When I purchased the Z-11 engine from Phill, my intentions were to build it and put it in my green SS Impala. Plans changed for several reasons (mostly because I would never sell my blue 63 because it was so rotted). So the decision was made to build a tribute/clone to any one of the 5 Monaco Blue Z-11's from 63. After asking permission from Wally Bell to do a tribute build of the New York Shaker, the project was on.
Finding the engine was one thing, The aluminum front, was was a whole nother matter. But as luck would have it, I wound up with 3 aluminum hoods. The one currently on the Shaker is one made by Sherman Industries during the restoration of the Jack May car. The other hood was off the Don Eberhart Z-11. The third hood remained a mystery until last week. As most folks know, these aluminum body components have been switched over the years and damn few remain with the original car as shipped from GM.
That being said, while sanding the front bumper to grill filler, it was discovered that Monaco Blue was under the now painted white aluminum filler. So I had a 20% chance it was on the Shaker! That was going to be my story, anyway!!...........A year goes by and I started asking questions about lineage of the Z-11 aluminum I wound up with. I managed to track down the the previous owners (some of them) and found out that the bumper / grill filler AND the hood came off the "RARE BEAR" which was painted white. The BEAR was the NEW YORK SHAKER previously!!! I may not have the timeline down, but I'll nail it soon enough.
The hood bears the scars of its' racing past. The center section where the god awful hood scoop was on the Shaker has been replaced with a section of another Z-11 Hood. Part of the bracing has been replaced too with original material. All four corners have aluminum patch panels in place from the hood tie downs during its' match racing career. During a conversation with a friend, he casually told me of a Z-11 hood and filler that he once had. He explained to me in detail the repairs on the hood and the car that is was originally on before he wound up with it. He had no idea I owned the hood he was describing!....AND he did not know I purchased the front end he sold a long time ago from the gentleman he sold it to!
So...................long story short.............my filler panel is indeed off the New York Shaker, the hood is in my man cave is also off the original Shaker. Together again after 57 years.................CONFIRMED!!!
Finding the engine was one thing, The aluminum front, was was a whole nother matter. But as luck would have it, I wound up with 3 aluminum hoods. The one currently on the Shaker is one made by Sherman Industries during the restoration of the Jack May car. The other hood was off the Don Eberhart Z-11. The third hood remained a mystery until last week. As most folks know, these aluminum body components have been switched over the years and damn few remain with the original car as shipped from GM.
That being said, while sanding the front bumper to grill filler, it was discovered that Monaco Blue was under the now painted white aluminum filler. So I had a 20% chance it was on the Shaker! That was going to be my story, anyway!!...........A year goes by and I started asking questions about lineage of the Z-11 aluminum I wound up with. I managed to track down the the previous owners (some of them) and found out that the bumper / grill filler AND the hood came off the "RARE BEAR" which was painted white. The BEAR was the NEW YORK SHAKER previously!!! I may not have the timeline down, but I'll nail it soon enough.
The hood bears the scars of its' racing past. The center section where the god awful hood scoop was on the Shaker has been replaced with a section of another Z-11 Hood. Part of the bracing has been replaced too with original material. All four corners have aluminum patch panels in place from the hood tie downs during its' match racing career. During a conversation with a friend, he casually told me of a Z-11 hood and filler that he once had. He explained to me in detail the repairs on the hood and the car that is was originally on before he wound up with it. He had no idea I owned the hood he was describing!....AND he did not know I purchased the front end he sold a long time ago from the gentleman he sold it to!
So...................long story short.............my filler panel is indeed off the New York Shaker, the hood is in my man cave is also off the original Shaker. Together again after 57 years.................CONFIRMED!!!
