Numero Uno #1 ZL1

[Steve Shauger]

This Gibb ZL1 is the first and significant due to it being not only #1, but racing history. Our own Charley Lillard is featuring this car...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQYhEY8mqHw

[Lynn]

Video says it was posted June 13, 2013. Is that correct?

Is it still in the Brothers collection?

[Steve Shauger]

Hi Lynn, yes and yes. hope you're healing well and feeling better.

[big gear head]

I got to see it run at Indy in the '80s when Bill Porterfield still had it.

[Eck]

Went with Fox to Phoenix to see this bad boy make its debut at Beeline in 69. There was some serious stuff there that year.....Good O days.

[olredalert]

----Was supposed to race Bill P at the "Field of Dreams" race at Quaker City in 1992-93 (I think). Unfortunatly, Bill broke before we could. He would of had to spot me some as you may notice he had the car in the nine's. Red Alert's best times were in the ten-o's but we never got far enough to figure out the spot.....Bill S

[69LM1]

Got to be one of the coolest cars, ever....... One of, if not the #one, top ten american cars ever (IMO of course).

/R

[JoeC]

There are a lot of great pictures and youtube vids on ZL1 #1

would be cool to see them all in one post


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCWCOeeVuE

[TimG]

Holy cow, what an amazing car.

[RPOLS3]

And even more amazing that it still has it's original block.

[carnut4life]

I remember seeing this car in person the year Porterfield brought the car to SCS Indy and it caught on fire in the trailer on the way to the show. Bill had bandages on his hands from the burns he got getting it out of the trailer and the teenage me thought he was the coolest guy in the world for not letting it burn to the ground. I wore the ZL1 shirt he sold for years until it turned yellow and had about a hundred holes in it. Those were some good times before the internet and smart phones!!!

[cook_dw]

I knew I should have gotten Lillard's autograph at MCACN...!!.. Infamous!

[JoeC]

this is a great photo of ZL1 #1

If I remember the story correctly , Fred Gibb was asked to bring the car in to Chevy for the engineers and others to see it ?

[JoeC]

here are photos of the melt down

[olredalert]

----I was wondering when someone would bring up the fire. That paint job was painstakingly applied in original laquer to mimic the original exactly. The re-restoration was done in two stage and really looked fantastic!......Bill S

[William]

In an interview, Gibb stated they switched to the 430" Can-Am block during the 1969 season. I believe Bill Jenkins did also but his car was not a production ZL1.

The #1 original block was located and re-united with the car about 20 years ago. Very interesting engine as it was built at Flint November 22, 1968.

[HawkX66]

here are photos of the melt down
Yuck. Did they find the cause? Battery left hooked up or something? Glad it was saved. Beautiful re-resto. Not easy with burnt panels I've heard.

[JoeC]

I remember Bill P talking about it at a show
if I remember the story correctly , the car trailer broke a spring or something and the trailer fender was rubbing the tire. The fender got red hot causing items inside the trailer to catch on fire

[olredalert]

----You are correct, Joe!…...Bill S

[Rebelrouser]

I think at one time that car was engulfed in flames and resurrected. Lots of history that car has had over the years.

[Kurt S]

I remember Bill had the burnt header panel and some other parts at the local swap meet.

[RALLY]

Saw Porterfield at US 131 Motorsports Park take a few runs done the strip. Quick car and what a beauty.

[JoeC]

lots of pics online of this ZL1 #1

here are a few more I liked

[DW31S]

Trailer spring broke en route to Super Chevy Indy causing tire to rub which eventually ignited flames partially engulfing trailer, car, and some contents. Bill’s arm was burned, but not his spirit or tenacity. I was there and helped him sort things out and we got the car running/driving (but not racing) at that event.
The paint job that was damaged had been painstakingly duplicated as per original race livery.

[Mr70]

Bill brought this car to 2003 Super car reunion @ Collinsville when Joel Rosen,Marty Schorr,Gary Kupfer,Phil Tesio & John Mahler spoke.He had it at the Gateway track the day before,and I'll never forget when he started it up to race,but drove around the whole perimeter of the race track to get the oil pressure up first.The noise it made was like the Space Shuttle buzzing overhead..You couldn't help but hear it,no matter where at the track you were.Just watching that car launch was a sight to behold.Driving it into the show hall was just as sound deafening.
He was going to race Ken Barnhart,but Kens' ZL-1 had issues that day.
He also brought it to the Fred Gibb Memorial Car show in La Harpe in August 2006,and there was never NOT a crowd around it all day.

[ORIGLS6]

Not trying to upstage everyone's stories about #1, but Fred and Herb raced the car at our 1/8 mile AHRA strip back in 69/70 when they ran with a Midwest SS group. We booked them a number of times for special events at our track. That's where I first met them both. As a result of that meeting I made the deal to trade my '68 SS396 Chevelle for a new Black LS-6 in the tower of our track after one of those shows.
They had won the race and were in the tower to collect their winning$. I asked Herb about the new 450 HP 454, and said I had talked to some local dealers. Some of them denied the 450 HP version even existed, and others shied away from the Hi-Perf cars citing reliability and horror stories with GM re: warranty work. Herb's reply, with his trademark big grin; "do we look like we're afraid of Hi-Performance engines?"
Sure wish I could relive those days!

[ORIGLS6]

This is probably the last time Herbie sat in the car. August 6, 2011 at the show in LaHarpe. I believe the car was owned by Joe Zrostlic (sp?) at the time. (Some other semi-famous dude wearing suspenders standing in the background. )

[cook_dw]

Any idea what company made this hood? I am diggin' it.

https://www.yenko.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=157811&stc=1&d=1580921774

[Mr70]

Just sold for $1310.65,one of one. :)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266119294892?hash=item3df5f22fac%3Ag%3AOh4AAOSwBh1 j4F-T&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAkJAAtg5yazXkgfnnSsuk38Lnz25Lg %2BRkPm68HI3KiXdp6GUXJg0A6tsKtu%2F8seTYo2hHn1WVzfG mwddl7mfkKcXg%2BVlJ8ehu6JVOUviEEIJ%2Fy2ugN08VEd9jp jGzKLBkD6XzjGCNuNF7imfgDSxKzFA%2Fo58y0lnd%2BFdiHla Ii8DU7rQph4cTf6Y9UJrewhbQaA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6Cc ns3JYQ&nma=true&si=3KGwJktClCKW8HpBzf7onUiy3Rc%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Andy]

I got to see the car at SCR 2 but didn't get to go to the track for the race that Sunday due suddenly coming very ill. Hate that I missed it, especially driving all the way from Georgia to Missouri to see it. I did buy the paint test panel from Bill that Saturday at the reunion and it's one of the best pieces in my personal collection. I'll see if I can get a better picture of it later this week. I left the note on it that Bill put on there describing what it was. Hard to believe that was 24 years ago! Bill did a great job with finding the car and restoring it! Just hearing it run was one of the best things about that reunion to me!