L72 Big Cars

[Paul D]

QQGSS, Yes, I believe your right on both comments. It is a Q on the trim tag that indications close ration 4 spd, and L72 (not an X). Also, the L72 carb List # is 3246 for big cars as you state. Sorry about my typos!

My car was built in St. Louis, S in the Vin #. It came from the factory with a 3.36 posi and M21.

Paul

[mssl72]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. It was fun to get them all together. The tan car is currently in Scottsdale getting ready for it's spotlight on Thursday. About the black car, I forgot to mention that the original window sticker is with it. It is the most loaded out of the 3 including power steering and brakes, AM/FM multiplex, and the comfort and convenience package. My car (blue) and the tan car both do not have power steering or brakes. It keeps you on your toes sometimes. As for gears, mine is a DN code, 4.10:1, black, DM code 3.73:1 and the tan, DH code 3.31:1. Transmissions are M20, M21 and M20 respectively. The Holley 3246 is the carb that would have been installed on an L72 passenger car. There is a little twist to that though. The 3246 is an "EE" code. On the build sheet for the tan car it shows an "EF" code. I find that odd that an "EF" code, Holley 3130 (1965 396/425 L78 carb) would be called out for a car built the 4th week of April 1966. It could have been a typo, maybe the fact of it being built in a BOP plant with some possible different codes.

[Turbo Regal]

One question for the experts: I know the L72 was available in big cars in '66,'68 and '69. Why none in 1967?

[Paul D]

Nathan, What I've heard about the '67 cars not having an L72 is that the Corvette powers prevailed and politically got it killed for the '67 model year. Apparently they thought an engine in the big car that was comparable to the Corvette would dilute the performance image of the Corvette.

Also, it's interesting to note that the Z24 option on the '67 big cars has the unique three chrome "stacks" on the top of the hood indicating that at least at one time Chevrolet was planning for a Tri Power engine in '67 big cars similar to the Corvette L71 427 435 horse L71.

My guess is that politics won out in 1967, but in '68 and '69 the L72 again became a RPO for big cars. Maybe the Corvette guys felt that with the Tri Power options and the L88 they were adequately maintaining there image as Chevrolets performance leader. Of course, then you have to ask yourself what happened in 1970 with the Chevelle LS6 450 hp option??

My two cents.... for what it's worth.....
Paul

[JoeG]

3's a charm--------------

[mssl72]

Maybe one day I can get my car to one of SCR events. Do they let luxury cars in? Here's a few interior shots.

[SS427]

Yeah, me too. Then maybe we big car owners can show some of the Pony car owners that this big 'ole iron does have some muscle.

[JohnZ]

[ QUOTE ]
One question for the experts: I know the L72 was available in big cars in '66,'68 and '69. Why none in 1967?

[/ QUOTE ]

Older post, but I thought I'd respond - I had a Champagne '67 SS427 with an L-72 4-speed when I worked at Chevrolet Engineering; it was ordered for the Engineering Product Evaluation Fleet, built at Flint Assembly, and I tagged it and bought it out of the fleet with my employee discount when it got 3,000 miles on it, in December, 1966. It had this tag pop-riveted to the vertical surface of the driver's side fender reinforcement - still have the tag in my "old cars" tool chest. I drove the car for two years while I was at the Chevrolet Pilot Line and sold it in Flint in the fall of '68 when I bought a '69 Caprice 427.

[Xplantdad]

How cool is that? Do you know the whereabouts of the car today?

[67BelAir427]

Post deleted by sYc