Spoke to cousin of prior owner of my ZL-1 today!!

**iluv69s** · #1 11-12-2008, 02:20 AM

So I am tracking down the REAL story on my ZL-1....over the years Ive heard more than a few different stories about the car and the motor...just recently a fellow called my brother about some Camaro parts and mentioned how he missed out on a real ZL-1 Camaro for 7500 bucks in the Baltimore area back in the day...my brother suspected it may be my car so he asked a few questions about it and it turns out it is the same car indeed. He mentioned how the car was for sale at a small mechanic shop back then in Baltimore and even gave my brother the name of the shop.
So my bro called there and asked if they had owned a 69 Camaro back in the day and the owner said his cousin had owned a 69 Camaro racecar with an all aluminum motor....so, sure enough, I found out some of the history of my car today....
His cousin bought the car from the second owner who converted it to racing. When his cousin bought the car it had the original motor, and at some point his cousin sold the original motor to a friend who then sold it to a circle track guy.
The guy we spoke to today is also friends with the second owner. Apparently the second owner, a colored fellow, bought the car early in life and raced it at Cecil County and other dragstrips in the area...The car has never been registered or driven on the road. It was mostly original when he bought it including the fathom green paint. but he hit a guardrail at some point in the late 70's, possibly 80,s and really converted it into a racecar. He painted the car blue and put a glass nose and backhalved the car..it had a centerline style wheels, lexan windows and a big scoop with the hole in the front. He insisits that it always had the original motor although they put a tunnelram on it.
A lot of questions were answered today!! But I have even more now!! Although I have considered selling the car lately, I feel like really starting the restoration now!!! Ive been inspired!! hehehe
I am supposed to be in touch with the actual third owner (his cousin), and the second owner who raced and built the car by next week. yeeaahhh!!! heheheh
Anyone remember this car back then?? first green, then blue, backhalved glass nose "all-out" racer.....maybe some pics??? It was then for sale in 1984 I believe...
any info would help...Thanks!!!!
Id love to see some vintage pics!!!! Ill keep ya posted!!!

NovaMob03 · #2 11-12-2008, 05:00 AM

Which ZL 1 do you have? Sounds like it has good history. How 'bout a pic of the way it looks now?

**iluv69s** · #3 11-12-2008, 05:10 AM

its #34....I plan on takin some pics this week and documenting the restoration completely....it looks like your basic coupe shell at the moment...hehehe...it could pass for a six banger at the moment...you could say its in pieces..it was a basket case when I bought it and Ive just very recently emptied the parts out of the car from when I bought it and started to see exactly what I have(or dont have)..hehehe...Ill post some pics asap...but its not much to look at at the moment..I assure you!!

Chevy454 · #4 11-12-2008, 05:48 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently the second owner, a colored fellow, bought the car early in life and raced it at Cecil County and other dragstrips in the area...The car has never been registered or driven on the road. It was mostly original when he bought it including the fathom green paint. but he hit a guardrail at some point in the late 70's, possibly 80,s and really converted it into a racecar. He painted the car blue and put a glass nose and backhalved the car..it had a centerline style wheels, lexan windows and a big scoop with the hole in the front. He insisits that it always had the original motor although they put a tunnelram on it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Hmmm...maybe an old A/MP car? Did he happen to say what class he raced in, or was it just a "generic" racecar? Sammy, you awake? Know anyone from Cecil that goes back a few years? That's down in Macneish's stomping grounds too...maybe he remembers it?

**iluv69s** · #5 11-12-2008, 04:16 PM

I spoke to Jerry a few times about the car... The guy I spoke to at the garage confirmed what Jerry had told me about a colored guy named "buby" raced the car back in the day. And that he remembers when the car was for sale in 84...but not much more than that.

I'm not sure about the class or details of the racing. hopefully I will get more details when I speak to the actual prior owners of the car. I really want to see pics of my car with the wheels in the air!! ...The guy from the garage said it was running 10.0's with the stock motor and a tunnelram !!

NovaMob03 · #6 11-12-2008, 04:37 PM

Years ago I'd heard of a ZL1 in the Md area which was somehow connected to Malcom Durham. Friends or race buddies maybe

**iluv69s** · #7 11-12-2008, 04:47 PM

I believe Malcolm actually owned and raced one of the ZL-1's and that the car is destroyed now?? (So Ive heard)....this is not the same car....
my car was sold thru Govans Chevrolet after it was sent back to Norwood from Gibb Chevrolet...
really interesting that the list price was over $7000, but the car finally sold in June of 1970 for $4800....the dealer took a real loss on that one!!!

**iluv69s** · #8 11-12-2008, 04:54 PM

Is Malcolm Durham still alive?? It could be a good contact...apparently the original owner of my car would be 70 yrs old now...He was 32 when he bought the car!! I can just imagine the first couple runs at the track with the car...Ive been trying to track him down for years...with no luck

..and how about Govans Chevrolet...now it is owned by another dealership, anyone know anybody that used to work there back in the day?? apparently I believe they recieved 2 ZL-1's (if my memory serves me)....I imagine some prior employees would remember the car as it sat at the dealer for a whole year...I wonder if they took it for any test-drives??

Donutblue · #9 11-12-2008, 05:13 PM

Malcom Durham passed away June 2006 - http://www.draglist.com/artman/publi...e_001750.shtml

**iluv69s** · #10 11-12-2008, 07:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Malcom Durham passed away June 2006 - http://www.draglist.com/artman/publi...e_001750.shtml

[/ QUOTE ]

what a bummer...I just read a bit about him...I cant imagine that he did not know of my car and the owner back then...how many black american ZL-1 owners from Baltimore were there??? thats hard to believe...missed out by a few years to contact him.......apparently he had a real 69 ZL-1 named strip blazer jr. and won the AHRA nats in 1970. He really tore up some tracks!!!