Author Topic: Lee’s Car  (Read 4922 times)

David K

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Lee’s Car
« on: April 24, 2023, 08:14:24 PM »
Killing time at the airport after my big score for parts at Carlisle…
FYI…TSA doesn’t care about your used correct numbered alternator in your carry on bag…nor horns, 68 headrests, and other parts. Found a solid 68 dash with deluxe trim. I had to buy 2 guitar boxes from FedEx and checked at the curb. If you have never been,  I highly recommend you go at least 1 time.

Anyway, so my 83 year old friend trusts me enough to move his car out of the garage to document it. We’ve known each other for 32 years, so that’s nice he does. I spent 5 hours because last time I only had film. Now after joining CRG and .Net, I have listened and learned.

It’s a maintained and unrestored original. Still original top to bottom. Documented Shipper copy, 30 options, because when you’re father in law is the General Superintendent of Manufacturing for Chevrolet in the 60s and has some pill……A few pictures now, story later.


David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2023, 05:03:01 PM »
The floor mats are screwed in, as they were an experimental piece for possible future Corvette use.  This is the original shipper’s report.

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2023, 05:06:52 PM »
Who knows what’s in the green garbage bag? If you don’t, it’s in the next post.

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2023, 05:59:30 PM »
The original convertible top boot came in the green bag.

plumL78

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2023, 07:23:36 PM »
When he had it at the nationals i asked him what happened to the original front bumper, He was surprised that we knew it was changed.

Gars68Tux

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2023, 09:38:20 PM »
The floor mats are screwed in, as they were an experimental piece for possible future Corvette use.  This is the original shipper’s report.


Who screwed the floor mats in?  ??? B37 in the shippers report is the standard floor mat used in all First Gen's.
Garth

68 RS L30 AA 749 Fred Gibb Chevrolet

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2023, 10:15:10 PM »
Gars…some team member from the manufacturing division that worked for Frank-see shipper’s report. Frank was Lee’s father in law. The car was a wedding gift.

Gars68Tux

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2023, 11:44:12 PM »
 Thanks Doc. Noticed the N34 steering wheel as well. N30 in the shippers report. Interesting car to say the least.  :) Keep the photos coming please....
Garth

68 RS L30 AA 749 Fred Gibb Chevrolet

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2023, 12:25:42 AM »
Floor mats and more. Someone was doing a research thread on the trunk jacks…I got those photos as well.

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2023, 12:31:04 AM »
The center front folding top wedge is crazy cool. It looks like a blacksmith put the nails in it.
Notice the lack of red rust proofing stuff behind the seat, and how clean the metal is.

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2023, 12:37:38 AM »
GM yellow breather hose
The red protective caps on the right inner fender brace x2
Yellow carb springs

67nut

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2023, 09:02:12 PM »
What a totally unbelievable time capsule!  I'd offer to wax it for him.








The difference between a hobby and insanity is .001"
Steve

The difference between a hobby and insanity is .001"

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2023, 02:57:20 PM »
Notice the extra embossed number in the corner….never seen that before, so I asked a guy here…quoted below with a link. Thanks Ed!

It's the "Delivery Date". All 67 VIN tags were supposed to be stamped by the dealer for warranty work. It consists of the month and the last digit of the year (May of 67 in this case, 057). The dealers were supposed to stamp them from the front side although very few actually did it. When they are embossed from the back it means it was done by the factory (Norwood in this case) and it usually indicates a car ordered for, and destined for some interim use by GM prior to being sold to the public. Cars like zone cars, executive cars, pace cars, show cars, engineering or sales vehicles all seem to have the rear embossed delivery date code on the VIN.

HERE'S another example with the same Delivery Date as yours, although it's got a screwed up VIN.

