One of ? L89 Nova for sale at Russo and Steele

[Kim_Howie]

Me & Tiger talked about this and are having problems is the 074 heads. These heads are open chamber 108 cc. GM never made a piston for a 396 open chamber. These heads were only on the L-88 & the ZL-1 both 427ci. I have a real problem with those heads on a 396. By the way we both got woods from the car.

[Fast67VelleN2O]

I am extremely curious about what piston was used in this engine as well. In order to be a correct 11:1 compression ratio, you couldn't use standard closed chamber piston and an open chamber head to get this ratio. The only other piston at the time that would have been used was the L88 or ZL-1 piston, but even then, thats too much compression (12.5:1) and not a 396 piston. The factory would have had to make a special set of pistons for all of this to work correctly.

[69SSZL1]

Head #3946074 open chamber 118cc. ZL-1, L-88, and 1971 LS-6 Corvette. Round exhaust ports. Piston for 396/375 GM #3878231 11:1 compression with 106.8cc closed chamber head #3919842. Calculculated compression with this new combo: 10:1 at best. Too low for the #3863143 camshaft. It is highly unlikly for GM engineers to mis-match open and closed chamber componants. I am just saying, IMHO.

[Smokey]

So what ones needs to show is a pic of the pistons that were in the block and a micrometer reading showing that they are or were std. bore.


I agree about Ken's comment. Hunt and spend some time and money on finding all the owners. Hunt down the address on the POP and visit them and all the old neighbors. Go to the city utilities and see who owned or payed the bills on the address give at the time in the date time. Get a detective if one needs to. This car could and should be considered as the holy one, and spending the $$ documenting and proving it could and should double the money. I see it could hit 200-400k....maybe more since it would be considered as one of the top 3 Nova's of all time.

[Salvatore]

Contact Bruce Shaw Esquire. He and his brother Terry had a speed shop in Willow Grove during those years. He is also a car appraiser and so forth. Bruce may even remember such a rare car. Whoever owned that car back then would almost HAVE to go to Shaws Speed Shop in Willow Grove for even just plugs and oil. Like Tibor said "get workin on it."

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I'm referring to Southampton, PA = very close to Hatboro, PA.

If I recall the EBaY ad from way back, the POP was the selling point on this car because wasn't it missing the engine?

[72-SS-L48]

[ QUOTE ]
Contact Bruce Shaw Esquire. He and his brother Terry had a speed shop in Willow Grove during those years. He is also a car appraiser and so forth. Bruce may even remember such a rare car. Whoever owned that car back then would almost HAVE to go to Shaws Speed Shop in Willow Grove for even just plugs and oil. Like Tibor said "get workin on it."

[/ QUOTE ]

Sam,

Did Bruce Shaw have a 66 Mosportgreen on Black L72 Convertible a few years back? Ended up selling it, buying it back and selling it again?

Actually, if I'm thinking of the right person he has a few cars and a nice 3 or 4 car garage with lifts at his house?

Thanks,
Dave

[PeteLeathersac]

[ QUOTE ]

If I recall the EBaY ad from way back, the POP was the selling point on this car because wasn't it missing the engine?

[/ QUOTE ]

You're not by chance thinking of the '69 L89 Camaro w/ POP and missing engine on eBay a few years back are you Marl?.
It had a kind've Harrel looking stripe and Chuck 427King bought it then offered it for sale a few times here later?.

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...fpart/all/vc/1


~ Pete

[69SSZL1]

I would just put on the correct 842 heads and be done with it. Those 074 heads can never be validated, especially after being on the engine for 35 years. Back then, anyone could have used GM head and intake gaskets. There is no way the factory put those on.

[copo-2]

69ssZL1 is correct about the 074 heads having 118 cc's, while the L-89 heads (842's) were 106.8 cc's. As he states the 8231 pistons would create a compression ratio of around 9.8 to 1, being able to run on today's premium gas? This I know for fact because I personally have this combination I have tried on a .030 427. This combination was about 10:1 and because of the alum. heads, had no trouble with pre-iginition. The 074 head as stated was designed and used on the L-88 & ZL-1. The 842 heads was used on the 11:1 L-89's, is my personal thought?

This may have been mentioned before, but does anyone have records as to how many 402 L-89's were built in 1970, and what they went into? In previous years, (68 & 69) the L-89 can be documented in their use of Camaro's, Chevelles, & Corvettes? No Novas or Passenger cars in those years as far as any information I have been able to come up with? Many more with the L-89 factory combination was produced in the previous years? I guess there is always a possibility, but why would this have not happened before 1970 and built enough ( 50 ) to set up a class in NHRA Super Stock? Back in those days, NHRA specifications were pretty strict.