1969 Z28 Garage find after 20 years!

[1968RSZ28]

It's all those little things that nickel and dime you to death and easily turn into $1,000's when you're hunting parts.  Especially if reproduction isn't your thing and you must have OEM parts.  Then you get into a real treasure hunt that puts a dent in the bank account.

Exactly! Alternator, distributor, etc...  

Paul

[68camaroz28]

Would be interesting to know how many of the original engine parts it retains and if the eng and trans #'s were indeed the original born with ?  That's could make a big difference between a low/mid $20K buy to the low $30's ... IMO

It's going to cost a bunch to restore and no matter what is there your upside down immediately but as you, Paul and others have mentioned the missing parts can kill you as well. I've seen some cars that have the main original items (long block, trans & rear) but both the large (carb & dist. for example) and small detail items have been stripped from the car and in many cases that's the easy money to be made. Buy the car reasonable, strip good parts easy to sell, and then resell the car.

[BULLITT65]

I agree the small Engine items can be pricey *when available , but I think having the original drive train is key. If you want to gather parts for it, I figure each part you are able to obtain at market rate or below, you can always add on to your purchase price, or if need be sell off separately. I am trying to help a friend possibly get a 69 Z , and a car like this makes the dream of owning a real Z with the possibility of a numbers matching car within his grasp.

This car isn't for everyone, I understand. For those of us that may not be able to afford a very complete nicely restored/ or complete unrestored car this type of a car is an opportunity, and for the right owner can provide years of satisfaction in as is condition (running of corse).

I got very lucky with my car, (it was more car than I could afford). I am sure there are many Camaro owners that feel fortunate that they were able to get their car back when they did, at the price they paid for it. Even the most recent guys like Danny with his unrestored car, you can tell how excited he is just going to the junk yard for bolts and little stuff.
We all like our cars for different reasons, but thats what great about it. There is a car out there for everyone (sometimes more than one!)

[Vince]

I'm just trying to learn here.  If this is a second week of Dec., 1968 car is it correct to have an 8,000 rpm tach?  My 01C car has a 7,000 rpm tach. 

[1968RSZ28]

From CRG...

During the 1969 production year, the Z28 used three tachometers.

In chronological production order:
• 6000 rpm redline with 7000 rpm maximum (early-mid)
• 6000 rpm redline with 8000 rpm maximum (mid-late)
• 6500 rpm redline with 8000 rpm maximum (very late)

Paul

[william]

I doubt the tach is original to the car. That would be the earliest 8000 rpm installation I am aware of by a couple of months.

[BULLITT65]

ok, if someone were to remove the tach would it have a ink stamp that would pertain to the date ? or is there another way to date the tach?

[X33RS]

I saw that too Vince, which is why my post talking about the short spoiler, I was questioning myself whether I was reading the date on the tag correctly.

[Top1motors]

Ok a little more of what I saw and heard while I was there looking in person. The dash metal is painted silver like the exterior (see pics) which means this car was pretty far apart for the color change. Now I believe the paint happened in the late 1980's or early 1990's. The current owner new of this car for quite a while before he purchased it. So he had researched what he could to verify the numbers on the engine and trans. back then before he purchased it once the previous owner put it up for sale. I believe he was concerned that since the car had been drag and street raced that some of the parts may be switched. He stated to me that he has the original DZ motor, carb and intake, but wasn't sure if the heads were original to the car. Aslo, the original M21 is already restored along with the linkage. Thats as far as I got with him. He didn't say anything about the dist or alt and pulleys etc. I know that stuff matters but considering the condition of the car itself, it still seems like $25K is a deal. Also, this owner had worked at our local Chevy dealer prior to owning this car so he new what he was looking for back then. I think the real reason this car has sat is because he mentioned going through a divorce "20" years ago and she tried to get the car. So I think it needed to stay out of site for a while. Fast forward 20 years and he's decided to "move on". P.S. I haven't heard if a deal has been made as of Friday 5-8-15

[ZLP955]

ok, if someone were to remove the tach would it have a ink stamp that would pertain to the date ?

Interesting question. I have certainly seen some speedometers with a date code on them (here's one below), but IIRC my tach had an ink-stamped part number but no date code.

[69 Zee]

So I'm guessing this was likely a tac delete and then added at a later date.  I like the original short spoiler as well as the solid looking body.

[X33RS]

Edit:  Looking at different car.

If it were a tach delete, yet has console gauges.  I see it has a clock which I thought came with console gauges.   And, if you got console gauges with the fuel gauge in the console, then there would be no need for a fuel gauge up in the tach pod.  If no tach then what would that be, a blank face??

Correct me if I'm wrong but console gauges triggered a center mount clock in the dash, or so I thought.   The fuel gauge moved to the console, which left the right side pod in the dash for the tach.  If the tach were omitted, what then?

I always thought they were either...
1) Just a speedo and fuel gauge in the dash, no gauges anywhere (center pod in dash is blank with "camaro" script).
2) Order a tach and fuel gauge moves to the center pod in the dash
3) Order console with gauges and fuel gauge moves to console, center pod in dash becomes clock.

What happens in the last scenario if a tach isn't specified?   I figured tach was mandatory when console gauges were ordered.

[william]

U17 Special Instrumentation included a tachometer and clock along with the gauges on the console. It did not include the console which also had to be ordered. Some very early sales literature depicts U17 with out a clock.

Early in '69 U16 Tachometer became available when Chevy mandated either U16 or U17 with Z/28 equipment. A small fuel gauge was mounted in the center of the dash cluster.

[X33RS]

Thanks William, just trying to understand.  You just tought me something I wasn't aware of.  Now I'm not so sure about my own, lol.

Mind if I PM you about something so I don't clog up the thread here?

[z28z11]

Answer to the question above about tach dates - yes, they were dated. See the attached pics from the one I sold some time back -

Regards,
Steve