I am sharing with you guys a copy of an email I received when I was doing lots of research on my 69 and selling a lot of parts on evilbay. One of the bidders noticed my user name and got in touch with me and sent me some interesting information he had found when researching his Z16 Chevelle. He explained to me that years ago the public was allowed into the GM archives in Detroit which he did as often as he was able. Still to this day I refer back to his original email in hopes that I may stumble on one of these cars. Is it a myth? I guess anything is possible. No documented cars have been found..................yet. Would you know it if you found it.
Here is the copy of the email he sent me in September, 2004.
Dear Brad,
I own a 65 Z16 that I bought from Roger Ausley a number of year ago. When I went to get some info on my car, I came across a GM Tech in Detroit that had some interesting info about two 65 SD that was built for a Canadian GM exec.'s with a 396-325 hp engine with a 400 trans. and sent back to tour Ca. The Ht car was white in color and had black interior. This car had A/C, power everything, am/fm stereo Pontiac multiplex just like the Chevelle Z16. The frame was open, but had the Z16 rear axle and sway bar. The car had from what he remembered a black GTO style faced dash with a 140 speedo and a Ca. Maple leaf instead of the Pontiac flag!
The other was a convertible SD! This one was orchid in color with white interior! Both cars were made in the US and exported to Ca from what I was told. The bodies were made in Ca. and were shipped to the US for engine and trans.!
The frames were modified for the 396 engine and trans., just like the Z16. The rear ends were 3.31's. The dash's had the metal Al. turning like the 64 GTO. I was told that it had a fuel low level light and speedo warning buzzer! It had full gauges and with amp gauge! The car had no signs of a 396 outside for badges. But the inside had a grab bar that said 396 SD!!! From what I know, GM may still have the pictures in the US of both cars side by side with the Z16's.
I have a picture of the clock that was on the dash of the 65 SD. Please check the dealer installed options!
Unless it was custom built, I would vote no to a car like that being built. I don't see how it could have come off an assembly line anyway.
The 65 GTO's had no AM/FM mulitplex available, only an AM/FM and the Chev multiplex plug would have no place to plug in on int.
The A/C would have to be custom installed because there was no 65 Beaumont A/C option. Also, the wiring harness for a Beaumont would not be the same as a Chevelle necessitating a custom harness.
As far as I know, there was never a 140 speedo on a 65 GTO.
The frame would not need modified. The only thing necessary would be repositioning of the crossmember for the TH400 mount.
With all that said, it is a car that GM could easily have made in their garage using mostly a combo of Z16 and GTO pieces.
That would be a neat idea!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I have often pondered the same question over the years, anything is possible if your a executive, shhhhhhhhhhh, if I can throw my 2 bits in if I can. why would the cars be built in Ca. then shipped all over the countryside, I would be more inclined to think they would have been built at Oshawa, the Z was built on a convertible frame, no mods were necessary, as the conv. had an extra crossmember, I have seen one of those fuel guage units, however its part number is not listed in the parts book, was the first one I had ever seen or heard of in my 25 yrs,I'll find it and post it here, also guy had the gauges, rear defroster switch, 4way falaaher, optiion code for A/C in a 65 Beau is C60 includes H.D. rad, 42amp Gen, Dealer part #987054 (6cyl)in-dash air was not available on any Beau. would have been an under dash unit., dealer instal, also have heard of speed warning too, but not seen one, I wonder if it had option A93 for the 65 Beau, vacuum operated door locks, neat. option Z04 is H.D.chasis equip. add J52 as well; disc brakes
-- Edited by 65beau at 20:28, 2008-12-13
-- Edited by 65beau at 20:59, 2008-12-13
Yes, you are correct on the underdash air, I had only thought of in dash.
And that is the multiplex I was mentioning. Fits Chevelle but it would not fit in a Pontiac FM.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I was always under the impression that the speedwarning only came out in 66 as well as the "low fuel warning" fuel gauge. I am certainly willing to change my ways when I see there is proof of me being wrong!
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Oh, and what do you mean by the convert having an extra crossmember? That is a new one to me.
only going by what I read on the car in various mags, heres a quick one"One is the heavy-duty convertable frame, which allowed it to operate without a posi:the rear end would lay down a dual strip of black that was equal on both sides with its stock 3.31:1 open axle", musclecars classic/Feb 1990 also states"uses two of the additional four conv. body mounts", did read somewhere in my travels that they had an extra crossmember, then again Ive heard ducks fart before, only reason I remembered such a thing was, I thought holy cow , car must have huge torque. Ive never had a conv. so I dont know.
The body mount reference is likely talking about under the cowl. The hardtops have one on each side and the converts have two, likely less than a foot apart.
If you happen to run across the crossmember reference, it would be fun to see it. I can't picture where they would install it.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I say never say never. Perhaps these were built off line. We've all seen unique cars in the past made for the show circuit by all the manufacturers. I'm sure most of you have seen the prototype 70 Buick GSX as well as a show circuit 70 Buick GS Stage 1. Both of these Buicks used one off parts that were never available on regular production Buicks. I do know there were many unique cars built off line in Oshawa. One of my father in laws friends worked at the Oshawa plant in the 1960's and he recalls seeing a 69 Pontiac wagon being fitted with REAL wood veneer instead of a decal. I also know of a 70 Tempest in London that is documented by GM of Canada as a test mule for a larger GMC 6. Anything is possible in my opinion.
