Car Collector's Corner: Extremely Rare One Of Two Bel Air L-72 4spd Wagons
Everybody has a favorite car in his or her dreams, but Jim Adams has a favorite big block engine to add to his dreams.
Jim likes the monster L-72 427 Chevy power plant that was factory rated at a conservative 425 hp. 60s Big Three factory horsepower ratings tended to lean toward a lower than realistic number for insurance purposes, these killer engines had a lot more horsepower than advertised.
Jim is a big fan of the large Chevrolets of the mid-60s, and he has begun to assemble his collection of the L-72 big block editions, including this very rare 10,686-mile beauty that spent 35 years in a Costa Mesa California GM dealership showroom.
This Bel Air has led an easy life and it will enjoy an even easier future in Jim’s collection.
The Chevy wagon is a low mileage big block 4 speed street monster that will never have to prove itself in the hands of an irresponsible owner. Jim has launched it only once just to see what a 60s kid-hauler with too much horsepower could do in pedal to the metal battle form. He found out. It was insane.
This car still has the original rear seat plastic from the factory and it feels like you have stepped back in time about 46 years when you slide behind the wheel.
Jim wants to keep that level of condition for as long as he owns it. He is a caretaker of a rare piece of Detroit automotive history, and he wants to preserve this ultra-rare wagon in its present condition forever. He also wants to keep it forever, so it will never be a Barrett-Jackson Saturday feature car under Jim’s careful watch.
Congratulations Jim, you own the only current example (one of two made and proved to be still in existence) of an extremely rare wagon from the General. And you own it for all the right reasons.
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I read an article somewhere a while back blaming the Chevrolet of this era for bringing in the government mandates for 5-mile an hour bumpers . The theory is that the pointy front ends of these cars( and presumably other GM cars of this era )were prone to much more front end damage , that a low speed collision that on the prior generation of Chevies would have maybe needed a new bumper would in this generation need a new bumper , grill, fenders etc. As a result the insurance companies put pressure on the government to toughen bumper standards . In additon was the number of problems involving the bad motor mounts , leading to fatal accidents and more regulation .
"..blaming the Chevrolet" I blame Bush. Either one will do.