ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

After many months of negotiating, planning and hard work, we have resurrected the original, number stamped, all Aluminum 427 engine from ZL-1 #65!! After 46 years apart, the original motor and date correct drive train will be reunited at this years MCACN in Rosemont, IL. for the first time. The engine and drive train will be displayed side by side with ZL-1 #65 and will be displayed on a period correct sub-frame including the 9737 COPO option which makes ZL-1 #65 a rare dual COPO Camaro. The sub frame will include the 13/16 sway bar and 15 x 7 YZ wheels and E70 x 15 tires. The build is still in progress and we are missing some key parts, but will get them most practical representation possible for the show.
On 10/23/15, the original engine came to life once again on the dyno at McCabe Motorsports in Peyton, CO. Robert took great pride in rebuilding the aluminum monster. He carefully broke in the motor after many years out of operation. Note, this is a stock engine build with many NOS parts. She came to life and dyno'd 558hp at 6400 rpm. Look for us at the show! It will be a historical moment! Check out some new picks from the motor build. Click the link below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129918209@N06/?

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Pics link...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129918209@N06/?


Awesome news and congrats to all involved!
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif[/img]
~ Pete

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Do you have any video of the engine on the dyno? I'd love to hear that sound!

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Try this. I couldn't upload the file. Here is a flickr link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1299182...posted-public/

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

nice!

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Dyno Link...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129918...posted-public/

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

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Cool. How did you find the engine ?

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

AWESOME STORY -- CONGRATULATIONS!! Taz

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Was that the ZL-1 block out of New Jersey?

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Well that is just down right COOL!

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

As Tommy Boy once Said: &quot;That's Awesome&quot; Congratulations.

Bill

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Like to hear an ending like that!

May I ask how you reached agreement on the price? I'm in a similar situation.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Too cool! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Congrats on tracking it down and getting them together!! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/3gears.gif[/img]

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Congratulations!

As I remember from the original for sale ad, this car has lots of paperwork including the original window sticker. Can't be many double COPO ZL-1's with original drivetrains and original window stickers out there.

As others have said, would love to hear the story on how the original drivetrain was acquired. Looking forward to seeing at MCACN.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

No sir. The engine kind of followed the car. It came out of a clone 69 ZL-1 Vette. I believe the engine was pulled in Wisconsin. Once we purchased ZL-1 #65, we got the info on the engine from some sources and negotiated the sale.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ZL1_COPO_65</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No sir. The engine kind of followed the car. It came out of a clone 69 ZL-1 Vette. I believe the engine was pulled in Wisconsin. Once we purchased ZL-1 #65, we got the info on the engine from some sources and negotiated the sale. </div></div>

BLUF -- the motor is back where it was born!

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Carl owned the car for years. Was the engine known when he owned it ? The car has been out and known for years and I'm just curious if the engine was known for years and if so why it wasn't offered.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

It will be interesting to hear the whole story. I had access to a hemi engine that belonged to a uber rare car, a guy that collected the rarest of hemi cuda converts. He sat on knowledge of that original engine for years, never decided to buy. Only after he <span style="font-style: italic">sold</span> the car, did the engine come out and get back in the original car (something he promoted to the next owner).

I would almost suspect this would have had to be the case, on this ZL-1. Maybe.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

What happened to the white hauling truck in the &quot;as found&quot; pics?

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Carl owned the car for years. Was the engine known when he owned it ? The car has been out and known for years and I'm just curious if the engine was known for years and if so why it wasn't offered. </div></div>

When we had ZL1 #65 on consignment from Carl Stubber, we were contacted by several people including an individual from Wisconsin, with a very &quot;interesting&quot; history within the Camaro community, who said that his associate in Arizona, I believe, had the complete driverain to the car. Engine trans and rear??

I contacted Carl and he was aware of the claim regarding the engine, but he was not interested for many reasons at that time.

Since we had the car for sale, we told &quot;them&quot; that they could just buy the car and reunite the drivetrain and Car. We never even received an offer from &quot;them&quot; on the car.

I however was skeptical yet interested and asked for pictures to confirm what was being represented but never received them.

What I did get was a bunch of rhetoric.......come see for yourself......bring cash.....etc.

So while I don't know what happened afterwards, I am very curious to know the rest of the story as well and see pics of the original engine and the other original parts posted on this thread.

