The Supercar Registry

The Supercar Registry (https://www.yenko.net/forum/index.php)

- COPO - Canada (https://www.yenko.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=95)

- - ZL-1 Camaro (https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=81165)

Well, I am a newbie here, but for what it is worth, I just purchased a '69 L-78 Nova that was sold through Cliff Bristow Chevrolet. Early car, will be looking for owner history here shortly.

I still have docs, but no way to scan them...

You could take picture of docs and post or email out, if camera was high enough resolution. Just a thought.

Not to hijack the thread, but I have all the Gibb paperwork on the 34 ZL-1..the car shipper with all the options and prices, a letter from Fred himself about the car (before he died) and even the paperwork when the car was picked up from the dealer and returned to Norwood. I also have the MSO from Govan's Chev. when it was sold new to the public. If anyone is interested, I could scan and post.

Would that "Govan's" Chevrolet be "Jerry's Govans" Chevrolet? Baltimore, Maryland?

i whould like to see the copo l72 vin list to see if my car is listed thanks lw engler 69camaro

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lwe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i whould like to see the copo l72 vin list to see if my car is listed thanks lw engler 69camaro </div></div>So would I, I don't think one exists

Do you know what Dealer number Govans was? I am trying to figure out who dealer #14504 was in that area. My car (1970 L-78) was sold new at dealer in Blatimore.

I am Cliff Bristow - owner of Cliff Bristow Motors in Three Hills Alberta from 1969 to 1972 when the dealership was destroyed in a fire. The ZL1 Camaro was originally ordered by George Stedelbauer for his dealership in Edmonton,Alberta. At the time of ordering the price of the COPO option was not known. When the car arrived George refused the car and it was returned to GM zone stock but left at the dealership. As I was building a Pro Stock Camero at the time GM called to see if I would make an offer on the car. I purchased it for $5,500 and picked it up with my trailer at Stedelbauer Chev-Olds. Upon returning to Three Hills it went directly into the shop, the aluminum engine was removed an a crate 427 was installed. (About the biggest mistake I ever made)I sold the car to a buyer who I believe was from Saskatchewan. The engine performed extremely well in the 1970 Pro Stock car with a career best run of 10:40 at 138 MPH.
This was close to the NHRA national record at the time but shortly after the Vega cars took over. The car was built and stored at Crossfields with Rolly Johnston who did all the mechanical work on it and drove it. After the fire life was very difficult and I moved to Edmonton and lost track of what happened to the engine.

Wow Cliff, welcome aboard!!!
A few performance cars you delivered are still around including some that've shown up here on this site.
Note the post a couple pages back by Rszmjt w/ a timeline of your engine after it left your hands.
I expect your dealership was Zone # 82, do you happen to recall your dealer code?
Lastly, we love pictures here so if you have any of your dealership or your ProStock car there's lots of lads here that would love to help you post 'em.

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

Welcome aboard. Its stories like these that make it all worthwhile. Thanks for that.

Welcome aboard Cliff....I remember your Pro Stock car when it raced in Saskatoon back in the day. I have coffee regularly with Dan Barkley who had the Wheeler Dealer Camaro from the same era. He too has some great stories from that era. Not to hijack the thread but Dan & his son Chad are still racing to this day.

Cliff,
Thanks for posting. The current owner of the car would like to talk to you about the car if possible. The engine is currently being repaired/built. There may be some history on that motor you remember! I sent you a pm. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Mark

Hi, im new here, i have a 69 ss that would tribute to #54 ZL1 very easy, just want all the info i can get on it, thanx , Smitty

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 6smitty9</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi, im new here, i have a 69 ss that would tribute to #54 ZL1 very easy, just want all the info i can get on it, thanx , Smitty
WHAT exactly are you inquiring about???
</div></div>

