Brent's Camaro
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How did this all start? Why are CAMARO'S THE FINEST MUSCLE CARS EVER BUILT?
Well, let's go back to April 1980...
I was 15 years old...too young to drive..but aware that that cars were cool and I would soon
be driving one. My neighbor had included me in his trips to a couple of car shows and I
knew that I liked the shows and liked the cars. I bought a few issues of Car Craft and
began dreaming of the day when I would have a cool car. That day would come sooner
than I had thought.
On an April afternoon, my Dad came home and said that he'd see an old Camaro for sale
up the road in Clarkson, Ohio. It had just been put out and looked decent..."do you want to
go see it?" he asked. Well, I had not even thought of actually looking at a car for me, much
less a Camaro. I also had no money, no license and no idea what to I would do with a car.
But hey, looking at a Camaro is a great way to end any day. I yelled "yes!" and we went to
see the car.
We drove to the seller's house and there it was...a 1969 Frost Green Camaro X-11 w/Z-28
stripes, light green interior, a white vinyl top and...a smashed driver's side quarter. The
owner's daughter Tina had slid off the road coming home from a Beaver Local High School
football in the rain and banged it up. Unlike most of the cars in my area (Eastern Ohio) this
car being originally from Miami was rock solid with a perfect interior and body (not including
the quarter damage). The asking price was $500 and my Dad quietly assured me that we
could easily fix the quarter panel damage.
We took it out for a drive to make sure it tracked straight and it drove beautifully (I drove it
too...sans driver's license). We returned to the seller's house, my Mom pulled out $500
and paid for the car. I wasn't really sure what was going on at this point because I certainly
had not started the day with thoughts of having a car and still didn't see myself owning one.
Things were moving pretty fast but I was really liking their direction. Once we got home, my
Mom told me that I could work to pay her back, but that it was my car. My parents had to lift
me off the ceiling and repeat what they had said. We were not a rich family and in my world
parents didn't buy or even finance cars for their kids. This was over the top.
I was in heaven. I had a Camaro...I had a 1969 Camaro...not just any car, but a Camaro. I
got a job painting houses and cleaning yards that summer and paid her off within a couple
of months.
Not having a license was a small issue that did not bother me at all. The car stayed parked
in my lower driveway and I would go out each day to start it, hear it run and generally
pretend that I could drive it if I wanted. My Dad and I found a 1969 SS in Chester, WVa
being parted out and we cut off the rear quarter for my car. (I remember that car was
Fathom Green with a fold-down seat--I wanted the seat too but was saving money to have
the quarter panel installed).
Well, months of starting the car but not driving it began to take its toll on me and the
engine--it would no longer start. In hindsight, I think I had sucked all of the sludge in the
tank through the carb and gummed everything up. When it ran out of gas, I would just
borrow some gas from the lawn mower and start it up again. My Dad was busy and I had
no one to help me get the car fixed up to drive. I had been dreaming of fixing the car for
months but these dreams were not realized as I couldn't do this work on my own and no
one in my world had the time to help me. So, I bit the bullet and put if up for sale for
$750.00. It sat in our yard for a few days before a dentist from Lisbon, Ohio came buy and
bought it. He raced cars and wanted mine for the body. Goodbye Camaro, hello Camaro
obsession.
My Camaro was gone but my addiction had just begun. Time went on and I went through
several more cars and my love for muscle cars grew even more. My weekend hobby
became cruising local junkyards looking at junked muscle cars. I picked up cool emblems
and tried to imagine what each car looked like when new.
One of the cars I found was a yellow 1969 Camaro coupe sitting in a Junkyard about 10
miles from my house. On its rear panel I noticed a neat metal emblem. Since it was
attached with two screws I easily took it off and added it to my toolbox collection. I
remember thinkin that it was something put on by the guy who painted it to advertise his
work. Man, was I wrong... It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized what it was..."By
Berger" had nothing to do with a paint job... That 69 Camaro was special and the emblem
is now very valuable. If I had only known...like I did with the Yenko that came next.
