Black air cleaner lid on early '66 ?

[66427-450]

Any of you guys ever see, or hear, of this? My very early '66 had a black top with a 450HP sticker on it (it was very beat up, and I now have a new chrome lid with new stickers...... I just assumed the black was incorrect, but I recently seen an old pic of a black top on a L-72.

BTW: I understand they used the 450HP stickers till about 10-12-65

 

[67HEAVEN]

Check out #14 on this page....
http://www.corvette.net/mags.htm

It's from an old Motor Trend magazine. The owner of that site is a recent member here.

 

[Sting Ray]

There was a good article about it in the last Corvette Restorer, along with when a couple of other running changes were made to the '66 bigblock, ask a friend who is a NCRS member if you can borrow there copy.

Tom

 

[66427-450]

I see, you must be a NCRS member to get a copy of "Corvette Restorer". I'd sure like to have that issue......... or a copy of that article. Looks like I have one of those early "transition" cars.

67Heaven - Yes, that's one of the old pic's I had seen, thanks.

 

[youwish2bme]

If you give me a fax number and a few days I'll fax you the article or maybe even scan it and send it via email. I joined the NCRS not because I'm about correct but because of all the great articles provided in the Restorer and the Driveline has a good listing of parts in one place. It's worth the 30 Bucks a year to me. IM me a fax number and I'll get to it before the middle of the week. I read that article this morning and it's very interesting as to all the changes and things that were supposed to happen and didn't happen all at once... Later Dave...

 

[396 RAT]

The proto types and a few early 65 396's had a chrome
air filter cover and chrome valve covers.
Mine was chrome, but thought it could not be orig
so I sanded the pitted chrome and painted it black.
That was 7 yrs ago. Asked both orig owners if they
swapped the black cover for chrome, both said it was always chrome? Who knows..... I do prefer the black over chrome though.
Plus who wants to explain it to all the experts?:TALK

 

[427]

Hi Kidz,

After that article was published in the "Corvette Restorer", I emailed the person who wrote it ... This may be of some interest to you.

=============

My letter to Everett Ogilvie:

I enjoyed your article in the recent Corvette Restorer titled "A Study of the 450-HP L72" ... Very well written! Unfortunately, I don't have any proof positive info to provide you ... But I do have an observation to relate. Forgive me if this is something old and has been referenced before ... I'm not into the details on the '66 as I once was.

If you have a moment, please head over to a website I made several years ago and click on item #14 on this page: http://www.corvette.net/mags.htm
This engine compartment image is a scan from the March 1966 Motor Trend article. I'm presuming it was taken several months before and the issue was released a few months prior to March (like current magazines). Couple thingz to note:
1) This article is based on a '66 L72 Vette
2) The article sayz the HP rating is 425 (but that could have been changed before going to print)
3) Although there was nothing clipped off the image during the scan, the hood support bracket doesn't seem to be on the drivers side (as you noted on early Vettes).
4) And to my eye, the air cleaner cover appears to be *BLACK* ... Like it was left over from the '65 396 engine. Furthermore, I don't see a second decal with the advertised HP rating. I've alwayz wondered about this oddity ... Has it ever been addressed before?

Ciao,
Jack Morocco

PS- Full text from the article can be seen on another website:
http://www.corvettearchive.com/images/1966/MTMar66/_1966-427-p1.jpg
http://www.corvettearchive.com/images/1966/MTMar66/_1966-427-p2.jpg

=============

His reply:

Thanks for contacting me. The engine photo is very interesting - the lid definitely looks black, and with no HP sticker. I had one guy contact me about a yellow early car that had a black lid and no HP sticker. This car was yellow/black with sidepipes and VIN 7XX.

About the hood props - in general only the early cars had the prop on the passenger side. Depending on whether the body was built at A.O. Smith or at St. Louis, there might be discrepancies on how long one plant used the early hood with the prop on the passenger side. It looks like A.O. Smith bodies may have used that setup later than St. Louis bodies.

I like your web site - I came across it several years ago and have visited it many times. Nice job.

Everett

 

[motorman]

i owned brand new a early 65 396 that i picked up at the st louis factory in early april of 65 and a 66 427 and the way it goes is the early 65 396 had a black air cleaner lid and my early 66 427 had a chrome air cleaner lid. the cars that were supplied to the car magazine were pre production models and even "super tuned" by guys like bill thomas to make sure they were up to par.

 

[66427-450]

Yes i like the black top look also, plus you don't have to worry about sun reflection burning your hood paint when having the hood open for long periods of time outside.

My A.O. Smith car also has the right side hood support, like a 396 car.

Dave, you have a PM/IM

 

[396 RAT]

How early were they?
This stuff is very interesting to me....
If you look at the pictures on page 278 /279
and the paragraph in the upper right hand corner on pg 281
in Noland Adams book, It sheds some light on the subject.
My car is fairly early for a 396, its build date is 4-6-65,
block= 3-25-65.

 

[motorman]

the car was built in march and i pick it up on april 14

 

[66427-450]

yes, notice the 396 prototype on page 278 also has the coolant tank right in front of the air cleaner.......... like a 427 cobra, and the choke tube is chrome, and not insulated.

That GM pic on the bottom of page 279 was always one of my fav's........ BB coupe, with side exh, and KO's

 

[427]

I've scanned the article (1.3MB) and posted it to the web in PDF format ... Hope this helpz. http://www.corvette.net/cac/L72/A_Study_of_the_450-HP_L72.pdf

 

[396 RAT]

Great reading!
Wish there was info like this on early 396 cars.
Also would like info on parts used on L78 and L88 cars.

 

[427]

UPDATE - This afternoon, I opened the latest edition of "The Corvette Restorer" and found Part II of this article ... Another great read!
http://www.corvette.net/cac/L72/A_Study_of_the_450-HP_L72_Part-2.pdf

 

[67HEAVEN]

Great reading!
Wish there was info like this on early 396 cars.
Also would like info on parts used on L78 and L88 cars.

Mark,

Since you saw this when I posted it before, I know there won't be anything new in it for you.....

Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5

This was OUR CORVETTE HERITAGE #28 at the old place.

 

[66427-450]

Very interesting article ! Thanks for posting. It adds insight into many of the oddities of my car.

 

[66427-450]

Very interesting article ! Thanks for posting. It adds insight into many of the oddities of my car.

 

[396 RAT]

That is a neat article (printed it from last yr. posting), but you have to keep an open mind when reading about old cars. Even the experts miss now and then. Who else caught it when they mentioned the 396's "wider copper core radiator"?
Keeps you on your toes, and makes things like facts on chrome or black air filter covers even more elusive, as its hard to nail down simple things like alum rads, let alone early running production changes. Actually, its what keeps the hobby fun, as you will never know everything!