2014 Chevrolet C7 Corvette fascia gets accidental web preview

One would have thought that GM could get the year correct for the first LT-1. 1969 not 1970 although they were not widely available.

Jeff

 

Jeff,good to "see"you back!

 

I love the tilting dyno, beating the crap out of the new LT1:

http://youtu.be/LvVK6neQ4q4

 

That is good information, I always thought it was from 70-72, did not realise the 69 had it available.

 

It was announced for the 1969 model year and some quantity were even built and delivered but not many (I'd look it up in the Corvette Black Bokk but it is on loan to a friend). 1970 is when it got full production because it is the same motor as for the Z-28. It has been quoted that Duntov took umbrage that people considered the LT-1 motor as being from the Z-28 instead of the reality that it was developed for the Corvette.

In 1969 Car Life magazine did a massive test of Corvettes with each different engine. They had an LT-1 in it as well as an L-88 and did instrumented runs with Duntov's ZL-1 mule.

Jeff

 

That 1970 LT-1 as a convertible with a 4 Speed Muncie Rock Crusher was a real blast, terrific motor. The new LT-1 has big shoes to fill, I have a feeling it wll come in at 475 HP not 450.

 

Love the original C3 Design, with the Chrome and Sail Panels up to 1973, from there it went a bit downhill until C4.

 

Do I remember correctly that "the mule" had an automatic?

Jeff

 

i stand corrected, i'm not sure now, but the arrticle about the 5.5L must have been (maybe?) about the next supercharged version??

awesome engine, no swapping parts betwen it and the last LS variations

 

Junk material to confuse with real information IMO.

 

ah, okay

 

I heard the 5.5 will be the new Silverado's standard V8 engine.

 

The automatic equipped car was the Monaco Orange 1969 ZL-1 coupe. The 1968 white roadster was a manual shift. The journalists were driven around in "the mule" but got to actually drive the 1969 orange ZL-1 coupe at Black Lake.
CH

 

Can someone do a quick recap of the L-88 vs ZL-1 engines? ZL-1 is all aluminum; block and heads. L-88 is aluminum head but is the block AL or cast iron? If cast iron are the heads the same as for the L-89 and the block is the regular cast iron unit as on the other hi-po 427s?

Jeff

 

Jeff, correct me if I am wrong but the L88 is aluminum heads with cast iron block, no?

 

Carb./intake variances aside ...

L-89 is an aluminum head option on a solid lifter/11.1 compression 396 or 427 cast iron big block. L-88 is a cast iron 12.1 compression big block w/more rad. cam and aluminum heads. ZL-1 is essentially an all-aluminum L-88 w/a bit more cam still.

 

http://www.corvettefever.com/featuredvehicles/corp_0603_1969_chevy_corvette_zl1/

 

There was also said to be in Ohio a 1969 ZL1 roadster painted Riverside Gold to...
CH

 

Came across these two, too - so much for there being just two ...?!

http://corvettes-musclecars.com/gallery2/v/al_corvette/1969+Corvette+ZL-1+427-430HP/

http://www.rogerscorvette.com/spots/feb98/spot.htm

 

The Daytona Yellow ZL1 was ordered by an engineer at the Tonawanda NY engine plant. However the Can-Am white 1969 coupe is more of a question mark in my personal opinion as D&A Corvette in Illinois restored that one. IMPO the orange roadster in Pennsylvania is the better ZL1 Corvette. Without the confirmation of General Motors build/shipping records it is difficult to confirm the authenticity 100% at this late date. The build records represent a huge 'can of worms' which except for the Pontiac Division records (which exist in part due to the search for information about a special 421 Super Duty 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix), GM has decided to ignore...
CH

 

So are the numbers in the Black Book questionable? I know that they do not do combinations of options but they do have the quantities of tiotal production and the individual options.

Jeff

 

have you tried contacting the GM Heritage Center?

 

Better men than me have tried and the records have still not been released....
I was not privy to the reasoning why this information is unavailable.
CH