Wednesday, January 6, 2021

69 of 69: Last 1969 Camaro ZL-1 - Sold - Crashed - Restored

 

69 ZL-1 Camaro #69

The Last 1969 Camaro ZL-1

Although the ad doesn't indicate, this 1-of-69 ZL-1 Camaros is actually #69. The Hugger Orange Camaro rolled off the assembly line in early 1969 and then was shipped off to the Huebner Chevrolet and Oldsmobile Dealership in Carlton, OH. 


1969 Camaro ZL-1 #69 History 

The Camaro was sold by Archie Huebner to an unknown customer. Through the first couple of years, the ZL-1 received custom candy-coated cobb-web stripes by the famous custom vehicle painter "Greg of Akron"

ZL-1 69 Camaro




The Camaro also received a healthy 396 to replace the famous ZL-1 aluminum-block and wider wheel wells for wider rear tires. In the hands of its's first owner, the Camaro turned in a quarter-mile time of 11:29 sec. at Norwalk Raceway in Ohio. 


Norwalk Raceway


 

After a few years, the Camaro was sold to a second owner and then thrid. Eventually, the Camaro would get sold to a fourth owner in '78 with only 11,000 miles on it. He would then sell it to a friend in '81 who ended up wrecking it within a week.    

ZL-1 Wreck in Rear

69 ZL-1 Camaro Wrecked





#69 ZL-1 Camaro Restoration Time 

The Camaro sat for 22 years without no one really knowing what kind of Camaro it was. Then one day someone sent the owner a letter inquiring about the Camaro. So the owner and some friends did some research only to find out they were sitting on a goldmine. 

Camaro info #69 ZL-1

After all the research and the number checking, it was time to start shopping for NOS sheet metal, parts, and everything else that was no longer salvageable on the Camaro.

ZL-1 Camaro Restoration

 

Camaro ZL-1 Sheet metal






69 Camaro ZL-1 Paint

The 396 engine was pulled a long time before the restoration was started, but luckily for the restorers, they found the original 427 aluminum-block that matched the code for the Camaro. 

ZL-1 Aluminum Block




1969 Camaro ZL-1 Fact Sheet

Vin# 9N650977 (#69) 
  • M22 4-Speed HD Close Ration Transmission
  • A01 Soft-Ray Tinted Class
  • D55 Center Console 
  • D80 Air Spoiler Equipment
  • U17 Special Instrumentation
  • U63 AM Pushbutton Radio
  • Z21 Style Trim Group 
  • 5927 72-72 Hugger Orange
  • Sports Car Conversion
  • 9737 Tires (in place of PL5)


1969 ZL-1 Camaro


The Last 1969 ZL-1 Camaro's Resting Place

Unfortunately, I have done some research and found other documented true '69 ZL-1 Camaros, but I have yet to find this one. I've heard rumors and stories, but nothing positive enough for me to put in writing under fact. Maybe it is in a museum somewhere or held down at someone's garage? 

Hopefully, It's Safe! 










Thursday, December 31, 2020

Difference Between the Yenko Camaro and COPO Camaro

 


Difference Between the Yenko and COPO 

Most people probably know about how badass the Yenko and the COPO Camaros are, but how many people know where the names come from and what’s the difference between the two. Of course, if you are a diehard Camaro fan with a lot of knowledge of the first generation Camaros, you probably know some or all of the facts, but just in case you don’t, here is a little bit of education.



The Yenko

In 1967, Don Yenko, owner of Don Yenko Chevrolet, contacted General Motors and ordered 54 Camaros straight from the factory with a special mission in mind. That special mission was to convert those Camaros into Yenko drag strip-ready IHRA/NHRA Stock and Super Stock Camaro competitors.


(How many Yenko Camaros were built and sold from 67 through 69 is really unknown. The same goes with COPO Camaros; ask ten different experts and you're likely to get ten different answers).


When these Camaros first showed up at the Yenko Dealership, the first order of business was to take out the existing 396-cu.-in. engines and replace them with 427 big-blocks. Although a lot of numbers swirled around about how much horsepower they produced, it was estimated around 425-450-hp (depending on who you asked). Along the way, Yenko also had all Yenko labeled Camaros beefed up with other goodies like traction-bars and 3:73-positraction rear-ends. 


