Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
Did any Novas get converted to L89 at your dealership for customers or for stock after you found out you couldnt get one direct from GM?

[/ QUOTE ]

We would install anything that could not be ordered from the factory on any car.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
Typical Liberal for Yah!!! Has the pot cooking before you even caught the CROW!!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif [/quote

Well, you may be right about that crow. But the folks who looked at this car ain't no dummies.
And all us liberals don't hate guns and hunting. I was a farm boy who grew up with a Marlin 39A in his hands. And if you stop by at the reunion, and say hi, I'll be glad to share some Ia deer sticks with you.
And some of us liberals even were war heros like John Kennedy.
Maybe I'll just wait until that ole crow flies over again, and I'll knock him outta the air with them ole weapons of mass destruction....As soon as I find them. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Stefano, It wasn't me killin off them beers. I found out a long time ago I can't get em all so I gave it up. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/wink.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Nobody could get a '68 Z28 'vert either, but they made one. Just because you couldn't get one in '69 doesn't mean they didn't make one - in '69 or '70. I'm a skeptic, but I've learned to 'never say never'.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I agree with Marlin..that's always a good way to approach things! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I have never seen a L-89 Nova. They built 50 Gibb novas have personally seen 20 out of 50. The 311 L-89 Camaros have seen 12 or more personally. The 311 L-89 nova never seen one yet. You would think if the small amount of Gibb Novas made and I have seen 20. At least one L-89 Nova would show up. The only reason I think there maybe some is the fact the MAN that looked at it told me several months ago he thought it was real and I believe him!!!! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif Pass the peas and hold the crow https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well, if you went into most dealers in 1969 they would also tell you it was not possible to order a 427 in a Camaro or Chevelle also. I guess they did not make any.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I was shopping for my Chevelle, four of the six dealers I talked to told me there was no such thing as a 450 HP 454 in a Chevelle. That was in late April/early May of 1970! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smirk.gif (They also told me I couldn't get an LT-1 in a Nova!)

Like I said earlier in this thread, I have little knowledge of Novas, but I DO know this may well be another of those deals where you avoid those two dreaded words............. - ALWAYS and NEVER! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

and there was only 2 ZL-1 Corvette's built for public consumption! Is the orange ZL-1 automatic convertible, that is still in the hands of the original owner, a red-headed step-child? A friend of mine is coming over today (who mounted up the first set of slicks for the orange ZL-1) and I'm going to ask him if he has ever come across a L-89 Nova in all his years of travels to shows and appraisal work.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

dont know whether an L89 Nova was available nor do I know Bob Johnson personally. I will say that if Don Yenko was posting on this board right now and said there were no L89 novas available to him in 1969 youd certainly take that as fact,and Bob is the best person probably left to make these statements . Not saying anything that Bob says should be taken as fact, but i think based on his past at Scuncio and Bob Johnson Racing he may be one of the most knowledgable on this based on experience. In the day when most of us were riding our bikes to school, you should give him the benefit of the doubt especially when no certain proof of a real car has surfaced yet . He didnt work at "Mom and Pops" Chevrolet after all, and if it was available at the time HE probably would have gotten one if for nothing else the fact he ordered EVERYTHING else. He may be the best person to speak to regarding what was and how things got done back then.Just my opinion of course.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Good points.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I've never lent much credence to the anti-"never say never" crowd. Examples being used here are COPOs and Z/28 ragtops. A clueless dealership does not constitute evidence for "never say never", especially considering Yenko had a whole buttload of COPOs and magazines were testing them. And the Z ragtop was built for a GM official, so it's more of an anomoly than evidence of (once again) "never say never".

Then there's COPO Pete's Nova. Back in the mid-80s, these cars were 15 years old. They were just becoming something beyond a used car. These cars didn't have the benefit of research and preservation like we do now. It's no wonder people said he was full of it back then, but even today there'll always be a segment that'll be clueless one way or another, just like the guy who'll tell ya his dad used to own a factory 427 Nova with an L88 - they're everywhere.

