Jeff M.'s Original SS-427 Camaro

[ss427copo]

427/425 Turbo 400, '88 gear. Radi0 & heater delete, Frt. discs, Endura. All original car excepts for rugs and truck rubber! NOT another as original as this one around . Bought it from a guy in Toledo in 1984. Had it ever since. Real pc. of GM history. Are you happy Mark? LOLOL

[Belair62]

Jeff..I sent you a PM...just hit "reply" to your original post instead of making a new thread each time...who is Mark ??

[70-SS/RS-L78]

It's about time you brought that car out of hiding Jeff.
I saw the day2 post and your car is a perfect example of one.
Mark L

[sixtiesmuscle]

A perfect example of WHAT?? That's what we want to know. Is it supposed to be a COPO, or an SS427 that was built "day 2"? Or, better yet, is he claiming it to be a one off 427 SS car built at the factory??

[427TJ]

Doesn't the term "SS 427," as used here on the forum, imply a Baldwin-Motion conversion car?

(I do realize that Chevrolet built SS 427-badged Impalas in 1968 and that's where Joel Rosen got the emblems for his "Phase" conversion cars and that dealers also swapped 427s into Chevelles at the customer's request in '66, etc., and re-badged them with 427 emblems.)

[supercomp 8.90]

if its a real 427 car it must have had the 427 emblems added at a later time, they do look great though!!!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[supercomp 8.90]

427tj is right they are the emblems that motion used. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[ss427copo]

It's a perfect example of 427 Camaro built when most all of us never knew who was doing what at GM with these muscle cars.. I'll soon post what the car looked like when I bought it in 1984. MAN...was it a typical race car "panel paint job....AND UGLY TOO! lololol) All I've done in 20 years was had it painted in 1985. It's got that GM smell...and everything works. The doors close with that unique sound unless you like to listen to the annoying "door open" buzzer! Thanks, Jeff

[427TJ]

Great photo from the old days! There they are again: big-n-little Cragars! Nice rake. I can almost hear the rump-rump of the Rat with a solid 320 duration, 500 lift cam. Are those Pos-A-Traction Torque Twisters on the rear? Those were cool tires with a nice letter pattern.

DAY 2!

[Salvatore]

So you are saying it is a factory built SS 427 camaro? This car might be as rare as the 1968 Z/28 convertible. No matter what.....I like it! (How about your profile Jeff?)

[ss427copo]

Yea.....Pos-o-tractions with Lakewood bars. Even has 4 degree wedges sandwiched in the bars. The car came with a blueprint sheet with all the "services Provided" and letter from Dick Arons (Booth & Arons)about the engine who did the motor for Bob Schmidt Chevrolet in Maumee, Oh back in 1970 when they raced the car (70-73). All the specs are there! BRC pistons w/.043 stainless top rings and more. The letter is even signed by Arons. And the cam? No, not .500 lift cam but a, get this, GENERAL KINETICS Cam. Intake 309Deg. .580 lift, Ext, 318 deg. .619 lift; 110 deg. C/L. I even had some old time slips from a race track(s) called Milan Dragway and Marion County Internt'l? 11.49 et/118.11 MPH When's the last time you say a Jerry Stahl Gear driven tach? It's in the Camaro!Going to post a few pics of when I bought from the 2nd owner. Thanks folks

[camarojoe]

No, I think hes saying it was restored when no one knew what a 427 COPO was supposed to look like, and added the SS and 427 emblems from an Impala... Is the panel paint car in the above attachment the same car that is now yellow? if so, how do you say "there's not another as original as it" when there are several Yenko and COPO and ZL1 cars still wearing original paint? Not knocking the car, as it looks like a killer piece, just would like more insight on what it is exactly... looks to be a COPO car possibly, or was it an SS car that was converted? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[supercomp 8.90]

hey a good friend of mine worked with dick arons in around that time period i will have to ask him if he remembers the car, his name is duane head. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[Bill Pritchard]

Maybe he's using Jim Brady's definition of 'original' http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[ss427copo]

yes............stripped to bare metal...all original panels

[supercomp 8.90]

i did notice in the old tailpanel pic that it just has a standard ss emblem. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[ss427copo]

yo....division 1 S/C racer too!

[70-SS/RS-L78]

that is the farthest I have seen the Camaro move in the 15 years
that I have known you Jeff…
Mark L

[Belair62]

I'm going to lock the other 2 threads so keep it in this one guys...Jeff take a minute to fill out your profile if you haven't already ....