I have a few rags and there is no third cross member but more bolting points for body mounts. Funny you said the comment about the posi track with the open dif. It's true because my red rag is the only car with a open dif that does that. Two black ones that are fun to watch with the top down.
I must agree that 65 beau's are all not the same. Open your mind and realize that gm pieced all beau's in 65 and docs are not always true. My dad ended up with a L-79 with a open dif. Super rare but are you kidding me. 350 HP with one tire fire! I'ts true he ordered it new.
I think the extra crossmember reference may mean the boxed frame. The reference that he made to the cars being built in Ca means Canada not California. He also says GM in the US may still have pictures with the Z16's. Does anyone have any contacts at GM Detroit?
Just rotate to the drive tire in a circle, then repeat. I have a 65 SDrag that has a sticker on the dash cluster stating it was built in Washington State. Weird eh??
Yes, the cluster is marked with the washington sticker. The Lemans base model is the same as a Beaumont but the clock is different. I think the Lemans is a rally clock and the Beaumont is a acadian clock. Just proves that Gm would use any parts that would work because they had a strike in the 65 production year. I have seen a 65 Beaumont with a Z-16 tach installed, vinyl roof, power glide with a factory 12 bolt. Were there any 327 L-79 cars 350HP that had a power glide or are these options dealer installed? My dad ordered a 250HP 327 but ended up with a 350HP L-79 because they couldn,t give him that motor. A 1965 Beaumont SD L-79 by accident. Poor guy eh?
Yes, the cluster is marked with the washington sticker. The Lemans base model is the same as a Beaumont but the clock is different. I think the Lemans is a rally clock and the Beaumont is a acadian clock. Just proves that Gm would use any parts that would work because they had a strike in the 65 production year. I have seen a 65 Beaumont with a Z-16 tach installed, vinyl roof, power glide with a factory 12 bolt. Were there any 327 L-79 cars 350HP that had a power glide or are these options dealer installed? My dad ordered a 250HP 327 but ended up with a 350HP L-79 because they couldn,t give him that motor. A 1965 Beaumont SD L-79 by accident. Poor guy eh?
Boy, I feel for your dad! What a hardship!!!
Do you mean the Beaumont had a complete Chevelle dash in it? The whole cluster is completely different between the 2. That means they would have welded in a different dash, or......???
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
... I have seen a 65 Beaumont with a Z-16 tach installed, vinyl roof, power glide with a factory 12 bolt. Were there any 327 L-79 cars 350HP that had a power glide or are these options dealer installed? My dad ordered a 250HP 327 but ended up with a 350HP L-79 because they couldn,t give him that motor. A 1965 Beaumont SD L-79 by accident. Poor guy eh?
In 1965 the 12-bolt rears were introduced. GM was pretty generous with the use of them in that 1st year, using them behind all 327s, even a 250-horse with a Powerglide. For 1966 they took it all back and used 10-bolts in the 327 Beaumonts. For 1967/68 the 10-bolt was used on 327 Beaumonts EXCEPT when a 4-speed was factory ordered (even though it was only a Saginaw 4-speed).
An older guy in our local car club has told me about GM Canada putting together a 64 Beaumont "El Camino" for the show circuit. Supposedly it was a U.S. El Camino that GM put all the Beaumont parts onto "offline". I don't know what else to say, I'm just passing it along.
I do remember when my brother worked for Auto Trader in the late 70s / early 80s he told me of a really nice 1964 Parisienne convertible that GM Canada used for the car shows to showcase the 1964 models. The car was Diplomat Blue with a white top, powered by a 283 and had many options.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
many years ago you could almost order your new car custom made. You did not have to buy in packages like you do to-day. I ordered my "67 beaumont sd from a dealer in Essex Ont. My buddy had a '66 chevy 11 with a 327ci / 350hp and it went like a bat out of hell. He actually abused this car, he drove it so hard and it never gave him a minutes problems. Now, I just had to have this motor in my beaumont, instead of the 396cu 350hp. The daeler told me I couldn't get it in the beaumont, not an option I asked him if there was anything he could do to try to get it. He told me to leave it with him for a week or so, he new someone at GM and he might be able to get it done. He did NOT get it done, and I got the 396 / 350 hp and was happy I did. The fact that he tried leaves me to believe that there was probably some weird cars out there, because some-body knew some-body.
I've posted this before. I worked for a fella who's Dad was a line supervisor in the Oshawa plant, he was a real car guy too, in fact he used his Dad's 1978 2dr Parisienne for a long time, yes 2dr Parisienne.
This tale is about a 1966 Chevelle wagon they had when he was a kid. He tells me it was red with white top and loaded BUT it was also loaded with all SS options they could put on the car directly supervised by his Dad as it went along the line. He told me it was a 327 high HP motor with a manual floor shift not a BB and as close to an SS wagon as it could be.
Moral of the yarn....it could be done if you knew the right person(s).
Not being a Chevrolet A body expert can someone help with the nomenclature of these cars, Malibu & Chevelle in particular, was a Malibu a Canadian name only or used at different times on each side of teh border????
I have a 65 SDrag that has a sticker on the dash cluster stating it was built in Washington State. Weird eh??