1969 396 Indy Pace car,L78,M22.

[yountto]

A 1969 Indy pace car RS/SS Convertible L78 396/375, Factory M22, PS,373 Posi.No console or power top.Starting a complete frame off restoration.Has been inspected by Ed Cunneen of Copo connection.Finished price is 100K..Serious only please email for info.Genuine L78 car w THE original M22 transmission.All BB and L78 specific frame and cowl items have never had the bolts removed since day one.Owner history. Not a clone,known history.Prefer to sell completed but will entertain offers at any point of the restoration.

[Belair62]

So thats where all those parts are going !

[yountto]

ST 69 12467 NOR280366 BDY TR 720 50 APNT 03D Z11 9N617xxx Firewall info..

[kurt427]

I may remember this car from approx 10-12 years ago up arround the albany area new york..The car had the original m22 trans and lots of nos parts to go with it..I had the chance to purchase it,but other obligations came up..this may be the same car..

[yountto]

Kurt427 ...Could you please send me an email...I cant seem to get yours from this site.

[yountto]

[email protected] didnt realize my email wasnt listed either.

[yountto]

I have NO evidence that this pace car was used at Indy,nor have i ever stated that i thought it was.I dont believe ALL L78 pace cars were track cars. Some have emailed stating they were and that the car should have a grab bar on the passenger w/s pillar[this car does not].I also believe the Indy race L78s were auto trans....

[Stefano]

Z11,L78 and M22 were all Camaro RPOs and could be ordered by anyone. History shows that not very many people chose to do so. It doesn't have to be a track or even festival car to have been an L78.

[yountto]

Correction....Email is [email protected]

[Unreal]

I actually made a deal on the one in Cobleskill NY (near Albany) The original motor was gone, but he said he had a March replacement block for it (it was a 03C car) When I went to pick it up, the block was a May block. I tried to get him to come off $200, as I was going to have to find an alternative block. He refused, and I walked.

Bigest $200 mistake I ever made!!

[yountto]

I am sure there is only one real L78 pace car from the Cobleskill area,but i never heard of a may dated replacement block with it????[i do know alot of the nos parts got sold separately] ... Dennis was the name of the person who had it for sale ...this car is an 03D,but you probably made a typo as there are no 03C norwood cars ive been told...12 years or so ago i knew of the car but never pursued it...i have to believe its the same car??Im sure you also can verify the original M22 was with it[along with all the other authentic bb and L78 parts] if it truly is the same car we are talking about...

[Unreal]

Yountto, You are probably right about the build date....I was going from memory and I am getting old. The May block I was referring to was not in the car, it was in the back of an old school bus.

The car had front drums (probably changed out for racing), no console, power steering, and a radio. No other options that I can remember. It might have had a tach, but can't remember. I didn't know about the center fuel gage thing at the time.

It did have a numbers matching M22, 3.73 posi, deep groove ps pulley, and correct single fuel line.

[yountto]

Thank You to all who have emailed and/or posted info here on the L78 Pace car.Im amazed at how much information[to the exact detail] was retained on a car that was for sale almost 10 years ago. Can anyone supply estimated production figures of factory L78 Pace cars,and further L78 with M22 combination??

[Kurt S]

Last I heard (via the pacer registry), 20 L78 pacers are known to still exist.

[yountto]

20 would sound quite high to me[if registered also means authenticated]...... Is there any burden of proof that is required to register a car in that registry?Or can one simply say they have an L78 and get it registered?...I was told CRG has 2 L89s and 8 L78s registered[im also unaware of their authenticity requirements to list a car] ..I assume this is not the same registry??

[Kurt S]

I'm not aware of the pacer registry's burden of proof requirement. But they have more pacers than CRG does.

