If you are talking about me Robert, I was at the 63 race but I didnt actually race any until 65
Z-11 restoration
- Thread starter Blk61409
- Start date
Pat,
Vagely, one of the memories that i have is being at Hillsborough, N.C., a 9/10 mile dirt track and we were pitted beside Jr. and i remember Turkey Minton who was Jr's right hand man took the breather off and it had a holley carburetor on it. I had a 63 400 horse car at the time and i have never seen a holley on Chevrolet before. Crazy how you remember crap like that but cant remember something that means something
Vagely, one of the memories that i have is being at Hillsborough, N.C., a 9/10 mile dirt track and we were pitted beside Jr. and i remember Turkey Minton who was Jr's right hand man took the breather off and it had a holley carburetor on it. I had a 63 400 horse car at the time and i have never seen a holley on Chevrolet before. Crazy how you remember crap like that but cant remember something that means something
That’s me!!Interesting it was at a dirt track.
Bill Howell (Engineer on the MM, working for Dick Kineth)told me he tried several Carter carbs but the Holley gave him more HP.
It was the first time Chevy had ever used a Holly.
Small number of engines, but did lead to being used on the 327’s, 396, etc.
Hillsborough, N.C. also known as Occonochie Speedway was a 9/10 mile, high banked dirt track. Last race there was 1968, Richard Petty won, Worth McMillion (who I worked for) finished 5th in a 65 Catalina. This track is one of 3 race tracks on the National Historic Register. The other two are Indy and Bonneville Salt flats
Interesting it was at a dirt track.
Bill Howell (Engineer on the MM, working for Dick Kineth)told me he tried several Carter carbs but the Holley gave him more HP.
It was the first time Chevy had ever used a Holly.
Small number of engines, but did lead to being used on the 327’s, 396, etc.
I had no idea there was even a high bank dirt track much less in the category of Indy or the Flats!
When I lived in Miss. my Dad owned a tire shop, 1950-55 or so. He recapped and made the tires for an early straight 8 Pontiac, named L8.
We went each Sat nite to watch how the car would perform with his tires, of course he sold more recapped tires.
So, Tommy you and I both got started with Pontiac dirt track cars!
When I lived in Miss. my Dad owned a tire shop, 1950-55 or so. He recapped and made the tires for an early straight 8 Pontiac, named L8.
We went each Sat nite to watch how the car would perform with his tires, of course he sold more recapped tires.
So, Tommy you and I both got started with Pontiac dirt track cars!
Pat, I guess we did. I only ran 14 or 15 races but my best finish in a NASCAR GN race was 8th on a 1/2 mile dirt track in Greenville SC. That track has long since been paved and is still in operation. I was driving the same 65 Pontiac that Worth drove in the last race at Hillsborough . I was young and dumb then and NASCAR was loosing a lot of drivers during the time I was driving which was 65,66 and 67. Didnt take me long to figure out there were a lot more old mechanics than there were old drivers! I then built, owned and hired drivers until 1990 when I finally gave it up. But, I wouldnt take a million dollars for the experience
What a Dapper Young Man!!
You definitely made the right decision.
I used to race anything with 4 wheels until I got married and my first son came along.
A guy approached me and offered me a funny car to campaign.
I did what you did, looked around, and lots of dragsters and funny cars crashing.
About that same time Dick Harrell died after an incredibly successful career.
I passed.
You definitely made the right decision.
I used to race anything with 4 wheels until I got married and my first son came along.
A guy approached me and offered me a funny car to campaign.
I did what you did, looked around, and lots of dragsters and funny cars crashing.
About that same time Dick Harrell died after an incredibly successful career.
I passed.
I believe the history that you guys share with us is priceless. 
I'm just livin the dream, you guys add color to it. 
What my time in NASCAR in the mid sixties did for me was to put me right in the mix with my heros. Fireball Roberts, Jr. Johnson, Richard Petty and all my other heros as I was growing. Getting to race with and against them just put me in awe, also showed me real quick the difference between me and the real drivers !! My real hero is my friend Worth McMillion, he has gone on now but he gave me the chance as a 21 year old kid a chance to drive a G N stock car and I shall forever be grateful. Enough about us old guys!!
Pat, I was talking to a friend of mine BC who worked in the Chevrolet plant in Kansas City in the 60s 62/63 ... And later. He said he thought when I was talking to him about the 427 mystery motor and the z-11's that they brought cars through the assembly line and put a bunch of motors and drivelines in about one or two hundred cars. They were delivery vehicles and four door sedans. They had no interior and no paint, they were still in primer. They did start and drive. He also said that he was really young when he started working at the Chevrolet assembly plant and those cars were never to be sold they were just assembled and put back in the back of the plant. He thought it had something to do with a minimum number a vehicles that could be available for sale. He also said that they were later disassembled but I'm not sure what they did with all the parts. And after that he said Chevrolet dropped out of racing for a while. I need to pick his brain some more and try to get some more details. I thought it was real interesting though! Does this sound viable or possible? I'm too young to know any better lol, I was born 63! A good year though....
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I saw the add that was on this thread of the production of the mystery motors. BC said he was pretty sure it was between 63 and 65.
Yes, please ask more questions.
Odds are they would have been assembly mules of varying body styles to make sure the assembly process worked.
Correct on both engines Don.
Below are Chevrolet internal documents reflecting the the 50 Z-11 complete engines built and 20 short blocks built. The number of heads, etc are unknown.
The Mystery Motor is incredibly small.
I know it was far less than 50, more like 30 plus several sets of heads, etc.
I met a man that was in Daytona when the engines were shipped to Smokey Yunick and Ray Fox.
While Chevrolet claimed 50 to NASCAR those 2 guys would ship engines back and forth between their shops when NASCAR came to count to get to 50. The guy I met said it was 29 engines.
Chevrolet even had a couple of cars pulled out of Dealer inventory and used for the Mystery Motor, Smokey’s black and gold car and Juniors SS car. I believe the red test car was shipped to the Az proving from Mich. not sure exactly but does not matter.
So, given the small number produced in total of both engines, I find it hard to believe that’s what they were doing with those cars.
Odds are they would have been assembly mules of varying body styles to make sure the assembly process worked.
Correct on both engines Don.
Below are Chevrolet internal documents reflecting the the 50 Z-11 complete engines built and 20 short blocks built. The number of heads, etc are unknown.
The Mystery Motor is incredibly small.
I know it was far less than 50, more like 30 plus several sets of heads, etc.
I met a man that was in Daytona when the engines were shipped to Smokey Yunick and Ray Fox.
While Chevrolet claimed 50 to NASCAR those 2 guys would ship engines back and forth between their shops when NASCAR came to count to get to 50. The guy I met said it was 29 engines.
Chevrolet even had a couple of cars pulled out of Dealer inventory and used for the Mystery Motor, Smokey’s black and gold car and Juniors SS car. I believe the red test car was shipped to the Az proving from Mich. not sure exactly but does not matter.
So, given the small number produced in total of both engines, I find it hard to believe that’s what they were doing with those cars.