My brother's girlfriend told him that her family was selling their 1969 Camaro. The car had
low mileage (40K miles), was blue, had a 427 and the asking price was $4,500. I KNEW
WHAT THIS WAS...I next saw it in the Lisbon, Ohio newspaper: "1969 Yenko Camaro,
40,000 miles, Mint, $4,500 obo". I took the paper to my Dad and said "if you buy any car,
you have to buy this one...this is a Yenko and they are HOT...it will be worth a lot of money
someday"..."you HAVE to buy it". He said "let me see that". He read the ad and said "it
sounds nice but where would I get that much money?". He had a point. $4,500 was a lot of
money for us. Back to dreaming.
High School was fun and I had some cool (non-Camaro) cars that I spent way too much
time racing on back roads...my own personal version of Thunder Road I guess...120 MPH
with nearly bald tires and no seat belts? What an idiot!
I survived this stupidity long enough to enlist in the US Air Force. The week after High
School graduation I raised my right hand and swore to support and defend the United
States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic. I had 7.5 months before
reporting for basic training and began to plan for my future. Ohio had gotten boring for me
and I wanted to see more of the world than Youngstown and Cleveland. Part of this plan
was to buy a first generation Camaro before I left for the Air Force, pay it off while in the
service, and come home to a free-and-clear Camaro. I soon found THE car that fit this plan
more than perfectly.
Near my Dad's office appeared two Camaros for sale from the same seller--a yellow 1969
RS coupe and a Corvette Bronze 1968 SS 396 Camaro. I quickly focused on the 1968. It
was more than perfect! A 1968 SS 396/375 hp with 12K original miles for $3,500. I found
time slips in the door panel that showed that it spent most of its life doing the 1/4 mile. The
owner said "this car's too much for you boy" but took me for a ride anyway. We were in 3rd
gear on State Route 170 and had still not moved more than 15 feet--the tires were smokin'!
It was loud and violent and I loved it.
I went to the bank to get a loan but was quickly turned down--"come back with a co-signer" I
was told. My uncle heard this and offered to co-sign. As I was processing all this and
preparing to get my car, I bragged to a customer at our sandblasting shop that I was buying
the greatest Camaro ever. Bert D. (the customer) said, "that sounds like a great car! Where
is it?".
If I had been in a movie I would have heard ominous music playing the background and the
audience would have been yelling 'NO!!!! DON"T TELL HIM!!! STOP!!!!!". But it being a nice
summer day in 1983 in Ohio, there was no music, no audience yelling, no nothing. Just
this smiling man for whom I had much respect, who collected first generation Camaro's,
who gave his 16-yr old a 69 Z-28 for his birthday, acting excited for my good fortune. "It is on
Annsley Road in Glenmore" I told him. "Wow, sounds like you're getting a good one" he
confided. I went back to sandblasting and he went to Annsley Road. The audience went
back to their popcorn.
My heart sank when I pulled up to the Camaro's former home and it was not there. I was
sick. How could this happen to me?! I did not find a Camaro that fit into my plan and I left
for the Air Force car-less.
Fast forward 10 years to 1993. I'm now a United States Air Force Officer (thank you 6-yrs of
night school and a wife who worked her tail off) and living in Hawaii with my family. I have
some extra money and the Camaro bug still alive and well in me. I start watching the
Honolulu Advertiser for Camaro's. Every morning I look. Every morning I see nothing. Until
one Friday morning in 1996. The ad says: "1968 Camaro, original owner, $1,000 or best
offer, call 808-449-xxxx".
Oh my. Is this real? Is this another piece of junk? I called. "Yes, I still have it" the voice
says. "Many people are calling though" he claimed. "Do you want to see it now?" "You do?"
"Okay, we live near Ewa Beach, come on over". YES!! I call my wife and tell her to meet me
at the address with at least $1,000. She was excited too and I left work and went to the
address given. I see the car--a Lemans Blue 1968 327 Rally Sport. It looks good but the
owner is coming towards me with no smile or expression on his face. I'm worried that he
has already sold it in the 40 minutes it took me to arrive. "Hi, I called about the car" I weakly
say. "Oh yeah, there are others on their way right now too but you are the first here". Finally,
I get a break..I'm first.
I'm nervous. I've lost cars before. This guy will probably double his price on me or change
his mind. Another disappointment on the way. I don't look at the car right away but try to get
to know the owner first (I know, people are on their way...) He says that he bought it new
and had kept records on the car. He shows me a log book that recorded every gas fill-up,
every oil change, EVERYTHING. He restored the car 10 years prior to this and also had the
motor balanced/blueprinted. It had been parked under his car port and the paint is quite
faded. The car is solid however, has a heater and radio delete (hey, it's Hawaii!) and runs
perfect. I buy it as another guy pulls up to see it. YES YES YES! I have Camaro #2 and its
MINE.
