For Sale: 1965 Chevrolet Corvette in Scotts Valley, California for sale in Scotts Valley, CA
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com/gp/ email protected /a03Ph6N1Tb Zora Arkus-Duntov's personal test prototype First ever Corvette with RPO-L88 Spawned Four Kings Corvettes built for Roger Penske, Don Yenko, Pedro Rodriguez, and Steve McQueen First St.
Louis Corvette with 427 Mark IV V-8, M22 COPO 4 speed transmission, Heavy Duty brakes and Kelsey-Hayes proportioning valve Zora's only mid-year Corvette with his favorite 6-shooter tail lights A.
O Smith's perfect O base dimensioned 1965 Corvette frame One and only Corvette with prototype Fish-Mouthed headers and side pipes Zora Arkus-Duntov, the legendary engineer and Father of the Corvette, had a relentless passion for speed and high performance.
He joined General Motors in 1953 and quickly set his sights on making the Corvette a force to be reckoned with on the track.
His dream was to create a car that combined all the best features from his previous projects, resulting in a true American racing machine.
The car, known as 58053, was the first St.
Louis-built Corvette equipped with the powerful Tonawanda Mark IV L88 engine.
This legendary vehicle marked the culmination of years of experimentation and development, drawing inspiration from Zora's previous creations, including the CERV I and II and the Corvette Grand Sports.
The primary purpose of 58053 was twofold:
first, it served as a test vehicle for the L88 engine and transmission, and secondly, it aimed to validate the covertly engineered enhancements provided to the Field Test drivers.
Zora did not settle for merely supplying L88 427-powered Field Test cars to racing teams; he aimed to take a step further and equip them with even more high-performance equipment.
One of the initial modifications tested on 58053 was a nine-piece tubular exhaust header and collector pipe, but it was quickly abandoned due to its high manufacturing costs, leaving only blueprints as evidence.
Instead, Zora and his engineers developed a high-performance cast iron exhaust manifold that could work with either the standard or off-road side exhaust.
Numerous other enhancements were made to 58053, including a larger spare racing wheel and tire assembly resembling the 1963-65 production spare tire hub, a heat exchanger for the radiator inspired by the Grand Sports, and a vented clutch housing.
Although these modifications received Production Part Numbers, they were never officially put into production or sold by the GM parts division.
During the same period, Zora and his Corvette development engineer, Bob Clift, mounted a cowl-induction prototype 1966 Mark IV hood on the car.
Persistently, Zora remained dedicated to his goal of equipping the L88 with aluminum heads, just as he had envisioned from the start.
After Grand Sport 003 failed to meet expectations at Sebring in 1965, Zora transformed 58053 into an all-out Lightened Sebring Type test car.
Clift remained its development engineer and test driver.
Zora thoroughly enjoyed the process of modifying the car, hand-selecting the best trick features like a kid in a candy store.
The 1965 body was replaced with a new 1966 body-in-white, a new rock crusher four-speed transmission, and a big tank 36-gallon gas tank.
The car was also equipped with top-of-the-line Heavy Duty equipment, including Z06 chassis components, a 3.
08 rear axle ratio, a roll bar (similar to Grand Sport 004), four-inch exhaust, and aftermarket American Mag wheels with racing tires.
Heavy Duty suspension parts, such as a front sway bar and tricked-out A-arms, were borrowed from the CERV II test car and produced by Logghe's Competition Products Division.
To improve performance, all non-essential components were removed to lighten the car.
The development of 58053 continued throughout the 1965 model year, with continuous updates during Field Testing involving the latest Heavy Duty equipment.
In the subsequent season, the car would play an even more significant role, serving as the foundation for a Corvette capable of winning one of America's most renowned and crucial racing competitions.
A sophisticated set of fish-mouthed exhaust pipes, transitioning into a lengthened and tapered collector, was developed and installed on 58053.
Additionally, a 1966 body-in-white was fitted, featuring specially cut-out rear fender wells, Grand Sport 004-style Plexiglas fixed vent windows, and six Glo-Brite 707 taillights, which were Zora's favorite design element.
These modifications became significant identifying features in subsequent photographs of the car.
During the 1966 Daytona 24-Hour race, two L88s equipped with cast iron heads were intended for competition, driven by Don Yenko and Roger Penske.
