69 Z/28 Day II Project (Air Force Brat)

[NorCam]

Just spent the last 4 hours writing a long but informed letter to the original owner of the Yellow Z/28. A Mr. Paul Gluck who's son I spoke with earlier tonight. He asked me to write his father who has some fond memories of the Z/28 and share with him the plans and known history of the car. I can imagine the surprise when his son told him I reached out to talk about the car. His son told me that it was thought the car was totaled by the guy who bought it from him back in 74. It was then said that as soon as the second owner got the car, he pulled the 302 and dropped a built 327 into the car and immediately blew it up badly. Knowing what I know of the car now, this is when the clutch exploded and the damage to the front tunnel and firewall happened?

I wrote a 4 page letter to Paul this evening, shared a few pictures and told him of my plans for the complete restoration of the car. I also shared a link to this forum and hope he will someday chime in to say hello and share an anecdote or two of his memories with the car. He was in fact a Jet Engine Mechanic with the USAF stationed out of Minot in 1969 and later returned to Texas where he has lived all of his life. I was told he loved to drag race the Yellow Z back in the day, and knowing the 302 was later pulled from the car, perhaps there is a chance I can back trace that motor and maybe reunite it with the car at some point? I'm sure he'll be surprised when he see's the length of what I wrote tonight, but wanted to bring him up to speed with what I have now learned about his old car. It's great that the original bill of sale accompanied the car back in the day, for if it wasn't for that being found with a former owner this past week, I may never have known who the original owner was, or managed to make a connection.

Respecting his privacy, I'll be sure to ask if he's OK with me posting a little of what I come to learn about his early days with the car. So cool to have connected the dots, and hoping he chimes in here to say hello and share a story or two of his own.

Feeling really stoked here tonight!