1969 ZL1 Vette?

[markinnaples]

I've seen that Orange Gulf Corvette a few times when I lived in Pittsburgh at a couple car shows. Guy said he bought it at Yenko Chevrolet from Don and that it was, indeed, an original ZL-1 car that was a testing mule or something. He had a 482(?) BB in it then, with the orig ZL-1 427 on a stand at his house. Older guy, seemed legit.

[Tracker1]

In Gulf livery -

"But there was one Corvette buyer then who had no problem with the ZL1-powered Corvette's $9,900-plus sticker price: John Maher, a western Pennsylvania drag racer who was a personal friend of Don Yenko. Says Kevin Mackay of Corvette Repair in Valley Stream, New York, who restored this ZL1, "He had an International Blue '68 L88 originally, and when he found out that they were making another car that was lighter, and with the aluminum block, he decided to order that, and he got it through Gulf Oil and he drag raced the car."

John raced the Monaco Orange ZL1 "Winning Automatically," with its heavy-duty Turbo 400 for a number of years, while adding different stripes, colors, and decals during the years he campaigned it.

Eventually, it was parked and stored where it avoided the ravages of time and weather. There it stayed until he sold it to Bruce Perrone, its current owner. "I bought the car in 2007," he says. " It was largely unrestored. It had just under 3,000 miles on it. Over the years, it had gone through a few paint schemes, but I bought it from the original owner who'd raced the car from day one." Bruce adds."

John held onto a copy of the original invoice and the original tank sticker that shows the ZL1 engine option and the M40 automatic transmission. With this original documentation, there is little doubt this Corvette is the real deal.

[markinnaples]

That is exactly how I remembered seeing it back in the 80's at some local Pgh car shows. Pretty cool to have been able to see it in it's as-raced condition. Thanks for the pics.

[olredalert]

----Have seen this ZL1 several times at Carlisle over the years. Matter of fact we stayed at the same hotel more than one year and talked about his car at length. Absolutely the real deal!.......Bill S

[novadude]

Originally Posted by markinnaples

That is exactly how I remembered seeing it back in the 80's are local Pgh car shows. Pretty cool to have been able to see it in it's as-raced condition. Thanks for the pics.

Yup. I've seen that car at shows around Pittsburgh too... late 1990s maybe?

[duskblue]

I think they built 7. There was a white one it was duntovs toy. They thrashed it at the proving grounds. Google duntovs toy for more. There was also another white one that sold new at Gus Paulos Chevrolet salt lake city Utah. They say it is in the north west now.

[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