62 Z-11 Aluminum Body

[grumpy]

I am in communication with a gentleman who has a 1962 Z-11 Belair Bubbletop with an aluminum front end. Its one of eighteen factory service packages. Motor is 409/409 short block and Z-11 on up.

Car was recently purchased from collection of Reggie Jackson.

Comments?

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Comments ?

you bet

just one


IT SHOULD BE MINE :p

[grumpy]

I've never heard of aluminum parts for a '62.

[wrench]

Yep, there were some cars sold that way. What's his price? Get photos if possible.

I almost brokered out my 62 to him when his car warehouse burned years ago. Glad I didn't.

:cool:

[grumpy]

He just bought it. Photos coming.

Who's got the story on the aluminum front end for the '62?:cool:

[CDNpontiac409guy]

That's my understanding, Grump. 16 or 18 sets of aluminum front clips. Fenders, inners, hood, etc. Bumper ? Not sure, but would hope so.

Yup...
There's two kinds of aluminum front end Chevy owners ( 62 wasn't a Z11 )...
Those who have a 62 Belair HT
and those who want a 62 Belair HT

Right Wrench ? !;)

[wrench]

Weren't the majority of those factory released aluminum front ends on Impalas in 62?

:cool:

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Probably...
but of course, THEY would also rather have a Belair:deal

[grumpy]

Don't you need this car at the convention?;) :cheers

[SteveD409]

The owner of a local Chevy Dealership, Sam Pierce, is a Chevy muscle car nut and he owns the old Zinsmaster 62 aluminum front end drag car. So, yes, they were made. And I have seen another.
It and the other one I have seen were both Impalas.

SteveD

[threeimpalas]

Those aluminum clips belong on....


...wagons, 'cuz they need all the weight reduction they can get!

[Tom Kochtanek]

Some time ago in Chevy Rumble they ran an article called "The Art of the Find" and they had mentioned one 1962 SS with such a set up, promising a future article on its future restoration. I think it was owned by Willy Wagner of Kansas, and I know Phil Reed knows this guy, perhpas this car.

I think I got that one right, couldn't locate the magazine in the pile :) I would take one whether it was a Bubbletop or not!

Cheers,
TomK

[jim_ss409]

Don't you need this car at the convention? Yes! Yes! We need it!!! :bow

[bbqcruising]

Sounds like Jack Gibb's car out in California. Asking 75,000 . Any offers?

[JIMS409]

Steve, I believe Rusty Symmes from Winchester, IN owned one-maybe two of the alum. clip cars.

[SteveD409]

Yes, I have only met Rusty once, even though Winchester is only about 8 miles from where I live in Selma. Go figure! I know he's a 409 guy but didn't know he had any aluminum front 62s. I know Jeff Kirkpatrick was working on some Z11 engine parts for him at one time, but that was a few years ago.

SteveD

[Steve "wully bully"]

Rusty owns a bubbletop with the aluminum front end. It is blue in color. We saw it at the '95 SS reunion in Virginia. I thought the '62 aluminum parts were all service parts, none installed at the factory?
Steven

[hrlykngt]

heres one been up for sale a while. only $39,000

http://www.cars-on-line.com/62belair3865.html

harley

[hrlykngt]

here is a 63 Z-11 clone car for sale no price though.
http://www.classiccorvettes.com/view_photo.asp?ID=1557&image=Exterior

harley

[TomO]

Harley - I have ridden in that 62' belair of Jack's. He took me around the block a couple of times. Nothing like it!!!!! It is a very nice car. I does have a z-11 top end.

TomO

[hrlykngt]

Its on my wish list, just as soon as I win that lotto.:p

HARLEY

[Fran Preve]

Doesn't say it's an aluminum front end car, is it?. For $39,000 I doubt it very much. As I've posted before, this wasn't a "Z-11" engine back in 1962, it was a "Mark I", simply because there wasn't a Z-11 CAR until late in the fall of 1962 as a 1963. Chevrolet never refered to the engine with the two piece inatke and special heads as a Z-11, it was a Mark I or Mark Is. Of course you can refer to it as anything you want, just that Chevy didn't.

