Author Topic: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?  (Read 12623 times)

RUNUTZ

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ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« on: July 20, 2011, 02:08:53 AM »
It says in the write-up 4 wheel disc brakes will be available? Were any ZL1s run in SCCA?
« Last Edit: July 20, 2011, 02:25:52 AM by RUNUTZ »

oldtransamdriver

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2011, 04:11:31 AM »
Camaros were allowed to run with big blocks in SCCA T/A starting in 73.  I believe the A sedan class remained at 305 ci till the end of that class in 77.  Camaros were not classified as production cars like the Corvettes were.

Robert Barg

JoeC

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2011, 12:55:04 PM »
Don Yenko ran a ZL1 powered Camaro at Sebring in 1969 and 1970

oldtransamdriver

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2011, 03:15:37 PM »
Yes, FIA GT class.  The 5 L guys ran in FIA Touring 2-5 L

Robert Barg

OCTARD

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2011, 03:30:12 AM »
And my favorite ZL1 is the car that Bob Jane raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship.  Here's a great shot of it.



Jon Mello

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2011, 04:51:34 PM »
That is a really cool shot of the car, Chad. The restoration of Bob Jane's ZL1 can be seen here.
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JoeC

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2011, 07:12:52 PM »
I had read that the Jane ZL1 was found as rusted old drag car that was some type of mid engine conversion. That appears to be an exageration but it was a rusty old drag car that had a engine set-back. Nice to see it got saved.

william

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2011, 10:30:35 PM »
Someone down under bought 2 ZL-1 Camaros new in '69. They were re-distributed Gibb ZL-1s #33 N610732 Orange 4-speed and #52 N620934 Le Mans blue auto.

#52 was drag raced and is said to no longer exist. The engine from it is currently in #33. Far as I know #33 has always been a road racer and was never a "rusty old drag car."
Learning more and more about less and less...

JoeC

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2011, 11:47:36 PM »
this is from the web site on the Bob Jane orange ZL1 #33 resto

"I viewed the Camaro in its drag racing 'Warpaint',Maroon and silver,not unattractive for the era,but the 1/4 mile 'Blast's' had taken thier toll on every aspect of the Camaro,also consider as a 'Sports Sedan',run by Jim Smith/Camel Racing' fame,it had a considerable engine set back to 'under' the dash, consider it also sat in a Sydney 'Repo' yards for some 2yrs,in all weathers...........so I subjested to my Contact at Bob Jane Corp.."Its Going to be Exspensive'!!!!!!!...next I heard somebody had said that they could panel beat it back to its former glory...so the 7inch ground it back to 'Bare metal'...then left it out in the rain..........Again!!!........."

On the blue ZL1 #52..........

"The Dark Blue ZL1/Auto,build #52,was used intially for 'Drag Racing' have some B&W photo's with the Camaro wear 'Monster' American 'Cragers' and 'Slicks',have a great story/History on this Camaro, for a later date,in short it was rear ended in a traffic accident,from all the imformation I have garnished,the front clip was walked of and the body and tags thrown 'down the tip'........Oh!!the things people dooooo"

Jon Mello

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2011, 03:25:34 AM »
I was under the impression Bob Jane bought both cars and the engine in the drag car was a spare for the orange road racer. Not true?
« Last Edit: July 30, 2011, 04:24:05 AM by Jon Mello »
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JoeC

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2011, 11:28:20 AM »
I'm not sure but did read that he had both cars and saved the ZL1 engine to #52 and used it in the resto of ZL1 #33

Steve Holmes

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2011, 11:24:10 PM »
Guys, Bob Jane purchased two new ZL1 Camaros in 1969. One was an orange manual car (VIN 610732) the other a blue auto (VIN 620934). Bob Jane owns a race track in Melbourne, Australia, called Calder Park. Calder has a very long front straight that doubles as a drag strip when not being used as a road race track.

The orange Camaro was stripped and built into a road race car utilising the alloy big block. Jane raced this car in the 1971 and '72 Australian Touring Car Championship, winning the championship on both occasions. But it only raced with the 427 in 1971, as the Confederation for Australian Motor Sports (CAMS) placed a 6,000cc engine limit for 1972, so Jane pulled the 427 and fitted a 350. The 427 was sold to Frank Gardner, for a 2nd generation Camaro he raced in Europe sponsored by SCA Freight.

The blue Camaro was built up for drag racing, and Jane raced this at his Calder Park drag strip. Jane raced it with the 427 for a couple of years, then pulled that out, and replaced it with a small block. However, Jane kept the 427. The orange road race car was sold in 1973, and I think the blue drag car was sold the same year. It was eventually converted for road use, and was involved in a collision on the road in the 1980s, stripped of its salvagable parts, and the rest was scrapped.

The orange race car was road raced by Jim Smith for a few seasons, then sold a couple more times, then bought by a fellow named Mike Tydell, who converted it for drag racing. When Bob Jane eventually bought the car back, it was in poor shape, as can be seen in the thread Jon has posted above on its restoration. But it has now been restored back to its 1971 guise by Myles Johnson. The engine fitted when the car was restored was that originally fitted to the blue drag car, when Jane had kept.

Hope that clears things up slightly?

Jon Mello

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2011, 06:26:09 AM »
That is helpful, Steve. Thank you. Bob Jane was also the driver of his drag car then or did someone else drive it?
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Steve Holmes

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2011, 08:15:35 PM »
Yes Jon, Bob drove the drag car. He liked to be involved with the drag racing side of Calder Park. He had an HQ Monaro built in 1972 to replace his orange ZL1 and he sometimes did a bit of drag racing with this car also from time to time, even though it was a road race car.

Jon Mello

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Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2011, 03:21:57 PM »
Thank you, Steve. I appreciate the information.
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