NHRA "Factory Experimental" classes...

[Blk61409]

Further clarification on the 62 aluminum. Chevrolet built appx 18 Impalas in Flint with aluminum front ends. It is believed they were built as a test prelude to the 63 Z-11’s coming. They had 409/409 engines definitely not Z-11’s.
The other cars, Impalas, Bel Air or Biscayne were built with parts shipped by Chevrolet to specific drag racers of the day as I pointed out in the previous article. A handful of over the counter parts were sold as well. The part numbers were very simple utilizing the steel fender or hood part number with a A at the end.
No one really knows how many were made but probably about 30. Not exactly positive but I think there are maybe 10 left.

Others please chime in here.

 

[heddrik]

Thank you Pat. You SHOULD write a book on this , really. The parts I saw were in a junkyard in Mansfield Texas. Owner should them to me because I was hunting parts for my 62 SS. A month or 2 later I saw them on a white Bel Air w a 409 engine at a local car meet. I never thought to look for the holes in the top of the fender to see if they were originally for an Impala.

 

[Blk61409]

Probably Jim Jones, he raced a white 62 Bubbletop 409 with a Z-11 top.
He had an aluminum Ft end. There was a tan front end running around, it was stolen out of Jack Williams Chev body shop.

 

[W Head]

while working in Odessa, Texas (back in the day) I raced a lot at Hobbs New Mexico. Saw Dickie Harold race many times there. One week end there he was in his black 62 racing and the next week end there he was in his black 62 with a alum. front clip.

W Head

59 Impala 409-2, 4s

 

[La Hot Rods]

There is a 62 bel air sport coupe down at Rodney's shop getting a makeover now with an aluminum front end.

 

[63 dream'n]

There is a 62 bel air sport coupe down at Rodney's shop getting a makeover now with an aluminum front end.

Is Rodney like the preeminent man to take any of the early impalas to……? does he have that Note-oriety…….? Or is he good with everything that he builds…….???

 

[La Hot Rods]

Rodney has had the pleasure of rebuilding a many X frame cars. Russ introduced him to me. Tom's 62 rag top is down there now getting real close to completion. Great guy and knows how these car were built to knows how to put them back together. Has many fixtures for the jobs.

 

[Barry Taylor]

Probably Jim Jones, he raced a white 62 Bubbletop 409 with a Z-11 top.
He had an aluminum Ft end. There was a tan front end running around, it was stolen out of Jack Williams Chev body shop.

I was at Jim’s shop in Garland many decades ago and he showed me a white with red interior I believe bubble top named Valentine! I also recall some tan aluminum fenders hanging on the wall! He told me whose car they came from and now I don’t remember for sure! Thought he said Frank Sanders. Jim was a super nice guy to talk to! I remember the race car also!

 

[Z-11Guy]

As far as I know Chevrolet motor division never produced a factory aluminum 1962 Bel Air. Just 18-20 aluminum nose Impalas (with the standard QB 409/409 engines no Z-11 top end contrary to some beliefs). Most of these ‘62 aluminum Impalas were literally bought and the aluminum swapped with steel components on the Bel Air 409 racers.

 

[heddrik]

Thank you, that makes perfect sense.

 

[George Klass]

I never completely understood how the Optional Super Stock class came into being at the NHRA Nationals in 1962. In the 1962 NHRA Rulebook, it clearly stated that "All cars in stock classes manufactured after June 1, 1961, must be factory assembly-line produced, and generally show-room sales available."

 

[George Klass]

Read any book or article about General Motors during the early ‘60s and it inevitably mentions the corporation’s infamous racing ban of 1963. It’s generally accepted that the action was a simple solution to GM’s fearfulness of being broken up over antitrust concerns. There really hasn’t been conclusive evidence to completely support that, however.

Yes, GM was investigated for antitrust violations during the early ‘60s. Examples included sales dominance of diesel electric locomotives by its Electro-Motive Division, DuPont’s ownership of 63 million shares of GM stock (who also happen to be GM’s largest paint and fabric supplier), perceived dealership favoritism toward GM Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) over local banks for new car financing, and discrimination against “discount dealers” in Southern California.

There’s no doubt that when you’re the world’s largest corporation, the competition has its sights set on you. Despite all the negative publicity generated by said antitrust examples, General Motors still sold more vehicles than all other automakers combined during the early ‘60s! I haven’t ever been totally convinced that its abrupt decision against racing in February 1963 was solely due to antitrust. After all, when you’re selling that many new vehicles, would the loss of the limited-number of off-road race engines really be felt?

