69 CAMARO'S LEFT ON THE ROAD

[VINCE Z28]

Of the 200 thousand plus 1969 camaro's built, does the CRG have any idea how many are on the road today? Terry

[Dusk Blue Z]

38,000  Z/28's are still on the road.

[jdv69z]

And the number is growing!

[jims69]

More every day!

[Mike S]

 I remember reading a while ago (I think in Hemmings when that was the Bible of the auto world) that about 10-15% of a production run survives after 10 years for cars of that era. But like some have eluded to, a new '69 Z is born every day. Good thing for perpetual car regeneration. 

Mike

[Mark]

I would think that the 10 to 15% survival rate is quite a bit low, and it would apply to your everyday run of the mill models.  But cars like the first gen camaros, are brought back from the dead several times before they vanish.  I would think that the number would be upwards of 40% of these cars.  I see at least a couple everyday, and I drive out in the booneys most of the time.  Haven't seen a Vega, Pinto, or a Gremlin in quite a while though, even at car shows.

[BULLITT65]

Guys are resurrecting 69 camaros all the time. A lot of time it doesn't matter if it was a Z, or an SS or plain jane. They run across a pretty tore up body, add new quarters floor pans, whatever and then once it is painted most of the time it is recreated into an pace car, SS COPO ZL-1 or what ever style they want. The recreated Z is a common joke now, but I would take it a step further. IMO a clean plain jane 69 camaro without the Z/28 stripes or added emblems seems hard to run across these days. I agree with mark and would say around 50% and growing. A re-body is still pricey, so if it hasn't been crushed , it seems no matter how rusty it is it could be back on the road one day. Eventually it will be hard to find a 69 project car I imagine.

[69Z28-RS]

but..   factories are churning out NEW complete bodies for '69 Camaros......

[vtfb68]

38,000 !!! . . . Ha, there is more than that just in L.A. . . . Most are all original with cowl hoods.
   VT

[VINCE Z28]

 I can remember in the 70's and 80's a lot of the 69 camaro's we see on ebay as project cars were parted out or crushed. My how times have changed.... Terry

[VINCE Z28]

Mark, here's one that didn't make it back on the road... In the late 80's I bought a 69 camaro SS 396 that took out a wooden fence, the driver running from "Johnny Law". I bought it for $900.00 (that was his bail amount) the front end was smashed up, frame, SS hood,motor push up to firewall etc. The car had some nice options, power disc brakes, power steering, power windows, console w/ gages, 12 bolt, TH400. I sold the car to a friend for $900.00 plus I kept the 12 bolt. Today that car would bring at least 5 K on eBay, and some one would restore it. The car was parted out and scraped.

[sdkar]

I worked as a roofing contractor in Miami after hurrican Andrew in 1991.  For the next two years, my job was to supervice project and give estimates.  I am not kidding when I say I have driven every single street in Miami and Homestead, south of Kendall Drive...seriously.  I could find any address without a map and drive right to the house, and if you told me an address, i could picture the street in my head and tell you how far it was from the nearest 1969 Camaro.  There were about 15-20 1969 Camaros of every condition, from wiped out to quite nice. 

I bought a Z28 minus the engine for $50.  It was black with gold stripes and had the 12 bolt, the muncie, and the front disc brakes, which I removed and installed on my plain jane 69 Camaro.  The rest I parted out and made my money back and then some.  It was rusted in the usual areas, but by today's standards, would have been a dream to to restore.  After I got the parts off it I wanted, I junked it.  A few years ago, I paid several thousand dollars for a car in way worse condition, just to get another 69 Camaro. 

[red69]

I bought an original JL8 car for $1800 in 1976 stripped out everything I wanted and sold it for $1800.

[BillOhio]

Ouch on the jl-8!
Just last night a Buddy and i were talking about the mid 90 Hondas he has dealt in. I said the ford Taurus was the biggest seller where are they? Hondas are everywhere but you don't see any Taurus. They must have not lasted. More 69 z's around!

[BULLITT65]

Robocop is still driving the police version of the taurus.....