There was only one problem with Team Yenko’s plan to turn the Camaros into drag strip-ready Camaros, they were not allowed to race in the IHRA/NHRA Stock or Super Stock classes. These classes were strictly for cars that had no engine changes or any other big mechanical changes after they left the factory. They were not banned from all drag racing, just the Stock and Super Stock classes that the Yenko Team was aiming for, so eventually the Yenko program was canned. 


A lot of people think that the reason Yenko stopped the program was because of the inability to race in their intended classes. That was part of the reason, but most of the reasons were because Yenko was losing money on the pulled 396 motors and rear-ends they could not seem to get rid of and the program was losing even more money since GM would no longer warranty the Camaros if they were modified after they left the factory. That either fell in the hands of the owner or Yenko himself.



 

69 COPO Camaro   

It’s true, the name strikes fear in the hearts of racers who dare to pull up next to one in the staging lanes. They dominated the Stock and Super Stock classes for a long time.


COPO stands for (Central Office Production Order) and this program was invented specifically to put competitive Camaros in those Stock and Super Stock classes. If you ordered a Camaro from the central office, the build sheet would go to the factory, and when the Camaro rolled off the factory line complete, whatever you asked to be installed would be installed and considered stock. With that being said, there was nothing IHRA or NHRA could do about excluding the cars from racing in stock classes.


Ultimately, it was Fred Gibb and Don Yenko that pushed Chevrolet into making this program happen. Chevy saw the need for competitive Camaros in these classes for the use of sponsorship and of course bragging rights. They were Camaros, they were stock, and they were Mustang and Mopar eaters for a long time at the track. The 427 big-blocks made 425-hp and 460-lb.-ft. of torque, they took home a lot of trophies.  

Last Note 

A lot of people believe the COPO division was designed for the 69 ZL1-Camaro and then squashed, and then brought back in 2013 for the Camaro again. But the General Motors COPO Division has been around since GM made fleet vehicles e.i. cop cars, taxis, tow trucks, etc. All vehicles that are ordered specially from a corporation, charity, a government, or something like that are considered specialty-made vehicles or COPO vehicles. (It wasn’t just a program made up for one of the baddest Camaros ever produced, the Camaros just stole the spotlight). 


  


 


Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Brand New Trans Am "Smokey and The Bandit" Car




Update 12/2020

"Smokey and The Bandit" Trans Am


Well, as everyone excepted, the "Smokey and The Bandit" Trans Am was going to sell out fast, and that's exactly what it did. But with the Pandemic and the holidays on the horizon, keeping your eyes open for one on sale is a good idea.  In fact, this December, I've come across a couple of them for sale. I can't say rather or not they're priced to move, but they are for sale and they're collector items.  

There are some imposters out there, so to be on the safe side, take the VIN# down and call transamdepo.com to make sure that it is an official (1-of-77 Trans Am Smokey and The Bandit Special Edition cars). There is a big difference, one that could leave you on the losing side of a car transaction.


Update 2018


 


Trans Am Worldwide is announcing that they will be producing 77 Trans Am Bandit Sports Cars signed and certified by the man himself, Burt Reynolds. The reason for the off-beat number being built of 77 represents the year the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" came out in theaters (1977), and it represents the year Trans Am that was used for the movie. 

With 800+ horsepower, these Trans Ams are sure to be a little bit more fun to drive than the ones that were raced around in the movies. Probably more expensive and harder to get your hands on as well, but if you do, this would definitely be a collector car.


6/7/13



Brand New Trans Am

 




Trans Am-Firebird

There is a lot of talk about if GM will ever come back with a Trans Am or a Firebird, but that is just what it is, talk. If GM does decide to bring it back, there would be a lot of car enthusiasts very happy with their decision. If they are planning on making this type of move, they are defiantly keeping a very tight lip on what they're going to do and when.



There is one fact that has been made very clear by GM. If they do bring back the Trans Am and Firebird, they will not be bringing back the Pontiac brand. All production would be under the authority of GM and the Pontiac name would not even be used for the Trans Am campaign. One last thing that is pretty well-known about the situation is that they would probably be produced in the same factories as the Camaros and would be sold at Chevrolet dealerships where Camaros are sold. 



Build Your Own Trans Am/Firebird


If you're someone who does not want to wait for GM's decision and you must have one no matter what, there are alternatives. Companies like Trans Am Worldwide build authentic-awesome-looking prototypes of Trans Ams, Firebirds, Hurst, and Firehawks that can be customized personally and purchased by private owners.



