301.56 cu. in.” on the front fender - is that the actual displacement? That is a wild ?tach? popping out of the hood!!

[Crush]

That is cool! Where is car now ?

[ZLP955]

Thanks for all the comments!
To avoid confusion, I'm the current, not the original owner. Can see from my original wording that's a little unclear, so I've edited the initial post to clarify - it's a former race car that I've owned for ~8 years.
Car is being restored (glaciers may move faster though :( )
Yes the car ran a nominal 302ci, not sure why the original owner felt the need for accuracy to 2 decimal places! The tube on the hood was likely for a tach, Jon Mello suggested the tube is like those seen on 60's era drag boats; I've never seen one on a race car before now.

[PeteLeathersac]

'

Such a Cool car, congrats on finding the photos!
:beers:
~ Pete

.

[ZLP955]

Thanks Pete! This is the car about which you searched for old newspaper ads on my behalf a few years ago, no cigar at the time looking for Clippinger ads but thank you again for trying. So pleased to have found these pictures now, that Petersen archive is an absolute treasure-trove of drag racing history. Well worth a search or a browse.

[novadude]

I would have to duplicate the as-raced paint scheme on the front spoiler. Early-70s cool!

[ZLP955]

I would have to duplicate the as-raced paint scheme on the front spoiler. Early-70s cool!
Yep I'm going to reproduce that on a spare front spoiler I have, nice 70's touch huh.

[ZLP955]

It’s been a while since I started this thread. I’m still working on the car whenever I can, but progress has been slow. I have spent time collecting more Day 2 parts, and plenty of vintage decals/stickers that match those in the Petersen archive photos.
One research aspect that I wanted to share relates to what I had believed to be the car’s name. I found the remains of a decal on the driver’s side quarter glass, and after much research, matched it to one that Pete L posted here at yenko.net a while back - ‘Dyno Tuned by Fiasco Automotive’. Then when I looked back at the 1971 Lions photo (top of page 1) showing ‘Fiasco’ on the quarter panel, it looks like there is ‘Automotive’ below that, and possibly the shop address/phone number below that again.
Then I looked back at the documents I got with the car, the original owner ran an auto parts business in Canoga Park but lived in North Hollywood not far from Fiasco Automotive. So it’s possible the car was tuned there and lettered up for some publicity.
The guy I bought the car from told me it was named Fiasco, but now I think that was understandable but mistaken.....
Now I need to see if I can find anyone who could reproduce that decal; chances of finding an original must be almost nil.

[ZLP955]

Here’s the decal that Pete L posted in another thread:

[Xplantdad]

More info from Fiasco Automotive here, too...


https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=162115

[ZLP955]

One of the stickers on the car when I bought it (the later, second paint scheme) was a Valvoline Participant decal, very faded but I was able to make out the event as ‘1972 NHRA Winternationals, Pomona California’ so that was a nice find too, although must have been once the car switched to E/MP under NHRA rules.

[ZLP955]

Thanks Bruce!

[ZLP955]

A few bits and pieces gathered along the way:
Cast aluminum tachometer tube - lucky to find a vintage one.
Sun 9k tach dated 11-69 (won’t need the cup)
Sun EB-9A box
1971 AHRA Rule Book
Various decals/stickers. The M&H is being reproduced, but without the additional text at the bottom.

[6667ss138]

Very cool, Tim! Love it! An amazing car and history that you are putting together.

[A12pilot]

Now that’s cool! I’ve never seen one of those tach tubes before!:eek2:

Looking foreword to seeing your car done for sure:3gears:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[ZLP955]

Thanks! Not 18 months ago, I was on a stock restoration path, because I had no idea what the car looked like when it raced. At least now I can try and do justice to it’s former glory. Just need to “git ‘er done”, as they say! :beers:

[BJCHEV396]

Way cool Tim! Thanks for sharing and more pics please when you can.

[1967Z28]

Thanks for the update, Tim. Your car is super cool and I can't wait to see it get done.

[PeteLeathersac]

'

Love it all but that tach tube just too cool!:headbang:
Is the thread the Fiasco decal was originally in still alive/deleted as I couldn't find it yesterday?:hmmm:
:beers:
~ Pete

.

[ZLP955]

Yep, here: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=158352

[ZLP955]

One of the stickers on the car when I bought it (the later, second paint scheme) was a Valvoline Participant decal, very faded but I was able to make out the event as ‘1972 NHRA Winternationals, Pomona California’ so that was a nice find too, although must have been once the car switched to E/MP under NHRA rules.
So I just bought this 1972 Winternats Souvenir Program on eBay after communicating with the seller (very nice guy) in California. He confirmed the car was listed in it as an entrant in Modified Production, owner’s details and home town matched and car’s name was ‘Home Grown’ so I’m even more comfortable that Fiasco was sponsor lettering, not part of the name.
Looking forward to it getting here :beers:

[ZLP955]

Turns out the car made a momentary appearance in this pro film made at the 1972 Winternationals that I found on YouTube. Unfortunately only the passenger side door was captured by the camera, but (to me, at least) it’s pretty cool. This is the second paint scheme the car raced in, applied some time after January 1971.
Check it out at the 1’08” mark:
yBPi8g1UE-s
I took a screenshot from the video and posted below, together with a blurry picture of the car taken around the same timeframe, and another as it was when I bought the car in February 2011.

[chevelleheart]

Great story! Neat car Tim,Congrats ! Looking forward to updates and pics.