The elusive Can Am found pics !

[Belair62]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/wheels/tnMar-5-2006090.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/wheels/tnMar-5-2006047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/wheels/tncorvettes002032.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/wheels/tn71CanAmInterior.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/wheels/tn71CanAm.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Belair62/wheels/tncorvettes002016.jpg

[nuch_ss396]

Please tell me I'm not the only one disgusted with what they
did to that Vette????? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

Steve

[njsteve]

You have to recognize that you're looking at a particular moment in time. This was a fad back in the late 70's early 80's. The same way a Motion Performance big block Camaro or an original (modified) V-8 Vega or Pinto or a customized Van (or even today's neon lighted, rice rockets) was a fad in its particular era. The original owner searched far and wide, and through the help of some people on this site was able to relocate his car and buy it back. If he's happy, more power to him.

[71 can am]

You also have to know & realize, this Can Am was built from a total, not from a non damaged corvette. The same as a lot of Compettion Cars. This Silver & Red competition custom show car was a Class winner with Show Cars International, Check out greenwoodcorvettes.com in the Can Am section. The wine colored is 20 yrs of Neglect.

[ronebee]

great car

[musclecarjohn]

I remember those...pretty wild!

[LS6 RAT]

You only have to look at old issues of VETTE magazine to be reminded of this era, for sure!

[71 can am]

Thanks for the support, There is an Article in the works for this car, Major Magazine, we just have to finnsh the car!

[Belair62]

I remember these too...in fact there was a later model..74 or so here local..2 tone silver with 6 tail lights...

[PeteLeathersac]

This look was cool at the time....not sure how I feel about it now? . These always remind me of the old Chevy Monza Trans-am series car w/ similar bodywork raced by Jim Adams and Chris Cord (E.L.'s grandson). ~ Pete

[ANDY M]

Remember the Mark Hamill movie "Corvette Summer"?
There was a thread here a while ago with pictures of that car.
Mark Hamill would like to forget the movie. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[budnate]

[ QUOTE ]
Remember the Mark Hamill movie "Corvette Summer"?
There was a thread here a while ago with pictures of that car.
Mark Hamill would like to forget the movie. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

ummm except the van scenes...... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

[Mr. T]

[ QUOTE ]
Remember the Mark Hamill movie "Corvette Summer"?
There was a thread here a while ago with pictures of that car.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/mistermister1/corvettesummer.jpg

[olredalert]

-------The New York Worlds Fair car next to Hamills is probably my favorite mid-year Corvette of all time. Do any of you guys remember it from B/J two years ago??? Body modifications were way CQQL!!!!........Bill S

[PeteLeathersac]

[ QUOTE ]
-------The New York Worlds Fair car next to Hamills is probably my favorite mid-year Corvette of all time. Do any of you guys remember it from B/J two years ago??? Body modifications were way CQQL!!!!........Bill S

[/ QUOTE ]

You're so right Bill, very cool and I think it's one of the S.O. (Shop Order) cars....fender exit sidepipes and a cool hood-dome kind've like the ones on '67 SS427 Impalas? . There was a few S.O. cars from this period made for the Bunkie Knudsen, Bill Mitchell, Harley Earl types and their wives too? . I think I remember reading one included an early Type 'O' casting 396....in a '64 car? .

Corvette Summer....wasn't that the show where the kid's school shop teacher turned out to be some big time international car thief? . The car still looks as dorky as it did back then!

~ Pete

[ANDY M]

Bunkie, Harly Earl and Bill Mitchells' Corvettes are here in Columbus, part of the Bob McDorman collection.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/ameyers215/bunky.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/ameyers215/P9100043.jpg
Check out the side pipes on the Ozzie Olson car. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[71 can am]

The corvette summer was a very radical custom, no way it could have any practical use on a race track, In my opnion a cool supercar, Has to look good & run good, In other words, A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Just stick on the #'s & go raceing, Then put it in the competition class in the Concourse same day. Been there , Done thst.

[olredalert]

-------The blue Bill Mitchell Vette behind the Olsen car went thru our dealership (Classic Motors) way back in about 1977/78. Used it to go back and forth to work on occasion. One of our buyers dug it up down around Louisville in the country.

-------Pete,,,The dome was actually an extended fuel injection lid that came thru the hood. Kind of like the first instance of a "shaker" design although there was no attempt at any cool air deal........Bill S

[PeteLeathersac]

VERY cool these cars....kind've executive perks for the GM boys! . Where's a picture of the 'shaker' dome....too cool this thing! . Is the 396 car there somewhere too and is the original lump still w/ it? . What's the build date of the 396 car....and if indeed a '64 it must predate Z16 production so would be nice to see some in depth look at the components? ~ Pete

[olredalert]

Pete,

--------The "dome" car is the Corvette next to the Corvette Summer car. You can see the fuel-unit lid poking thru but not by much. It also had a one-of chrome ring around the edge of the hole.
--------The sidepipes you see wernt functional as the car was built. It had under-the-car exhaust with turndowns at the aft end that you could hardly see. When Mike Yeager(Mid-America Corvettes?) bought the car at B/J he gave it to a very talented friend of mine up here in Detroit for a bit of fluffing and they came to the conclusion that the sidepipes should be active not passive. Werner Meier (my pal) had exact duplicates except functional made. They cost Mike a fortune but, I guess, its only money!!!.........Bill S

[DOWOP5]

I live in Upstate New York, 45 minutes from Cooperstown. Some of you may have heard about the Corvette Museum that was once located there. It shut down about 4 years ago. Anyway, it was a cool place and a friend and I went once a year. The guy who owned the museum had a movie theater in the museum with "Corvette Summer" playing and he had the actual car sitting in the theater. Pretty cool, you could watch the movie and look at the car at the same time.