[ss427copo]

lolol..here's a great photo for ya! Man, the neighbors yelled at me for weeks!

[Salvatore]

Hey Jeff, We all like the car, but you are not getting down to brass tacks. You are jumping all over the board and not really answering any questions. We know who Dick Arons is. We know who Wally Booth is but.....we are not sure who you are and what makes up your hot rod. Maybe it is an old 6 cyclinder car that Arons raced in A/S with a 427 transplant. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[supercomp 8.90]

hey jeff thats a good looking s/c car you have there!!! i am just about done with my new dragster 05 miller 4-link, i will try to get you up some pics tommorro of my other dragster. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[Supercar_Kid]

It looks like a 12 bolt rear in the panel paint pic, so let's give him the benefit of the doubt that it's not a 6 cyl car. The grille is also black, but I only see it in the current pics, so that doesn't necessarily confirm it's SS status. A cowl hood is certainly not a common piece on an SS car though either, seeing as how few people opted to pay extra for it when they were getting the louvered SS hood for free. So I'm with Sam...not prying or anything, but inquiring minds want to know, is it a COPO, L-78, SS350 or what? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif A simple pic of the trim tag info and/or engine bay would be worth the proverbial "thousand words." A very unique and very cool car whatever it is, so please just come out and say it already. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[ss427copo]

Eric, Here you go. A shot of the engine bay. The next pic will be of me buying it in '84 from a guy in Toledo, OH.

[ss427copo]

one more for you w/ a Edelbrock Tarantua manifold

[ss427copo]

hey, thanks. Here another. Rencently sold the car to Jim Fordyce in Div. 1. (Lost the drive to race because of the death of my 20 year old son to leukemia a short while ago) The 427 Camaro will probably go for sale too in the near future

[camarojoe]

How about a shot of the trim tag...

[SuperNovaSS]

Looks like a small radiator for a 427.
Nice looking car.

Jason

[Salvatore]

Sorry to hear about your son. My one son had a heart transplant in 1998. He is doing good, but I kinda know what you are going through. I know who Jim Fordyce is. A Maple Grove regular. Looks like your camaro has the BB heater outlets. Sam

[Supercar_Kid]

Very sorry to hear about the loss of your son, I can certainly understand how something like that can rearrange your priorities in a hurry. Thanks for posting the requested pics too.

Concerning the car and it's "SS427" status, it's tough to tell from such a distant shot, but it looks to be a legit X22 SS396 car. Big block heater box is still present, power brake booster has been sixed, probably in favor of those tall valve covers. A cool car for sure, but there is lots going on under there that isn't "original." Probably more so than not actually as far as the engine bay is concerned. I can see that someone "blacked out" the firewall and inside the fender flanges, probably burying otherwise distinguishable factory markings in the process. I wouldn't worry too much about it though, as it's happened to more cars than not over the years, and a careful restorer could probably bring alot of them to the surface for documentation prior to restoration. I can honestly say that this car will certainly draw some interest if put up for sale at a reasonable price, however I think it's been gone over a bit too much to call it a true "original" car. Looks more like an early 80's "restification" to me. Do you have any more pics of the car in it's panel painted scheme? I know you think it looked horrible, but some of us around here can dig on that kind of thing. Thanks for sharing. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Belair62]

The panel painted pics are very cool !

[ss427copo]

hey Sam...good to hear your son is doing good. I had a kidney transplant in 2000 also, so "I KNOW" what meds your boy is on! lolol Enjoy the photo.

[ss427copo]

oh man...I remember trailering the car home in 84 on the Pa TPike from Toledo and getting alot of "thumbs-up" from people passing me. Damn, I thought the car was FUGLY!!!

[Xplantdad]

Jeff, Sorry to hear about your loss...it's always hard!

Sam,

You and I have something in common. My daughter had a heart transplant in 1990, at Loma Linda Hospital, in California. She had an open heart biopsy at 2 1/2 months, and a transplant at 5 months old. On November 15th, she'll celebrate her 14th anniversary of her transplant.

She was the 77th child transplanted under six months of age. They now have over 450 who have had transplants!

[ss427copo]

maybe I used "original" when more like "unmolested" would fit??? The car is all there, so to speak. It's not been rebuilt or restored with ALL the COPO or 427 or "whatever you want to built" parts that are on available. Tell you what....if you're ever in Jersey....I'll let you drive it. Who else in this forum has the testicular circumference to say that? Then you tell me what the car is!!! lololol All I know is at 7800 r's, the neighbors know "Jeff has his 427 Camaro out again!!!lololol And the red line is not the shift line....it's the tell-tale line of the last shift. Damn....I love big blocks. My race car had 509 inches.