My commute is 26 miles each day and I drive my car EVERY day to work. I buy rally rims
and tinker with it every chance it get. Life is good. I have a Camaro, live in Hawaii and have
a Camaro. This can't last...right? It doesn't.
I soon get a "call of doom" from my assignments officer--he says "you are being
reassigned to Korea. Remote". Uhmmm, that sucks. "Can't I stay in Hawaii? Please?" I
ask. I have already completed 3 remote tours in Korea and don't want to leave Hawaii for a
4th one. "Too bad, it's your turn" I'm told. So goes the military. And so goes, the Camaro.
Long story/short--I sell the car to a Marine from the North Shore for $3,300 and move to
Korea. Sigh, foiled again..."just wait until I retire" I tell myself.
I soon concoct another dastardly plan to get a Camaro. I decide to collect toy cars (Hot
Wheels and Tomica) with a goal of eventually having enough that I can sell them to finance
a Camaro (dumb idea, huh?). I amass over 3,500 cars and buy the contents of a
Japanese toy warehouse during the Asian economic crisis in 1997. Smart move.
After 18 months in Korea I'm promoted and selected for a Pentagon assignment. We move
to Washington DC in 1998 and make plans to retire there. 2004 comes and I retire from
the military. Amidst all the hoopla of retirement and looking for a new job, I know what this
really means. No more moving around. I can buy a car and keep it. I have more money to
spend than before. I CAN BUY A CAMARO! My wife knows this too and says "now you can
buy a Camaro" (man, do we think alike). She insists that I buy a Camaro and tells me that
she will get a job if she has to in order to finance it. I do not need much more
encouragement than that but have other plans on how to finance the car.
I look EVERY day for 9 months for a specific car--a Lemans Blue 1968 RS--I don't want any
other color. I falter for a few weeks and actually start looking at Firebirds...they are
cheaper...almost a Camaro...Camaro's are so expensive...yada yada...then I come to my
senses again. While on a business trip to Korea I find an ad on the internet--Lemans Blue
1968 RS/SS, asking price = "way too much money". I email the owner and he tells me it is
still for sale. The price is too high (as always) and he is in New York City--way too far away.
I let it go...for now.
I next find a *beautiful* 1968 RS/SS Camaro on Ebay in Stuart, Virgina. I call the seller and
he tells me how completely awesome this car is. I watch the auction but am outbid. I call
the seller (Matt) within 5 minutes of the auction ending and tell him that if the high bidder
backs out, I am interested. "Well, what do you know, he just did, right before you called" he
says. Great I say, I'll take two days off of work and come to get the car (350-mile drive one
way). "Nah, just send me the money, and I'll ship you the car...if you don't like it, you can
send it back". Hmmmm. This sounds funky. "No, I'll see you in two days and pick it up in
person." "Sure thing pal, see you then" he said.
Again long story short. I made the drive and just before arriving receive a call from Matt's
sister--"Matt can't show the car, he's not home, he's...um...er...sick" she says. "Well, I just
drove my entire family and Mom to see it...I need someone to let me in to show the car" I
reply. The Matt familiy resists this violently, but I insist and tell them I am on my way. I look
for the address they provided and it does not exist. Hmmmmm. I'm angry now.
I take the address and match it to a map. I find that the road name they provided is close to
the name of creek that runs through the town. I decided to follow the creek and look for
houses like the one in the picture. BINGO!!--my wife sees the house. I pull in the drive.
There are several cars in the driveway and the Camaro backed up along the side of the
house. It turns out that Matt is hiding in the house and will not come out to face me.
The car looks beautiful from 15 feet. My wife gasps "it's beautiful". My boys exclaim "nice
car Dad". I agree. I finally found my car. I slowly approach the car to get a look.
Oh my, this is bad. Bondo? Home Depot screws barely holding it together? Interior
completely trashed? Rust? Rust? YES, YES, YES and YES. It is the biggest hillbilly Hot
Rod I have seen yet (I'm a hillbilly, I can say that"). It is not even drivable due to its barely
assembled nature. He must have bolted it together while I was driving to see it. Asking
price: $15,500. Value: $0 (to me).
