1969 Z28 STORY

[77Z28]

I am a newbie to forum, have been viewing for sometime and enjoy the posts and particulary the great knowledge all of you have to offer.

Being at a point in my life with very little discretionary money (wife, kids, debt, etc.) I enjoy talking to others about cars they had in their past.

One day I was in an engineer's office an I noticed he had a faded picture on his bullitin board of a 1969 hugger orange camaro with a much younger fella standing next to it. Camaros being my car of choice I struck up a conversation with him about the picture. He goes on to tell me that shortly after returning from basic training to be in the Navy (stationed in Charlestion, SC) he decides he will purchase is dream car (1969 BB Corvette). All of his family lives in Savannah, GA so he goes to local chevy dealer DAN VADEN to order car and finds it more costly for corvette than he can afford. Well, no salesman wants to lose a sale and asks the engineer have you ever considered the Z28, nearly as fast, less expensive, etc. The engineer ends up buying a 1969 Z28, Hugger Orange, black stripes, cowl hood, endura bumber, black vinyl top, hugger orange houndstooth interior, chambered exhaust, front and rear spoilers, and more off the showroom floor.

Shortly after buying the Z the Navy moves him to SF and he takes the Z with him. As I understand it from him he street raced it quite a bit, removed cast exhaust manifolds and replaced with headers, replaced stock rear gear with 4:56's. In 1972 he sold Z while in California, he said he was having trouble with people complaining about ehaust noise and of course gas prices. After Navy stint he moved back to Savannah and always wondered what came of his first muscle car. Well approximately one year ago he got a call from a stranger out west stating he had a hugger orange Z28 he was restoring and tracked his name down thru DMV wanting to know his history on car. Apparently the new owner wasn't very happy when he learned the car originally had black stripes and not white which just painted-on.

Sorry for dragging this on so, but I see where there are several discussions about contacting previous owner's and well this consultant of mine was excited to know his former car was still out there and not crushed.

By the way I relayed to him about the 112K Z28 at BJ and he found that incredible seeing as how he paid $3,800 for his Z.

Todd

[Bill Pritchard]

Todd,

Welcome, and thanks for the story!

[gemleeus]

i also owned a true z28 when i was a young boy and didn't know it. i just bought a good looking car from a lot on south cobb dr. was blp motors. i just liked the way it looked, not knowing i had a real burgandy with white stripes z28. it was a running machine. i long for those days again. now i have 2 children living in suburbia, which i wouldn't give all the z28's in the world for. but now i have become financially able to purchase another z28 very shortly. can't wait.

[drdave69]

WELCOME.
I also live in Georgia in the outskirts of Columbus.
That car you mention sounded a lot like a Z/28 I had a few years ago - Orange/Black stripes, Black vinyl top and Orange Houndstooth interior (and original drivetrain). I wish that I would have never sold it but I do have another great Z/28 that I bought from a member here.

[gemleeus]

yeah, i'm still looking, maybe i'll come across the right car. like to have a copo also, looking at a couple of those now.

[77Z28]

Drdave:

After hearing this guys story I always felt he had a very nice looking as well as very good optioned Z. I have personally never seen a Z with hugger orange houndstooth interior, most are standard.

Pretty interesting that within 300 miles was a near copy of car.

My next purchase is to be a 1977 Z, not a great performer, but to me still a unigue one-off year that you dont see many of.

Todd

[John]

Lee, do you have an email address?

[gemleeus]

this is lee, my address is [email protected]. looking for a copo, or really nice 69 z28, love those jl8 cars.