People here are much stronger on Chevys than I am, but logic dictates that an L89 Nova would make sense for a '69, but for a '70? I'm skeptical. It would be mighty strange to find a '70 when evidence even for '70 Chevelles is hard to come by. It just defies logic, but at this point in the game I've resigned logic from the musclecar era as there are many things that don't add up but just are.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
.... I will say that if Don Yenko was posting on this board right now and said there were no L89 novas available to him in 1969 youd certainly take that as fact.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope!! I have seen enough of Don's tall tales in print, and the claims of productions figures.... (there were 500 Yenko Camaros remember? He also claims to have sold a few hundred Deuces!) I wouldn't believe a L89 Nova statement like that from him.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Most still say there was never a 70 L78 Turbo 400 Camaro built also.... :-)

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

There are always things alot of us have never seen before.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...Lillarddog.jpg

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

while Burr is still here I'll post that he doesn't ever remember any L89 Nova's. The 2 I were thinking of were both iron head 396. The interesting one he does clearly remember is a '69 L89 El Camino that ended up being totaled with 268 miles on it just outside Rimersburg, PA. Car went to Sharon Auto Wrecking.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

NEVER BUILT A l89 nova? i dont know but i heard they never built a 69 z-28 conv. either ! lol BUT THEY DID

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

a '70 L89 Nova?????????????

no way Jose'

'69 maybe, BIG maybe.... a '70 flat out just didn't happen..

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

69 Z convertible?

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
Nope!! I have seen enough of Don's tall tales in print, and the claims of productions figures

[/ QUOTE ] So if it was Don Yenkos personal opinion with his background versus that of someone you dont know that hasnt come forward with any legitimate proof youd give them both the same merit??? [ QUOTE ]
there were 500 Yenko Camaros remember

[/ QUOTE ] Givan that the "yenko" from that parts collection that was for sale in wisconsin wasnt on the yenko list of 201,how do you know he didnt have the production of 500 figure right? Or for that matter how do we know the 200 figure was right and not the 500??

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

The only reason it was not on the known Yenko list is because Vince Emme didn't give all the serial numbers out. Some of the inventory pages (and vins) are only known by Vince. The Green Bay Yenko Camaro was one of those cars. With at least 150 of the 201 found, there has never been a Yenko Camaro ('69) found that is not within the known Yenko orders.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
69 Z convertible?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think he's referring to the Estes' '68...isn't he?.

I'd believe more in the possibility of a '69 L89 Nova before a '69 Z28 rag?.

~ Pete
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
The only reason it was not on the known Yenko list is because Vince Emme didn't give all the serial numbers out. Some of the inventory pages (and vins) are only known by Vince. The Green Bay Yenko Camaro was one of those cars. With at least 150 of the 201 found, there has never been a Yenko Camaro ('69) found that is not within the known Yenko orders.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto!

And no, I would not believe Yenko if he stood here today and made that statement about L89 Novas. We can't sit here today and make generalizations about what 'could have' been produced based on one or two individual's personal experiences. How does one know if this supposed L89 Nova wasn't built for another exec?

I'm as skeptical as anyone, but I'll never say 'never'!

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
We can't sit here today and make generalizations about what 'could have' been produced based on one or two individual's personal experiences

[/ QUOTE ] If somone that lived and worked in the day ordering all the very rarest of chevrolet cars on a daily basis from a high performance dealer,id certainly have a tendency to give him more merit than the average person, thats all im saying.I always believe in the never say never,but since no ones come forward with a real documented iron clad L89,i will lean toward the never until proven otherwise.If an L89 was produced but none have been found or known of ,were they really made??

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

"NEVER BUILT A l89 nova? i dont know but i heard they never built a 69 z-28 conv. either ! lol BUT THEY DID"


They never built a 69 z28 convert, but they built one 68 for Vince P.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I understand your position Chuck, and I agree with you. Yenko and Johnson certainly were not rookies when it came to ordering special combinations.

This particular car has more potential for being real than any other story I've heard - so we'll have to wait and see, so far it looks promising.

