Back to school: ZL1 HISTORY lesson - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

1BADZL1 · 09-14-2011, 11:37 PM

1969 Camaro dealer order guides did not list 427 CI engines, but COPO
(Central Office Production Order) Camaros were factory-built. These
included sixty-nine COPO 9560 ($4,160 retail) units with aluminum block
"ZL1" 427 CI engines, fifty going to Chevrolet dealer-racer Fredd Gibb,
nineteen to other dealers. Chevrolet developed special graphics and trimmed
at least two prototypes, but ZL1's sold to the public carried no special
exterior identification. COPO 9561 had iron-block 427 CI engines. Racer Don
Yenko received 201 units and sold most through his Chevrolet dealership with
Yenko graphics. Additional iron-block 427 ci Camaros were factory-built, but the quantity is uncertain. Also non-factory 427 CI engine swaps by dealers and others were common.

Russell James · 09-15-2011, 09:17 AM

.... some more interesting tidbits. Gibbs returned most of the ZL1 to Chevrolet because of a pricing dispute. The $4160 engine made for a $7200 sticker, and a virtually unsellable car. Of the 50 ZL1s Gibbs ordered, they only kept and sold 13. It was the first time in history Chevys were returned to the factory by a dealer.

Of the 69 built, it is believed that at least 12 had the engines removed prior to sale to reduce the price. Today only 7 are known to exist with the original ZL1 engine. Dusk blue #18 (17,000 miles and orignal ZL1 motor) sold at Mecum for $840,000 in 2005.

*radz28* · 09-15-2011, 09:38 AM

You can identify a ZL-1 block with a snow flake, I believe above the water pump, from the Winters foundry. ZL-1 heads were also different from L88s; so were pistons, rod bolts, and cam, among the other goodies I can recall at this time, lol.

cliffsbluecamaro · 09-15-2011, 09:44 AM

Awesome info!

LOWDOWN · 09-15-2011, 10:25 AM

In contrast, the L72-engined COPO 9561s actually enjoyed a price advantage over the equal-weight L78 SSs...

One of the myths about the original ZL1s was their weight disadvantage relative to the Z/28, "which made them suitable for straightline use, only - not very able around corners". Fact is, the all-alloy Big Block weighed very close to the all-iron (save intake) SBC. And, the COPOs could be fortified with COPO Option 9737 "Sports Car Conversion" which included Z/28-style 15 X 7" Rally Wheels/E70 X 15 Tires and the 13/16" Front Anti-Sway Bar Bar, among other features. As good a handling option as 9737 was, only TWO '69 ZL1s were factory-built with this option. And TWO-only were built with Rally Sport Package (other than the "prototypes").

09-15-2011, 09:38 AM	#3
radz28 Petro-sexual Drives: Ultra-Grin Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Crazy Coast Posts: 15,201 View My Garage	You can identify a ZL-1 block with a snow flake, I believe above the water pump, from the Winters foundry. ZL-1 heads were also different from L88s; so were pistons, rod bolts, and cam, among the other goodies I can recall at this time, lol. __________________ '20 ZL1 Black "Fury" A10, PDR, Exposed CF Extractor Magnuson Magnum DI TVS2650R // RFBG // Soler 103 // TooHighPSI Port Injection // THPSI Billet Lid // FF // Katech Drop-In // PLM Heat Exchanger // ZLE Cradle bushings // BMR Chassis-Suspension Stuff // aFe Bars // Diode Dynamics LEDs // ACS Composites Guards // CF Dash // Aeroforce // tint // other stuffs

09-15-2011, 09:44 AM	#4
cliffsbluecamaro Drives: 1967 Camaro Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Killeen, Texas Posts: 14	Awesome info! __________________ Staff Editor www.LSXTV.com www.CorvetteOnline.com

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09-14-2011, 11:37 PM	#1
1BADZL1 THE CAMARO KING Drives: 2012 Camaro ZL1 on order #PZSD7S Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Out Somewhere Driving My 'BADZL1' Posts: 2,284	Back to school: ZL1 HISTORY lesson 1969 Camaro dealer order guides did not list 427 CI engines, but COPO (Central Office Production Order) Camaros were factory-built. These included sixty-nine COPO 9560 ($4,160 retail) units with aluminum block "ZL1" 427 CI engines, fifty going to Chevrolet dealer-racer Fredd Gibb, nineteen to other dealers. Chevrolet developed special graphics and trimmed at least two prototypes, but ZL1's sold to the public carried no special exterior identification. COPO 9561 had iron-block 427 CI engines. Racer Don Yenko received 201 units and sold most through his Chevrolet dealership with Yenko graphics. Additional iron-block 427 ci Camaros were factory-built, but the quantity is uncertain. Also non-factory 427 CI engine swaps by dealers and others were common. __________________ 2012 Camaro ZL1 Car Name: Bruce ZL1, LSA, MN6/MG9, DSX, RTQ, VR, Current Status: 2030 1000 Initial Order 11/11/2011 Chevyland 1100 Order accepted at dealer: 11/11/2011 - PZSD7S 2000 Order accepted by GM: 12/14/2011 3000 Accepted By Production Control: 00/00/2011 - TPW 00/00/2011 3100 Sequenced: 00/00/2011 3300 Scheduled For Production:0/0/2012 3400 Broadcast: 0/0/2012 3800 Produced: 0/0/2012 4000 Available To Ship: 0/0/2012 4200 Shipped: 0/0/2012 5000 Delivered To The Dealer: 0/0/2012 6000 Delivered To Customer:0/0/2012

09-15-2011, 09:17 AM	#2
Russell James Drives: '15 SS 1LE, '69 Z28 drag car Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mich Posts: 4,482	.... some more interesting tidbits. Gibbs returned most of the ZL1 to Chevrolet because of a pricing dispute. The $4160 engine made for a $7200 sticker, and a virtually unsellable car. Of the 50 ZL1s Gibbs ordered, they only kept and sold 13. It was the first time in history Chevys were returned to the factory by a dealer. Of the 69 built, it is believed that at least 12 had the engines removed prior to sale to reduce the price. Today only 7 are known to exist with the original ZL1 engine. Dusk blue #18 (17,000 miles and orignal ZL1 motor) sold at Mecum for $840,000 in 2005.

09-15-2011, 10:25 AM	#5
LOWDOWN Downright Upright Drives: Daily Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Cruisin'... Posts: 4,145	In contrast, the L72-engined COPO 9561s actually enjoyed a price advantage over the equal-weight L78 SSs... One of the myths about the original ZL1s was their weight disadvantage relative to the Z/28, "which made them suitable for straightline use, only - not very able around corners". Fact is, the all-alloy Big Block weighed very close to the all-iron (save intake) SBC. And, the COPOs could be fortified with COPO Option 9737 "Sports Car Conversion" which included Z/28-style 15 X 7" Rally Wheels/E70 X 15 Tires and the 13/16" Front Anti-Sway Bar Bar, among other features. As good a handling option as 9737 was, only TWO '69 ZL1s were factory-built with this option. And TWO-only were built with Rally Sport Package (other than the "prototypes").