Spending Time with a 1963 Corvette Z06 Tanker!

This rare, raced, and restored 1963 Corvette Z06 tanker was an unexpected delight at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.

For years I have had the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) on my list of motorsports events to attend. This year I finally pulled the trigger and attended the second half of the 10-day motorsport festival. I am sure glad I did. The entire event was terrific and deserves its own dedicated article. But this article is focusing on just one of the thousands of amazing cars I saw during the event. That one car is naturally a Corvette. And a very special Corvette at that. It is a 1963 Corvette Z06 tanker. And not just any 1963 Corvette Z06 tanker.

This car was originally raced by Alvin Forsyth with the SCCA on tracks in the Northeast. He landed a number of podium finishes including coming in third in the 1964 Watkins Glen 500. He continued racing the car until he sold it in 1969. The new owner raced it until 1976 when he sold it to current owner C.J. Titterington. This amazing car was an unexpected delight at PVGP. A few hours to the east on the PA turnpike is the town of Carlisle, PA. Which as most of you know hosts one of the biggest Corvette shows in the world. But PVGP is not a Corvette show. In fact, this year the marque of the year was Ferrari. So, spotting this Corvette was not anticipated. But like finding a $100 bill on the sidewalk, it quickly put a smile on my face.

1963 Corvette Z06 Tanker

In 1963 you could buy what was essentially a Corvette race car right from Chevrolet by selecting RPO code Z06. This $1,818.45 package was not insignificant for a car with a base MSRP of $4,038. As such only 199 1963 Corvette Z06 cars were built. And of those only about a third had the N03 ‘Big Tank’ option which added a 36.5-gallon fuel tank for $202.30. The 1963 Z06 was powered by the fuel-injected, 360 horsepower L84 engine. The Z06 package also included oversized finned steel drum brakes and brake cooling ducts. Heavy-duty shocks, springs and a larger front anti-roll bar were also installed on these cars. These cars were ready to race. Which is exactly what Forsyth did with his car.

Number 81

Titterington was still a teen when he bought this car. It may sound incredible that a teen could afford a car like this but back in 1976 this was viewed as nothing more than a used-up race car. And who the heck would want something like that? My how times have changed. Titterington spent years restoring the car to a ‘streetable’ condition. Then in the early 2000s he invested the time and money to bring it to the show car condition that we see it in today.

Hanger Party

I first laid eyes on this special 1963 Corvette Z06 tanker at the hanger party event held at the Pittsburgh – Butler regional airport. There it was sitting on the tarmac between two airplane hangars and in front of ‘Thunder Pig’ the C-123K transport plane on display. God Bless America! The Corvette is in immaculate condition inside and out. About halfway through the event, some severe thunderstorms were closing in on the area. The Z06 is not a car that should be exposed to those elements, so the owner moved it inside one of the hangers. I happened to be standing next to the car when he fired it up. Unfortunately, I was too awestruck to think about recording the moment but the sound that car makes easily drowns out even the loudest thunderclaps. What a machine.

A couple days later I was at the international car show that was part of the PVGP festivities. There were at least 100 Corvettes on display at the show. And once again I spotted my friend the 1963 Corvette Z06 tanker. In full daylight on the golf course lawn that car looked absolutely stunning. It has to be one of the most beautiful race cars ever made. I was thrilled to see it. If you are on the fence about attending the PVGP next year, I am here to tell you that you should go. It is a great event, and you just might spot a historic Corvette while you are there.

Images: Joe Kucinski

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