The CRG database is not a registry and never wants to be one. /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif

[yountto]

Im quite sure the "registry" you are referring to[and there are a few ] has no limits to what can be "registered",just send the info in and you are registered[im surprised there is not 200 L78s this being the case]..Id be VERY surprised if there is another AUTHENTIC[key word] L78 M22 Pace car out there,not solely because i have one for sale.[the 2 known L89s werent even m22 cars]. Not to say there werent any others made,but all the individuals who have emailed have said they have never seen or known of another equivalent ....and they know a heck of alot more on these cars than i do....

[Jeff H]

I remember an L78/4 speed Pace Car at Summer Carlisle at least 15 years ago. I asked the guy what he was asking for the car and he said 75. It was pretty rough and the engine had leaks and drips all over. My dad looked at me and said "7500 is too much for that car". The guy looked at us and said "$75,000". My dad cracked up and so did every one else that was looking at it. I was in college so I didn't have any money and it didn't matter to me. Any chance that's the car you're talking about?

[yountto]

Maybe he knew something back then, or maybe he was crazy....either way,Im asking less money than he did 15 years ago!!! Very unlikely they are the same car,mine doesnt leak oil!!

[Kurt S]

To be honest, if you don't know what the requirements of the pacer registry are, how can you put it down?
The one I'm referring to is kept by the former ICC.

Yes, there definitely were L78 pacers made. And an M22 was a lot money and not many cars got one. Other than than, 'Colonel, I know nothing!'.

[yountto]

I dont see anywhere in my posts where i am putting any registry down.I am simply saying that I would not use a registry by itself to verify rarity if that registry does not first require some authentication of the vehicle. Therefore they are guides only,im sure the people that put them together will agree with that,I think im VERY safe in saying there werent 20 L78s made.....which registry specifically are you referring to???

[SuperNovaSS]

Is it also possible for the same car to be regestered again after it has changed hands or do they ask for a VIN or cowl tag number?



Jason

[Steve Shauger]

Jeff, I remember you mentioning an L78 pace car you saw at Carlisle in 1985. I kinda laughed at the time because I had been pursuing the car for the last seven years. This past weekend I purchased that car. This is a very original and unrestored camaro. I purchased the car from the second owner who had purchased the car in 1971. It now has 39k original miles and even has the original spiral shocks and the ultra rare front shoulder belts (37 made). I may be bringing it to the All GM/Camros at Carlisle in June.

[Jeff H]

Does the car need some cleanup and restoration? I can't remember well enough what the car and body were like but I remember the L78 and all the gas/oil sitting on the intake manifold and a nasty engine compartment. Send me some pictures when you get them. I'll send you a couple of pictures of my JL8 stripped down to bare metal.

[Steve Shauger]

The car is as you saw it in 1985. Although the engine compartment is dirty, no one ever took a can of spray paint to dress it up...all the chalk marks and stamping are very visible and all the components are original to the car. The car was rust free when you saw it, but the Fl. humidity caused some minor rust. In thirty two years of ownership he put less than 3k miles, although he did drive it from Pa. down to Fl. in 1987 and got 6mpg. (410 gears M21 trans)

[Jeff H]

Cool car, but I still can't believe he was asking $75K back in 85. I'll have to remind my dad about that car and see if he remembers.

[Mack]

Is the Pace Car still available?

Thank you.

Mack McConkey
Ventura, CA

[yountto]

Yes...Have been busy the last few months locating people that knew the car,even found the owner in 1978 that had the original L78 in the car at the time he owned it[documented].He was able to shed alot of light on the history of the car and some other interesting info i wasnt aware of.All the pieces have come together on this car,it is truly one of a kind and there are all consistent stories with each and every prior owner...Im fairly convinced it has to be one of THE rarest pace cars made being an L78 AND an M22 ..if you are sincerely interested give me a call,the car needs a full restoration and is not cheap .

[Mack]

This is one of the few cars that I would purchase as is!

Please give me a call-- e-mail me & I will forward my info.

Thanks!

Mack McConkey
Ventura, CA [email protected]