RE: 1969 ZL1 Camero

Hello I am Brian - X-3 HIlls Farmer. It was great to see Mr. Cliff Bristow respond to your site re: Blue 1969 Camero ZL1. At 15 years of age, My dad, Fred, was farming 1500 acres of grain land at Three Hills Alberta. In 1968, my dad purchased (demo) Chev custom half-ton pickup from Mr. Bristow One day, my dad and I stopped into Cliff's garage. The big door was opened and there was a new 1968, 302 Z28 with the hood up and running and with a cross ram. I was hooked. July 17, 1968, my dad got sick and we lost him. For a few years, we carried on farming but without my dad, things just weren't the same. My cousin, Roy, was friends with Cliff and also John who owned the IGA Store next door to Cliff Bristow motors. Roy introduced me to John who at the time drove a 1967 SS396, 4 speed, Chevelle; ordered new from which was Three Hills Motors at the time. At 15 years old, I jumped into John's Chevelle, went down the road and back by myself, jumped out of the car and said to John, "One day I'm going to own this car." A year and 1/2 later, the car was mine. A year or so later, I decided I needed more power. At 17 years old I went into Mr. Bristows office and sat down with him and ordered new 30 over, 375 Hp, 11-1 pistons, 375 hp solid cam and lifters and rebuilt my big block 402 in my dad's shop on the farm by myself. It was a winner. It ran great.

All the staff and mechanics at Bristow's were very nice to me. At any time, I could go to their shop and test ride in a 69 Nova with a 427 or go for a ride in a new 70 Camero Z28, Hugger Orange, which was just unloaded off the truck. Now before I ordered those 11 to 1 pistons, there was a big block, short block on the floor wrapped up in a plastic bag. I asked one mechanic what that was and he said "No, you don't want that engine." He said it had 7 or 8 thousands cylinder clearance. It was a new 427 L88 Short block. Now that I think of it, it probably wasn't the cylinder clearance but maybe it was too much engine for a 17 year old to go out onto hwy 21 with. The 1969 blue camero ZL1 with hounds tooth interior was a fact. I looked at this car several times sitting along side Cliff's garage, sitting high in the front end with the engine out. I had my hands on the drivers glass lookin inside the car.

Many times I road my Honda to Shepard Raceway in Calagary to watch Rollie drive Cliff's 68 Rat Patrol Camero with a 427 which always ran great. As well as the 1970s' Rat Patrol Camero which had the ZL1 engine out of the blue 69 Camero. This was a great looking car which always reminds me of Grumpy Jenkin's Cameros. All of this is FAct. From this point on, I lost track of these cars. I brought into Cliff' Bristow, s garage two close friends of mine (brothers); Barry ordered a 70 Chevelle 454, LS5 with a bench and a rock crusher. --for just under $4400 Canadian. I was sitting there when the deal was made. Cliff the other brother purchased a new 70s Nova with a 350, 4 speed but Bristow Motors swapped engines for a 375 hp, 396. Another fellow that I knew from Calgary purchased a new 69 dark green L88, 427 Nova. At any given time, there were 454, LS6s and LS7 big blocks sitting there ready to go. This dealer ship had big blocks all over Alberta. Once the dealership and Cliff Bristow were gone, the fun was gone. I am a permanent US Resident living 17 years in NV, . CA, and in the Phoenix, AZ area. If I could go back to the Three Hills Farm, get my work done, drive my 67 big block Chevelle down highway 21 to Bristow's hot little dealership, I'd be back in a minute.
Best regards,
Brian
PS At 60, I may be looking for another red 1967 SS396 HP 4-speed again.

Great story Brian !! Neat to hear some history like that!

I enjoyed your post, thanks for sharing it.

Brian,
Thanks for your post regarding your experiences with Bristol motors and the ZL1 Camaro. The original ZL1 motor for the blue ZL1 is currently being re-assembled and I hope to see it back in the restored blue Canadian ZL1 in the near future.

Mark

I LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY ORIGINAL PICTURES ARE AVAILBLE , I HAVE A LEMANS BLUE ZL1 RECREATION THAT IM NEEDING PITURES OF TO SEE IF THE WHEELS ARE THE RALLY OR SLEEPER , AND THE VINYL TOP PICS , THE CAR I HAVE HAS A REAL ZL1 ENGINE , NO CRATE ENGINE , IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE PICS CONTACT ME 405-833-1586

IM INTERESTED IN SELLING THIS CAR

For anyone actually interested in fact from one of the few of us left that were there and up to our elbows in it back then, George Eaton Racing lost their funding at the end of the 1969 season and I bought the only two blocks they had left, a 430 Can Am and a ZLI, in addition to several cylinder heads that had all been ported by Traco Engineering, GM's designated engine builder for the Can Am Series. That was December of 1969. By then those of us with close sponsorship ties to GM knew about the Nurse ZL1 Camaro. It passed through Nurse to Eaton purely because Nurse was the nearest dealership to the Oshawa head office and was used for that sort of thing. Eaton's team manager told me the ZL1 was from the Nurse car.

