Some fun Corvette history | Page 4 | FerrariChat

Some fun Corvette history

Discussion in 'American Muscle' started by jm2, Jun 18, 2018.

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  1. of2worlds

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    #76 of2worlds, Jun 28, 2018
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  2. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #77 energy88, Jun 28, 2018
    That is amazing that the '62 coves line up so closely with the '63 front clip!
     
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  3. ForzaV12

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    #78 ForzaV12, Jun 30, 2018
    Is that Mickey Thompson?
     
  4. Protouring442

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    #79 Protouring442, Jun 30, 2018
    So far as I recall reading, the other problem with the early, 2-bar knock-off wheels is that they occasionally decided to part ways with the car. :eek: The three-bar knock-off was made so more torque could be applied to the knock-off. Reproduction wheels feature a pin that keeps the knock-off from backing off.
     
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  5. 375+

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    #80 375+, Jun 30, 2018
    It looks like him to me.
     
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  6. of2worlds

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    #81 of2worlds, Jun 30, 2018
    Indeed it is; Mickey Thompson was friends with the new for 1961 Chevrolet Motor Division General Manager Semon Knudsen. Mickey Thompson was closely associated with performance Pontiacs when Semon Knudsen was previously the General Manager of the Pontiac Motor Division. That connection proved very useful when Chevrolet decided to build an early run of 15 new 1963 Corvette coupes equipped with the Z06 special performance package. The 15 special Corvettes were sent to hand picked race teams for competition starting in the fall of 1962. Mickey Thompson was able to scoop up 4 of these Corvettes for himself! The first 1963 Corvette Z06 serial number 684 went to Don Steves Chevrolet and it's driver Dave MacDonald. Earlier Dave MacDonald and fellow race driver Dr. Dick Thompson were personally chosen by Zora Duntov to test drive the new 1963 Corvette Sting Ray models at the General Motors proving grounds in Michigan. Dave MacDonald personally took delivery of 684 at the St. Louis Corvette plant and then drove the new Corvette back to California.
    After the 15 Corvettes with the Z06 package were built there was a delay of two months before more unique Z06 parts arrived at the factory for further production. Once Z06 production started again Mickey Thompson asked for a fifth Z06 equipped Corvette that would instead be for his personal use on the street rather than on the track. He ordered white with a black interior and got serial number 6844. It was delivered with all the same equipment as the earlier race cars including the larger gas tank. However unlike the four Z06 Corvettes that were raced Mickey Thompson's personal 1963 Z06 Corvette remained unmodified save for the installation of a set of 'Rader' mag wheels. His personal 1963 Corvette was pictured in advertisements for those Rader wheels. Now restored this Mickey Thompson Z06 Corvette looks as did in 1963.

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  7. of2worlds

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    #82 of2worlds, Jun 30, 2018
    The car business was all about performance and the dollars a division earned in the corporation. Success meant more money for other performance programs. The performance Corvettes associated with Zora Duntov reflected his ability to deliver a successful product and also produce on the political side of the car business. Just as Mickey Thompson used his connections with Semon Knudsen to get special Corvettes; Zora Duntov was also interested in those results. So the success of Chevrolet with the Corvettes on the track and off and what results Mickey Thompson could deliver were key. There was a strong performance connection between Mickey Thompson and Zora Duntov.
    John Z DeLorean left Pontiac and was promoted to the position of General Manager of the Chevrolet Motor Division on February 15, 1969. It was again Zora Duntov talking engineer to engineer with DeLorean who came from a strong performance background at Pontiac where he created the GTO. DeLorean was a strong backer of the new small car Chevrolet Vega program which had been saddled with the Wankel engine fiasco. He tried to improve it's performance with the Cosworth Vega edition. Performance cars had paid huge dividends for him in his time at Pontiac but there were serious problems requiring a fix at Chevrolet. Corvette was an important program but there were problems there to.
    As can be seen in this early 1969 photograph Zora Duntov details a possible new mid-engine Corvette concept car design, hoping to gain support from John Z DeLorean for this new Corvette.

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  8. of2worlds

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    #83 of2worlds, Jun 30, 2018
    Zora Duntov watched from the pits as Mickey Thompson's driver Doug Hooper won with the Z06 equipped 1963 Corvette coupe in it's first race. The event was the 1962 Los Angeles Times 3 Hour Invitational Race. However beyond that initial success there was a problem that would haunt the Corvette program. The Corvette even in Z06 trim was 1,100 pounds heavier than the Shelby Cobra. Zora Duntov was working on a solution to that problem...

