ZL1 block
 

Is this block from one of the 69 cars?

ME = Corvette 4 speed

Maybe it has a VIN stamp on it too?

I have a ZL1 MG code in my files, it was a long block built for installation in an automatic Corvette. It is an original Tonawanda stamp and the M is identical.

This one?
https://www.motortrend.com/features/...on%20in%201969.

Was owned by John Maher of Leechburg, Pennsylvania...
Article says: "Still wanting to race, John decided to have a fresh ZL1 engine built. An old friend, Jim Evanuak, built the ZL1 residing in the car today. The original ZL1 engine was also rebuilt and placed in storage."

Is it possible that GM built more than two engines for 69 Corvette that had already been stamped ME and MG, and that the others were sold over the counter?

Did the Corvette block get the VIN stamped on the deck or above the oil filter?

It’s on the deck as the alternator on a Corvette is not in the way like other 1969 cars, which is why some cars got the VIN stamped down by the oil filter.

Kurt

Chevrolet built 80 ME code Corvette ZL-1 engines. Indications are only one made it into a Corvette,

The ZL-1 block I owned for one of the Camaros had the VIN on the side of the block. Sold it to Reggie Jackson almost 20 years back as he owned the Camaro and was not interested in selling the car. Don't recall which car # it was.

That would be correct as the 1969 Norwood Camaro along with the Kansas built Chevelle had the VIN stamp moved from being on the front pad to down by the oil filter due to the new 1969 alternator location.

Kurt

That does not always apply to ZL-1 engines. A few were VIN stamped on the pad.

At one time Reggie Jackson owned ZL-1 Camaro #31, orange automatic.

So this block is not from a car, just an over the counter engine.

It was his White Lamar Walden Car. As I recall you bought the block from Lamar ? Then later Lamar sold Reggie another block that he said was the orig. Then later it was selling at Barrett-Jackson and Barrett got a letter from a attorney saying their client had the orig. block. 3 blocks for the same car and a story that GM sent Lamar 3 blocks and engine stamps to Lamar.

That is what I thought. I always assumed that any ZL-1 without a partial vin was likely an over the counter engine. The aluminum blocks would show partial vin much better than cast iron.

Is it OK to put this link here? I just happened to see this ad on Facebook marketplace if anyone is interested. ZL1 3946052 block and 3946074 heads.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...2111112l%22%7D

I actually bought it from someone who purchased it directly from Lamar. Didn't know about the other "original" blocks turning up later. I wonder which was the real one? The one I had certainly looked legit. Don't have any pictures of it as was this was likely 20 years ago. As I recall, sold it for about $8K as Reggie didn't want to sell the car.

We also bought a ZL-1 block from Lamar Walden, probably 1987 or so. We had just acquired the #4 ZL-1 Camaro and needed an engine. At Super Chev Indy, I spoke with a Chevy engineer involved with the planned re-run of the ZL-1 block. Walden was somehow involved and the engineer suggested I contact him. Lamar told me the proposed new castings were a different alloy than the originals and were much darker in color, not suitable for our purposes. Lamar had just purchased a number of original vintage block castings from McLaren Racing so we acquired one of those. It was the first one I had seen so I did not recognize that it had unusual characteristics not seen on any other ZL-1 block.

It's my guess that the other block Lamar sold was one of the McLaren blocks. Even if it was true, the yarn about getting blocks and stamps from Chevrolet wouldn’t have done much good. Production ZL-1 engine assemblies have a casting date, a casting sequence number, a machining sequence number and of course the pad stamping. There were more blocks sold [approximately 200] than complete engines [182]. While there were a number of blocks out there with unstamped pads, it would require an incredible amount of luck for a random block casting to have the three other ‘tells' aligned with a specific pad stamping.

The ZL-1 #51/Lamar Walden story appeared in the February 2009 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. There’s a photo of the alleged original block with a large chunk missing. It’s hard to imagine it was repaired but the article claims it was and re-united with the car while Reggie Jackson owned it.

Lamar impressed me as good ‘ol Southern gentleman. I simply don’t believe he would have re-stamped anything.

Wasnt Zora involved in building 20 Road Racing ZL1 Corvettes?

I tried last night and this morning, and can not find this add for:
ZL1 3946052 block and 3946074 heads on Facebook Market Place anywhere. It's probably me.

Bill

I've seen it all last week and up until I posted here about it. Looks like it's not there now though. Maybe there is a time period for ads.

I'm on Marketplace now, I'll look again.

Yeah, the link says not available. I looked twice just now nothing. I do a 250 mile radius from where I live and found that ad. Who ever has it is from Millville N.J.

Note: 8/17/23-Actually I got the town wrong if it's the same ad on Marketplace now. It's Millburn, N.J.

TO611 IS another date for those.

Latest engine assembly date I know of is July 9. Latest block casting July 31.