I was one of the founders of NHRA Pro Stock (we signed the papers in a meeting room at a Holiday Inn in Dallas the night before the 1969 World Finals) and used the 430 Can Am block in my 68 Camaro the first year of P/S, 1970. See attached pic of the blocks & heads behind the Camaro, subsequently painted white.

As for the Stedelbauer ZL1, I have known the Stedelbauer family since the 1960s and last spoke with George about two years ago, when we discussed the car along with a number of other interesting rolling stock. George remembers taking the car off of Oshawa's hands when they couldn't find a dealer even vaguely interested. Unlike younger brother Bill, George had no interest in racing and no intention of racing it and did not have it long enough to race it.

Lance Hill

DO YOU HAPPEN KNOW IF THE # 54 ZL1 SHIPPED TO BRISTOL MOTORS LEMAN BLUE WITH BLACK TOP HAD SLEEPER WHEELS OR RALLY I CANT FIND ANY INFO ON THE WHEELS OF THAT CAR , OR ANY SIGNIFIGANT PICTURES OR NONE AT ALL ?/
405-833-1586 CALL ME IF ANY INFO AVAILABLE ON THIS CAR I THINK ITS MISSING ENGINE WAS REMOVED

DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ANY PICTURES OR DETAILS OF THIS CAR IM WANDERING ABOUT WHEEL SLEEPER OR RALLY TYPE WAS ON THIS CAR 405-833-1586

DO YOU HAPPEN TO REMEBER IS WHEELS ARE RALLY OR SLEEPE

It doesn't show Rally Wheels on the option list so it was probably Dog Dish Wheels.
The ones that was delivered with Rally Wheels show ZJ7 Rally Wheels.
I can be wrong, I really doesn't know.

Stoli,
Sorry didn't get back sooner about Cliff Bristols #54 ZL-1 blue Camero from 3 Hills. No pics. Just stood by it looked in at hounds tooth interior. What I remember, wheels blue to match car & had dog dish hub caps.
Wonderful u have one of these cars. Today Super bowl Sunday 2016 - really enjoy hearing about these cars. Will try to keep up on posts. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif[/img] all the best from AZ
x3hillsfarmer

Still love that car 54.....

'

Unloading pics from my system including a few that belong here.
First are a couple shots of Rolly Johnson's original Rat Patrol '68 Camaro.
Next is the only pic I've ever seen of the '70 Rat Patrol car, love to see others if anyone has more.
As many here know, '69 ZL1 #54 was purchased by Cliff Bristow Motors and Alum' 427 immediately yanked/swapped into the new '70 Rat Patrol.
To clarify, these cars are NOT connected w/ Adrian Lima's '69 Camaro or John James' '70 Chevelle also named Rat Patrol.
:beers:
~ Pete

.

'

Rolly Johnson's ZL1 powered '70 Camaro Rat Patrol sponsored by Cliff Bristow Motors.
:beers:
~ Pete

.

Pete, The '70 Camaro ZL1 Rat Patrol picture certainly brings back memories. I used to watch it in action at the Saskatoon International raceway back in the day.

There might be additional photos of it on their website...in the archives section.

'

Thanks Zap and very cool you were there w/ an eyeballs view of the action!
Good thought on the SIR Archives, love to see/hear anything more of either Rat Patrol also any other Cliff Bristow Motors cars.
:beers:
~ Pete

.

‘

Here’s a couple Old Newspaper Ads for ZL1 #54 from May of’69.
Cliff Bristow was advertising it in Calgary also other Ad an Edmonton # but Not Stedelbauer Chevrolet where Cliff got it?
Interesting is Cliff’s Ad notes 4-wheel Disc, this nor any ZL1 was JL8…was it?:hmmm:
Being May ‘69, the’70 Rat Patrol car wasn’t there yet so Cliff had the ‘69 ZL1 for a few months before pulling engine.
:beers:
~ Pete

.

Nope, no JL8 COPO Camaros. Did have the special HD BE code 4.10 posi axle.

A few had 4.56 gears via COPO 9511.

Quote:

Originally Posted by William (Post 1621321)

Nope, no JL8 COPO Camaros

Probably not 600 HP either, but hey, it all made for good copy in the newspaper ad :wink:

Nope. Bill Porterfield did a rebuild on one of the production engines many years ago. 524 hp with open headers.

Mine put out 540 HP with a bone stock rebuild (with only modern bearings, rings, bolts etc.) with open headers.