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  9. 375+

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    #84 375+, Jun 30, 2018
    Great stuff Charles, many thanks.
     
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  10. of2worlds

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    #85 of2worlds, Jul 1, 2018
    In 1962 work had progressed on a light weight version of the new for 1963 Corvette Sting Ray called the Grand Sport. The first version would soon see a number of modifications in the quest for more speed. The initial plan was to build 125 Grand Sport Corvettes with 377 cubic inch engines.
    However all the battles were not limited to the race track. Some important people within General Motors did not support the Chevrolet race car program and that meant trouble for the future of the program...

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  11. of2worlds

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    #86 of2worlds, Jul 1, 2018
    The modified Grand Sport Corvette, fall of 1963 >

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    Due to the now strict enforcement of the earlier 1957 AMA racing ban the Grand Sport lightweight Corvette program was shut down. Officially only 5 Corvettes were built along with a sixth chassis that was not complete. However even after these decisions Zora Duntov persisted with his Corvette Grand Sport program.
    The Grand Sport's in the fall of 1963 were brought back to Chevrolet Engineering to be modified for competition. Once modified three of the Grand Sport models went to the races at the Nassau Speed Week in the Bahamas. The Grand Sports were run by John Mecom as private team entries there. The modifications gave the Grand Sports a much more aggressive appearance. The bodies had been modified to accept bigger tires and the all aluminum 377 cubic inch engines were finally fitted to the cars. After only modest success with 4th and 8th place finishes the program was again officially cancelled. However instead of being crushed the Corvettes were all eventually sold with Roger Penske getting two of the Corvettes. All five Grand Sport models still exist today.
     
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  12. jm2

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    #87 jm2, Jul 2, 2018
    Charles, you are doing a marvelous job educating us on Corvette history. I am learning so much with your depth of knowledge of the car. Keep it going!
     
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  13. of2worlds

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    #88 of2worlds, Jul 2, 2018
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2018
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  14. of2worlds

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  15. Tenney

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    #90 Tenney, Jul 2, 2018
    Cool stuff! Images of 001 pre-Roadster conversion?
     
  16. of2worlds

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    #91 of2worlds, Jul 2, 2018
    Not sure but it is more likely GS 003. It was GS serial numbers 003, 004, and 005 that were shipped to Nassau in December of 1963.

    The roadster idea was a response to reduce the frontal area and also the need for a new hood that would not blow off as a result of air trapped there plus the troublesome issue of front end 'lift' at higher speeds made worse by the coupe version bodywork.
    Zora Duntov had the engineers in Warren MI remove the tops on Grand Sport 001 and 002. This was in preparation for the Daytona race in February of 1964. Also a new hood design was created to relive air pressure that built up in the engine compartment.

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  17. of2worlds

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    #92 of2worlds, Jul 2, 2018
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    It was Grady Davis of Gulf Oil fame who made a request to Chevrolet for a quick take-off wheel design for his Corvette race cars. The result from Chevrolet was the 'knock-off' wheel design that would be introduced for the new 1963 Corvettes.
    In the beginning prototype 1963 Corvettes like the coupe and convertible that Road & Track featured had 2 ear spinners. Problems with this design resulted in the replacement 3 ear spinners version as seen in this early 1963 Corvette coupe press photograph.

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  18. of2worlds

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    #93 of2worlds, Jul 2, 2018
    The 1963 Corvette coupe and convertible were advertised with the new knock off style wheels. Though none were delivered with these new 3 ear knock off wheels from the factory >

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  19. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #94 energy88, Jul 2, 2018
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  21. of2worlds

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    #97 jm2, Jul 2, 2018
    former GM designer. I believe he's had it since new!
     
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  25. of2worlds

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    #100 of2worlds, Jul 2, 2018
    In the spring of 1964 the three Grand Sport coupes were disposed of by Chevrolet to clients. Chevrolet retained the 001 and 002 Grand Sport models and showed them very rarely at car shows. Then very early in 1966 Roger Penske arranged to purchase the pair of Grand Sport roadsters. The silver metallic Grand Sport 001 was sent back to his shop in PA for rebuilding to compete in the 1966 Sebring race. The Grand Sport would be painted Sunoco Blue with yellow and the small block engine would be pulled in favour of a new 427 engine built by Traco the famous engine builder. The Grand Sport would wear race number 10. Also entered was a 1966 Corvette coupe powered by a special new 427 engine.

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