Roger Penske Honored at Amelia Island Concours/1967 Penske TA Z28 Newly Restored

[Jon Mello]

I traveled to Austria with Pat Ryan back in 2016 to verify this car was the real deal and helped him sort through everything as the car had been disassembled.  Sat with him at the table where he gave the owner the payment.  Awesome trip I will never forget.  I knew Rick Parent had begun the restoration but had not heard Kevin McKay was chosen to finish it up.  Kevin's shop, Corvette Repair, does great work.  The car sits too high.  I hope they correct that.

Tim, this is a Norwood Z but definitely not the second one off the line.  Not sure why that claim is being made.  It is a very early car made the day after my #1 car was built.  It is the 12th one if you go off the Vince Piggins list.

[BULLITT65]

Good info Jon. How many of that first batch ( which I assume went to race teams) still survive today? is there still a handful that could be out there still?

[SMKZ28]

Tim, this is a Norwood Z but definitely not the second one off the line.  Not sure why that claim is being made.  It is a very early car made the day after my #1 car was built.  It is the 12th one if you go off the Vince Piggins list.

Thanks Jon for that information.  I was trying to find my copy of the Lamm book to see the list but couldn't find it before you posted that it was not the 2nd Z28 off the line.  Perhaps the article meant to say something like "produced on the 2nd day."

[Jon Mello]

Good info Jon. How many of that first batch ( which I assume went to race teams) still survive today? is there still a handful that could be out there still?

6 of the first 16 plus one engine (car whereabouts unknown) still exist.
or
8 of the first 25 plus two engines (car whereabouts unknown) still exist

I know of the possibility of two or three others.

[SMKZ28]

Thanks Jon.

Here is the section discussing the first 25 1967 Z28's and who they were sent to.   It appears on page 72 of The Great Camaro by Michael Lamm (mine is the second printing, May 1979)

[ZLP955]

Thanks for the reply Jon.
I find it a little confusing when reference is made to the car build numbers when there were 2 assembly plants and time zone differences too.

[Jon Mello]

Tim, the earliest known Z from the LOS plant was not made until very late February '67 so any Z built before then only came from Norwood.  There is no currently known issue as to why the LOS plant did not start building Zs at the same time that Norwood did.  The assumption would be that the supply of 302 engines and 6K redline tachs was not adequate enough at first to stock both plants. The smog pump equipment was also unique and may not yet have been available.  Early build Zs destined for Alan Green in Seattle and Ron Tonkin in Portland came from Norwood and that was otherwise not typical.

[KurtS]

Norwood was the lead plant. Pretty common to launch a new model at the lead plant and then start producing it at the other plant(s).

[ZLP955]

Makes sense, thanks Jon and Kurt!

[group/7]

Scott, great work as always ! you put a lot of time and effort into all your posts.

Earlier in the thread you mention the taller rear spoiler on the '67 car, these two images are I believe else where on this site, I think Jon has them up ? shows the car at Sebring '67 with the smaller (lower) spoiler, a photo from Continental divide with the bigger (taller) spoiler. the text explains a bit about this modification, and why it didn't reappear after a towing accident.

Jon, was this piece homolgated ?, and allowed under the rules, I'm sure you know the details. I don't recall seeing that spoiler on any other car ?

Mike

[Jon Mello]

Mike, no that taller spoiler was not homologated.  It ran several races that way and I have no idea why the SCCA tech inspectors didn't order it removed.

[MO]

Looks like the restored car should have the backup lenses removed. I suppose that was for airflow improvement; not much weight savings there, but every bit counts. I've seen lug bolts that extend beyond the nut cut off just for qualifying.

[SMKZ28]

Scott, great work as always ! you put a lot of time and effort into all your posts.

Earlier in the thread you mention the taller rear spoiler on the '67 car, these two images are I believe else where on this site, I think Jon has them up ? shows the car at Sebring '67 with the smaller (lower) spoiler, a photo from Continental divide with the bigger (taller) spoiler. the text explains a bit about this modification, and why it didn't reappear after a towing accident.

Jon, was this piece homolgated ?, and allowed under the rules, I'm sure you know the details. I don't recall seeing that spoiler on any other car ?

Mike

Thanks Mike!

I'm glad you posted those two pictures to visually demonstrate what I was referring to earlier.  Thanks!

[SMKZ28]

Perhaps Jon could explain something I've been wondering for a while.  How were the teams running a Camaro in 1967 allowed to use the rear spoiler if they were never actually put on the cars by the factory in 1967?  Were they homologated because they were offered over the counter through the Chevrolet parts department? 

They must have produced enough of the spoilers to satisfy the requirements by February because photos show that at the first race of the season at Daytona, the Camaros run by Donohue, Fisher and Chitwood are all using the rear spoiler.  I remember reading that Jon's first production Z28 did not use the rear spoiler at Daytona but they put it on for Sebring.  It is also interesting to note that the photos from the second race at Sebring indicate that not everyone was using the rear spoiler on their Camaros.  Could these teams not aquire one from Chevrolet or did they just not believe it would help them?

[SMKZ28]

A 6-page article on 1967 Penske Camaro Number 1 appeared in the November/December 2021 issue of Vintage Motorsport: The Journal of Motor Racing History.  Notice how the car does not sit as high in the front as it did in previously posted photos.