1969 ZL1 Vette?

[DarrenX33]

I wish I could fine the old thread where Larry Clain (I think that's how his last name was spelled) was talking about the blue one.

[Tracker1]

This is what Larry Clain had to say about the car he saw in Tulsa, OK in 1969 -

"I can remember so vividly seeing a Blue '69 cpe. with a window sticker showing the ZL-1 motor setting at a bodyshop here in Tulsa OK. back in the spring of '69. It had a blue interior too. I tried to find out who owned it but nobody knew for sure. Wish I had took pic of it so everybody would believe me. It didn't have any stripes on it but perhaps they were installed by the dealer when it got to the final destination.

I am sure about the color as I had a same color '68 400 hp turbo 400 cpe that I had picked up from the local salvage pool and it was still in the bodyshop at that time but almost finished. Because of the color of the coupe being the same as mine, it caught my eye and I stopped and looked it over.

It was still cold in the mornings and this was a Sat and the place where it was setting in their parking lot, was not open.

I drove back by two or three times and it was still there and then after 1 pm it was gone? Never saw it again or pursued it any farther. Wish I had. "

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by Tracker1

This is what Larry Clain had to say about the car he saw in Tulsa, OK in 1969 -

"I can remember so vividly seeing a Blue '69 cpe. with a window sticker showing the ZL-1 motor setting at a bodyshop here in Tulsa OK. back in the spring of '69. It had a blue interior too. I tried to find out who owned it but nobody knew for sure. Wish I had took pic of it so everybody would believe me. It didn't have any stripes on it but perhaps they were installed by the dealer when it got to the final destination.

I am sure about the color as I had a same color '68 400 hp turbo 400 cpe that I had picked up from the local salvage pool and it was still in the bodyshop at that time but almost finished. Because of the color of the coupe being the same as mine, it caught my eye and I stopped and looked it over.

It was still cold in the mornings and this was a Sat and the place where it was setting in their parking lot, was not open.

I drove back by two or three times and it was still there and then after 1 pm it was gone? Never saw it again or pursued it any farther. Wish I had. "

I knew larry and often went over to his business and talked corvettes with him. he told me the same story when I first met him around late 79. a few years later I ended up buying a ZL1 engine from a guy that lived outside of tulsa, he was into all kinds of racing. I originally went to buy a 421 HO Catalina that he drag raced and while doing some testing on the country road he lived on lost control and rolled it a few times. I bought it sitting upside down in his pasture where it landed. while I was there I spotted the ZL1 and was able to get it bought. he said it was out of his 69 vette he bought new to race and never titled it. he said he totaled the car a few years later and totally destroyed the body. I questioned him on whether it was a dealer installed deal and he insisted he special ordered it. he pointed out that the block did have a vin # on it. I hired a private detective to search for the history of the car but it never turned up as being registered. I kept the engine for a few years and a guy offered me some crazy money for it (back then money). I had 3 ZL1 engines so I sold it to him. never ever heard from him again and the guy who I bought it from passed away.

[Tracker1]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

I knew larry and often went over to his business and talked corvettes with him. he told me the same story when I first met him around late 79. a few years later I ended up buying a ZL1 engine from a guy that lived outside of tulsa, he was into all kinds of racing. I originally went to buy a 421 HO Catalina that he drag raced and while doing some testing on the country road he lived on lost control and rolled it a few times. I bought it sitting upside down in his pasture where it landed. while I was there I spotted the ZL1 and was able to get it bought. he said it was out of his 69 vette he bought new to race and never titled it. he said he totaled the car a few years later and totally destroyed the body. I questioned him on whether it was a dealer installed deal and he insisted he special ordered it. he pointed out that the block did have a vin # on it. I hired a private detective to search for the history of the car but it never turned up as being registered. I kept the engine for a few years and a guy offered me some crazy money for it (back then money). I had 3 ZL1 engines so I sold it to him. never ever heard from him again and the guy who I bought it from passed away.

Wow. Did he also have a Volvo XC70? lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDT_ps-_8oE

[nova67]

Gus Paulos was a personal friend of mine since passed so we cant ask him any questions but he always told me his dad was always ordering High Performance cars and told me they would store them in the basement at their old location before they moved the Dealership to West Valley.