I get the family into get in the van and we leave. This was very disturbing. Matt actually tried
to rip me off. How sad.
Note to self: "Never buy a car from Ebay without seeing it"...some people are not nice and
not honest. Small town accents do not translate into "small town values". That smile is not
a "I'm glad to see you"-smile--it's a "I'm gonna stiff you"-smile. Lesson learned.
On the way out of town, on a long completely deserted 4-lane highway on a very quiet
Sunday morning, I am lost in thought. Unfortunately, the City Cop is not...58 mph in a 45
mph zone.
The kids are curious--"Daddy, did you break the law?" "Daddy, what did he give you?"
"Daddy, what did the policeman want?". OUCH!. The trip costs me $538 altogether with
hotels, meals and a donation to the Stuart, Va Policeman's fund. Matt calls me that night
and asks me if I am still interested in the car (he has guts). I lay into him. He says, "well,
then, would you like to make me an offer?" Puhlease!!!! I watch Ebay for months after that
to make sure he is not ripping anyone else off. I also send him a bill for $538.00.
So, back to square one. Well, maybe minus one--I did lose $538.00.
I call the New York City car back and ask a bunch of questions. All the answers sound right
so I get a rental car and leave my house at 0400 on 20 February 2005 to go see it. It is in
downtown NYC and 350 miles north of me. My mechanic brother-in-law and oldest son are
with me. We make the trek and find the car. It is nice but his price is still too high. He says
he is selling it for a customer and tells me what work he has done to it. (He also shows
me the 1969 X66 Camaro he just pulled from under a porch and is restoring (lots of rare
options on this car too).
I spend 6 hours looking over the RS/SS , putting it on a lift, talking to the seller and I
eventually offer him much less than he was asking. He accepts. I hire a car hauler, pay
$800 to carry the car to Virginia and leave for home. At 8:30 PM we pull into home. My wife
is waiting for me and is excited too. She congratulates me on the find and orders pizza for
all of us--she is very happy for me and I really appreciate her support.
Remember the toy cars? Not everything I try fails. I sell the cars and they bring more than
enough money to pay for my Camaro. They help me buy a house too! I am still spending
these cars to updgrade my Camaro and have a few hundred left.
My boys and I do cars shows several times a month, cruises often and I have upgraded the
car in every way. I was honored to be a cover car for the 2006 Camaro Nationals Program
(see pic) and have won many trophies. Mission Complete!
CAR HISTORY
I have begun to track the history of my car and have tracked it back 4 owners ago. I
purchased it from a New York City policeman in Feb 2005 who had owned the car for only
about 10 months--taking it to a show or two but ultimately choosing to sell it to finance
some home remodeling. Before selling it, he installed a Moser 12-bolt posi rear in the car
(3:73) and replaced the radiator. His wife needed a new bathroom/kitchen and the car had
to go.
The NYC policeman had purchased the car off Ebay in the Spring of 2004 out of
Conneaught, Pa. I researched and found three former owners there in Pa.
The first Pennsylvania owner was a gentleman by the name of Art Orcutt who reportedly got
the car in a trade out of New Jersey. I'm told that it spent at least part of its life as a race car
in New Jersey before being retired, traded to Art and taken to Pennsylvania. Art sold it to the
General Manager of a Chevrolet dealership in that town, who had the car restored by his
y shop.
This gentleman provided me with a large stack of receipts that he had retained on the
car--this was a gold mine of information. The General Manager next sold the car to David
A. who shuttled between Western Pa and a job in New York City. In the several-year period
that David A owned the car, he kept it stored in a heated garage where his mechanic
friend--Mark--worked on building the motor.
Mark the mechanic installed a Comp Cams 280H cam, Holley 600 cfm carb and aluminum
intake on the car but did not have a chance to do much else. David A. eventually decided
that he could no longer keep the car and had Mark list it on Ebay.
If anyone has any other information on the history of my car, please, please contact me at
camarodriver@gmail.com. I understand that it was raced in New Jersey and imagine that it
spent much of its life in that area. It was orginally sold without a vinyl top but was originally
the Lemans Blue you see here. I'm told also that it had a fuel cell installed in the trunk
(since removed and the trunk repaired).
Since purchasing my current Camaro, we have had some great experiences. The car was
leased to be in a movie with Martin Sheen and we won First Place in our Class at the 2008
Camaro Nationals. Really cool...
