Robert Jacobson
Active Member
I have a question that I would like answered for my own information. Reading about the Z11 engine I have read that the Z11 had aluminum heads from the factory. Is this true? Thanks for any information to clarify this.
The Buick 300 was probably the first example of american V-8 to be a mainstream production engine with iron block and aluminum heads in 1964,with the all aluminum 215 v-8 preceding that for a few years.Corvette nearly got that distinction in 1960 with the # 461 aluminum heads but casting porosity problems derailed that.Ford cast a few sets of aluminum 427 MR heads for their GT-40 program but they could hardly be considered production,same goes for the sets of aluminum 426 hemi heads that Mopar had cast for their S/S drag program.Those both happened in the late 64-early 65 timeframe.Then the most well known example the L-88 came to pass,I think Chevy was pretty gun shy after the problems with the 1960 heads and waited until there was more experience with them before trying again.I have a question that I would like answered for my own information. Reading about the Z11 engine I have read that the Z11 had aluminum heads from the factory. Is this true? Thanks for any information to clarify this.
I was going to mention the Oldsmobile Jetfire in 62-63 but it was an all aluminum V8 not cast iron block as I was thinking. Still such a cool car. I have a JETFUEL tank that held the water injection system in the engine bay. Found it in a scrap pile. Gave $2 for the entire pile. Thing is mint and the scrappers had no idea what it was.The Buick 300 was probably the first example of american V-8 to be a mainstream production engine with iron block and aluminum heads in 1964,with the all aluminum 215 v-8 preceding that for a few years.Corvette nearly got that distinction in 1960 with the # 461 aluminum heads but casting porosity problems derailed that.Ford cast a few sets of aluminum 427 MR heads for their GT-40 program but they could hardly be considered production,same goes for the sets of aluminum 426 hemi heads that Mopar had cast for their S/S drag program.Those both happened in the late 64-early 65 timeframe.Then the most well known example the L-88 came to pass,I think Chevy was pretty gun shy after the problems with the 1960 heads and waited until there was more experience with them before trying again.
And they sure are purdy...........
If they did......PAT would have them!!!!!!!It would also not be surprising for a set to surface that was part of some factory skunkworks racing development program,surely everyone's seen the hot rod articles from the 60's that highlighted different manufacturer's experimental engine programs,there was lot's of crazy stuff being experimented with back then.
Anyone know what kind of price tag those Z-12 heads come with?
I thought the heads weren’t too bad, it’s the engine you need to bolt them to that’s expensive.I think it one of those " if you have to ask...well you know the rest"
It's not the engine you bolt those heads to that is expensive, it's all the components (internal and external) that's so expensive!I thought the heads weren’t too bad, it’s the engine you need to bolt them to that’s expensive.