[Keith Seymore]

One of the things Dad used to do was make special parts for "the Father of the Corvette", Zora Arkus-Duntov. If Zora had something unique, like an air cleaner or special oil pan or something, he would call up to Flint Manufacturing (since that was where the base part was made) and ask for the die room to whip it up. He would ask for Dad, specifically, to make the parts for him ("...I van da skeeny diemaker to make deese..").

One time Zora was doing a study on valvetrain geometry on small block Chevies, so he requested (via a sketch on a napkin) a batch of rocker arms to be made in various ratios: I think they started as low as 1.2:1, then incrementing up through 1.50, maybe 1.55, 1.60 and finishing up with a 1.65:1 ratio. He asked for 100 pcs of each, so Dad would run 100 for Zora, and then 100 for himself (and stick them in his locker).

I have mentioned before a couple brothers here in Michigan, Dave and Ben Wenzel, who were doing very well running a Camaro in the NHRA stock and modified classes. They are/were national record holders, multiple time class winners, etc. Dad happened to see them up at Tri City one time, so he handed them a bag of these 1.65 ratio rocker arms and said "here, try these".

They looked at him like "...who are you and what are these and why should I try them?".

Dad said "...just try them".

They did, and then they were REALLY flying. They got protested, torn down and the cam checked but were declared legal. Nobody ever did notice these special, production looking rocker arms that they were running.