Well, let's go back to April 1980...
I was 15 years old...too young to drive..but aware that that cars were cool and I would soon
be driving one. My neighbor had included me in his trips to a couple of car shows and I
knew that I liked the shows and liked the cars. I bought a few issues of Car Craft and
began dreaming of the day when I would have a cool car. That day would come sooner
than I had thought.
On an April afternoon, my Dad came home and said that he'd see an old Camaro for sale
up the road in Clarkson, Ohio. It had just been put out and looked decent..."do you want to
go see it?" he asked. Well, I had not even thought of actually looking at a car for me, much
less a Camaro. I also had no money, no license and no idea what to I would do with a car.
But hey, looking at a Camaro is a great way to end any day. I yelled "yes!" and we went to
see the car.
We drove to the seller's house and there it was...a 1969 Frost Green Camaro X-11 w/Z-28
stripes, light green interior, a white vinyl top and...a smashed driver's side quarter. The
owner's daughter Tina had slid off the road coming home from a Beaver Local High School
football in the rain and banged it up. Unlike most of the cars in my area (Eastern Ohio) this
car being originally from Miami was rock solid with a perfect interior and body (not including
the quarter damage). The asking price was $500 and my Dad quietly assured me that we
could easily fix the quarter panel damage.
We took it out for a drive to make sure it tracked straight and it drove beautifully (I drove it
too...sans driver's license). We returned to the seller's house, my Mom pulled out $500
and paid for the car. I wasn't really sure what was going on at this point because I certainly
had not started the day with thoughts of having a car and still didn't see myself owning one.
Things were moving pretty fast but I was really liking their direction. Once we got home, my
Mom told me that I could work to pay her back, but that it was my car. My parents had to lift
me off the ceiling and repeat what they had said. We were not a rich family and in my world
parents didn't buy or even finance cars for their kids. This was over the top.
I was in heaven. I had a Camaro...I had a 1969 Camaro...not just any car, but a Camaro. I
got a job painting houses and cleaning yards that summer and paid her off within a couple
of months.
Not having a license was a small issue that did not bother me at all. The car stayed parked
in my lower driveway and I would go out each day to start it, hear it run and generally
pretend that I could drive it if I wanted. My Dad and I found a 1969 SS in Chester, WVa
being parted out and we cut off the rear quarter for my car. (I remember that car was
Fathom Green with a fold-down seat--I wanted the seat too but was saving money to have
the quarter panel installed).
Well, months of starting the car but not driving it began to take its toll on me and the
engine--it would no longer start. In hindsight, I think I had sucked all of the sludge in the
tank through the carb and gummed everything up. When it ran out of gas, I would just
borrow some gas from the lawn mower and start it up again. My Dad was busy and I had
no one to help me get the car fixed up to drive. I had been dreaming of fixing the car for
months but these dreams were not realized as I couldn't do this work on my own and no
one in my world had the time to help me. So, I bit the bullet and put if up for sale for
$750.00. It sat in our yard for a few days before a dentist from Lisbon, Ohio came buy and
bought it. He raced cars and wanted mine for the body. Goodbye Camaro, hello Camaro
obsession.
My Camaro was gone but my addiction had just begun. Time went on and I went through
several more cars and my love for muscle cars grew even more. My weekend hobby
became cruising local junkyards looking at junked muscle cars. I picked up cool emblems
and tried to imagine what each car looked like when new.
One of the cars I found was a yellow 1969 Camaro coupe sitting in a Junkyard about 10
miles from my house. On its rear panel I noticed a neat metal emblem. Since it was
attached with two screws I easily took it off and added it to my toolbox collection. I
remember thinkin that it was something put on by the guy who painted it to advertise his
work. Man, was I wrong... It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized what it was..."By
Berger" had nothing to do with a paint job... That 69 Camaro was special and the emblem
is now very valuable. If I had only known...like I did with the Yenko that came next.
My brother's girlfriend told him that her family was selling their 1969 Camaro. The car had
low mileage (40K miles), was blue, had a 427 and the asking price was $4,500. I KNEW
WHAT THIS WAS...I next saw it in the Lisbon, Ohio newspaper: "1969 Yenko Camaro,
40,000 miles, Mint, $4,500 obo". I took the paper to my Dad and said "if you buy any car,
you have to buy this one...this is a Yenko and they are HOT...it will be worth a lot of money
someday"..."you HAVE to buy it". He said "let me see that". He read the ad and said "it
sounds nice but where would I get that much money?". He had a point. $4,500 was a lot of
money for us. Back to dreaming.
