Kerouac

Has anybody read "Zora Arkus-Duntov - The Legend Behind The Corvette", by Jerry Burton? I'm about 2/3s through and it is phenomenal. Besides what he did for Corvettes, the guy had an unbelievably eventful life. Highly recommended. BTW, anybody have a personal encounter with him?

Kerouac

JohnZ

I worked for him in 1967-68 at Chevrolet Engineering and St. Louis. Great book - came out 4-5 years ago.

Kerouac

Man, that's like getting to play guitar with Les Paul. Awesome.

perry mitchell

Zora and I had a long conversation in 1980 when I was purchasing my 63. We talked mostly about the Seattle weather which was clear and sunny that day. He sat in my car and allowed me to take several pictures. Later that day there was a dinner which he spoke at. He also signed a few things for me. One great man.

Mike Terry

Not to take anything away from Zora, because I know he was the guy who did the major push after he came on board in 1954 for the Corvette for racing and styling and performance but that is all I hear is Zora Zora Zora. How about the greatest G M designer if not the greatest auto designer in the world Harley Earl? Now if not for him there would bot have been a Corvette (almost Corvair) in the first place. Plus all the other one off design cars that he came up with. Basicly I would rather have an autograph by Harley Earl then Zora if I had to choose only getting one of the two to autograph on something. Harley designed some of the coolest cars ever and I know I have not seen all of his great work but what I have seen just makes me wish I would have been around back when he was designing some of his greatest cars. Hats off to both men but a salute to Harley . As far as I am concerned Harley Earl is the man. Zora just took it to the racing level for G M. to them both.

Kerouac

The book also talks a lot about Harley and credits him for many of the same things you brought up. No question he was crucial. Read the book.

Ol Blue

I drove my 63 in a parade with Zora riding. First thing he did when he got in was to look at the tach. Then he said, "ewwww, hi-perrrformance", (wellll, that's not close to his accent but I tried.

I asked him what the cfm was on my FI and he thought a moment and said he wasn't sure but maybe around 750. That's not what most people think from what I read.

He talked alot about the racing airplane he was building.

When he got out of the car he said, "zee steering, iz to loose, straighten zee wheel" So I gave it a try, and he waved me off to do it himself. Then after he got it straight said, "eeeez ok".

My son was driving Elfie in the parade. It was quite a day for us.

MaineDoc

My only encounter with Zora was in Boston (Danvers) at the NCRS national meet many years ago. I was introduced by a friend who always called me "Doc" and he autographed a picture to "Dok". Still have it in my garage. Great book by the way.

65hihp

all well and good, except the book discussed here is called Zora. Why would you want to read about a styling guy in a book about Zora, who was all about performance? Styling was (is) important, but without the performance, there would be no corvette today...

93RubyRedCoupe

I had the honor of meeting the man and his wife at Malcolm Konner Chevrolet in Paramus NJ in the early 90's. He signed a couple of things for me. I have a picture of me with him (Gosh I was young then). Then I started collecting items with his autograph. It's just plain cool having his autograph. The coolest thing I have signed by him are 2 air cleaner lids. I have them in shadow boxes. He was a soft spoken guy when I met him...and he reeked "cool".....ARA

tuxnharley

Well, Harley Earl did contribute to split window and fake hood grilles to th '63'...............

Vette Daddy

The GM management environment had good and bad guys, just like anyplace. At the time, I felt that I had achieved the pinnacle of my management career.

Cruising the back rooms at Guide, hunting for old tail light lens molds so we could run a few on the weekend was a blast.

Working a few days in Plant 11 at Delco Remy, where my dad worked for 22 yrs, or the Plant 1 building where my mother and grandfather worked. My grandfather was in charge of the most efficient foundry in the world at GM. My mother was in Intl Sales at that time.

There was so much history to be seen in the really old buildings.

Yeah, some folks had higher jobs but Zora was heads above the rest IMO. He was D'man!

65hihp

I took guitar lessons from Ernie Ball. Didn't stick.

PattiR

Don't know who Ernie Ball is- sure he was a great guitar player, have to ask my sister, who is into jazz.

However, I met Zora and Elfie twice. Once in Sylvania, Ohio at American Custom Industries, where he (Zora) happily signed the 1957 owners manual and asked to see my car(Like a moron I did not drive it that day).

Next time was in San Diego after I had sold the 1957 to pay my tuition to grad school and would not have thought that I would ever own another 1957. He(Zora) at that time signed a poster along with Dave Mclelland and the other guy whose name I cannot recall or read on a big poster who was the Corvette Chief engineer at the time.

Fast forward to 2014 I bought a duplicate of the original 1957 that I owned back in 1976 and sold in 1983.

Biggest regret is selling the owners manual along with the Corvette with Zora and Elfies autographs in it in 1983.

Rats!

But I do have great memories of Zora, Elfie, my spouse,
and meeting and talking with David Crosby(yes, the one from Crosby, Stills & Nash) in the line while waiting to meet Zora and Elfie again and getting our poster signed.
And if it was not for my lovely wife I would not have any of this.(she made me put this in the post).

Dennis

Kerouac

I think Bill Mitchell had taken over Harley's job by then.

uvettcha

highly recommend it..........

Kerouac

Doesn't make it any less cool. I took lessons from a guy who took lessons from Joe Pass. Sadly, it didn't stick either.

Loren Smith

There are many historical examples of the second administration pushing the movement further along than the founder. Roy Disney probably did more to make Disney what it is today than Walt. The Apostle Paul did more for the spread of Christianity than Jesus.

John BX NY

Great book indeed. "All Corvettes are red" is another good one.

I met Zora at a car show in 1991 at Malcom Konner Chevrolet in Paramus, NJ when he signed my air cleaner lid. Couldn't get him to say much but I shook his hand, for that I'm glad. Larry Shinoda was there too.

He kept signing with Elfie at his side until he was worn out.