I hope it all turns out to be valid scenario! It would be very Kool to see another original engine reunited with the original car.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

The engine is correct and has been validated to be the real deal. I am working with a very talented group of individuals to get the sub frame assembly to the show. We know we do not have ALL the perfect parts, mostly need the correct transistor ignition, but what we have will be a super representation of the original Heart Beat of America drive train for ZL-1 #65 and represent the correct 9737 COPO option that was removed. The 140mph speedo is still in the car showing 39 miles. Our intent is not to install the sub frame, but display the race car side by side with its original equipment. I look forward to meeting everyone at the show and seeing all the other rare masterpieces!

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ZL1_COPO_65</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> mostly need the correct transistor ignition </div></div>

Annie and I have the correct and NOS 1111927 distributor dated 8K11, the transistor, coil and brown distributor cap. Maybe we can work something out.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

&quot; I am working with a very talented group of individuals to get the sub frame assembly to the show.&quot;


Very nice, may I ask who these talented people are?

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

kinda vague responses...and skirting around the questions..i dont get it....

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

So - you're indicating that the ZL-1 engine on the dyno is the original engine to #65? Can't wait to see it at the show!

also, a bit of trivia - anybody know why the chaplets on those aluminum heads all have little &quot;dots&quot; in the centers of them?

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">a bit of trivia - anybody know why the chaplets on those aluminum heads all have little &quot;dots&quot; in the centers of them?</div></div>

...Would they give reference to the day, time of day or shift that these heads were made? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif[/img]

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

There would have been multiple pour points in the mold, and several vents to let the air out as the mold is poured so you have no voids. In 69 the quality of the aluminium was poor compared to todays aluminium alloys. Many more heads and blocks would have survived. Roger

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marxjunk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">kinda vague responses...and skirting around the questions..i dont get it.... </div></div>

Probably because they are waiting for the reveal at MCACN and don't want to spoil the show.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Actually, those 4 little round impressions are chaplets that were placed in the mold to keep the water jacket from moving during pouring/solidification. The heads are poured combustion chamber up. The chaplets are steel, so they didn't fuse during pouring with the relatively low temperature aluminum. This lack of fusion enabled water to &quot;weep&quot; out through chaplet stem when the engine was fired up. The simple fix for this water leak was to hit the center of the chaplet face hard with the point of a punch - forcing the steel to come in better contact with the aluminum. This &quot;repair&quot; was also incorporated on iron heads when the inspector noted poor fusion at the chaplet area.

The aluminum entered the molds through 6 gates located on the parting line of the exhaust manifold face. Evidence of these gates was later machined off. The mold was vented at the at the core prints, so no evidence of venting remained on the castings.

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Eilenberger, you're scary. Where do you keep all this stuff in your brain???

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tracker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Eilenberger, you're scary. Where do you keep all this stuff in your brain???

</div></div>

His response sounded like something Cliff Clavin would have said on Cheers.

...As a matter of fact there Normey, the chaplet was a little known device that cowboys wore on their chaps to prevent chafing in their nether regions...&quot;

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/blush.gif[/img]

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

lol @ Steve! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif[/img]

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: marxjunk</div><div class="ubbcode-body">kinda vague responses...and skirting around the questions..i dont get it.... </div></div>

Probably because they are waiting for the reveal at MCACN and don't want to spoil the show. </div></div>

Bingo!!!

C'mon down to MCACN and see it all up <span style="font-style: italic">close and in person! </span> And to keep things even more interesting, this special display will be right next to a group of FIVE 1968 and 1969 L/88 Corvettes. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/3gears.gif[/img]

Bashton

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bbbentley</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What happened to the white hauling truck in the &quot;as found&quot; pics? </div></div>

Is there an answer to this question yet??

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

I have no idea about the white car hauler. If I had a clue, I would be on it like stink on poop!

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

More pics added to the Flickr link;

ZL1#65 Flickr Link

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Thank you for the pics. Glad you were able to retrieve the engine. Always liked this car. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

Hi Arthur, it is likely that our two cars campaigned along side each other back in the day. I'll have to ask Ron (original owner of Tin Soldier) if he remembers running Roger.

Was your ZL1 called &quot;Chevy Thunder&quot; back in 69?


Rich

Re: ZL-1 #65 reunited with her original engine!!!
 

oh wow I just looked at the photos from the link the car is not even back halfed! original frame rails dual exhaust plate still there! trunk floor looks to be intact also, front and rear floors intact. this car can be easily put back. charlie was right this was a smokin deal for someone, now with finding the original driveline this can actually put this zl1 in to the very few cars that have there complete original driveline intact amazing!!