1967 Impala SS427 L-72?

[olredalert]

----Last MCACN when I saw this car the owner saw me looking pretty closely at it and out of no where said "Hey Bill, havent seen you in a few years". Back when I first moved to Chicago to take a position at Classic Motors I met Bill Wickman as half of the custom body and paint shop named "Royal Coach". That was in 1976! we hadnt seen each other since 1985 or so. We had numerous high end jobs done at Royal Coach in the ten years I spent in that area and I became good friends with Bills partner, Bill Vollmer (RIP), as well as Bill W. I know theres no paperwork, and I know the chances are slim, but I also know Bill and his history with this car and trust his statements in relation to it. Since its not for sale why not just enjoy a beautiful 67 427SS?.......Bill S

[black69]

I read that article on the car in the magazine, and I would have thought someone would have judged the car's engine stamping and broach marks as correct. The magazine also refered to judging by muscle car and corvette nationals (a sponser here) as being correct (and I think they would look at the pad closely).

I think its real and we should appreciate respecting the car as its presented. If it comes up for sale, then its a different story, and you have to look at the car seriously and nit pick it if it is really a one of one.

[Tommy Nolen]

I read and enjoyed the article on the '67 SS 427 also. What a neat car, the one thing that caught my eye was the lack of the idler pulley that was normally used on the L72 cars. The SS 427/385 horse car would not have had the idler becasue it would have had hyd lifters but I would have thought the 425 would have had it. Just wondered

[olredalert]

----Tommy,,,I would also at least wonder where it went, but you and I both know how many of those idler pulleys got trashed. Since those idlers are fairly easy to come by I actually think it points more to the car more likely being an original L72. Id be willing to bet that the original idler was gone before Bill got the car some 30 years ago.

----And,,,On the pad check, Bill Braun was one of those judges and hes pretty sharp on broachmarks and #s as hes been a judge for a long time at BG as well as MCACN, and other Corvette judging venues......Bill S

[Tommy Nolen]

Bill,
I think you are right, a lot of those pulleys got trashed when the bearing went out. There was a time when the pulley was still available but the bracket wasn't. I think both are available today. Some years ago I had a '66 L-72, the car still had the original motor but the pulley and bracket were gone when I bought the car.

[kwhizz]

More info from Chevytalk...........

didit2 Said:

aawtech Said:

Except the 50 years later, and still none WITH PROOF have EVER surfaced? Not likely. The car in question is a fraud. Someone very knowledgeable has all the info on this car, and there are many concerns as to the authenticity of the car. As I have said over and over again, "show us some REAL documentation to prove the authenticity of it's existence, and we can put this whole situation to bed."

Donny





Donny, if you read my post, I said; Quote:

I have no documentation nor do I have stories of any particular combo



I wasn't referring to the car in question, nor was I saying any such car was built, in fact I specifically was quoting numbers from 1971 in reference to what Richard said about LS6 Chevelles of that year and just pointing out the discrepancies in their own record keeping, and the fact that leaves the door open for some possible unknown/undocumented cars to have existed. No claim that an particular car exists. Just that with over 5000 engines and transmissions that were coded for assembly line installation are basically unaccounted for and we really don't what they were or where they went. You don't know and neither do I. In fact obviously, neither does GM at this point.



True, but this subject has been broached many, many time over the years. The L72 is not listed as an option on any ordering info in 1967, none have surfaced, and there are only 17 engines unaccounted for in this instance, not 5000. The original post was in fact about this car, and the car is in fact a complete FRAUD! It was a turbo 400 car as documented by the second set of trans mounts on the frame, the trans code on the cowl tag, it is NOT and SS427 car (no 4D, and it should be there from that plant), the tach face has been altered, the block casting number has been altered, plus many other items which I won't get into here. To leave this subject untouched and say " it could exist" is reckless at best. This car is NOT real in any sense of the word, is a total fabrication, and should not be the "what if" poster child of "it could exist". Those of us who own, and are really into these cars are in fact protective of the info and the righteous cars out there, and must react to these blatant frauds created by someone when they are presented as "the real deal". This car will get sold for crazy-carzy money if someone buys the "urban legend" of it's existence and thinks that this ONE is the missing link.

Donny

[kwhizz]

More....................


Richard Martin Said:

Donny said:
"The L72 is not listed as an option on any ordering info in 1967."

How do you know that? Have you actually seen-- ALL-- the 1967 ordering info for the entire 1967 model year?

The reason I ask is because I have 6 (six) Chevy printed 1971 Chevy dealer ordering info books and I may not have all of them. For example if I look at my August 1970 dated book for the new for '71 Chevy or even the April '71 dated book I can not make an accurate and honest judgement call of what was and what wasn't for the entire '71 model year.

Richard






Yes Richard, with all due respect, I believe that I actually do. I own an original copy of the 1967 Dealer ordering binder from the Philadelphia Zone office which includes all the inner departmental memos (it's about 4 inched thick) which has all the updates in it, plus there is nothing at the dealer level (RPO or LPO for that matter) in print showing the availability of option code L72 in a 1967 passenger model of any type as there is in 1966, 1968, and 1969. Is there the possibility that something exists? Sure there is, but it should have surfaced in the last 45 years more than likely. Like I said, this has been discussed at great lengths over at another site which I am very active on. We have 3 of the very best 1967 historians at that site, and it is understood that there were no L72 big cars built for the 1967 model year. I believe Mr. Colvin's book even states that there are no records of the 17 coded engines that were supposedly made every making it into a car. Again, if someone EVER comes up with a REAL car with REAL documentation, I'm certain that this would be re-investigated. The point of this original post is that the car in Ill. is supposed to be the "real deal" and there are so many holes in that car's make-up, it's absurd. The car is not even a real Z24 car which it supposedly is. The car is a complete, made-up FRAUD, period. I can't be any nicer or plainer than that, sorry.

Donny

[kwhizz]

Don't shoot the Messenger.............

[Bill Pritchard]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Don't shoot the Messenger............. </div></div>

Amen to that.

[olredalert]

----Well,,,An expert seems to have spoken.....Bill S