The process is really cool! Brand new Camaros are purchased, then ground effects, bumpers, spoilers, customer interiors, and whatever else that needs to be replaced are replaced with prototype parts for the unique styling that replicates what a new Trans Am would probably look like if GM was to start making them again. The nice thing about these projects is that they're made from new Camaros, which should be enough to ensure that these Trans Ams are built American Motor tough.

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Rarest of Rarest Corvettes: Own One Without Paying A Million Dollars

 1960s Corvette Grand Sport


Rare Corvettes for Less


Some of the rarest sports cars of all time are a group of five early '60s Corvette Grand Sports built with the sole purpose of running in the GT classes at the Sebring 12 Hours and the 24-hour LaMans races. The Godfather of Corvettes, Zora Arkus-Duntov, led the crusade of light-weight race-ready roadsters that were designed to compete with the dominant Ford GTs and the rest of the field's competitors.


Duntov had planned on building 1,000 of these Corvettes, but only five Corvette Grand Sports were originally built at this time in the ‘60s. Two of the Corvettes [#001 and #002] were put to the side and three others were sent to John Mecom of Houston, TX, who eventually sent them off to three other prominent individuals in the racing industry.


Purchasing One Of These Rare Beauties

So let's say you were not lucky enough to be one of those people who received one of those five Corvettes, but now you would like to see if you can purchase one today. Well, although these Corvettes are not relevant in the 24-hour LaMans and other races anymore, fat chance of getting your hands on one for under five million dollars. A few years back, the #002 Corvette Grand Sport found its way to an auction block, and although the high-bid was $4.9 million, it was still not enough to take the blue beautiful race car home.


If you're like most car guys, you probably don't have $4.9 million sitting around for a sports car that you wouldn't even want to drive that much anyway. But getting something similar and in many cases, much more modern and driveable with an affordable price tag is definitely feasible. 


Superformance, a car-building company in Southern California pushed to get granted the licensing to build replicas of Zora Duntov’s famed Corvette Grand Sport making it possible to own one, well at least a replica of one.


Superformance was even granted original build sheets for the #002 Grand Sport Corvette. They claim that if you wanted a replica almost identical to the original, they could build you one that only experts could tell it’s not an original #002 Grand Sport. But if you are like a lot of people, you may be just looking for the look of the legendary Corvette and the performance and comforts of a newer vehicle, and that's fine too, Superformance can build something like that as well. 


1960s Corvette Grand Sport RoadsterCustomize Your Own Corvette Grand Sport

Superformance will work you up a vintage Corvette Grand Sport of your liking. Features like power steering, four-wheel disc brakes, power windows, A/C, and fully independent front and rear suspension with Bilstein suspension components can be optioned up for your Vette. There are roadster versions available, but they will look and drive more like the race Corvettes of the past, and many features and options of the coupe will be limited. But as far as power plants go, Superformance offers a variety of engines including an LS9 supercharged monster that can really make the coupe and the roadsters fun to drive.


There are actually seven engines in all to choose from. All engines come with a 2/year 50,000-mile warranty that can be serviced at your local authorized dealer. The greatest thing about the Superformance Corvette Grand Sport replica is the price tag. Depending on your options and how customized you want it, your price tag will still be just a fraction of the price you would have to pay for the real thing.

Monday, November 16, 2020

First 1967 Camaro Commercial Broadcast In 1966

 


Back in 1966, the American people were introduced to a sports car that would see five decades of success. That sports car was the Camaro, and to this day has just as much power and influence in the high-performance auto motor industry as the day it first went on sale on Sept. 29, 1966.


After the Mustang was introduced in 1964, Chevrolet had to come up with a sportier, tougher two-door sports car than its current two-door sports car at the time, the Corvair. So under the code name XP-836 and then soon after named the Panther for temporary identification, Chevy went to work.


For the year 1967, Chevy decided to name the soon to be an iconic sports car, the "Camaro". This obscure word comes from the French-English dictionary meaning "friend". They added eight different engine setups including a SS 350 option and a stout 427 option. Even though the Z/28 did not come along till the next year, on the day of September 29th, 1966, the Camaro hit the road for the first time. Five decades later, this sports car is still a noticeable piece of automobile history no matter what year or model you are driving. 

