My 69 Z/28 "building find"!

[69Z28-RS]

I'm wondering if you fellas could have ever gotten that car out without the seller's wife 'coordinating' your actions with her 'baton'     ..  pretty funny watching he pop in and out every few frames... 

[ko-lek-tor]

My son shot a time lapse video of what it took to get the car out of the building and loaded up.

https://youtu.be/ZWiAIoGO2zc

John

Very nice record of the retrieval. That will really help in documenting this car's history. Entertaining as well! Just one note of a safety concern. I never get behind a winched car. A guy close to me got run over when the car came lose while winching onto a rollback. Great to have you on board. Would like to talk you into leaving the car "as is" ,except for adding seats and de- tuning the engine for street cruising.

[Z28Project]

I'm wondering if you fellas could have ever gotten that car out without the seller's wife 'coordinating' your actions with her 'baton'     ..  pretty funny watching he pop in and out every few frames... 

Yeah, she's a real hoot.  You never have to worry about starting a conversation with her around!  She's one of those who can just walk up to anyone and just start talking.   Very nice folks.

John

[Z28Project]

My son shot a time lapse video of what it took to get the car out of the building and loaded up.

https://youtu.be/ZWiAIoGO2zc

John

Very nice record of the retrieval. That will really help in documenting this car's history. Entertaining as well! Just one note of a safety concern. I never get behind a winched car. A guy close to me got run over when the car came lose while winching onto a rollback. Great to have you on board. Would like to talk you into leaving the car "as is" ,except for adding seats and de- tuning the engine for street cruising.

Thanks, I'll keep the winch tip in mind when we get it down off the trailer.

I'm open to suggestions on how to present the car.  I kinda like the old decals and stuff, I don't care for the old pro stock looking hood, not sure about the Weld wheels and Moroso skinnies on the front.  It did come with a pair of new in the box matching Weld wheels for the back, but they are the odd Dana bolt pattern (5X4.5).  I kind of had plans to go with the ARE Torque Thrust Originals on Radial T/A's.
I bought a DZ 302 and am gathering parts for it too.  The engine in the car is the old "301" with a 327 block and 283 crank.  It's all good parts and 12.0:1 compression (I like that)!  But it does have a big solid roller cam that I'm think about changing before I even try to start the engine.

John

[BULLITT65]

Hey don't rule out finding that original 302, start tracking it down, other guys have had luck finding their original blocks. Check the orphan section on here you may find the trans at point as well.

I vote Flat hood (or some vintage stinger hood), and ditch the rear spoiler. With some vintage torque thrusts, with mickey thompson tires or Hoosier, or some vintage 70's or early eighties race looking tires. (not a big fan of BFG). Keep the decals!

[Z28Project]

I just pulled a valve cover.  Everything looks nice and clean and STOUT.



I've seen this type of header on small blocks before, but never really knew the purpose.  They have an adapter plate and a different bolt pattern.



Is that to get a larger tube diameter, or does it have to do with a modified exhaust port shape?  I'd like to put regular style headers on it.

Thanks,  John

[X33RS]

Cool find.

The header adapters are for installing 1 7/8" tube headers on a sbc.  Old school stuff not seldom seen anymore.

Personally if it were me, I'd leave the headers as is, leave the dana, install the welds on the rear, leave the engine as is with maybe one change (add a tunnel ram) and I'd run without the hood at all.  Drive the car as is and have some fun with it for a while before you even think about detuning and/or semi restoring.   Cars like that with vintage speed parts from it's racing days, and with patina to go with it get a ton of attention nowadays.  It's a good chunk of the cars history.  I wouldn't hesitate to buzz that over to a local cruise as is.  Too many restored ones running around anyway, refreshing to see one dragged out of the barn "as raced" 

[Z28Project]

Some interesting thoughts, thanks!

A tunnel ram would be kinda neat and would go with the theme.

I don't know about the 5.86 gear though.  Maybe take off in 3rd and shift to 4th by 35 mph.

John

[Dusk_Blue_Z]

I know you said the car went through a repaint, but maybe the stripes were painted like that for a reason. Many of these earlier cars didn't come with spoilers, but guys added them after the fact. Which means the stripes would run over the trunk lid lip. That's they way my car was. I'm with you on the pet peeve, but at the same time it technically can be considered correct for a non-spoiler car. Just my two cents.

[X33RS]

Yes, there are many instances where dealers installed spoilers, which of course would then show stripes on the rear lip of the decklid.   Since this car has the 68 spoiler, which would be correct for this early build, it's a likely possibility.  Or of course during the repaint, it's possible the repaint just wasn't done correctly.  But the 68 spoiler tells me it's been on there a long time.  Most conversions done later generally you find a 69 spoiler.  Some investigative work could determine either way, when it comes time to strip and paint.  I'd also be looking at the torsion rods underneath, from what I'm told  spoiler cars had one rod larger than the other.  That would at least answer whether it was installed on the assembly line or not, but it won't tell you if the dealer did it.  I don't believe all the assembly line spoiler cars always had the D80 code on the tag when it comes to the early cars so that's a wash.

[X33RS]

Some interesting thoughts, thanks!

A tunnel ram would be kinda neat and would go with the theme.

I don't know about the 5.86 gear though.  Maybe take off in 3rd and shift to 4th by 35 mph.

John

Well I figured since the hood has a hole in it already, why not go the tunnel ram route, but since it's not painted I'd likely just run without a hood, it works with the theme too.  Fair weather car anyway right?      Yeah the 5.86 may be a bit steep if you stray far from the house.  I ran 4.88's on the street, and have friends that ran 5.13's.  Highway trips were fun, lol.   You could tame the gear down a bit, I'd just hate to lose some of the joy of high rpm fun, and judging from the looks of it that motor may like rpm,  so I'd be hesitant to pull too much out.  I'd definitely leave the dana though until a later date when you decide to restore it, or....toss in a TKO600 to tame the cruise rpm a bit,  cheaper to swap the 5.86 for something that suites you though.    Possibilities are endless.

[Z28Project]

This old Hurst Vertigate shifter was all business!


Old Hurst Line-Lock:


Early Weld logo:


Here's a good one.  How do you route the mechanical tach cable?  Just bore a hole thru the dash! 


John

[BULLITT65]

How about the stewart warner gauge in the dash with the switches?

[Z28Project]

Water temp

[BULLITT65]

(The one up above that )