[PeteLeathersac]

Thanks Bill....love these S.O. cars! . Cool sidepipe update....hope nothing melts the f'glass? . I meant closer pics of the 'dome' car....got any? . And the 396 car....any info on that one? ~ Pete

[Verne_Frantz]

Pete,

" I think I remember reading one included an early Type 'O' casting 396....in a '64 car?."

Do you have any more real info on this?

thanks
Verne

[olredalert]

------I dont have the catalog in front of me but I believe that the pearl pink 396 automatic coupe will be for sale at Bloomington Gold this June. If anyone has Danas catalog near at hand maybe they could take a look.

-------Found the catalog and I was right, Bunkie Knudsens car, built for his wife will be at B/G this June as well as another styling 64 Vette that has a bunch of mods to it that Im not familiar with.......Bill S

[PeteLeathersac]

Bill, that's the one, I'd forgotten it was the pink one. . So it is a 396 in a '64 car....is there any info available on it yet or does anyone have? .

Verne, I have no info myself, only know of the S.O. cars going to GM brass of the era....kind've like getting the key to the executive washroom? . I always loved the look of the 'dome' car and always thought this is where the idea for the '67 SS427 domes came from....don't think I knew it was a 'shaker' before....too cool! . I always wondered about the 396 car being a '64 so if it's coming up at BG, it'll be nice to read any available info on it. . Does anyone know if it's the original engine still with it?

~ Pete

[ANDY M]

Hemmings Muscle Machines April issue has a picture of it in the back, with a little info. The 396 is mated to a powerglide, it has '65 and '66 side vents, and the big block hood. It also has a pink and cranberry custom leather interior with Mrs. Knudsens initials engraved into the seat belt buckles, and it was the first to have 3 tail lights.
It also has every option that could be ordered. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/Can-I-Have-It.gif

[olredalert]

Pete------Typically, alot of these "SO" cars were production cars that were pulled after being completely built at St.Louis and shipped back to the tech center for modification. There is a 1965 427 roadster here in MI. that has the serial number "5". It came off the assembly line as a black/saddle leather loaded fuelie roadster (must have been gorgeous). It was then made into what I have always felt was the first 427 Corvette and also had a number of other cool special features. Along with the engine conversion they painted it a pale metallic silver green and dyed the original vinyl and leather pieces of the interior to match. They did manage to change the carpet out to a high quality color-matched cut-pile style. Also installed what I always think of as "Bill Mitchell grates" in the footwell area. You may have seen some in the past in other styling cars. They are like polished stainless floormats with slots cut in them. I have never seen a styling car from the Bill Mitchell era without them. I suspect that the pink coupe was done in much the same manner. I would be guessing but it probably started out as a 250 or 300 horse car with AC and auto. All the 65 body panels would make it a high probability that the car was done close to 1965 production.

--------What a dream job it would have been to work on these cars back in the day at the styling studio........Bill S

[PeteLeathersac]

Bill, you're so right about the dream job....pretty special bunch of people there together in a magical period of time. .
Interesting on the '65 427 car #5....more, more on any of these if you have anything to share! .
As I said before, the pink 396 car must predate Z16 production so would be interesting to get into. .
So no one w/ info or pics of the pink 396 car....or a good shot of that 'shaker' dome red car? .
Sorry for totally hi-jacking this thread? ~ Pete

[PeteLeathersac]

Hey check out this link....it's a Mecum ad for the pink '64 396 car coming up at BG! . Notes 396 hydraulic so sounds like L37 like the Z16 and not the L78 as the 'Vette's got in '65....wonder if there's an engine suffix on it? . They also note 'O' parts as in Type 'O' castings....Verne, you out there? . I'll go google-look for the dome car now? ~ Pete

http://www.mecumauction.com/auctions/lot_detail.html?LOT_ID=BG0606-34429

[427TJ]

Oh boy, a pink Corvette. Why couldn't Mrs. Knudsen's favorite color be black or red or silver or gold or blue or white or yellow or green or maroon or gray or purple or orange or brown?

[PeteLeathersac]

So true but color aside, an important car in the evolution of Mark 1V production. . Maybe Bunkie chose the color himself....couldn't get the 'pink' off his mind when away from his little woman? .
I can't find anything online for the 'dome' car .
~ Pete

[olredalert]

Pete,

-----Google "Mid America Corvette". Once on their site look for Mikes collection under "My Garage". Then look for 64 Styling Corvette and you will get a better pic of the dome coupe..........Bill S

[PeteLeathersac]

Thanks Bill! . Bit of a dickaround finding the site but did....here's the link if anyone wants to look at the 'dome' car. .

http://www.mamotorworks.com/mygarage/cars/64.html

Does he own Cerv-1 and more importantly XP819? . Thought it was Yenko's '67 L88 DX car in the background for a sec but appears to be a incomplete glass mockup of one of the '68 L88 DX cars? . If he's got XP819, do you know if there's a 377 alum. back in it now....last I knew (20 yrs ago?) there was an iron motor in it? . Crazy stuff! ~ Pete

[jfkheat]

Steve, Here is a magazine I just saw on Ebay that you may be interested in.
James

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/L-K-Aug-S...1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/L-K-Aug-Sep-1971-McLaren-CORVETTE-NEWS-RARE-NoReserve_W0QQitemZ8053506108QQcategoryZ34215QQrdZ 1QQcmdZViewItem)

[71 can am]

Thanks man, It sould be an interesting Mag. I'll try an get it.