If there was only one of something that you wanted to make a copy of, but no one knew where the original was, how would you know what the finished product should look like? James Schaffer of Scottsdale, Arizona, said that he was able to find enough articles and photos when he started out making his '65 SS into a Z/16 that he knew what he had to do. Doing it, of course, was another matter. According to Schaffer, there were 216 SS models in 1965 with the Z/16 package (forerunner of the SS396) and only one was a convertible. At this time, its whereabouts are unknown.
Schaffer became interested in Z/16s while reading an article in a car magazine years ago that covered actor Dan Blocker's (Hoss Cartwright of Bonanza fame) car. When he finally decided to embark on the project, he already had the '65 SS convertible, having found it in a Phoenix, Arizona, lot where it had been sitting for 18 years.
It took James six years to complete and two years to locate the necessary Z/16 parts. We don't want to go into how long it took to raise the money for the project.
There are many interesting and unique details about the car, the most obvious of which is the rear trim on the decklid. Instead of the trim panel extending all the way to the top of the deck, it only goes part way to allow for the 396 emblem to be displayed. Many engine pieces are unique including the dual-snorkel air cleaner and stock chrome valve covers. These cars were well optioned, which demanded that Schaffer look long and hard for the stock multiplex unit, remote mirror, hubcaps, and (naturally) the 160-mph speedometer. There is no pretense made that this car is the original, but until the real thing comes along, it's as good as we're going to get-and it's very good.