I have to tell someone....

[jmp]

...what I just learned about my 72 LT-1!

I managed to contact the 3rd previous onwer of my LT-1; I wanted to see if he could give me some background info on the car. Here's a run down on what he told me (more mundane stuff first!):

- he owned the car from 98-2000
- the guy he bought it from had it stored in a hotel lobby for 15 years, unused
- it had 58K miles on it when he bought it (67 or 68K when he sold it -- this guy drove the car!)
- the original block froze and was replaced in 1973!
- car suffered back bumper body damage that was repaired
- car was repainted at that time (so, between '98 and '00)
- hood, roof, and back repainted right after that 'cause some shmuck keyed the car
- wiper motor was rewired
- distributor was replace
- converted to TI
- u-joints replaced in 99
- car has a hidden hitch
- differential was rebuilt

Now for the stuff that is making me drool!
- while "battling" a Porsche 911 in the Rockies, he lost the engine: burned 5 pistons
- he rebuilt the engine:
- acid dipped the block and heads
- cylinders bored .010 over
- new TRW domed pistons, raising compression from 9:1 to 11:1
- port and polish
- 3 angle valve regrind
- motor was balanced
- dynoed at 320hp!

I don't have the details about the dyno: don't know if that is engine hp or rwhp, but still! I truly am salivating!

'Course, this means I now have a modified LT-1, but since I knew it wasn't original anyway, I don't care! In fact, I'm very happy he took the opportunity to up the performance.

It kind of amazes me, though, that neither of the two owners between me and him knew about the perf. upgrades. I looked at the receipts and came across the engine work, but there was no details, which is why I set out to contact this guy. I'm glad I did!

 

[tonyk72]

cool!
Did you have any trouble tracking down the previous owners or did you already have their names? I'm going to start looking into my cars history but looks like I might have some trouble with all the new privacy laws...

 

[jmp]

Well, I know the guy I bought the car from (obviously) and he told me about the guy (actually a 'vette dealer) he bought the car from. Before that I'm not positive, except that I have repair receipts for one other owner (the owner I just contacted) and I knew that the car had been owned by a hotel owner, but I wasn't sure which owner he was (original owner, 2nd owner, etc), or when he actually owned the car.

Using the receipts, I made a phone call. Turns out that the number was for a business and they know the guy I was trying to reach -- but he is in Russia (working). However, they had an e-mail address for him, and they gave that to me.

So, no, I had no problems. If I want to, I can go to the hotel owner and get more info, 'cause the hotel is literally 5 minutes from my house. Apparently there's still pics of my car hanging up in the bar there! I don't think the hotel owner was the original owner though, since the car was original imported to a dealership in New Brunswick (which, if you know your Canadian geography, you'll know to be on the opposite coast to BC, where the car and all the owners I know about are now).

 

[Tom Bryant]

Isn't it fun to find out the history on your car? Most of us would be suprise to know what our cars have be sujected too.

Was your engine stroked too? If it was just bored a .030 overbore, the most common, nets a 355. A .040 will net 358 like the NASCAR boys do. A .010 would only be around 352.

Tom

 

[jmp]

oops! My bad!

No, not stroked. I goofed. First thing I did was when I heard what this owner had done was look up the calculation for displacement. In the guy's e-mail, he said "bored .10 over", so I calculated 4.1*4.1*.... blah, blah. But, of course, he meant .010 over, which, as you said, is 352.

*Sigh*

Not as good as I thought, but better than nothing, I guess.

Btw, I asked him about the run with the Porsche. Here's what he said:

I was holding my own with that Porshe. We were bouncing between 135 and 140 mph for about 60 miles (I had it redlined at 6500 for most of it). Always wanted to do that, but you take your chances and you pay the price!