Unfortunately, Yenko's Corvette couldn't participate due to a dealer dispute, but Penske's car, unofficially nicknamed the King, achieved first place in its class with drivers Guldstrand, Wintersteen, and Moore.
Penske later entered the same King at the 1966 Sebring race, featuring the Super J56 brake setup developed using 58053.
Meanwhile, Yenko faced uncertainty and had to drive a car with RPO-L72.
A third car, equipped with a new L88 featuring pre-production production aluminum heads, was entered with drivers Pedro Rodriguez and Mario Andretti under Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team, but Chinetti's team switched back to Ferrari at the last minute.
A fourth car, developed as a CEC Development prototype with full L88 specifications, including the aluminum heads, was also created.
While testing this fourth King at Riverside, actor Steve McQueen was testing cars for Sports Illustrated.
Subsequently, McQueen had the privilege of using this factory racer and eventually purchased it outright.
These four cars are now renowned among enthusiasts as the Four Kings Corvettes, and their development was based on the modifications tested and validated on car 58053, which contributed to their remarkable success.
The heart of this Corvette L88 was the formidable 427 cubic inch (7.
0-liter) Mark IV V8.
The engine produced an astonishing 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque with its aluminum heads, special camshaft, and high-flow intake.
The engine's internals were built to handle the rigors of racing, featuring forged internals, a high-capacity oiling system, and strengthened components throughout.
The power was sent to the rear wheels through a heavy-duty M22 four-speed manual transmission, renowned for its durability and ability to handle the engine's immense torque.
Thanks to the lightweight design and high-output engine, the 1965 Chevrolet Corvette L88 was an absolute speed demon on the track.
Zora Arkus-Duntov's personal prototype has exceptional performance capabilities in testing.
Its top speed surpassed 170 mph, and it could sprint from 0 to 60 mph in under five seconds, making it one of the fastest production cars of its time.
Lynman Slack was chosen to receive a prototype Corvette because of his past experience as a Packard executive, future position as president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, and extensive network.
Another intriguing piece of information is that Mr.
Slack had a winter residence in Arizona and would later retire there.
It's possible that the Corvette followed him there or that it never left the state and was picked up in Mesa after its test-related tasks were completed.
.
//www.
flickr.
com/gp/ email protected /a03Ph6N1Tb Zora Arkus-Duntov's personal test prototype First ever Corvette with RPO-L88 Spawned Four Kings Corvettes built for Roger Penske, Don Yenko, Pedro Rodriguez, and Steve McQueen First St.
Louis Corvette with 427 Mark IV V-8, M22 COPO 4 speed transmission, Heavy Duty brakes and Kelsey-Hayes proportioning valve Zora's only mid-year Corvette with his favorite 6-shooter tail lights A.
O Smith's perfect O base dimensioned 1965 Corvette frame One and only Corvette with prototype Fish-Mouthed headers and side pipes Zora Arkus-Duntov, the legendary engineer and Father of the Corvette, had a relentless passion for speed and high performance.
He joined General Motors in 1953 and quickly set his sights on making the Corvette a force to be reckoned with on the track.
His dream was to create a car that combined all the best features from his previous projects, resulting in a true American racing machine.
The car, known as 58053, was the first St.
Louis-built Corvette equipped with the powerful Tonawanda Mark IV L88 engine.
This legendary vehicle marked the culmination of years of experimentation and development, drawing inspiration from Zora's previous creations, including the CERV I and II and the Corvette Grand Sports.
The primary purpose of 58053 was twofold:
first, it served as a test vehicle for the L88 engine and transmission, and secondly, it aimed to validate the covertly engineered enhancements provided to the Field Test drivers.
Zora did not settle for merely supplying L88 427-powered Field Test cars to racing teams; he aimed to take a step further and equip them with even more high-performance equipment.
One of the initial modifications tested on 58053 was a nine-piece tubular exhaust header and collector pipe, but it was quickly abandoned due to its high manufacturing costs, leaving only blueprints as evidence.
Instead, Zora and his engineers developed a high-performance cast iron exhaust manifold that could work with either the standard or off-road side exhaust.
Numerous other enhancements were made to 58053, including a larger spare racing wheel and tire assembly resembling the 1963-65 production spare tire hub, a heat exchanger for the radiator inspired by the Grand Sports, and a vented clutch housing.
