68' ZL-1 Stripe?

**Art A.** · January 4, 2005, 01:53 AM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Steve, someone is putting you on with that Tech Center paper work. Why? Because the TC NEVER sold a car to anyone--period!

As a Manufacturer GM does/did NOT have title to their fleet vehicles in their name and that includes the TC. The State of Michigan lets GM, and I'm sure it also applies to the other manufactures, HOLD a clear title(not filled in, i.e. blank) until such time as the vehicle is processed thru a dealer as a used vehicle. The person that buys the USED vehicle will actually be the first person on that title for said vehicle.There would NEVER have been a bill of sale from the Tech center and/or an original registration showing the Tech Center as the seller of the car. This is one of the reasons that manufactures use "M" license plates

Art

**Michael H.** · January 4, 2005, 03:37 AM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Art,

I once owned a car that was actually owned by and titled to a division of GM. It was the blue 65 396 conv that David Burroughs used for his book, "Corvette Restoration, State of the Art". When I purchased the car in the mid 70's, it came with two Michigan registrations, one of which was off of the original MSO to the first department/title. The car was then supposedly used in some of GM's advertising. It was then transfered to the "new car garage" or something to that effect. The first actual retail purchaser, one Henry Schneider, was actually the third owner of this nearly brand new vehicle.

Hopefully, the current owner of that car (194675S114971) will see this and supply more detailed information from the paperwork that stayed with the car. I have copies of all of it but it's still in the frozen north, not here in Florida so I can't provide exact details. Last I hard, the car was in the north east somewhere, possibly CT or MD.

If I remember correctly, the vehicles that were to be driven within GM had to be titled to some department for several different reasons, one of which was insurance. I'm sure someone that remembers more about this will add info.

Michael

**steve wallach** · January 4, 2005, 08:58 AM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Hi Art,

The paper work certainly appears authentic and several other knowlegable people
have confirmed it.
I may be describing it wrong? The "bill of sale" is a Tech Center check in sheet showing the equipment of the car, the dates of recieving and some
hand written notes as well as a final discounted price.

The registration shows the car registered to the "GM Engr." with an address in
Warren, Mi.

The first "Registered Owner" was Carl King who owned the car for 32 years.

I have heard of a few other "Tech Center Cars" and I have been told it had to be a "special employee" that could buy such cars.

Regards,

Steve Wallach

**Robert C.** · January 4, 2005, 09:26 AM

Re: "B" code w/ Job #

Steve ; there are job#s plus "A" as well. The "A" means that the car has been ordered without a radio. "A"=Antenae hole was filled etc.
The "B" means something as the body went down the line. It signified some special operation. Maybe "B"= Brakes or Some "B" word.

**steve wallach** · January 4, 2005, 09:30 AM

Re: "B" code w/ Job #

Thanks Bob,

There is a "PB" written on the drivers side foot well. The car has J50 Power Brakes.

The issue with the Job number is the "B" is part of the job number "413B". It
may indicate this was not actually a "production" car since it was going to the Tech Center. So there may have been a job number "413" that day and this then was assigned Job number "413B". This is just speculation though. I'm hoping to find someone that knows for sure?

Thanks,

Steve

**Art A.** · January 4, 2005, 05:47 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Steve I bought lots of "TC" cars as a GM employee, about one every 6 months from about 1963 until about 1989 or so. The "GM Engr." your referred to is probably short for GM ENGINEERING. Chevrolet Engineering handled about 700 fleet vehicles a year thru a office that was called The Vehicle Sales Office. They ordered the production cars, logged them in, got BLANK titles from the State if Michigan,created a internal vehicle folder, which was a detailed vehicle history file while the car was in the fleet, and assigned them to various departments or and assigned it to an Engineer to drive (evaluate). When a group or an assigned Engineer was done with said vehicle,be it by a certain mileage or so many months, the same office prepped it for sale or to be destroyed, which ever applied. Yes a check list was created to show what the car actually had on it-----it may have had some changes made to it while under evaluation. If the changes were and or did not deviate from production intent and could/would be the same as "another" production vehicle it could/would be put up for sale. In other words it had to still meet FMVSS certifications requirements.
I wonder if Carl King is Paul Kings son?

Art

**Art A.** · January 4, 2005, 05:51 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

I forgot to ask, does the paper work indicate a GM Zone Office number?

Art

**Steve Wallach** · January 4, 2005, 05:55 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Hi Art,

Would it be called "Zone Number" ? I don't see anything that indicates Zone
numbers, but there are things on the check in sheet that I don't understand?

Thanks for the help,

Steve

**Art A.** · January 4, 2005, 06:20 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Mike I don't want to split hairs, but GM doesn't actually owne(title)the vehicles in their fleets.

"one of which was off of the original MSO to the first department/title"
I don't understand the above, could you please clairify?

" "new car garage" "
Was a term used down at the GM Building in Detroit.

" The first actual retail purchaser, one Henry Schneider, was actually the third owner of this nearly brand new vehicle. "
As I said, the first OWNER (titled)of a GM cast off would be the person who bought it thru a GM dealer.

" If I remember correctly, the vehicles that were to be driven within GM had to be titled to some department for several different reasons, one of which was insurance. "
Not true, maybe your are recalling that they had to be ASSIGNED to a department or Engineer. They all had titles, they were just not filled in (blank)until they were sold thru a dealer.They are/were self insured so that's not the reason.

Art

**Art A.** · January 4, 2005, 06:25 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

No, it would probably just say ZONE with a 2 digit number near it or maybe just a 2 digit number.I'm sorry, I just reread you question, it would not be on the check sheet. I was asking if it was on any of the other paper work.

Art

**Steve Wallach** · January 4, 2005, 06:31 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

I'll look through the paperwork tonight, but no zone number as far as I know.?

Carl King is in his late 70s now I think, so I don't know about being the son of "Paul King" ?

Regards,

Steve

**Michael H.** · January 4, 2005, 06:53 PM

Re: 68' ZL-1 Stripe?

Art,

Wish I could remember more specifically what was on the registrations but it's been over 25 years since I owned that car. I seem to remember one of the Michigan registration forms stating something about "GM" or "Chevrolet" and Central Office but I'm not sure of the wording. The 2nd registration had "New Car Company garage" or something similar. Both were marked Michigan vehicle registration as I remember. I'l try to get more info.

I'm a bit surprised that no one knows where that car is or who owns it today. At one time, it was thought to be the first 396 car but that was proven incorrect years ago.

Michael

**Robert C.** · January 4, 2005, 07:30 PM

Re: Stripe MULE

I've seen the papers on this car and it looks like the real deal. It was probably the mule for the ZR-1 stripe layout. I wish you'd bring it to Fla. so we could see it at the meet.

**Steve Wallach** · January 4, 2005, 07:32 PM

Re: Stripe MULE

Hi Bob,

I'd love to bring it to Fl. but it's in the middle of a body off restoration
right now, maybe by the end of the year?

Regards,

Steve

68' ZL-1 Stripe?

68' ZL-1 Stripe?

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