Given all of that, GM did approve of a relatively small number of Chevy Z-11’s and Pontiac “Swiss-Cheese” sedans for “stock car drag racing”, very few of which (if any) were show-room available for sale to the general public.

Oh well, and here we are still talking about it, sixty years later...

 

[benchseat4speed]

I drive my 61 around with OS/S shoe polished on the quarter windows I had a ghetto Denver resident of Aztec descent pull up next to my car at a traffic light, spot the OS/S in the window, and he yells 'Hey bro did you get that car at the police auction!?'

As I understand, optional S/S came to be when OEM's started offering big port cylinder heads and dual quad intakes etc. over the counter but not yet on production models. Cars entered in OS/S in mid-late 61 were legal with that equipment as long as it was purchased from the parts department of an OEM.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[62_Conv_2-4s]

I acquired an EXPERIMENTAL first generation nova engine block casting number 3790721. It has a casting date of K 17 1. November 17 1961. I know it is EXPERIMENTAL because of the casting number that starts with a 0. 0-203096. Dose anybody know if this block would have been given to a race team originally, or sold over the counter? Anybody that could lend some history on what this block was used for I would be grateful. I assume it was probably used for racing at one point. There is no stamping code on the pad would this have been normal for an experimental block? This block has been decked .060 so any numbers that were there have been removed. Thanks.

 

[George Klass]

I drive my 61 around with OS/S shoe polished on the quarter windows I had a ghetto Denver resident of Aztec descent pull up next to my car at a traffic light, spot the OS/S in the window, and he yells 'Hey bro did you get that car at the police auction!?'

As I understand, optional S/S came to be when OEM's started offering big port cylinder heads and dual quad intakes etc. over the counter but not yet on production models. Cars entered in OS/S in mid-late 61 were legal with that equipment as long as it was purchased from the parts department of an OEM.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

"All cars in stock classes manufactured after June 1, 1961, must be factory assembly-line produced, and generally show-room sales available."

 

[Blk61409]

I acquired an EXPERIMENTAL first generation nova engine block casting number 3790721. It has a casting date of K 17 1. November 17 1961. I know it is EXPERIMENTAL because of the casting number that starts with a 0. 0-203096. Dose anybody know if this block would have been given to a race team originally, or sold over the counter? Anybody that could lend some history on what this block was used for I would be grateful. I assume it was probably used for racing at one point. There is no stamping code on the pad would this have been normal for an experimental block? This block has been decked .060 so any numbers that were there have been removed. Thanks.

I have a friend who was a Chevy engineer. If anyone will know he will.
I know he is out of town, I’ll reach out to him next week.

 

[62_Conv_2-4s]

I have a friend who was a Chevy engineer. If anyone will know he will.
I know he is out of town, I’ll reach out to him next week.

Thank you so much I hope he can shed some light.

 

[Blk61409]

Can you share how long you have had it, do you know where it’s been all these years, was it actually used in a Nova, etc.
I know he is going to ask.

 

[62_Conv_2-4s]

Can you share how long you have had it, do you know where it’s been all these years, was it actually used in a Nova, etc.
I know he is going to ask.

I have had it about 3 years. I don't know much about where it has been before that. I do have the name and number of the previous owned I could call him and possibly get more information.

 

[Blk61409]

Would be helpful.

Many of the “0” parts were still “experimental”.
However, in fact they were used to finalize the next stage production parts.
The “0” parts as best I can determine were released when it became apparent those specific parts were needed.
I know that was the case with the parts to be called RPOZ-11. Those “0” heads were needed immediately to allow 409’s to be more competitive against MOPARS so they were released before everything was correct. Actually the castings were very rough and leaked water behind the valve seat inserts. Very thin.

I had a 1959 aluminum 283 block and head castings that were for the CERV-1. In this case there were only a handful cast and were for internal Chevrolet usage only. I never learned how it got out, but it did.

I hope to learn more about your block. Odds are it is similar, Chevy wanted to get things moving quickly.
I have a 57 Corvette FI with a block that has the same date code ‘1’
It actually means the first production block after a major production change, in my case a heavier metallurgical content change.

Anyway, I’ll let you know next week.