A few weeks ago I posted a picture of Dyno Don's 61 that was taken in May, 1961. This picture was taken 3 1/2 years later, fall of 1964, and shows the influence of my first encounter with Dyno Don and 409 Chevys. The picture appeared in a feature article of Hop-Up magazine, Jan. 1965. The article and pictures were done by Alex Walordy. Thats me standing next to the El Camino, I was fresh out of high school.This project actually started about a year earlier when my older brother purchased a Chevelle El Camino. At that time the biggest engine available was a 283/220 h.p. After driving the vehicle for a month or so, my brother decides he needs/wants more power and considers a 327/365 engine combination from the local dealship. I, who had been hanging around drag strips the past few years and attending national events at Indy in 61, 62 and 63 always with an eye out for 09 and Z-11 vehicles, suggests he buy a 409/425 instead, and run in factory experimental. This became the plan until a short time later when a high school buddy of my brother, who was stationed at a Marine base near Albany, Georgia, informs us that a Z-11 engine is for sale. The engine is from a car owned by Bill Connell from Albany which I think was originally purchased at Nalley Chevrolet in Atlanta. After contacting Bill Connell and discussing price, my brother, with my input, decides the Z-11 is a better choice. During Easter break,1964, I drive the El Camino to Albany, Georgia to pick-up the engine. The price for the complete engine, carbs to pan, was $1000.00. I had $100.00 bills stuffed in my socks, just in case. After arriving back in Dearborn, we began disassembly of the El Camino. An Olds axle housing with 4.88 gear, frame mounts reversed, custom headers, oil pan modified to fit crossmember and a truck type battery mounted in the rear of the bed were some of the modifications. Since I was a second year auto shop student, haha, I disassembled the engine and replaced rings and bearings. I also took the cylinder heads to school and reground the valves and valve seats. From my graduation money I purchased a set of M&H slicks. By mid-June the El Camino was ready to run. Although operating on a very, very limited budget, we had a great amount of fun that summer, racing every week-end at local tracks in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario. My highlights from that summer were personally beating two Fairlane Thunderbolts and another Z-11 Chevelle from Skokie, Illinois. The best run was 11.40@124mph. In the fall of 64 I went off to college to become a school teacher. My brother, who ironically worked for Dyno Don in the mid-70's when he raced a Mustang II, put the Z-11 in a Chevy II for the following season. It was a year that always brings back fond memories.
The Z-11 Story.
- Thread starter Gerry
- Start date
Z-11
Neat photo you have there!
Bill Connell had a Monaco blue '63 Z-11 Impala called "Blue streak". He ordered the car from Wallace Chevrolet in Albany Georgia and had it delivered to Nalley Chevrolet for Don Nicholson to work on it. The car was put on the street(after 1964) as a small block steel nose car. Wonder what happened to it?
Neat photo you have there!
Bill Connell had a Monaco blue '63 Z-11 Impala called "Blue streak". He ordered the car from Wallace Chevrolet in Albany Georgia and had it delivered to Nalley Chevrolet for Don Nicholson to work on it. The car was put on the street(after 1964) as a small block steel nose car. Wonder what happened to it?
Z-11 Chevelle
I just had a question to ask about the Chevelle you beat from Skokie IL. Was that Bures Hall by any chance? He originally had a tuxedo black '63 Z-11 Impala which he received from Mancuso Chev in Skokie Ill. I heard his Impala was more competitive than the Chevelle for some reason. Bob Delia was another Z-11 Impala racer from Libertyville, Illinois and raced both of Bures Halls cars(First the Impala and later the Chevelle in '64) and claimed to say that Bures Impala was very strong running though the Chevelle with the Impala's 427 was not as competitive. Delia shutdown the Chevelle with his '63 Z-11 Impala three straight at Union Grove Drag strip. Bob Delia just said the Impala got a better bite than the Chevelle. Wonders never cease!!! Thanks.
I just had a question to ask about the Chevelle you beat from Skokie IL. Was that Bures Hall by any chance? He originally had a tuxedo black '63 Z-11 Impala which he received from Mancuso Chev in Skokie Ill. I heard his Impala was more competitive than the Chevelle for some reason. Bob Delia was another Z-11 Impala racer from Libertyville, Illinois and raced both of Bures Halls cars(First the Impala and later the Chevelle in '64) and claimed to say that Bures Impala was very strong running though the Chevelle with the Impala's 427 was not as competitive. Delia shutdown the Chevelle with his '63 Z-11 Impala three straight at Union Grove Drag strip. Bob Delia just said the Impala got a better bite than the Chevelle. Wonders never cease!!! Thanks.
Gerry, you say the frame mounts were reversed. If you can remember, did you run into interference problems with the firewall by doing this? If I'm thinking correctly, reversing the frame mounts would move the engine back several inches. Did you have to modify the firewall?