Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Stewart
The rear is a shortened Impala.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by big gear head
The Chevelle has a different rear suspension from the Impala, so it would have been a Chevelle rear end with Impala tubes, or the frame would have been modified for the Impala suspension. I would bet that it just had Impala tubes.
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Z16 rear is not just a shortened Impala rear. It really is a "Z16-only" rear. Center section and all suspension parts are Chevelle. The tubes and bearing ends are shortened Impala tubes. And as I mentioned the axles are one-offs. The rears for the two "prototype" cars were built first, then once fitment was confirmed all 200 production rears plus ?? service units were built in a single run over two days in December of 1964.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Stewart
spindle, backing plate and drum are Z-16 only.
I wonder why this was. Impala standard wheels were 14 x 5 with wagons getting 14 x 6. You could order the 6" wheels under RPO P12 with mandated 8.25x14 tires.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by big gear head
Because the Impala had a 5 on 5 bolt pattern?
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Stud spacing is the same on Chevelles and Impalas. But the offset of the 14x6 wheels on those two models is not.
The Z16 wheels and front brake drums appear to have been the result of "trial and error" fitment on the prototype cars.
14x6 wheels with the Chevelle offset will not fit over Impala rear brake drums. They wedge onto the back edge of the drum before the center of the wheel mates the face of the drum, so the lugs cannot be tightened all the way. They fixed that by having the special Z16 14x6 wheels made to fit over those big rear drums.
Only problem with that was then the rivets that hold Z16 wheels together prevent those from fitting over Impala front drums! So the front drums had to be altered to accept the Z16 riveted wheels.
There are lots of other one-off parts on Z16's. So they clearly were not worried about costs or making a profit in that program! But it really is a shame that they did not offer an HD suspension option in 66-67 using the boxed frame with Z16 brakes, rear sway bar, and giant front sway bar. The parts were designed and they could have kept making them and recouped some of those costs.
08-31-2020, 11:24 PM
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