1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Tanker

• 1 of 63 Z06 Tankers produced in 1963
• Bloomington Gold Certified
• NCRS Top Flight Award
• Chevy VetteFest Gold Spinner Award
• Discovered in 1986 by Howard Baker in unrestored condition
• Inspected by Z06 authority Eric Gill
• Extensive history investigation by Bill Gould of Auto Ancestry
• N03 36 gallon fuel tank
• Z06 racing suspension and brakes
• Very rare Kelsey Hayes 2-bar knock-off wheels
• Firestone non-D.O.T. 6.70x15 blackwall tires
• Matching numbers fuel-injected 327/360 HP V-8
• Borg Warner T-10 4-speed transmission
• Off-road exhaust, 3.70 Positraction rear end
• Radio delete, power brakes
• Factory original body/trim tag
• Produced February 12, 1963 and delivered to Jim Connell Chevrolet of East Cleveland, Ohio
• Formerly part of several noted Corvette collections
• Prove-It report from David Burroughs

Documented with restoration photos and receipts, owner history back to 1967 and selling dealer in 1963, copies of previous titles, owner's manual packet, Bloomington Gold certificate and judging sheets, a three ring binder with correspondence from past owners, appraisals, Z06 surveys and NCRS Shipping Data Report

This 1963 Corvette Z06/N03 "Big Tank" has earned the industry’s most-stringent judging accolades including Bloomington Gold certification, NCRS Top Flight and Chevy VetteFest Gold Spinner awards. One of 199 Z06 Split Window Coupes produced in 1963, this Sebring Silver example was factory-equipped with the RPO N03 36-Gallon fuel tank, of which only 63 were built. Affectionately referred to in the Corvette Community as a "Z06 Tanker" due to the oversized racing fuel tank, the N03 big tank RPO is one of the rarest and most desirable Corvette options of all time, even more rare than the legendary L88 engine.

The 1963 Z06 Special Performance package introduced a surplus of weapons-grade competition equipment. This assemblage of regular production options and special race-oriented components were not available outside of the Z06 package. The Z06’s driveline was non-negotiable: a mandatory L84 327/360 HP V-8 with Rochester fuel injection linked to the requisite 4-speed manual transmission and Positraction rear end, however its special heavy-duty suspension and brakes gave birth to a true factory-produced race car. Armed with oversized finned drum brakes with internal stamped-steel cooling fans, ventilated backing plates and sintered metallic linings boosted by a special dual-circuit master cylinder topped with a distinctive copper-plated cap, the Z06 exhibited fantastic agility thanks to special heavy-duty shocks and springs and a 20-percent larger front sway bar. The optional N03 “big tank” afforded drivers fewer pit stops on the race track.

Discovered by Howard Baker (NCRS Member #35) in 1986, this Z06 Tanker underwent a two-year body-off restoration and was personally inspected by Z06 Historian Eric Gill, who described the car as “one of the finer-quality Z06 restorations I have seen.” Subsequent ownership history reveals a “who’s who” of Corvette aficionados including Joe Warunek, Bill Braun, Joe Kish, Joe Lukason and Terry Michaelis. A recent historical investigation performed by Bill Gould of Auto Ancestry has uncovered ownership history back to 1967 –documented by correspondence and vintage photographs from previous owners.

A radio-delete example retaining its original body/trim tag, this “big tank” Z06 rides on very rare Kelsey Hayes 2-bar knock-off wheels wrapped in Firestone non-D.O.T. 6.70-15 blackwall tires. The matching-numbers 327/360 HP fuel-injected V-8 is backed by a Borg Warner T-10 4-speed transmission and 3.70:1-geared Positraction rear axle. Produced on February 12, 1963 and delivered to Jim Connell Chevrolet in East Cleveland, Ohio, the car’s provenance is supported by voluminous documentation that encompasses ownership history back to 1967, copies of previous titles, vintage photographs from the 1960s, Bloomington Gold and NCRS certificates and judging sheets, owner’s manual packet, NCRS Shipping Data Report, Eric Gill’s 1988 appraisal, Auto Ancestry historical research and the Z06 Prove-It Report by David Burroughs, the founder of Bloomington Gold.