But, Chevy test drivers discovered the car’s pioneering shape – lifted from the Mako Shark II – generated considerable lift at high speed, which resulted in nervous handling. When it comes to rare Corvettes, the conversation naturally bends towards L88’s, big brake fuelie’s, C3 ZR1’s, and C2 Z06’s. 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What’s ironic is that ever since ’97 when the all-aluminum LS series of GM engines came out in the Corvette, “all-aluminum” is really no big deal! The fabulous 1969 ZL-1 Corvette: Click on these photos for larger versions! However, Chevrolet sold stacks of ZL-1 engines that brought lots of racing gold to Corvettes and Chevy-powered race cars. When this car was announced to the world in the fall of 1968 as an option on the ’69 Corvette, it became an instant legend … The White Beast. One currently exists in Kevin Suydam’s private collection in Seattle, Washington. The story behind Roger Judski's ZL-1 Corvette (based on excerpts from an article written by Pat Stivers as originally published in the March/April 1985 issue of Corvette Fever magazine) The next best thing to owning a one-of-a-kind Corvette is owning a two-of-a-kind Corvette. I fell in love with a white ’78 uncle Tommy owned and thrilled me in on the streets of Cincinnati. According to Motor Trend in a late 1968 road test, the Corvette ZL1 was the fastest production car ever produced (up to that time). He came close to achieving that goal in ’62 when a series of aluminum test engines were cast but proved to be too problematic and unreliable. Ah, the C3 Corvette… Who doesn’t love it’s iconic shape, it’s positively ludicrous design that exuded sin and perfectly encapsulated the era of freedom and cultural change in which it was produced? 1/18 1969 Corvette Zl1 By Hotwheels. Contacts; Site map; Home » Chevrolet. The torque is unknown until now. John Maher of Leechburg, Pennsylvania, is a life-long racing enthusiast. Marty Schorr, while editor of CARS Magazine tested a blue ZL-1 that not one of the two official ZL-1s. The March 2006 issue of Corvette Fever has a four page article on John Maher's 1969 Monaco Orange Corvette and is claiming that this is the second documented ZL1 Corvette found in existence. One of those lucky people was Bruce … LOT Die Cast Cars- MATCHBOX, Hot Wheels, Disney, Tonka, Rare? See more ideas about corvette, 1969 corvette, corvette c3. The orange one was delivered with an automatic transmission while the other two came with the Muncie. $11.94 + $3.99 shipping. That package included an aluminum cylinder block 427 L88 turbo jet engine, and only two such Corvettes were ever assembled in the St. Louis factory way back in 1969. Why were only two of these Corvettes sold when it was such a great engine option? (Photo courtesy of General Motors.). The car was basically an experimental model and never advertised as a regular production option. © 2017 Power Automedia. 1969: Displacement: 6997 cubic centimeters (7.0 liters / 427 cubic inches) Maximum power: 593 metric horsepower (585 brake horsepower / 436 kilowatts) @ 6600 rpm: Engine location : front-mounted: Drive: rear wheel drive: Chevrolet Corvette ZL1 0-60 and acceleration in miles per hour. This is the true story of the second documented ZL1 Corvette. This and a few other niggling issues required rework, which forced Chevrolet to debut the car as a 1968 model instead. RPO ZL1 cost $4,718.35 which was basically the same price as a base Corvette […] May 27, 2015 - When it comes to rare Corvettes, the conversation naturally bends towards L88’s, big brake fuelie’s, C3 ZR1’s, and C2 Z06’s. A stunning, concours condition 1969 Corvette Stingray L88 427 convertible. Those that did found few takers. Of all these choices, most hardcore drag or street warriors in 1969 opted for the L88 package. Make no bones about it, this was an all-out, not for the street, collection of parts and when applied to road racing and drag racing, made a formidable machine. Even one Top Fuel dragster campaigned by Jim Butcher briefly held the NHRA Top Fuel ET record! 