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=15697.msg141208#msg141208


Ed

1967 4K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2023, 12:13:07 PM »
It appears from the photos this is a small block car. The first photo of the post shows a black tail panel. I thought only big block cars received the black tail panel. Hmm 🤔.

bcmiller

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2023, 01:01:06 PM »
Tell us more. Story on the emblems? I was supposed to call you, right?
Bryon / 1968 Camaro SS 396 coupe - now old school 468 big block
1967 Camaro RS/SS 396 coupe L35/M40 - 4 generation family project
Looking for 68 Camaro with body # NOR 181016

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #15 on: April 30, 2023, 03:26:26 PM »
You were…PM sent

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #16 on: April 30, 2023, 04:10:03 PM »
In 1967, Lees soon to be father in laws title was “General Superintendent of Manufacturing for Chevrolet Division”. Since he was, if Duntov needed something, he could go ask Frank for a favor.

So Frank (see his name on the Shippers page) wanted to gift his daughter and soon to be son in law a car as a wedding gift (at employee pricing). He told them to check the option boxes and pick a non attention attracting color to not raise any eyebrows. Apparently Frank was not flashy for anything. So they did…30 options. The deal is it has to have 3000 miles before it can be moved to the public world, so there are alot of dinner meetings for Frank which meant a lot of driving. After the threshold was met, he gave the car to his top guys to go over the car and the message was made clear….”My daughter, future son in law, and future grandchildren will be riding around in this car”. I think if they wanted to keep their job, they made sure it was solid. I
They found an spare engine they were using for mock up fitting, tore it apart and blue printed the rebuild and swapped engines (can’t have my daughter driving a production line used engine in her car). There’s no VIN stamp, and the ME chalk mark is still there on the head.
The convertible top was stripped off and a new test material for the Corvette was installed to see how well it works. The stamp on the window is H6, so I’m thinking that got replaced as well, being an O5D car.
They repainted it with a “show quality” paint job.
They built a custom carpeted trunk area with cardboard backing and spare tire cover too.
The black painted tail panel and hand painted (because it checked them) stripes were done by someone in the engineering group—he thought it was a nice person touch.
They retooled the machinery for Lee’s name. It’s a good thing it wasn’t Barthalmule or more than 3 letters.
The floor mats on the drivers side were an experimental “let’s see how they fit and look” deal for future possible use the Corvette. 

I’ll be back to do an full underside documentation and some brake work on it in July on my way to the Nationals. It needs new tires, says it eats  a master cylinders like candy, and a rear brake hose (no fluid to the rear wheels). I’ll also get better pictures of the things I might have missed. What I find most interesting is the parts that I never knew existed from factory building and are still there. Like those little red caps on the bolt threads that protect the radiator hoses.
No PTB stamps, but found the bottom of one under the circuit breaker on the firewall just like my 68.

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #17 on: April 30, 2023, 04:15:34 PM »
He said the original tank rusted out in the 70s and started to leak, but he still has it in the attic. I saw it has undercoating on the tank straps, which is interesting.

Gars68Tux

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #18 on: April 30, 2023, 09:19:39 PM »
A couple notes regarding your post 16, which I'm finding quite interesting, btw. :D

Generally, no ME coded small block (327) got a partial VIN stamp in 67. Federal requirements began in 68.

Hand painted pinstripes were included on all 67 Z21 and Z22 equipped Camaros.

PTB stamps could probably be seen with the fenders removed.

Would really like to see the trunk! :)

I'm guessing the entire bottom side was undercoated, including the gas tank straps (prior to the tank being replaced).
Garth

68 RS L30 AA 749 Fred Gibb Chevrolet

David K

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Re: Lee’s Car
« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2023, 04:14:46 AM »
Gars…
Lee is adamant about the engine being pulled and the blueprinted extra engine installed, but I’ll jog his memory and see if there is a detail that might be missed. I’ll see about trying to get some date numbers off the engine when I go back in July.

Agreed on the PTB, as they were stamped without the front end parts installed. I never found any on mine with the fenders off….just the 1 under the circuit breaker.

The carpet is glued to the trunk floor and the cardboard (on the sides with the carpet) is very stiff, so it’s not coming off. I was barely able to pull it back for a picture.

I didn’t see much of ampny undercoating, but come July….