Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars. |
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#11
02-12-2003, 06:59 PM
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Re: ZL1 57
Since there appears to be significant interest in the photo of the # 57 ZL1 car, let me provide you folks with the detail as I know it from the original owner and subsequent contact with individuals associated with the car. Here's the "Readers Digest" version of the story. The photo is circa 1975, the day I bought the car and brought it to my home in Ortonville, Michigan.
As everyone probably already knows, this car was ordered and delivered to Brewer Chevrolet in Campton Kentucky. Not that this car was an accident as maybe an unplanned pregnancy might be, but it did however have unique circumstances in the way it was conceived. The "good ole boys" at Brewer were mildly involved in Roundy-round racing, today's "NASCAR", if you will. They tried to order a replacement ZL1 engine to further enhance their hot rod and ultimately their racing endeavor. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on what side of the fence you're on, Chevrolet would not sell the dealer a replacement engine unless they had a Bona Fide VIN and corresponding engine failure in which the replacement engine was to be used. This minor setback did not derail, albeit temporarily postpone, the folks at Brewers in obtaining the engine. They promptly ordered an expensive engine, essentially one that happened to have the car attached to it. I'm not for sure how long it took in weeks or months from the conception of the idea until the delivery of the car. When the car arrived at the dealer, it was promptly taken back to the service department for modifications. No, I'm not talking about the stripes and 427 emblems. Within a week of the arrival of the car, the ZL1 engine was taken out and replaced by a crate L88. Problem solved. They then took the car to the body shop where they proceeded to "jazz" the car up a little with the addition of the hockey sticks and 427 emblems on the cowl of the hood. They also added a center console to the interior sans any gauges. From there the car went back on the used car lot. Unfortunately, the car languished on the used car lot as the price was significantly higher or equal to the price of a brand new big block Camaro on the new car lot. Along comes a guy fresh into the Navy with a new wife and looking for a car. He purchased the car and was actually the original owner even though he assumed he was the second owner. The dealer told the purchaser that the original owner had a problem with the original engine and that the engine in the car now was brand new. No, I don't know what the mileage was when he bought the car. He drove the car between the base and home for several years and when released form the military resettled in Michigan to go to work for General Motors. That's where I got hooked up with the car. In 1975 I was looking for a new hot rod. I wanted a big block Chevelle as I had just been through three 69 Camaro's. I started asking around the plant where I worked, (GM Truck plant in Pontiac Michigan) and one of my crony buddies told me about this car. In retrospect, I wasn't really that interested in the car, even after I looked at it, but the price was right so I bought it. With trailer in tow, cash and a beer in hand, we went and picked the car up on a late fall Saturday. The owner's wife cried as we loaded the car, fond memories of a young marriage I guess. Try to keep the hate mail down to a minimum, but when I bought the car it was all there, in original condition, faded paint, a little cancer at the front fender dog legs and rear quarter wheel well lips. The L88 had a little noise that I later determined to be a broken ring. Yes I took the car completely apart. If I'd only known then what I know now, well, life's a dance, you learn as you go. I owned the car from 1975 until 1998. I never registered, plated or transferred title on the car. I found the original owners dog tags in a crevice in the trunk of the car. In 1996, I received a call from a guy in Kentucky wanting to buy the car sight unseen for what appeared to me at the time, a suspiciously large amount of money. He told me a story about how he had worked on the car at Brewers and for sentimental reasons he'd like to have the car back. I really wasn't interested in selling although I had pondered the thought once or twice in the previous 21 years. Long story longer, the guy finally came clean on the car, I researched the VIN a little and called Ed Cuneen. I know where the original engine is and tried to purchase it when I still owned the car for $35,000.00. It's sitting in an old garage covered up with a tarp complete from intake to oil pan, VIN stamped on the block. He wasn't interested in selling due to sentimental reasons. I guess I'm a little sentimental myself. I sold the car in 1998 allegedly to another guy in Kentucky that said he was going to restore the car and re-unite it with it's original motor. Unfortunately, a little naÔve on my part is probably a better description as the car never got close to Kentucky and ended up in Colorado. The guy that originally called me looking for the car was sincere and told me a lot about the car. The guy that was actually supposed to be buying the car, well I'm not to sure about him. The guy that actually ended up with the car did it up right. That in a nutshell is the Readers Digest version of the # 57 Daytona Yellow ZL1. For some of us, it's all about the cars. The rest is history. ...SWB... 
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#14
02-12-2003, 08:50 PM
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Re: ZL1 57
What else needs to be said with a response like the one given by Scott! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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Frank Magallon
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#17
02-12-2003, 10:29 PM
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Re: ZL1 57
No, Not as far as I know...SWB... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif[/img]
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#18
02-13-2003, 12:04 AM
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Re: ZL1 57
Oh the humanity! Why can't someone play nice and reunite the engine with the car it belongs in? Great story, wish it would have a better ending. We can still hope, can't we?
Jeff.
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69 Z28 JL8, #'s match - being restored
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