Dr L-88

We all know Chevy wasn't into racing (yeah ...........right), but does anyone know if they ever assigned any special project numbers or any unique designations to "special purpose" cars they built? For example, if they built a Corvette or Camaro or other high perf car for evaluation of certain parts or even body components, and they "loaned" said car to a race team.................. Just wondering if they assigned any project numbers or "prototype numbers in such cases? What about Corvette "bodies in white" (stripped down body and frame only) supplied to racers? Chrysler used to do it with their drag cars in the 60's...................bodies only that were acid dipped in order to lighten them. Anybody have any information on GM ever doing such with Corvettes?

JohnZ

I'm not aware of Chevrolet supplying any complete cars to racers, but they supplied a lot of components (mostly engines) for "evaluation". Most of those engines were built under "work orders", and they frequently had the Work Order number stamped on the front pad. Recipients were supposed to return the engines when they were done "evaluating" them, but hardly any ever did.

wmf62

used to be able to order Fords as 'body-in-white'
Bill

tuxnharley

I think I remember reading someplace that was how Roger Penske got the Camaros that Mark Donohoe raced for Penske racing. Might have read it in "Unfair Advantage"?

sub006

Doubt if acid-dipping would work well on a fiberglass body! And you really don't want to take weight out of the frame for production class road racing, it's already down low where you want it. "Swiss-cheesing" may be okay for a drag car, but not a vehicle going over hills (bumps at speed) and subject to high cornering force stress.

sub006

I believe they provided a lot of hush-hush engineering computer time, wind tunnel aerodynamic assistance, etc. to Jim Hall for the Chaparral 2 development program. The car was just a little too sophisticated and came together too fast to be the complete product of a half-dozen young people working out of a small shop.

For example, it is likely the Chaparral transaxle grew out of "heavy duty" application experimentation with the Corvair Powerglide at GM Tech in Michigan.

Hall DID have a Cal Tech engineering degree, so he could recognize what he needed and make good decisions quickly, plus competitive driving experience with sports cars in the U.S. and small formula cars in Europe. A great team leader, as he proved later with success at Indy.

gbvette62

When I was involved with the Trans-Am series in the 80's, Chevrolet supplied us with stock Camaro roof panels and tail lamps. These were about the only factory pieces used on the tube frame "silhouette" racers of the period.

When we built our second car, Chevrolet arranged for us to visit Protofab's shop (the builders of the factory backed Camaros), and provided some technical help. Besides roofs and tail lamps, I think they also gave us some V6 4.3 blocks and heads for that car.

I also hung around in the late 80's, with some local guys who raced a Corvette in the old SCCA Escort Endurance Series (the forerunner to the Corvette Challenge). The car was bought through a local dealer, but Chevrolet supplied them with free, fresh engines for every race, throughout the season.

GCD1962

You could from GM also, Vegas, Chev II were popular body in whites at one time.

I think the Chev Z-11 could be considered a factory sponsered type as you had to show you were going to race it and you had to have a "contact" at GM to even order one