1963 Corvette Z06 Gulf One

1963 Corvette Z06 Gulf One

With a singular history chronicled by voluminous and highly detailed documentation, this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Z06, known as “Gulf One,” holds a special place in Corvette and American road racing history as the most successful factory-backed production racing Corvette of the C2 era, which, ironically, commenced almost six years into the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s self-imposed ban on factory racing participation. Indeed, de facto Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov had been providing back-door support for Corvette racers since the introduction of Chevrolet’s potent OHV V-8 engine in 1955, and he continued doing so through the resulting series of SCCA Production Championships that followed.

To GM Design Chief Bill Mitchell, the all-new 1963 Corvette Sting Ray embodied a quantum leap forward in style, but for Arkus-Duntov, it was the ideal foundation for elevating Corvette performance to a whole new level. Accustomed to advancing Corvette’s performance in defiance of GM management, in late 1962, Arkus-Duntov quietly added a tantalizing entry to the new Sting Ray’s option list: the RPO Z06 Special Performance Equipment group.

Originally available only in coupes, this comprehensive racing package included heavy-duty power drum brakes with a dual-circuit master cylinder and finned and drilled aluminum drums, unique sintered metal linings measuring 11.75 inches long (compared to the optional 11-inch J65 linings), and vented backing plates fitted with rubber air scoops that channeled air to internal cooling fans. The Z06 also received stiffer front and rear springs, a large-diameter front stabilizer bar and specially calibrated shock absorbers. In addition, buyers were required to order the L84 360 HP fuel-injected 327, an M20 4-speed manual transmission and Positraction as well. Arkus- Duntov also specified a long-distance, 36-gallon fuel tank and finned, aluminum, knock-off wheels with two-bar spinners. However, the larger tank was made a separate option in order to

make the package available in convertibles, and porosity issues in the aluminum wheels forced a halt to production for most of model year 1963.

Designated by Davis as “Gulf One,” Chassis No. 2227 was delivered to Gulf personnel at the St. Louis assembly plant in October 1962, driven to the corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, prepared to Davis’ specifications and rushed to Puerto Rico for the first and only Puerto Rico Grand Prix. With renowned Corvette specialist Dick “The Flying Dentist” Thompson at the wheel, Gulf One scored the first class win of its career. After an A-Production victory at Marlboro, Maryland’s “Refrigerator Bowl” in January 1963, Gulf One was then prepared to FIA rules for Florida’s Daytona Continental and Sebring 12 Hours races. In February, Thompson scored a huge third place overall and first in GT3 at Daytona behind two Ferrari GTOs, following up in March with a disappointing gearbox failure at Sebring after impressively qualifying at the front of an international field of sports and prototype entrants.

Gulf One’s early successes were suddenly overshadowed by Chevrolet’s abrupt post-Sebring decision to withdraw support for all racing activities, shocking the dedicated racers who had staked their fortunes on the new Z06. Undeterred, Davis continued to campaign his two Team Gulf Corvettes. Thompson barnstormed Gulf One across the country, winning first place overall at the SCCA President’s Cup at Marlboro, Maryland, the A/Production class at Danville, Virginia, and Road America, and finishing the season as the most successful of all the Specially Assigned Z06 racers.

In 1991, noted collector and racer Rich Mason purchased Gulf One and commissioned talented Carson City, Nevada, specialist Chet Bunch to perform an extensive restoration, prepared and finished exactly as it was on the starting grid of the 1963 Sebring 12 Hours, including the unique rear fender flares, a last-minute requirement by the FIA to cover its extra-wide Firestone racing tires. Other special features on the car include two-bar finned, aluminum, knock-off wheels, a modified fuel filler, running lights, Plexiglas windows, manually operated headlights, rear deck- mounted fiberglass brake-cooling scoops and a special hood designed to improve airflow through and over the front end.

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