Oklahoma Junkyard Z16

[1967Z28]

Jeff, do you still have the one you showed in the barnfinds at MCACN?

[jeffschevelle]

Originally Posted by SS427

Wow! I found the front clip to a red one in a junk yard in Coon Rapids, MN in 1981. The car had been crushed two weeks earlier but the yard still had the engine. I bought a 427 engine from them instead. Who knew. Jeff, if you have the VIN list, see if there were any known and never found red Z16's in MN around that time.

Did Mark Meekins end up with that front clip? He used to drag it around to swap meets, and told the same story (except said it was him who found it). But he had the passenger door too. I got the door. The front end is now on the red car that was in the magazine article alongside a black car a few years ago. No way to know the VIN of the crushed car, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

what junkyard was it in? or town?

Mcalester OK

Originally Posted by 1967Z28

Jeff, do you still have the one you showed in the barnfinds at MCACN?

Yes, body work is done and almost ready for paint. I got a lead on what may be the original block, just a few miles from where the car was. So the engine build has been put on hold waiting to see if that is the block, and if I can get it.

[SS427]

Originally Posted by jeffschevelle

Did Mark Meekins end up with that front clip? He used to drag it around to swap meets, and told the same story (except said it was him who found it). But he had the passenger door too. I got the door. The front end is now on the red car that was in the magazine article alongside a black car a few years ago. No way to know the VIN of the crushed car, unfortunately.

No idea Jeff. I saw it there one day and upon my return a week later it was gone so who knows. The owner of the yard never said anything to me about a door, only that they pulled the front clip and crushed the car. The engine was on an engine stand in his back office and he wanted $750 for it which was about double what I thought it was worth back in those days. Little did I know.

None of the junkyards are still there. There were 4 junkyards, one on each corner of a 4 way stop in Andover, MN (near Coon Rapids). One was Andover Auto Parts, the other was Ma's Auto Parts. I do not recall the other two names. I had three other True Value Hardware workmates with me the day we found it sitting in the yard and was not too far from the front gate and it was red in color. This was likely the summer of 1981. I purchased a complete 427 engine from this yard shortly after and still know who owns it today and he lives in Cedar, MN.

Obviously someone told Mark about this front clip as he did not just stumble upon it way over in MN. That was not me however as I never really talked about it after seeing it laying there. I knew it was rare but had no idea how rare in those days.