The reason why I drive a 69 Camaro today!

[hgger69]

I just thought I should share my story why I am a proud owner of a 69 Camaro!
It all started here in Sweden when I was just 4, or 5, years old and my aunt were together with this cool dude that were a famous, in Sweden at lest, lead singer in a pop group during the late 60, 70 and 80:ies. This is how the band " Max Fenders" looked like during that period:


The really cool with this guy, the big one in the middle above, is that he was an American car addict! He bought the first Camaro when it came 1967 and then had a new one every year until 1972:ish. Before that he had a couple of Chevelles.

This is his 69 Camaro during a vacation trip to Norway 1971 just before he sold the car:
Notice the 4 exhaust pipes, talk about king of the roads! 


The spoilers were added by himself and he also made a smooth mounting of the rear spoiler to the trunk lid and repainted when the car arrived to Sweden.


This a picture taken in my hometown and its my aunt sitting in the Camaro in 1969/70:


The 69 Camaro was a real SS/RS 350, Hugger orange with black top and had power steering, power windows, and double powered rear antennas!
The double antennas were used fore the original radio and a BLACK & WHITE TV!! Yes, it´s correct, it had a small TV in it!!  Have you guys ever heard or even seen that before?? The TV was installed by a local TV-shop and placed in the space between the center console and dashboard.

The Camaro also had a kind of machine that produced a rolled and lit cigarette!

I remember this because me, my mam and my aunt drove the car in the summer of 1969 or 1970 to my grandparents ranch 63 miles from our hometown and I still remember the TV, the power windows and the antennas that want up when the roaring V8 started!
I also remember how people just stopped doing whatever they were doing ad just stared at us and the monster we were driving in!
I think a Hugger orange 1969 Camaro in Sweden in this time really did draw some attention do it! 

The car were also during 1970 equipped with a 454 race engine and that didn't make the car less unusual!

This Camaro still exist but has another owner and the TV is long gone and its repainted in a non Chevy color I guess...




So all this together made such an impression on me as a 4 or 5 year old kid, that I said that one day I should be the proud owner of my own 69 Camaro! It took me like 35 years when I turned 40 and gave myself a real birthday present ......and now we celebrate 10 years together! 






See you out there, guys! 

[ko-lek-tor]

Hakan, Real cool story and cool pics to boot. They help visualize how you were influenced!
I guess many of us have our own fond early memory that we relate our infatuation with the Camaro, especially, 1st gens. I was around 9 and my family attended an event in the city, I vividly recall. Crossing the street, I spied a Blue (like LeMans, I believe& 2nd gen.) SS 1970 with Cragars sitting at the light where we were crossing. I immediately was drawn to the car's beauty. To that point, I had never seen a car that invoked that feeling. I said to myself then, I am going to get one of those one day (not even sure what it was at the time). As a Cub Scout, our Den went on a tour of the Norwood plant. Little did I know then what a love affair I would have with these cars. Many,many cars I would love to have, but I am always amazed when I learn of so many long time owners of these fabulous cars.

[cook_dw]

Great story.  Love the old pics.

[hgger69]

Hakan, Real cool story and cool pics to boot. They help visualize how you were influenced!
I guess many of us have our own fond early memory that we relate our infatuation with the Camaro, especially, 1st gens. I was around 9 and my family attended an event in the city, I vividly recall. Crossing the street, I spied a Blue (like LeMans, I believe& 2nd gen.) SS 1970 with Cragars sitting at the light where we were crossing. I immediately was drawn to the car's beauty. To that point, I had never seen a car that invoked that feeling. I said to myself then, I am going to get one of those one day (not even sure what it was at the time). As a Cub Scout, our Den went on a tour of the Norwood plant. Little did I know then what a love affair I would have with these cars. Many,many cars I would love to have, but I am always amazed when I learn of so many long time owners of these fabulous cars.

Fun to hear!
I guess you're right there about how it all started and what kind of first impressions we have with the Camaros and that's why I started this thread!
Keep your memories coming.....!

[hgger69]

Great story.  Love the old pics.

Thanx, man!

[abiddle]

Awesome pics and awesome story. Those were the days when people made the cars their own. I would love to see the cig rolling machine!

[Kelley W King]

You guys are too young. In 69 I was driving my friends Carolina Blue 69Z. It had already had a L72 transplant. It hooked me forever.

[BULLITT65]

I just like them because everybody else does.....haha.....kidding

My friends and I all had muscle cars in high school and soon after, I was rolling my 66 Chevelle SS, , another friend had a 64 Chevelle SS , and another had a 72 Nova, and then our other friends dad owned a pizza place had a few extra dollars to spend, and got him a 69 Z. I knew what a SS was but, the Z initially I thought was just a marketing ploy. (with the stripes it kinda made me think  "T/A" or "Formula" of the 70's). We took his car to Hot August nights that year and fit 7 or 8 people in it crusin around that year. (We had to pick up a girl for each guy in the car) Which was an awesome memory in itself.
The car needed some freshening up, it was soon after that when I was helping him wrench on it I realized it was a solid lifter motor, and did some research and realized it was also a 4 speed only model. Well that did it for me. Once we got the car running right, that baby zipped down the road.

Now this was back in the 90's and I couldn't have afforded one, they were going for around 10-12K for a nice one. But i told myself that  would save for one.

[hgger69]

Awesome pics and awesome story. Those were the days when people made the cars their own. I would love to see the cig rolling machine!

Thanx, I appreciate it!
...haven't you in the US seen this type of option in any car before? I spoke with the singer above last week and he said that the cigarette machine was from the US....

I just like them because everybody else does.....haha.....kidding

My friends and I all had muscle cars in high school and soon after, I was rolling my 66 Chevelle SS, , another friend had a 64 Chevelle SS , and another had a 72 Nova, and then our other friends dad owned a pizza place had a few extra dollars to spend, and got him a 69 Z. I knew what a SS was but, the Z initially I thought was just a marketing ploy. (with the stripes it kinda made me think  "T/A" or "Formula" of the 70's). We took his car to Hot August nights that year and fit 7 or 8 people in it crusin around that year. (We had to pick up a girl for each guy in the car) Which was an awesome memory in itself.
The car needed some freshening up, it was soon after that when I was helping him wrench on it I realized it was a solid lifter motor, and did some research and realized it was also a 4 speed only model. Well that did it for me. Once we got the car running right, that baby zipped down the road.

Now this was back in the 90's and I couldn't have afforded one, they were going for around 10-12K for a nice one. But i told myself that  would save for one.

Great story, thanx for sharing!

[ds1]

I too was young when I got my first impression of  what a cool car looked like in the early 80s.  A 68 Z28,  British racing green, white stripes,  black vinyl top.    It was jacked up with an L88 pin on hood and Crager SS wheels.    I have always  wanted  thar car.  It is still  around but I  just can't  buy it.   But I don't  forget the first time I saw this rolling  beast.  That was a COOL CAR

[jacmac]

Great story & pics,I remember getting inside a new 63 corvette coupe when I was about 7yrs old I was hooked!

[hgger69]

Great story & pics,I remember getting inside a new 63 corvette coupe when I was about 7yrs old I was hooked!

Thanx!
Wow, I've never seated a Split window!!