Richie Zul's Z-11????

[tom406]

That's the "ASSASSIN", right? I've got the same picture in one of Marty Schorr's (Former editor of Hi Performance CARS) old books. Marty is still around and started writing more lately, plus he keeps extensive archives, so it might be worth dropping an e-mail to him for info on the car or the people involved. He's a contributing editor to VETTE magazine - or at least freelanced to them in the last year for the article on that cool '67 Vette sponsored by Motion.

[Verne_Frantz]

Yes Tom, that's the car. Thanks for the lead to Marty. I also just did a search on Richie and it looks like he has a business in NY building race engines for boats!
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
Verne.

[COPO]

FYI, Marty Schorr will be at the Supercar Reunion in a couple of weeks.

[Verne_Frantz]

Thanks for the FYI, COPO, but there just isn't a chance I could make it. I sure will miss the drags!
Verne

[JoeC]

Joel told me the ASSASSIN was not a Z-11. It was a 283 Impala that was very quick and set many records. It was owned by a good friend of Joel's and is supposed to be coming out soon as an Ertl diecast.

[Verne_Frantz]

If we assume all that is true, (and I'm not doubting it) then what is the explanation for the sign at the NYC show which said "Richie Zul's Z-11"?
Wishful thinking??
I'll have to dig out the old magazine with the photo of it in the display with a caption.
I was hoping someone on this board might have actually been close to this car back then, in a touchy, feeley kind of way. The car may have originally been a 283 car, but I have to wonder what was under the hood when it was raced. If my memory is correct, I believe the car was lettered as a Modified Production.

Verne.

[tom406]

Looking at the close up picture in Marty Shorr's "CHEVROLET-The Performance Years" I'll relay the following:

1. Car is lettered with "(unreadable)/MP" on the C-pillar, "Prepared by MOTION" on the quarter panel, and "The ASSASSIN" on the front fender. all done in vaguely far eastern style script using straight hash marks to make the letters.

2. The sign next to the car says "RICHIE BROWN'S ASSASSIN, 1963 Z 11 CHEVY, MEMBER MOTION SUPERCAR CLUB, 1967 AHRA NATIONALS CLASS WINNER D/HR"

3. The caption under the photo says "There were very few light-weight-bodied Z-11 Impala drag cars built in 1963 and Richie Brown's Modified/Production racer kept the mystique going into the Seventies. Aluminum fendered car was fitted with a hot small-block for MP and D/HR competition".

4. Car is displayed at some indoor show surrounded by trophies. There's a MOTION SS427 SUPER CARS banner above and behind it, and there appears to be a '67 or '68 Camaro drag car to its left (probably the A/MP '67), with a medium color paint job and a black vinyl top.

That's all I've got, but yes, everything-including the placard in the picture-says BROWN, not ZUL. If this car wasn't a real Z 11, I'm guessing it had the lightweight body panels added to it and was referred to as a Z11 to homologate the lightweight mods for whatever classes it was running in. Just my guess.

TOM