[joe58]

I read the post for the Z16 convert. and It remines me of an artice in MCR (jan.98) where Jim Mattison, who worked for chevy, states that he read paperwork for a Chevelle 300 series that had an all alu. body. Jim also said there was 1 solid lifter 396 built for a Chevelle (Z16's were hyd.) in 65 and may have been put in the alu. car. The alu. 65 was sold to a guy in the Detroit area. Anyone ever hear of this alu. Chevelle?

 

[elcamino72]

I don't know if I believe that they sold the car, but I might believe they built such a monster. If in fact the car was ever built it was probably a test car or a Prototype. In this case, I would think GM destroyed it. One more thing I just thought of, In 1964 F*** came out w/ their Thunderbolt a factory drag racer w/ a Fairlane body, aluminum or fiberglass body parts, a 427 4sp and a locker 9" w/ some wild ratio. This car could very well have been Chevy's answer, but since the General didn't allow factory backed drag racing, it didn't turn into a reality. This is just my opinion. I'm intersted to see what others have to say about this.

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Bryan Shook
Burgettstown, Pa
1972 El Camino

 

[70L34]

Yeah, I heard this story too -- I think in an old MCR issue. Apparently the car -- a 300 coupe -- was privately owned and seen in the Detroit area in the late sixties, and the mag speculated that the solid-lifter 396 had been installed between its fenders. I just can't understand why GM would build *one* aluminum-bodied Chevelle--it just sounds so strange to me. I'm still keeping my eyes open, though!! Man, what a find that would be...

 

[Cam]

GM had commited itself to purchasing so much aluminum from Reynolds (or was it Alcoa?) in exchange for Reynolds to build a plant in Masena NY. GM started with aluminum Corvair engines, then aluminum Buick 215s, then aluminum Powerglides, then aluminum intakes & cylinder heads. They also need to evaluate concepts. F*** produced a half-dozen stainless steel '36 models and later some Thunderbirds. Perhaps there were a number of different imperatives that lead to the production of that aluminum 300 2 door; namely feasability study, racing (who us?), paint adhesion in the real world, etc. A quick way to get feedback on something is to release them on a limited basis & get the feedback. The 2-door sedan body was the strongest body style and that alone may be why it was selected, although it is hard to ignore what F*** had in their Thunderbolt.

Given our litigous society it is surprising that GM would release the car. My wife's cousin from Warren, Mich. has an '86 IROC-Z that the GM engineers used to evaluate the Corvette 350 in. In order for that car to be sold they had to put the original 305 back in (he put a hot 350 in it soon after). As for that aluminum 300 2-door I'd sure like to find out where that car is, too!

 

[DZAUTO]

Let's get together and buy it. If the owner won't sell it, let's steal it. I have a trailer and a big garage where I can keep it in Okla. Posession is 9/10, and I can make up the other 1/10 with Dirty Harry's favorite gun.

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Tom Parsons