High School was fun and I had some cool (non-Camaro) cars that I spent way too much
time racing on back roads...my own personal version of Thunder Road I guess...120 MPH
with nearly bald tires and no seat belts? What an idiot!
I survived this stupidity long enough to enlist in the US Air Force. The week after High
School graduation I raised my right hand and swore to support and defend the United
States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic. I had 7.5 months before
reporting for basic training and began to plan for my future. Ohio had gotten boring for me
and I wanted to see more of the world than Youngstown and Cleveland. Part of this plan
was to buy a first generation Camaro before I left for the Air Force, pay it off while in the
service, and come home to a free-and-clear Camaro. I soon found THE car that fit this plan
more than perfectly.
Near my Dad's office appeared two Camaros for sale from the same seller--a yellow 1969
RS coupe and a Corvette Bronze 1968 SS 396 Camaro. I quickly focused on the 1968. It
was more than perfect! A 1968 SS 396/375 hp with 12K original miles for $3,500. I found
time slips in the door panel that showed that it spent most of its life doing the 1/4 mile. The
owner said "this car's too much for you boy" but took me for a ride anyway. We were in 3rd
gear on State Route 170 and had still not moved more than 15 feet--the tires were smokin'!
It was loud and violent and I loved it.
I went to the bank to get a loan but was quickly turned down--"come back with a co-signer" I
was told. My uncle heard this and offered to co-sign. As I was processing all this and
preparing to get my car, I bragged to a customer at our sandblasting shop that I was buying
the greatest Camaro ever. Bert D. (the customer) said, "that sounds like a great car! Where
is it?".
If I had been in a movie I would have heard ominous music playing the background and the
audience would have been yelling 'NO!!!! DON"T TELL HIM!!! STOP!!!!!". But it being a nice
summer day in 1983 in Ohio, there was no music, no audience yelling, no nothing. Just
this smiling man for whom I had much respect, who collected first generation Camaro's,
who gave his 16-yr old a 69 Z-28 for his birthday, acting excited for my good fortune. "It is on
Annsley Road in Glenmore" I told him. "Wow, sounds like you're getting a good one" he
confided. I went back to sandblasting and he went to Annsley Road. The audience went
back to their popcorn.
My heart sank when I pulled up to the Camaro's former home and it was not there. I was
sick. How could this happen to me?! I did not find a Camaro that fit into my plan and I left
for the Air Force car-less.
Fast forward 10 years to 1993. I'm now a United States Air Force Officer (thank you 6-yrs of
night school and a wife who worked her tail off) and living in Hawaii with my family. I have
some extra money and the Camaro bug still alive and well in me. I start watching the
Honolulu Advertiser for Camaro's. Every morning I look. Every morning I see nothing. Until
one Friday morning in 1996. The ad says: "1968 Camaro, original owner, $1,000 or best
offer, call 808-449-xxxx".
Oh my. Is this real? Is this another piece of junk? I called. "Yes, I still have it" the voice
says. "Many people are calling though" he claimed. "Do you want to see it now?" "You do?"
"Okay, we live near Ewa Beach, come on over". YES!! I call my wife and tell her to meet me
at the address with at least $1,000. She was excited too and I left work and went to the
address given. I see the car--a Lemans Blue 1968 327 Rally Sport. It looks good but the
owner is coming towards me with no smile or expression on his face. I'm worried that he
has already sold it in the 40 minutes it took me to arrive. "Hi, I called about the car" I weakly
say. "Oh yeah, there are others on their way right now too but you are the first here". Finally,
I get a break..I'm first.
I'm nervous. I've lost cars before. This guy will probably double his price on me or change
his mind. Another disappointment on the way. I don't look at the car right away but try to get
to know the owner first (I know, people are on their way...) He says that he bought it new
and had kept records on the car. He shows me a log book that recorded every gas fill-up,
every oil change, EVERYTHING. He restored the car 10 years prior to this and also had the
motor balanced/blueprinted. It had been parked under his car port and the paint is quite
faded. The car is solid however, has a heater and radio delete (hey, it's Hawaii!) and runs
perfect. I buy it as another guy pulls up to see it. YES YES YES! I have Camaro #2 and its
MINE.