Friday, May 8, 2020

Covid-19 Cancels Detroit's Most Anticipated Event: Detroit Auto Show


North American Detroit Auto Show



The Covid-19 virus has caused the cancelation of one of Detroit’s most anticipated events in modern Motor City history. Like with most cities and industries, their economies have taken a huge hit due to the pandemic. But for Detroit and the surrounding regional area, having the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and the Grand Prix canceled is the worst thing that could happen to a city that has just started to really hit its stride. 


Detroit has suffered for many years economically, and with the new build of the Little Caesar Arena, Detroit has really started to see an up-turn. The arena gave the Red Wings a new place to play and brought the Detroit Pistons back to Detroit from their previous home at the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI.


The North American International Auto Show 

This year would have been the first year for the NAIAS to be held in June instead of in January. Last year the show experienced 35,000 fewer guests than the previous year due to a massive snowstorm. And it’s these kinds of wintery problems that the NAIAS has always experienced when trying to get and keep attendance up. 


Even with the 35,000 fewer guests, the NAIAS boosted Detroit’s and the regional economy with revenue gains of over $430 Million, the equivalent of two Super Bowls. Restaurants and hotels all reap the rewards of this extraordinary event. But as of right now, with all these businesses already hammered with the restrictions of the Covid-19 virus, the cancellation of the NAIAS will only make things worse. 


More Problems For NAIAS 

The second biggest reason for the move to June other than attendance was to bring back some of the automakers that have backed out of the event in the past few years. As attendance declined because of weather and other reasons, a lot of foreign automakers have backed out of the event - with fewer people - fewer people to promote their product to. Moving the NAIAS to June from January was supposed to be the game-changer. 


Having the event outside during the summer would allow interested consumers to take vehicles for a test drive, experience new self-driving cars in the flesh, and give more room for automakers to set up their displays. Also, adding to the fun, there was going to be off-road events at the TCF Center and Hart Plaza, rally cars were to "drift" on the rooftop of the convention center, the Motor Bella festival of Italian and British cars on Broadway, live music, and more. 


Unfortunately, if you show up to any of these places this year, you’ll find that they are either closed or turned into a temporary field hospital for Covid-19 patients


Detroit Grand Prix At Belle Isle

The Detroit Grand Prix was also cancelled. The Grand Prix was to be held May 29-31 just before the June 7-20 NAIAS was to be held making Detroit a true Motor City again. The two events put together so close at such a nice time of year should have been a great chance for Detroit to get more people down to the city than usual. Gearheads and just curious people altogether would have been able to witness a new Detroit starting to deveolp.  


Unfortunately, like with all cities around the world, the pandemic is affecting all new and exciting things and traditional things that goes on in our cities. And for a city that was finally bouncing back after decades of decline, this will put a big halt on the progress Detroit has made.  




Wednesday, February 19, 2020

2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible: First Look

2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible


2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible


Although the Corvette is now recognized more for its speed and performance, through the years the Corvette’s heritage was mainly designed for comfortable convertible cruising. This 2020 Corvette Stingray convertible was also designed and engineered first-and-foremost around the convertible version. 





Back in 1953, the first Corvette ever available to the public was a convertible version, and that was all you were able to buy. Ever since then a hard-top and a convertible option has always been available, but this 2020 Corvette will be the first-ever convertible hard-top produced. 


Most people like the convertible hard-top version for its looks, but it also offers a few other great features. A quieter cabin, increased security, and an easy to keep clean and maintain tonneau cover are just some of the extra perks the convertible hard-top offers. Also for people who do drive their Corvette a lot, soft-top convertibles tend to need to be replaced after being exposed to the weather elements for too long. These convertible hard-tops are designed to last as long as the Corvette lasts.


The beautifully engineered 2020 Corvette Stingray convertible is still designed to fit two sets of golf clubs in the trunk plus an airline-spec carry-on and a laptop bag in the front storage compartment. For a supercar, that’s a lot of room a luxury you won’t find in other supercars. 


To make sure that the engine doesn’t suffer any circulation problems, the tonneau cover features aerodynamically shaped nacelles influenced by the housing used for jet engines. So although it looks like the engine may suffer from the convertible top being put down, Corvette ensures there is no engine power decrease.

You can activate the convertible top up or down at speeds up to 30 mph and it uses six different electric motors to get the job down in 16 seconds, a first for Corvette.