Some fun Corvette history

The 'Long Lead' press preview was a courtesy to Automotive Magazines. They needed time to write stories and photograph cars and then go to print months later.
However sometimes plans changed for the automotive manufacturer with a three month or longer delay.
One of the new 1969 Corvette models featured for automotive journalists to drive was a small block solid lifter motor hi-performance version called the "LT-1". This Corvette took the Z28 Camaro motor and increased the displacement from 302 cubic inches to 350 cubic inches. This 350 was the new displacement for all 'small block' 1969 Corvettes. The 1968 Corvette had used the old 327 motor so 1969 was bigger and better plus it would introduce the LT-1 edition.
Unfortunately the popularity of the Camaro with the Z28 option package meant there were not enough parts available to build Corvette LT-1 motors to. The Corvette had to wait until the late arrival of the 1970 1/2 Corvette to introduce the new LT-1 option package. While this new 1970 1/2 Corvette small block used the 427 style hood it was missing the cowl induction feature seen on the prototype build 1969 Corvette LT-1 that journalists drove. However the LT-1 style pinstripe design on the hood was utilized. Below can be seen the unique style cowl induction hood featured on this 1969 LT-1 Corvette. It has been suggested that only two of the 1969 Corvette LT-1 prototype cars were built.

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As noted earlier the N14 side mount exhaust option returned for 1969 Corvette customers. The new for 1968 Corvette body design meant a new look for the side mount exhaust as well. The option price increased to $147.45 but sales of this option also increased to 4,355 for the 1969 Corvette model year sales.

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I love Zora, his wife Elfie was a great woman as well....
Look close at him with the guys at the track...
A fire exstinguisher, a can of open FAST PALE gas AND......Zora smoking a cig!
Nice, last of the men with steel B's......and flew his own plane til 86?
Nice pics..
GTJOEY1314

 

For reasons that have never been explained the N14 side mount exhaust option would be discontinued after the 1969 model year Corvette sales.
This 1969 Cortez Silver Corvette offers perhaps the highest street performance package Chevrolet offered for 1969. This L71 427 435HP engine has the optional aluminum cylinder heads.
Only 390 Corvette customers chose option code L89 which added aluminum cylinder heads for $832.85 that year. The option was quite pricey when compared to the L88 motor option at a cost of $1,032.15 including the unique carburetor and cowl induction hood. However the addition of an aluminum 427 engine with option ZL1 cost $4718.35 which was only $63 less than the base price of a 1969 Corvette coupe at $4781.
1969 also saw the availability for the first time of an M40 automatic transmission with all the big block 427 engine choices including the solid lifter engines and even the aluminum 427 ZL1 engine.
Plans for an LS-7 454 465HP Corvette engine for 1970 models was cancelled; leaving the 1969 L88 engine Corvette at the Chevrolet factory performance pinnacle for decades to come.

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The 1969 L88 Corvette >

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Love war bonnet yellow. Looks just like an LS6 I used to own.

 

The LS6 option engine featured an increase in displacement to 454 cubic inches but was rated at 425HP. This big block engine also was equipped with aluminum cylinder heads for the first time since the 1969 model year.
1971 Warbonnet Yellow with an LS6 engine and the M40 automatic transmission. >

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Starting in the 1967 model year while officially rated at 430HP the option code L88 427 engine remained the most powerful engine Chevrolet would offer in a Corvette for many years to come...

1967 >
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1968 >
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1969 >
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1967 was the final year that the K19 option smog equipment was still an option and not a requirement for car registration in certain states.
Even the 1968 and 1969 427 L88 engines were required to use the smog equipment that was required on all other Corvette engines in those two model years of production.

 

Love that Vinyl option for the Hard Top!

 

Yes, my LS6 was a t-top and had saddle leather interior. I bought it from the original owner with about 12,000 miles and a CE warranty block but it had every piece of documentation including the sales order, window sticker, protecto plate and tank sticker still on the tank. The car had been modified with a 73 front-end for the World of Wheels shows and drag raced quite a bit in that configuration. It ended up in Longmont, CO with a collector who had more patience than me when restoring it. I got a 63 fuelie vert and some cash in the transaction. I was most impressed with the M-22 transmission.

 

This photograph shows a journalist test driving the new 1970 1/2 Corvette with the option code LS7 engine. The LS7 engine was rated at 465HP and 610 ft-lbs of torque and was to be offered with a choice of 4 speed manual or 3 speed automatic transmissions. As noted in post #229 the LS7 engine option was cancelled and never offered as a Corvette regular production option.

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kind of looks like David E. Davis at the wheel...

 

It sure does look like D.E.D.

 

This thread has apparently been an inspiration to Hagerty who just came out with this article: "5 rare and special Corvettes you've probably never heard of." However, don't get too excited as of2worlds has already covered a lot of this material. Also, the comments section of the Hagerty article indicates there are a lot of errors present.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/08/14/5-rare-and-special-corvettes-youve-never-heard-of?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=18_August_15_HagertyNews

 

I had a conversation yesterday with a writer for Hagerty regarding L88, L89 and ZL1 Corvettes.

 

Hi energy88 thanks for the link to the Hagerty News story about rare Corvettes! Sometimes when you research a story some the sources have incorrect information so getting all the facts to line up can be tricky. Interesting choices they made for the Corvettes in that article. Though the ZR1 and ZR2 option package Corvettes sort of pale in comparison to the L88 Corvettes of the 60's.
They don't mention the third blue 'low fin' street version SR2 which I believe is still in Richard's Michigan car collection today.

 

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Wow! Never thought I would see the word "deproliferation" (as in nuclear stuff) used in conjunction with V-8 engines in late 1969! Was this caused by the mounting future emissions requirements or the "stagflation" that came upon the scene in the 1970s?

 

Number 6 is interesting as the planned to continue the 427 ZL1 engine for 1970 Corvettes. At least they sold the same package engine as a service part.
Great info there with a lot of different engines discontinued. It should be noted that 1970 was a short year because of delays with the new Camaro program and the Corvette probably was held back to because of the Camaro development problems.
Also the LT-2 dropped and that engine was what powered the 1969 Corvette drag strip press car as seen in the '10 Second Trip' story in an earlier post -#221 in this thread.

 

https://www.motortrend.com/news/1969-chevrolet-corvette-lt-2-review/

 

Fantastic! Thanks for posting.

 

Might this be Zora's white car ...?

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From the ad it certainly ticks all the boxes for what you might expect if you were shopping ZL1 Corvette prototypes!
They even have the year 1968 correct!
Maybe there is paperwork in one of Zora's Chevrolet files to pull a 1968 Corvette off the line to be converted to a ZL1 prototype! Not wanting to be obvious as there was the no racing edict; it could be Corvette wanted for engineering study of...

You are turning up so really interesting material!!!

 

Zora was very 'hands on' with Corvette development. Pictured is a unique 1968 Corvette mule. Note the 'one of a kind' prototype cowl induction hood scoop design >
Plus other unusual design details-

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Wow! Black Rims- 50 years before black rims became fashionable!

 

Good one!

The wheels are interesting because the previous model year used 6 x 15 wheels and the 1968 had new wider 7 x 15 wheels. While painted black instead of silver they appear to have the cut outs in the design like Corvette rally wheels.