My commute is 26 miles each day and I drive my car EVERY day to work. I buy rally rims
and tinker with it every chance it get. Life is good. I have a Camaro, live in Hawaii and have
a Camaro. This can't last...right? It doesn't.
I soon get a "call of doom" from my assignments officer--he says "you are being
reassigned to Korea. Remote". Uhmmm, that sucks. "Can't I stay in Hawaii? Please?" I
ask. I have already completed 3 remote tours in Korea and don't want to leave Hawaii for a
4th one. "Too bad, it's your turn" I'm told. So goes the military. And so goes, the Camaro.
Long story/short--I sell the car to a Marine from the North Shore for $3,300 and move to
Korea. Sigh, foiled again..."just wait until I retire" I tell myself.
I soon concoct another dastardly plan to get a Camaro. I decide to collect toy cars (Hot
Wheels and Tomica) with a goal of eventually having enough that I can sell them to finance
a Camaro (dumb idea, huh?). I amass over 3,500 cars and buy the contents of a
Japanese toy warehouse during the Asian economic crisis in 1997. Smart move.
After 18 months in Korea I'm promoted and selected for a Pentagon assignment. We move
to Washington DC in 1998 and make plans to retire there. 2004 comes and I retire from
the military. Amidst all the hoopla of retirement and looking for a new job, I know what this
really means. No more moving around. I can buy a car and keep it. I have more money to
spend than before. I CAN BUY A CAMARO! My wife knows this too and says "now you can
buy a Camaro" (man, do we think alike). She insists that I buy a Camaro and tells me that
she will get a job if she has to in order to finance it. I do not need much more
encouragement than that but have other plans on how to finance the car.
I look EVERY day for 9 months for a specific car--a Lemans Blue 1968 RS--I don't want any
other color. I falter for a few weeks and actually start looking at Firebirds...they are
cheaper...almost a Camaro...Camaro's are so expensive...yada yada...then I come to my
senses again. While on a business trip to Korea I find an ad on the internet--Lemans Blue
1968 RS/SS, asking price = "way too much money". I email the owner and he tells me it is
still for sale. The price is too high (as always) and he is in New York City--way too far away.
I let it go...for now.
I next find a *beautiful* 1968 RS/SS Camaro on Ebay in Stuart, Virgina. I call the seller and
he tells me how completely awesome this car is. I watch the auction but am outbid. I call
the seller (Matt) within 5 minutes of the auction ending and tell him that if the high bidder
backs out, I am interested. "Well, what do you know, he just did, right before you called" he
says. Great I say, I'll take two days off of work and come to get the car (350-mile drive one
way). "Nah, just send me the money, and I'll ship you the car...if you don't like it, you can
send it back". Hmmmm. This sounds funky. "No, I'll see you in two days and pick it up in
person." "Sure thing pal, see you then" he said.
Again long story short. I made the drive and just before arriving receive a call from Matt's
sister--"Matt can't show the car, he's not home, he's...um...er...sick" she says. "Well, I just
drove my entire family and Mom to see it...I need someone to let me in to show the car" I
reply. The Matt familiy resists this violently, but I insist and tell them I am on my way. I look
for the address they provided and it does not exist. Hmmmmm. I'm angry now.
I take the address and match it to a map. I find that the road name they provided is close to
the name of creek that runs through the town. I decided to follow the creek and look for
houses like the one in the picture. BINGO!!--my wife sees the house. I pull in the drive.
There are several cars in the driveway and the Camaro backed up along the side of the
house. It turns out that Matt is hiding in the house and will not come out to face me.
The car looks beautiful from 15 feet. My wife gasps "it's beautiful". My boys exclaim "nice
car Dad". I agree. I finally found my car. I slowly approach the car to get a look.
Oh my, this is bad. Bondo? Home Depot screws barely holding it together? Interior
completely trashed? Rust? Rust? YES, YES, YES and YES. It is the biggest hillbilly Hot
Rod I have seen yet (I'm a hillbilly, I can say that"). It is not even drivable due to its barely
assembled nature. He must have bolted it together while I was driving to see it. Asking
price: $15,500. Value: $0 (to me).
