An awesome photo of the #69 ZL1 Camaro posted on FB in the Huebner Chevrolet showroom. Thanks to Randy Doll and Jim Stubbings for posting the photo. Very cool shot.

As already mentioned in this thread, the VIN tag and partial VIN panels (firewall and cowl), along with front floors, hinge pillars, etc....are all original which would, in most people's eyes negate this being "rebody",....but also the way I look at it, a 55 year old car, if still around that may have seen time as a daily driver, weekend cruiser, part time racer, whatever, ..in that time might have been involve in a few accidents between multiple owners, needing a 3/4 nose here, and perhaps a door there,...may have had quarter skins and floors replaced due to rust and rot,.....maybe even roof work if it was a vinyl top car that rotted out.

Replacing all those crunched panels in my eyes is no worse then replacing rotted and dented panels that get replaced in many major restorations.

What is going on in that showroom? A 59 Caddy and 69 Camaro. Some sort of anniversary party?

I don’t know, but I see exactly one person looking at the Camaro…

I see two. One looking at the window sticker and one under the hood.

Jason

^ Three you count the guy sitting with the glasses crunching the Numbers to try and afford the monthly payments to GMAC,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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I’d love that 65-68 Saab 96 you can see outside, especially if the 2-stroker!
Cool pic Rick, thanks for posting it.
:beers:
~ Pete

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I don't know about most peoples eyes, but to me; cosmetic replacement is one thing, structural replacement is another. That said, I'd be very happy to own it and enjoy it for whatever it is.

If you look closely, that's because it seems like everyone in that picture behind the Camaro are in line for something,....heading what looks like, out the door or at least toward the door.

A bunch of “car guys”. Donuts are a priority!

Great info/history on the car!
I'm amazed how you guys find these old pictures and newspaper articles.

Agree 100%. IMO, as long as the main body structure is original it's still a ZL1.

this is said to be ZL-1 #69 racing with a 396 in it

You are correct sir…I missed the guy looking at the mill…duh! LOL

I know this is an old post, but apparently based on this ad, the number of Zl-1’s was well known, even in 1969? This car is the last car and a May car.. Wonder when ad was made and how they knew.

I seem to recall that the number was always believed to be 50 and then Bill P got ahold of or found a second list from Vince P with another 19 VINs. ??? Is my memory incorrect?

So I decided to do some research on my own. This is Hooper’s 69 reference book.

So according to the book, in 1981 Vince Piggins and no one else remembered or knew that 69 zL-1’s were actually built.
But based on the ad, Huebner Chevrolet and everyone that read it knew the correct number in 1969? Wonder when the sales ad was made.

Something weird about this story ?

It was big news in the drag racing community when Chevy built the ZL-1 Camaros for drag racing.

50 cars were required for Super Stock racing so some thought only 50 were built.

The MOPAR racers said that 50 were not built and they protested it.

Vinnce Piggins and others had to collect info to prove the 50 car minimum was met.


I have seen other numbers in the old ads and articles

A lot of what Vinnce Piggins did was done behind the scenes

this guy selling #12 thought it was 52

52 was also used in a 1969 Speed and Supercar article

Don’t know about weird, but something about that was unknown for many years.

Three years ago I had the privilege of speaking with Jerry Huffman. The family dealership, Huffmans' Chevrolet, was known as a performance dealership despite being located in Farmington IL, population just over 2,000. The location was near a mine that employed many young guys, making good money. They were well-known at Chevrolet Central Office and were one of the few dealerships allocated a Z-16 Chevelle. Jerry stated that their contact at Central Office, Barney Krass, contacted them Spring of 1969. Chevrolet had decided to end the COPO at 69 units and were soliciting dealerships to place additional orders. The dealership placed orders for two cars, Silver [#66] and Orange [#67] both 4-speeds. Sixteen other dealers also placed ZL-1 Camaro orders at that time.

It wasn’t fate that 69 1969 ZL-1 Camaros were built. Huebner Chevrolet also heard the plan.

I always wondered how that was allowed to happen. Huffmans’ Chevrolet was located 60 miles E of Gibb Chevrolet in La Harpe, IL. At the time of Huffman’s orders, there were 37 unsold ZL-1 Camaros in stock at Gibb Chevrolet. I asked Jerry about that. He said they were acquainted with Gibb and aware of his ZL-1 order but assumed the cars had been sold.

