Back in 97, while scouting for parts for my 68 327/PG coupe, I found a wrecked 69 RS on a farm just visible from the road. I stopped by the next day to ask if any parts would be for sale. The owner told me it was the car he bought new in 69 and then wrecked in 74 and it had been sitting in a building since. Only recently was it brought outside, along with the car under a cover that was sitting behind it- a all original cortez silver 1969 RS/SS 350, manual trans, factory A/C in great shape. He told me that if I helped him dismantle the wrecked RS I could have the parts I needed. He would keep the rest of the parts as spares for the RS/SS, which, despite the locked up engine, was not for sale. A few days later after loading my truck with a pile of parts from the wreck, I offered to help get the frozen engine in the silver SS running again, he accepted.
A few weeks later I returned to attempt to make the little 350 run again. Turns out, the rings were just lightly stuck in the bores from sitting for about 15 years. Some light levering on the flywheel with some ATF in the cylinders freed the engine up enough for the starter to rotate it. It fired up! The owner was so happy I thought he was going to sell it to me right then, but he didn't. He did promise me that if he ever did sell it, I would have first shot at it. We'll see!
Years went by, the cover eventually rotted off onto the ground. The cowl filled with leaves. The mid-70s repaint cracked up. I would talk to the guy on a regular basis and occasionally do some work on some of his other cars while the Camaro sat in the field with a couple junky old Chryslers and a rusted 68 Firebird, still not for sale. We became good friends over the years and he would allow me to come start the engine and clean the leaves and pine needels from the cowl area to try and slow the rust in case I ever bought it.
In November 03 I got a phone call. "Its time." he said. " I've had my turn with it. its time to pass it on to someone else" he said.
He was going to sell his 69 RS/SS and he kept his promise. After six months we agreed on a price we could live with and still be friends.(good thing I had refinanced my house that year). I often thought it would just rot to the ground like many other cars, but I guess I got lucky.