The best answer would be that it's an unknown COPO # https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

there seems to have been quite a lot of mystery and intrigue
amoung the chevy dealers in 1969 about how to get a hold of some of the hottest items rolling off of the production lines....

perhaps who you knew and who were your buddies dictated some of the allocations and delivery times https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

the dealers with the best factory ties probably got the first phone calls, with a sort of trickle down effect to the rest of the dealers, those without as much pull.

i have seen more than one example of something seemingly impossible to get a hold of, all of a sudden made available with the right amount of persuasion in the right place. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smile.gif

if someone had all the right paperwork and all the right answers on the web site today, some people would probably still have difficulty with the idea of an L-89 nova https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Marlin, Look at it this way. If you want to join a midget bowling league in your area,do you ask Charley,Jeff,or Belair where to go when you know darn well belair has been used to getting chucked down a few lanes in his day??? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Question for mr. Johnson. Did GM say why you couldn't order an L89 nova. I've not been able to understand the reason why it wasn't offered. If it was available in camaros, and chevelles, and of course corvettes, why not novas. This isn't an argument either pro, or con, but a question as to why, or why not. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
I've not been able to understand the reason why it wasn't offered. If it was available in camaros, and chevelles, and of course corvettes

[/ QUOTE ] I wasnt aware aluminum heads were an option on ANY 1970 car. Surely the corvette never had any motor bigger than the Ls5 available that year so it wasnt even available with iron squareports let alone aluminum .

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

maybe its just me, but Mark said in this thread he has held a window sticker to one in his hands and no one else says anything but me.??? wtf?

vintage pics and Marks word works pretty good for me, until he finds the dude.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
I would say that it needs to be factory paperwork to really verify it as an L89, not a dealer sales invoice.


[/ QUOTE ] Bud i believe the person that posted this was stating what i also believe. Window stickers vary so much there is no way to tell for sure which is real and which isnt,especialy when its the only piece of paper that documents a car that noone said was made . Buildsheets on the other hand are a different story[so far at least]

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

This issue specific to a 1970 built car has historical significance. First no documented 69 L89 novas exist, and second to our knowledge no other chevrolet received aluminum heads except this car in 1970. So everyone is cautious at this point and rightfully so. I am watching from the outside and will review all the tangible evidence like everyone else. Hopefully those that have either inspected this car or those who have copies /pics of the docs will share it and or chime in.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
Marlin, Look at it this way. If you want to join a midget bowling league in your area,do you ask Charley,Jeff,or Belair where to go when you know darn well belair has been used to getting chucked down a few lanes in his day??? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I agre Chuck...makes a whole lot of sense. And if anyone needed to know how to masturbate on a camel...you da man !!! Now back to the L89 Nova

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...s/MVC-015S.jpg

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Belair, its only fair i post a picture of you in your high school yearbook..

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
Belair, its only fair i post a picture of you in your high school yearbook..

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG that picture is hysterical https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I have since cut my hair. Did the camel have enough humps for you ??? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I've got a couple points to make on this whole 1970 L/89 topic.

First of all, the only production aluminum head in 1970 was
the '074 ( ZL-1 & L-88 ). This head used a voluminous
combustion chamber in conjunction with the 427 ZL-1 & L-88
pistons. There would have been a total combustion chamber
mis-match as no 396 ( or 402 ) pistons existed from GM in
the 12:1 realm. So how do we account for this? If you put
a set of '074 heads on a 396 ( 11:1 ) back then, it probably
would have run like a dog. The 396 probably couldn't pull
enough air to take advantage of this head design.

Secondly, I thought there were no L/89 options in 1970.

Steve

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

I thought there were 18 L89s built in '70, and those are understood to be L78 Chevelles?

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

Chuck, I assumed a real GM type window sticker not a dealer made sticker, Mark is this sticker a GM piece or dealer type??? that you saw???.

B.



[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would say that it needs to be factory paperwork to really verify it as an L89, not a dealer sales invoice.


[/ QUOTE ] Bud i believe the person that posted this was stating what i also believe. Window stickers vary so much there is no way to tell for sure which is real and which isnt,especialy when its the only piece of paper that documents a car that noone said was made . Buildsheets on the other hand are a different story[so far at least]

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
I thought there were 18 L89s built in '70, and those are understood to be L78 Chevelles?

[/ QUOTE ]
I believe this to be true,and I know of at least 3 documeted L-89 1970 Chevelles/Elcaminos today.
There are too many EARLY issued factory/dealer materials supporting them selling new here,as well as in Canada,before being swiftly discontinued by the release date of the LS-6.
The 1970 Chevelle L-89's used the #842 Al. Heads,which is correct for an 11:1 compression.

Re: 1970 L89 NOVA
 

[ QUOTE ]
I thought there were 18 L89s built in '70, and those are understood to be L78 Chevelles?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have documentation on two of these cars and have met and followed the restoration of one of these cars very closely. The car has been discussed quite frequently on Team Chevelle.
Rick