Took an engine from a Z-11 to a guy who built an aluminum front end A/FX Bel Air (and had a Z-11 car). He was VERY knowledgeable about these cars, I'd call him an expert. This was back 10 years ago. I'll have to look him up. From what I remember: they made 18-20 sets of aluminum front ends, they were ALL sold over the counter, NON factory installed. This makes sense, they're not going to stop an assembly line to put on a couple of "race car" parts. Chevrolet controlled who was going to get them, they're BEST racers got first crack, then racers with an "in", or someone with connections. Be sure these special race parts weren't just passed out willy-nilly. And those that knew of the aluminum front end knew of the special heads and intake, be sure of that too. And not ALL went on 409 cars that raced in A/FX, at least ONE set went to ???. Trivia question of the month

Anyone seeing rusty, tell him the guy from Chevy with the black Corvette says hi, the guy from the Muscle Car race in Ohio when he raced the STOCK ZL-1 Camaro, nice guy.

[hrlykngt]

id guess Junior Johnston on a Nascar car

[Fran Preve]

Aluminum front end NASCAR?!. Nope. It was raced at the 1962 Nationals.

[Fran Preve]

Stopped by the guys place who I transported a Z-11 motor for today, first time I have in 10 years. He was there, his mechanic said he was "retired" and "elusive", I left a note for him to call me so we could sit down. He HAD a red/red aluminum front end 1962 Bel Air that he put the top half of the Z in, since sold. And a white 409/409 with red interior Bel Air, also sold. He still has a black Z-11, restored, show car, I was told today it came from NYC but if I remember I thought it was one of Rusty's old cars.

I thought from talking with Rusty back in 86/87 he had two Z-'s one marron and one black, i'm thinkin' the marron went to Floyd Garret (who bought Gumpy's original in '87?, I remember seing it in his shop).

[real61ss]

Richard,
$42900 ????? Are you sure?? thats a steal I think!!! That car was at Charlotte last fall, it has changed hands since then but the guy wanted 75k then. I don't think you could build that car for anything close to that
Something don't add up
A really really nice '63 425 car is worth close to that
Tommy

[Fran Preve]

It must have been a steel body with Z-11 top, ad didn't say. An aluminum front end with all the pieces should be worth 75k alone, judging by what a completely restored Z-11 is going for TODAY, and they ain't getting cheaper.

[real61ss]

Richard,
My neighbor used to own one of the Z-11 cars back in the 60's. The old Jack May car. By the time he got it, it didn't have the motor but it did have a bunch of parts in the trunk. He doesn't like to talk about it now but he sold the cowl induction air breather for $125.00!!!!! He gets kinda pale looking when you bring it up. He wasn't my neighbor and I didn't know him back then, as I said in another post, I never was around drag racing but he's told me about it.

[Mark I]

Tommy,

Was his name Alan Long? I'm trying to fill in some blanks.

Mark

[409Biscayne]

Is the answer to the trivia question Tom Sturm in C/FX?

[real61ss]

Mark 1,
The answer to your question is yes

Tommy

[Fran Preve]

Your answer is correct, he ran with a fuel injected 327 and an aluminum front end. He was a past NHRA Champion with a fuel injected 57 Chevy in a stock class. this is why he was given an aluminum front end an able to build a fuelie car, he had experiance with fuelies.

[409Biscayne]

I thought Sturm ran a 302; 283 block and 327 crank?

[Dan Hunt]

302 is a 327 block with a 283 crank or a 283 +.125 with a 283 crank.(not trying to start a fight)

[Fran Preve]

To bore a 283 an 1/8th you need a heavier pre-62 block. If he could fit into C/FX with a 327 in a Impala body he ran a 327, if he couldn't he ran a 302 using an early block.