Although these modifications received Production Part Numbers, they were never officially put into production or sold by the GM parts division.
During the same period, Zora and his Corvette development engineer, Bob Clift, mounted a cowl-induction prototype 1966 Mark IV hood on the car.
Persistently, Zora remained dedicated to his goal of equipping the L88 with aluminum heads, just as he had envisioned from the start.
After Grand Sport 003 failed to meet expectations at Sebring in 1965, Zora transformed 58053 into an all-out Lightened Sebring Type test car.
Clift remained its development engineer and test driver.
Zora thoroughly enjoyed the process of modifying the car, hand-selecting the best trick features like a kid in a candy store.
The 1965 body was replaced with a new 1966 body-in-white, a new rock crusher four-speed transmission, and a big tank 36-gallon gas tank.
The car was also equipped with top-of-the-line Heavy Duty equipment, including Z06 chassis components, a 3.
08 rear axle ratio, a roll bar (similar to Grand Sport 004), four-inch exhaust, and aftermarket American Mag wheels with racing tires.
Heavy Duty suspension parts, such as a front sway bar and tricked-out A-arms, were borrowed from the CERV II test car and produced by Logghe's Competition Products Division.
To improve performance, all non-essential components were removed to lighten the car.
The development of 58053 continued throughout the 1965 model year, with continuous updates during Field Testing involving the latest Heavy Duty equipment.
In the subsequent season, the car would play an even more significant role, serving as the foundation for a Corvette capable of winning one of America's most renowned and crucial racing competitions.
A sophisticated set of fish-mouthed exhaust pipes, transitioning into a lengthened and tapered collector, was developed and installed on 58053.
Additionally, a 1966 body-in-white was fitted, featuring specially cut-out rear fender wells, Grand Sport 004-style Plexiglas fixed vent windows, and six Glo-Brite 707 taillights, which were Zora's favorite design element.
These modifications became significant identifying features in subsequent photographs of the car.
During the 1966 Daytona 24-Hour race, two L88s equipped with cast iron heads were intended for competition, driven by Don Yenko and Roger Penske.
Unfortunately, Yenko's Corvette couldn't participate due to a dealer dispute, but Penske's car, unofficially nicknamed the King, achieved first place in its class with drivers Guldstrand, Wintersteen, and Moore.
Penske later entered the same King at the 1966 Sebring race, featuring the Super J56 brake setup developed using 58053.
Meanwhile, Yenko faced uncertainty and had to drive a car with RPO-L72.
A third car, equipped with a new L88 featuring pre-production production aluminum heads, was entered with drivers Pedro Rodriguez and Mario Andretti under Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team, but Chinetti's team switched back to Ferrari at the last minute.
A fourth car, developed as a CEC Development prototype with full L88 specifications, including the aluminum heads, was also created.
While testing this fourth King at Riverside, actor Steve McQueen was testing cars for Sports Illustrated.
Subsequently, McQueen had the privilege of using this factory racer and eventually purchased it outright.
These four cars are now renowned among enthusiasts as the Four Kings Corvettes, and their development was based on the modifications tested and validated on car 58053, which contributed to their remarkable success.
The heart of this Corvette L88 was the formidable 427 cubic inch (7.
0-liter) Mark IV V8.
The engine produced an astonishing 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque with its aluminum heads, special camshaft, and high-flow intake.
The engine's internals were built to handle the rigors of racing, featuring forged internals, a high-capacity oiling system, and strengthened components throughout.
The power was sent to the rear wheels through a heavy-duty M22 four-speed manual transmission, renowned for its durability and ability to handle the engine's immense torque.
Thanks to the lightweight design and high-output engine, the 1965 Chevrolet Corvette L88 was an absolute speed demon on the track.
Zora Arkus-Duntov's personal prototype has exceptional performance capabilities in testing.
Its top speed surpassed 170 mph, and it could sprint from 0 to 60 mph in under five seconds, making it one of the fastest production cars of its time.
Lynman Slack was chosen to receive a prototype Corvette because of his past experience as a Packard executive, future position as president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, and extensive network.
Another intriguing piece of information is that Mr.
Slack had a winter residence in Arizona and would later retire there.
It's possible that the Corvette followed him there or that it never left the state and was picked up in Mesa after its test-related tasks were completed.
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