Hemmings listing for Z-11 engine parts
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HOTROD409
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Do you think it's a case of would or COULD ???????
S.U.O.S.A.
If the valve covers were square......... !!!
S.U.O.S.A.
If the valve covers were square......... !!!
Just saw these parts on the trifive.com site. Seriously, are those parts worth that kind of money?? Will someone really pay that much for them?? I don't know. That's why I am asking. Also, let me ask this. Can't you take lets say a set of 690 heads and make them into Z11 heads?? There has to be specs around to do this. What makes these heads and intake so valuable?? Bragging rights?? Special casting number?? Want to complete a Z11 motor??, Carmine.
The Z11 heads are raised port so that the fuel charge has a straighter shot at the intake valve. Look at the intake floor on the two heads!!
Carmine, there were 50 Z-11 engines built for the 50 cars, so that’s 100 heads.
In addition, there were the spare parts of individual heads built for over the counter sales, no one knows how many of those were made, no records kept, plus the “0”- preproduction heads used in the summer of 62 and no one knows how many of those were made, but a very, very small number.
I personally have had 10-12 sets over the years of both castings.
Chevrolet was working on performance engines utilizing the 409.
Zora and his team were working on the Z-11/427 project while Dick Keinath and Bill Howell were using the 409 lower end to develop the now famous 427 Mystery Motor which became the 396/427.
All the engineers were doing their best to make their work significant because the rumors were getting louder about pulling out of racing.
When it finally happened in early 63 it took all the wind out of the sails. I remember it well!!
When they stopped all the “skunkworks” projects stopped!! It was a bad time. It took over a year, all the way through 63-64 for some resemblance of performance stuff to come out. It did so as what they called “Heavy Duty Service Parts”. We received these separate list for “extreme duty, heavy duty”, etc.
Hope this helps.
In addition, there were the spare parts of individual heads built for over the counter sales, no one knows how many of those were made, no records kept, plus the “0”- preproduction heads used in the summer of 62 and no one knows how many of those were made, but a very, very small number.
I personally have had 10-12 sets over the years of both castings.
Chevrolet was working on performance engines utilizing the 409.
Zora and his team were working on the Z-11/427 project while Dick Keinath and Bill Howell were using the 409 lower end to develop the now famous 427 Mystery Motor which became the 396/427.
All the engineers were doing their best to make their work significant because the rumors were getting louder about pulling out of racing.
When it finally happened in early 63 it took all the wind out of the sails. I remember it well!!
When they stopped all the “skunkworks” projects stopped!! It was a bad time. It took over a year, all the way through 63-64 for some resemblance of performance stuff to come out. It did so as what they called “Heavy Duty Service Parts”. We received these separate list for “extreme duty, heavy duty”, etc.
Hope this helps.
Pat
Did the number of cars built have anything to do with racing rules in NASCAR?
I'd bet the production costs for developing and building those parts were tremendous.
Did the number of cars built have anything to do with racing rules in NASCAR?
I'd bet the production costs for developing and building those parts were tremendous.
No, the Z-11’s were built for only drag racing. There were a few single 4 Z-11 intakes built in case the engine was to be used somehow in NASCAR. I’ve got one of the intakes.
Regarding NASCAR info, I’ll defer to others better versed.
I did learn there were to be 50 427 cu in MYSTERY MOTORS for Daytona.
In reality it’s believed there were only 29 or so built.
Chevrolet engineer Bill Howell told me they had built 3 versions, a 396, a 409 and a 427. The 396 made the most HP, but they had to get the 427 cast and to Daytona since that was the size chosen by Ford and 426 for Chrysler.
They shipped about 14-15 to Smokey and about the same to Ray Fox. When NASCAR came to count the engines to get to 50, they would load engines in a truck and quickly drive them to the other shop. Never got caught
Regarding NASCAR info, I’ll defer to others better versed.
I did learn there were to be 50 427 cu in MYSTERY MOTORS for Daytona.
In reality it’s believed there were only 29 or so built.
Chevrolet engineer Bill Howell told me they had built 3 versions, a 396, a 409 and a 427. The 396 made the most HP, but they had to get the 427 cast and to Daytona since that was the size chosen by Ford and 426 for Chrysler.
They shipped about 14-15 to Smokey and about the same to Ray Fox. When NASCAR came to count the engines to get to 50, they would load engines in a truck and quickly drive them to the other shop. Never got caught
I would imagine the production costs got buiried in the shuffle in a company like GM. Wrote off for R&D. I bet the guys working on the project were really disappointed when GM pulled the rug out from under them.
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