Maher ZL1 in Corvette Fever: Question

[zl1vette]

First of all let me state that this is not intended to start a flame war nor make accusations. I ask questions and seek facts.

The March 2006 issue of Corvette Fever has a four page article on John Maher's 1969 Monaco Orange Corvette and is claiming that this is the second documented ZL1 Corvette found in existence. Thus it would also make it ZL1 Corvette no. 3 including the yellow and white ZL1's. The white ZL1 does not have its tank sticker, but two previous owners have signed affidavits as to its originality.

Corvette Fever shows what it reports as the origninal invoice for the car, and part of the original tank sticker.

What I find strange is that the invoice lists "Special Turbo Jet 427" and then the price of $3000. On the tank sticker next to the "02ZL1AA" code it lists "Special Turbo Jet 427".

Now it has been my understanding that the ZL1 option was an aluminum block for the L88. In other words, there was no ZL1 engine itself. The customer had to order the L88 engine and the ZL1 option, which is what the whole, original build sheet for the yellow, fully documented ZL1 shows. (Vette Vues magazine, March 1980, page 10). The reproduction invoice for the white ZL1 also has the L88 listed.

Perhaps this was a typo on the tank sticker, but unfortunately the rest of the sticker is missing where it would have indicated that an L88 was ordered for the car.

The invoice however is complete, with all options listed, but again there is no mention of the L88. The VIN number is listed as ending in 10209. What is also of note is that the white ZL1 VIN number indicates that it was Corvette number
6753 built in 1969, and the yellow ZL1 VIN number is 29219. Therefore, if we accept the authenticity of the white ZL1 and its VIN number, that would indicate that the orange ZL1 was built in between.

My question: was the ZL1 option available without the L88?

One could conjecture that GM might have done this as a price break to help sell the RPO, but then Fred Gibb ordered 50 COPO ZL1 Camaros all at once and he did not get a price break.

In the Camaro the ZL1 was not listed this way, but then that was a COPO car, and technically there was no L88 nor ZL1 RPO for the Camaro.


BW

[rpoz11]

"My question: was the ZL1 option available without the L88?"

I doubt it,... if you look at what every ZL1 came with internally, you'll see GM's intentions. It was a short lived run, and I believe had only one purpose!!!!
The de-tuned version played with by GM , to me, has not ever shown what was run internally, though considered, never made it to the showroom nor production.

So for your answer, NO!

[Chevy454]

If I remember right from talking to John, his car was the magazine test car...and went from white to hugger orange at some time early? Maybe it got a price break since it was an early, early press car?

[ratbox]

definately not an expert . but i disagree in the statement that zl-1's were the same engine as l-88 only with aluminum block. i'm not sure what else(probably more) .but i know that the cam's were differant . L-88 -#3925535 .540 intake/.560 exhaust-duration 326/334. ZL-1 -#3959180 .560 intake/.600 exhaust- duration 322/334.
.also found on HD parts list-pushrods # 3942415,3942416(intake/exhaust)with listing desription "Pushrod,intake,427-CID w/heavy duty aluminum block.7/16-in.diameter."so obviously they used a differant pushrod. and i'm sure there are other differances also. ie; possibly carb - maybe more.there's another interesting part listed on "HD" list-#3967811, despription "Crankshaft-1968(?)-'69 aluminum-block 427 CID.3-49/64-in. stroke,5140 steel forging w/cross-drilled mains.Nitride finnish on journals.2.1985-in.rod,2.748-in. main journal diameters.(Ident.7115). both of those parts have a desription that mention for "aluminum block", so they must be specific.and their are probably other parts and processes TO parts(treatments) that are differant. but it definately is a differant motor with differant specs. i have know idea about build sheet's and rpo's(possible two step rpo order to get one-manditory l-88?) for these cars as i have never seen one. but i would doubt it. maybe the build sheets with rpo l-88 also were put there so the builders would know to put on the rest of the applicable components (like special brakes and suspension) as they might have already been instructed as to what an l-88 car consisted of and how to build one. and the zl-1 rpo was less familiar. so a helpful guideline for assembly workers? i don't know, just a possible guess.that's all i could remember off the top and with a quick look in my library. note- remember not related to production cars, but they also made ZL-1's that were different from production car ZL-1's. that had some differant parts from normal ZL-1's for Can-am applications ie; even higher lift cam(.600/.600) and gear drive. probably even more differant parts(and massaging) here too.

[JChlupsa]

Notice where it states the ORG ZL1 engine was at home in the garage.

[zl1vette]

Ratbox,

You are definitely correct that the RPO L88 and RPO ZL1 are different motors with more than just different cylinder blocks. My question has to do with how it was written up on the build sheet.


BW

[Rowdy Rat]

[ QUOTE ]
You are definitely correct that the RPO L88 and RPO ZL1 are different motors with more than just different cylinder blocks.

[/ QUOTE ]

While the first design L-88 differed considerably from the ZL-1, the second design L-88 and ZL-1 were essentially the same with the only difference being the aluminum block. Open chamber heads, the bigger camshaft, the new Holley DP carb... all were part of the second design L-88 as well as the ZL-1. A few second design L-88s were built early in the 1969 model year (around November/December 1968 to get them in the hands of racers for Daytona), but the vast majority were built after the strike in mid-1969.

As far as the ZL-1 in question, I also have the 1980 Vette Vues and was immediately curious why it differed from the Corvette Fever article... I even had someone email some high resolution photos of the Daytona yellow car which he had to make sure that I wasn't seeing things.

Your question in the initial post is a good one. There are differences between the paperwork for orange car and the yellow car that should be researched.

One piece of information that would be very helpful in my personal research is if someone has in their possession or has access to an original window sticker for a Hechler Chevrolet (Virginia) delivered Corvette in the latter half of 1969. If so, I would very much like to get a photocopy of it (I'll be happy to pay for your trouble in getting it).

Regards,

Stan Falenski

[JChlupsa]

The complete article and a copy of the Yellow ZL1 Vettes sticker

[Marina66SS]

There were four ZL-1's built originally. Two are supposed to be the yellow Roger Judski car and the white (Otis Chandler owned, I know he doesn't own it now and I apologize to the current owner). I don't know much about the other two other than one was a convertible painted in a light color. I read an article that had vintage photos that showed the light paint, possibly white. They used this car for testing and actually had put a TH400 in it and got a best of 10.96 @ 132 mph with slicks and the bumpers removed. All this is from memory so if I remember right he car was supposedly destroyed. However, if it wasn't along with the fourth car it is possible to have four documented ZL-1's. Certainly this car fits the pictures that I seen before being that it is a convertible.

[zl1vette]

An earlier post commented that the orange car owned by Maher could be the white convertible that Zora set up for the press. However, that test session occurred in Feb 1969 and the Maher Corvette has a sale date of 12-30-68. The white convertible also had a four speed Muncie transmission as reported in the May 1969 issue of Road & Track, so that would disqualify these two cars as the same.

The test car that Zora set up with the automatic transmission was a red T-top coupe. There is a photo of it in the Oct 1969 Motor Trend.

Corvette Fever also reports that Maher was a friend of Don Yenko, and their August 1992 issue has an article with paper work that shows a Yenko purchase of a 1966 L88 Corvette roadster. This car of course does not show up on any of the sales sheets as it was not sold to the public. Maher's car was invoiced through Chevy dealer West Penn Garage.