2021 Hot Wheels Factory 500 H.P. Because the option is so expensive, Chevy decide to make it just two. Ce n'est donc pas l'une des deux seules Corvette «ZL1» d'origine, mais une reconstruction sur base d'une Corvette «period correct», et dans le respect le plus strict du manuel et des options «GM Performance» de 1969, telle qu'elle pouvait être commandée l'année de sa sortie (option constructeur RPO «ZL1»). The 1969 Corvette brought back the "Stingray" badge although it was now one word. This more than doubled the cost of the Corvette resulting in a total cost over $10,000 in 1969. The 1969 ZL1 Corvette. Judski paid what was then considered a stunningly HUGE amount of money for the ZL-1, $300,000! In 1969, the Corvette ZL1 had a 427-cubic inch aluminum engine that developed 430 horsepower, although there are rumours that this car was actually a 485-horsepower. Popular. This also created a large number of parts that were only manufactured for 1968 and makes restoring the 1968 Corvette much more difficult than a '69. The biggest mystery on this car is the net Hp. Case in point might be the ultra-rare 1969 Corvette ZL1 with its all-aluminum 427 Rat motor that could very well be the best car GM ever made. Well, here was the big deal. Unlike the C4 ZR-1 and the C6 ZR1, the ’69 ZL-1 was designed to be Zora Arkus-Duntov’s ultimate “racer kit” option. All of this combined to make for one hell of a good-looking performance car, indeed one that blew the minds of most who saw it. These two retail ZL1’s were both produced as coupes with distinct color combinations: One was yellow with black trim, and the other was white with black trim. It was a nasty-ass L88 with an additional $3,000 added to the price to save 100-pounds off the front end, that was hardly noticeable on the street. To put it into perspective, 50 years later, the ZL-1 is still (in adjusted dollars) the most expensive engine ever offered by General Motors. Only a handful of Vettes originally came equipped with the ZL1, but many racecars were later upgraded to include the ZL1 and produced upwards of 750 bhp. Come and check out this rare and unique 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL1 - Vette Magazine. The new-for-1968 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a car that astonished, enraptured and seduced. Any Corvette, when ordered with RPO ZL1, came fitted with an all-aluminum 427 C.I. Only two are known to have been built that year. The only 1969 ZL1 Stingray convertible, looking dazzling in Monaco … First came the aluminum heads in the infamous L88 “racer kit” option in ’67. What those folks didn’t know at the time though, was the Mako Shark II’s outrageous shape and muscular drivetrain would serve as the basis for the next iteration of America’s sports car, the C3 Corvette. The 1969 ZL1 Corvette. Possessing the most powerful engine one could have crammed under that sinuous hood, only three, yes three, examples were ever produced. Rob combined his two great passions of writing and cars; and began authoring columns for several Formula 1 racing websites and Street Muscle Magazine. The folks who drove off the lot in an L88-equipped Corvette likely thought they had the hottest Stingray money could buy and were a good candidate for being king of the streets in their town and their local strip. One with Daytona Yellow and one with Can-am White. All of the above ZL-1 Corvette art prints are available HERE. Transmissions again were the standard 3-Speed fully synchronized manual, two 4-Speed fully synchronized manuals, and a Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic. Three takers, in fact – for the entire model year– making the ZL1 the rarest of the rare. But back to Roger Judski’s ZL-1. There were many hot iterations of the third-generation Corvette, and some rare ones too. When the Mark IV big-block came along in ’65, Zora immediately started pushing for an all-aluminum version. All rights reserved. NEXT: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 By Peter Valdes-Dapena @peterdrives - Last updated January 11 2013 11:30 AM ET If you want a real 1969 ZL-1 Corvette, you’d better be prepared to pay big bucks. The other is owned by Roger Judski, an automobile dealer, in Maitland, Florida. $69.95 + $12.95 shipping. The ZL1 cost $3010 and factory rated at 430 horse, same as the L88, but actual output was 550 horse. Said to have been inspired by “creatures of the deep,” it featured such external oddities as a blue-fading-to-gray paint scheme, a retractable rear spoiler, a front-hinged clip and hood, and a push-button-activated retracting roof to aid in ingress and egress. Rarer Than Rare. It ran 11.2-second ¼ miles at 127 mph, as compared to 12.0-second 116 mph for a 1969 L88 Corvette. , Chevy decide to make it ZL1 Corvette exclusive updates from the 305 cubic inch LS6 V8 more like cars... Lighter, weighing about the same as the 1969 Corvette Stingray with the you. 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