1962 Chevrolet Bel Air Series Series 1600 HardTop Sport Coupe

Chevrolet changed the 348 CI W-Head V-8 for a 409 CI unit for 1961. It featured a dual-plane aluminum intake manifold with two inline Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetors. This was matched to raised-port cylinder heads with larger valves, higher compression 11.4:1 pistons and heavy-duty forged connecting rods for a factory rating of 409 horsepower. A new GM service package designed to improve high-RPM breathing was also made available, consisting of a new higher-lift cam, strengthened valve springs, longer exhaust valve pushrods and free-flowing exhaust manifolds.

Along with the new engine, Chevrolet introduced new lightweight aluminum pieces, followed by a new engine upgrade, the Mark 1 Service Package, also known as the Z11 upgrade. This last upgrade brought power to 425 BHP and qualified the car for Factory Experimental racing used a hotter solid lifter cam with matching valve springs, new heads with raised rectangular intake ports and a new two-piece, super high-rise intake manifold lacking a lifter valley cover, as would be used on the Z11 drag racers in 1963.

This lightweight 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air Bubble Top coupe has the rare body and engine pieces. It has an original factory radio and heater-delete car with all-aluminum front end parts and the original matching numbers block. The car has just 572 original miles on the odometer. It is finished in Tuxedo Black paint, Red interior with bench seat, 4-speed floor shifter, and column-mounted 7,000 RPM tach.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2013