Jon Mello's Z/28 #1 - Page 5

**1967Z28** · #41 11-06-2004, 08:01 PM

Here is a picture of some of the holes where the rollbar mounted. Looks a little rusty there but it is basically surface rust, not rot. Fortunately the car did not spend a lot of time on the East Coast so it is in good shape rust-wise.

-Jon

**1967Z28** · #42 11-06-2004, 08:07 PM

A Harrison oil cooler was mounted to the driver's side of the radiator so it necessitated moving stuff like the voltage regulator over to the fenderwell. That where they put the remote oil filter mount also.

-Jon

**1967Z28** · #43 11-06-2004, 08:16 PM

This one has been damaged a bit on one side but here's the Harrison oil cooler, which was the type my car used.

-Jon

Belair62 · #44 11-08-2004, 04:34 AM

Jon...a bolt in rollbar !! ???

**1967Z28** · #45 11-08-2004, 08:39 AM

Well, what can I say? I didn't build the car. This was back when men were men... or maybe back when men were crazy.

Never had a fuel cell in the car either, just a custom gas tank up inside the trunk. Fuel cells weren't mandated in the rule book until a couple of months after my car quit racing.

-Jon

DANA/TA · #46 11-08-2004, 10:17 PM

Jon,

I was glad to see you post the documentation for your #1 Z/28. You can never have enough documentation. It takes a lot of work to research a cars history and you have done a wonderful job.

Thanks again for helping me document my '67 DANA T/A Camaro.
Your information made it possible for me to find what I needed and helped to verify what I had.

Regards,
Mike

**1967Z28** · #47 11-09-2004, 02:00 AM

Thanks, Mike. I was glad to help you out. It's all about preserving the history of the cars and helping out others when you are able.

-Jon

L72COPO · #48 11-09-2004, 06:45 AM

Jon,awesome car and story. Your the man that can get it done right, can't wait to see it racing.

Don Stowers

Pantera · #49 11-10-2004, 04:00 PM

Bolt in rollbar? The problem with a camaro is there is no frame to attach to in the back 1/2 of the car so that would be the only way to attach one. With proper cross bracing it should offer enough protection to keep the roof off the drivers head.

He is lucky they quit racing it when they did or it would be a real mess.

Back in the early 70's the SCCA rules only required a front brace from the rollbar forward and then the rules changed about 1980 and they mandated a full cage. That would mean bars would have to come off the front subframe and punch through the firewall and dash following the roof line of the top of the car and attaching to the rollbar. When that happened to a subframe only car they were pretty cut up to get the car to fit the new rule.

Pantera

**1967Z28** · #50 11-11-2004, 03:17 AM

Thank you very much, Don.

Pantera, regarding the bolt-in roll bar, I think Belair was probably just surprised it wasn't welded to the body. The 60s was a time of great transition in terms of what people were learning about horsepower, handling and safety. There were actually a few cars with cages in them in '67 but it was not widely practiced. I think people thought it added unnecessary weight but they weren't immediately picking up on the fact that the cages were tied into the suspension pick-up points and significantly helped the rigidity of the car and thus the handling.

You are right though, it is a good thing the car got pulled off the track when it did or there is a high percentage it would not be around or it would be very used up.

-Jon

Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars.