Thomas/Nickey 427 conversion

[Belair62]

Anyone know when the first 427 was swapped out at Bill Thomas ? Didn't Bill Thomas engineer that swap ?

[68TopStock]

I think a GM engineer did the first swap not Bill, does the name Don McKenzie ring a bell with anyone? I think he was in Vince Piggins group, and brought the first car done out to Riverside, when they had the prototype Z28 there in November of 1966. I think they started working on the prototype Z28 in August of '66, so that may be the time frame for BB developement origins?

I think in one of the reference books there is a pic of a '67 BB prototype, probably built in the skunkworks of "Product Promotions" ie Vince Piggins, before the September release of the Camaro. I've got a pic of the engine bay somewhere here, it had webers on it, and the caption says it was used for testing the Camaro for "sportscar" racing.

[JChlupsa]

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<font color="red"> Don McKenzie </font>

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That name rings a bell. Want to say I read it in the Red 67 Hot Rod Camaro Article in one of the old Magazines I was looking through the other night. Ill double check and see what it says and if it was his name mentioned. Pretty neat write up on the car and some neat pics of how it was beat up and then restored by Elderbrock. I know they mentioned they removed the org engine and installed a big one and want to say it was bigger than 427.

[sYc]

Ken, interesting, and makes sense, that GM would do the first conversion, knowing that, if all went well, the BB would become an option by mid year. And the reason it is an easy conversion, unlike other makes where swapping in a BB for a SB is a nightmare.

[budnate]

[ QUOTE ]


[ QUOTE ]
<font color="red"> Don McKenzie </font>

[/ QUOTE ]
That name rings a bell. Want to say I read it in the Red 67 Hot Rod Camaro Article in one of the old Magazines I was looking through the other night. Ill double check and see what it says and if it was his name mentioned. Pretty neat write up on the car and some neat pics of how it was beat up and then restored by Elderbrock. I know they mentioned they removed the org engine and installed a big one and want to say it was bigger than 427.

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if I recall correctly the article will say it was a L-88 CAN-AM motor they borrowed from someone and it had like 24hrs of endurance racing on it when they got..thus it grenaded while testing....