#66 & #67 were delivered late in May. #67 sold first, and quickly became a PIA with multiple engine failures requiring warranty repair and eventually a new engine. Sometime later it was traded in at a different dealership, ZL-1 engine missing. Huffman’s’ re-acquired it, installed the engine from #66 and sold it. It was subsequently destroyed in an accident.

#66 received a small-block and was sold. Survives today, in mostly original condition. Incredibly, the original blocks for both cars still exist.

Might sound like a yarn, but there is reason to believe it. There is a 31-day gap in ZL-1 Camaro production. The last Gibb car, #52, was final assembled on or about March 27, 1969. #53 was final assembled on or about April 26, 1969. The body numbers for those cars are much higher of course, but in another odd wrinkle, #51 was built prior to the last Gibb order despite being ordered much later [as was #54]. It was ordered by Brooks Chevrolet for Lamar Walden, possibly one of the few ‘insiders’ at Chevy.

BTW #3 was the first ZL-1 Camaro ordered, body #211785. Legend has it that Berger Chevrolet ordered 2 COPO 9561 Camaros, later changed one order to COPO 9560. Body #211786 is an L72 COPO.

ZL1’s
 

July 18, 1969

427 Camaro
 

Oct 11, 1969

‘

Here’s a Private Seller Ad from 10/70 w/ the 52 # noted, hope this Drafted lad made it home.:flag:
I had the Ad at hand as I was going to post it over in the current NY thread, anyone know which car this ZL1 likely was?
:beers:
~ Pete

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#212 area code is Manhattan NYC.

Only one known to have been in NY is #12, mis-identified as #52. 3 months old?

Probably sat at a dealer until mid-1970 when this guy bought it :dunno:

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21 reported as this mid March ‘69 Newspaper article w/ great last line…Chicago Dealer…:hmmm:
:beers:
~ Pete

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21 could have been the running count at that time period in 69.

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What’s the earliest known date ZL1’s were first seen at any Dealership or elsewhere after leaving the factory?
Sorry if old news but love to hear more on this if anyone w/ details to share.
:beers:
~ Pete

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Thats the experimental Z/427 for 1970 Zl1

Umm, that ROGER DEAN add with the DARK 1969 ZL1 Vette with auto?????

In the corvette ZL1 thread I think it was Larry Cain years ago mentioned seeing a BLUE 1969 ZL1 vette.

So this would add/verify that there was more then the 2/3 Zl1 vettes. They known Yellow and White, plus the orange, NOW A BLUE.

Thats the Experimental ZL1 Corvette

#1 & #2 were delivered to Gibb Chevrolet December 31, 1968. By the end of March, all 50 had been received. Shortly afterwards, Gibb received a GMAC invoice for $289,000.

Wheels resemble what GM offered on the '79 Camaro Berlinetta.


Attachment 270765

The Yellow Z-427 was Bill Mitchell's personal car and also used as a show car

custom built but Chevy with a Zl-1 engine

Where did Fred Gibb store all 50 ZL-1 camaros at?

Why does the picture that has the word "April" on it say 1967 Chevy Camaro Z-427?

It was used in a calendar.

Note that it had a normal license plate on it, not a M-plate.

Great question!

This is from an interview [MCR Aug 2011] with Bob Lionberger, the Gibbs’ son in law and dealership employee.

“With more than 40 ZL-1s on hand, theft was a problem. In April 1969 we had our first incident. All of the ZL-1s were stored outside at the west end of the building. I’m not sure what the exact number was, but I think we had six or seven carburetors stolen off the cars as well as parts stolen out of the building. That was when Fred decided we needed a fence. It was about 10 feet high with angled barbed wire posts at the top and had a huge gate in the front. However, until the fence was completed, we had to park all 40 cars inside the shop every night and pull them back out in the morning.”

It’s pretty wild that the number of ZL-1s was well known in mid March, prior to end of their production… and then seems the number was lost or forgotten historically and believed to be 50 for years.

And the fact that they were shopping the 37 returned Gibb cars and taking orders for other cars makes me wonder how did they decided on exactly 69 total? I always assumed that is how many ended up being ordered. But obviously, based on the old ads and William’s great info and insight, there was a cap on production at 69.

Cool that one dealer had a ZL-1 Camaro and vette.

Thanks all and SYC..always great info. here!

iluv there is a list of vins.

... this must have taken some time! As we know, the ZL-1s were (are) notoriously hard to "start".