I get the family into get in the van and we leave. This was very disturbing. Matt actually tried
to rip me off. How sad.
Note to self: "Never buy a car from Ebay without seeing it"...some people are not nice and
not honest. Small town accents do not translate into "small town values". That smile is not
a "I'm glad to see you"-smile--it's a "I'm gonna stiff you"-smile. Lesson learned.
On the way out of town, on a long completely deserted 4-lane highway on a very quiet
Sunday morning, I am lost in thought. Unfortunately, the City Cop is not...58 mph in a 45
mph zone.
The kids are curious--"Daddy, did you break the law?" "Daddy, what did he give you?"
"Daddy, what did the policeman want?". OUCH!. The trip costs me $538 altogether with
hotels, meals and a donation to the Stuart, Va Policeman's fund. Matt calls me that night
and asks me if I am still interested in the car (he has guts). I lay into him. He says, "well,
then, would you like to make me an offer?" Puhlease!!!! I watch Ebay for months after that
to make sure he is not ripping anyone else off. I also send him a bill for $538.00.
So, back to square one. Well, maybe minus one--I did lose $538.00.
I call the New York City car back and ask a bunch of questions. All the answers sound right
so I get a rental car and leave my house at 0400 on 20 February 2005 to go see it. It is in
downtown NYC and 350 miles north of me. My mechanic brother-in-law and oldest son are
with me. We make the trek and find the car. It is nice but his price is still too high. He says
he is selling it for a customer and tells me what work he has done to it. (He also shows
me the 1969 X66 Camaro he just pulled from under a porch and is restoring (lots of rare
options on this car too).
I spend 6 hours looking over the RS/SS , putting it on a lift, talking to the seller and I
eventually offer him much less than he was asking. He accepts. I hire a car hauler, pay
$800 to carry the car to Virginia and leave for home. At 8:30 PM we pull into home. My wife
is waiting for me and is excited too. She congratulates me on the find and orders pizza for
all of us--she is very happy for me and I really appreciate her support.
Remember the toy cars? Not everything I try fails. I sell the cars and they bring more than
enough money to pay for my Camaro. They help me buy a house too! I am still spending
these cars to updgrade my Camaro and have a few hundred left.
My boys and I do cars shows several times a month, cruises often and I have upgraded the
car in every way. I was honored to be a cover car for the 2006 Camaro Nationals Program
(see pic) and have won many trophies. Mission Complete!
CAR HISTORY
I have begun to track the history of my car and have tracked it back 4 owners ago. I
purchased it from a New York City policeman in Feb 2005 who had owned the car for only
about 10 months--taking it to a show or two but ultimately choosing to sell it to finance
some home remodeling. Before selling it, he installed a Moser 12-bolt posi rear in the car
(3:73) and replaced the radiator. His wife needed a new bathroom/kitchen and the car had
to go.
The NYC policeman had purchased the car off Ebay in the Spring of 2004 out of
Conneaught, Pa. I researched and found three former owners there in Pa.
The first Pennsylvania owner was a gentleman by the name of Art Orcutt who reportedly got
the car in a trade out of New Jersey. I'm told that it spent at least part of its life as a race car
in New Jersey before being retired, traded to Art and taken to Pennsylvania. Art sold it to the
General Manager of a Chevrolet dealership in that town, who had the car restored by his
y shop.
This gentleman provided me with a large stack of receipts that he had retained on the
car--this was a gold mine of information. The General Manager next sold the car to David
A. who shuttled between Western Pa and a job in New York City. In the several-year period
that David A owned the car, he kept it stored in a heated garage where his mechanic
friend--Mark--worked on building the motor.
Mark the mechanic installed a Comp Cams 280H cam, Holley 600 cfm carb and aluminum
intake on the car but did not have a chance to do much else. David A. eventually decided
that he could no longer keep the car and had Mark list it on Ebay.
If anyone has any other information on the history of my car, please, please contact me at
camarodriver@gmail.com. I understand that it was raced in New Jersey and imagine that it
spent much of its life in that area. It was orginally sold without a vinyl top but was originally
the Lemans Blue you see here. I'm told also that it had a fuel cell installed in the trunk
(since removed and the trunk repaired).
Since purchasing my current Camaro, we have had some great experiences. The car was
leased to be in a movie with Martin Sheen and we won First Place in our Class at the 2008
Camaro Nationals. Really cool...
