Thank you gentleman, your comments mean the world to me.
I spent a lot of time researching what I had need to do to make it as correct as possible. Research and documentation is essential. I was blessed to have started with a correct car that was mostly untouched. The guy before me tried to do some body work and had hung half quarters on it, but never finished it. The first owner had used roofing tar on the floors and wheel housings when it was bought for his wife. That saved the bottom side. I bought the car in 85 and it's been (as pictured) for about 10 years now. All of the panels are GM. The floors, trunk floor, hood, cowl, doors and deck lid are the born with pieces. The rockers are 80 % born with and 20% NOS (hated to cut them up). The front fenders, lower valance, header, fender ext., wheel housings, rear outer wheel housings, rear quarters and drop offs are all NOS. I was very fortunate to find a woman up in Bay City MI that had all the NOS metal. I didn't even need to splice in my orig date codes in the quarters, they were that close. This was all old old GM stuff, all had stickers and bin numbers and even crayon part numbers. The metal fit extremely well, and we worked to make the gaps perfect. The body and paint work was done by Flatline Custom, and I worked with them daily to mirror what GM did. My goal was to not "over restore" but to finish with a product that looked to be new and almost a survivor, if that makes sense. My plan was to then take it to "Day Two" 1968. I have all the correct numbers items restored for this car. The Speedway wide treds on the steel wheels are dated to the car. I love the power of the stock L-30, but in "Day two" trim it's a different animal.
The brick building in the back round is an old junk yard, B&O Salvage. I wanted an old setting for a photo shoot, and I felt the Old barn was perfect.
Here's a bit of a overview on the history of my car. I had this posted over on the sYc site, because of the CRG home page.
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/549028/Steve_%22Big%22_'s_68_Ca#Post549028I’ve owned this car since 1985, and paid a whopping $350 for it. I was headed out to buy another car, a 65 390 Galaxie convert when my neighbor (Jim) mentioned he was picking up a Camaro the next day. Jim owned a Sohio station. His local sales rep wanted him to tow this Camaro out of his garage. It had to be moved ASAP. Come to find out, the sales rep’s son Paul actually owned the car and was given an ultimatum upon returning from BGSU…..either he goes or the car goes. Two days later it was towed to my garage. Many years later, Jim mentioned (with a devilish grin) that this was “A Hostile Takeover”!
Purely by coincidence, Paul found me and the Camaro 20+ years later at a local show. It was a night neither of us would ever forget. He was walking around my car telling his son that he had a Camaro just like this. He went on and on looking and staring in disbelief. Finally, I asked him if his name was Paul. To this day, I’ve never seen the color run out of some ones face so quick. He about passed out…After a bit, he phoned his wife and the whole family came up to see his Camaro. His first date with his wife was in that car, she threw up in that car that night and he told me stories of running it flat out on the interstate back and forth to Bowling Green. I’m still trying to get him back behind the wheel. He deserves to drive it again!
Rewind to 1968…… Alice Wallace just married Francis Rodgers. Francis was into Corvettes and took Alice down to Roger Dean Chevrolet to trade in her 1961 Chevy and order a new Camaro. All the paperwork form the title application to the lien papers had Wallace scratched out and Rodgers added. Newlyweds. The Camaro was shipped to Dean on July 31 (per NICB) and Alice picked up her car on Aug 9 …. Alice enjoyed her car until the untimely passing of her husband Francis in Oct of 77. She in turn passed the car on to a family member ( Lynn) who drove it until his death, then passed it on to his sister( Maryann). Maryann used the car during her days at Bowling Green, and then sold it to Paul in 81. The car was now covered in BGSU stickers and a National Miniature Schnauzer decal on the quarter window.
I had done my research with the state of West Virginia and even spoke with Alice on the phone. She didn’t remember much about the car until I mentioned the Schnauzer decal. She then perked up…… ”That must be my car, I breed Schnauzers”. She then went on to tell me about her late husband and his passion for Corvettes. Roger Dean was a sales leader in Corvettes so it was the logical dealer to order from.
The Camaro…
What Francis ordered was a 1968 Camaro Ash Gold Coupe with a L-30 327, M-35 Powerglide transmission,2.56 rear (should not have been available), center console, Clock, A/C, Deluxe interior , black vinyl top, AM 8-track, tilt wheel, rear defog, Vigilite, space saver, bumper guards, and a rear antenna….LOADED.
Currently it is(and will always be)in “DAY 2” trim. Some items added are: American mags, Lakewood bars, Harrell clamps, headers, SW gauges, GM intake & Z-28 valve covers, 462 heads, blueprinted 10.5 to 1 block, TH-350, 4000 stall converter, 4:10 rear, GM rear spoiler and a A&A front spoiler.
Steve