[ss427copo]

yo.here's one fer ya!

[Belair62]

Cool Z...

[supercomp 8.90]

hey jeff sorry to here about your son.


heres a pic of my dragster in the winners circle at the orlando div 2 points race after the supercomp final i won in 2003.

[ss427copo]

That Mark L's (70-SS-RS-L-78) Holding for him while he gets "organized"

[Belair62]

Mrk L should send me some pics and a write up pronto !!

[supercomp 8.90]

my trusty old nova wagon!!! deadly consistant!!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[ss427copo]

hey...good for you! US S/C guys gotta split hairs and have a .001 package to win these day. In and earier post I sais I sold the car to Jim Fordyce in my division just 4 weeks ago. He'll be at the Grove this weeken running S/G with it. MY,my,my....170 mph in S/G! No wind (or wins) left in my sail after losing my son who went to ALL the races with me. He was just 20.......

[supercomp 8.90]

man that is a great looking lumina!!!! how fast has it been??? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[ss427copo]

here's one of me taking the car to Atco just after buying it in 84. I went 11.45 first time down the track! It's only down the 1/4 mile one other time since then. Of course...I've made lots of runs on Rt 295 here in Jersey! lololol It just looks better all Daytona Yellow like it 'posed to be!

[Supercar_Kid]

No disrespect intended towards your car Jeff, I certainly wouldn't throw it out of my garage, it's just that around here the terms "original" "survivor" and "unmolested" carry alot of weight, and don't typically apply to cars with extensive performance, paint, and other non-factory add ons. Click here (http://www.yenko.net/features/2003/July2003.htm) to see an example of what I'm talking about. I can tell your car is certainly not your average 69 Camaro, and I'm sure it gets lots of attention anywhere it goes. I just would just be very careful of the terminology you use to describe it especially when it comes time to sell. I see a radio delete plate in the dash, another rare and interesting part of your car. Do you have any paperwork from the original selling dealer? You just may have something there, an L-78 perhaps. Do you have a window sticker or protect-o-plate? These sorts of things will help document how and where the car was delivered originally, and are very important documents to the purist resto crowd. That equals $$$ at resale time and only adds to the cars collectibility...and hey...I've got friends near Medford, NJ so you might just have to back up that offer to let me drive it someday. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif Post any and all pics you may have of the car, old or new. We all enjoy seeing them.

[ss427copo]

I was at the Etown and so nervous Iforgot to turn the throttle stop on.....I ran it out the back door at 168.37! Bob Frey got on the P.A. system and said he had a few words for me. "Jeff, that's Super in front of comp, get your class right. You ain't runnig B/A". Man I heard about that for years! Here's another the day I sold it last month.

[fuzzbuster]

Why is it so hard to answer the question? What is the car? COPO, YENKO, MOTION, DANA, NICKEY, SS 396???? Probably just a 6 Cylinder CAMARO, that somebody dropped in a big block and went racing!
Sorry to here about your son, lost a cousin in 9/11. Cool pictures of the Camaro, got any more? Pretty please......with sugar on top???? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/headbang.gif-Later

[Salvatore]

Nice garage of cars Jeff! Looks to me you got a Day-2 race car in your camaro. Probably original BB car and original guy put the 427 in it from Dickie Arons. Maybe took the power brakes off the car because it rolls a little easier. Valerio Bros. from Bridgeport, Pa. did the same thing in about 1972. Started with a BB camaro (1969) Put a 427 in it with some help from the Grump, and went and set the SS/D record. 12 bolt slapper bars, 6 cyc. coil springs etc. Looks to me you probably have an old race car then going to bracket racing. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif Still a bad ride on the street. Does it still have the trim tag on it? Keep the pictures coming! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[ss427copo]

Sam, I can photo the tag for you. What's it going to say beside trim, paint and that its a hardtop? all built in Norwood http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Fhakya]

Welcome Jeff!

I think they're looking to see if there's an X-?? code present which, being a Norwood car, could be helpful in finding if you have something special on your hands.

My condolences on your loss. I'm recently split from 2 kids (7 & 12) to whom I was "dad" to for the past 5 years and it hurts like hell...I can only try to imagine what you're going through.

Glad your aboard with us! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif