Motion book

[sYc]

Marty Schorr, who is doing a book about Motion Performance, sent me the followng question. Anyone ???

<font color="red"> In 1970 I photographed a plain
jane (it may have been dark blue or green, no stripes) 1969 427 Camaro (not SS
or RS) with a bench seat, column shift auto trans being transformed into a
Phase III Camaro at Motion. It was a customer-owned car and the owner was Marc
Cohen. Car had 1970 Missouri license plates. It has small Phase III stickers on
it. Rear gearing was 4.56 and Joel also installed a Hone OD. It may have even
been a COPO car that was being upgraded. Joel never did any COPO cars, but this
was a car the owner brought it. I used it to illustrate a Hone installation
in CARS magazine.
Any info about the car, Marc Cohen, etc., would be appreciated.
Many thanks,
Marty
</font>

[Supercar_Kid]

There were no bench seats in Camaros for '69. I'd like to see the CARS article he's referencing as it may have been a '68 Camaro, which would rule out it being a COPO. It may have been a '69 as he describes, and he could have just remembered the bench seat incorrectly. I doubt anyone took buckets out to put a '67-'68 bench seat in a '69. Anyone have this Hone-O-Drive install issue of CARS, a scan of it would do wonders for the search if posted here.

[DarrenX33]

Erik- There is a guy out here that has a 69 COPO clone in Hugger Orange that sports a bench seat. Threw me for a loop cause it was the first time I saw that. Not sure if it is original to the car or not. This car was at this years Fred Gibb show.

[JChlupsa]

Some VERY VERY Early 69's did get the bench but only a handfull

[396L35]

I just heard a story last week about a Fathom Green 375hp, column shift auto, with a bench seat. He never said anything about sending it to Motion but I will ask him today when I drop off my carbs... Mark

[JoeG]

I have the article Erik---The car was a '69-----I'll dig it out and post it later---

[Supercar_Kid]

So did the car have a bench seat? I've still yet to see any documentation supporting a factory installed bench seat in a '69 Camaro. Even in an early car, wouldn't it have to have '69 only upholstery, and headrests? I've seen 67-8 Camaro bench seats with "homemade" 69 style upholstery sewn up for them, but never one that was irrefutably "original." This is certainly an interesting topic to me, but I'd like to see it backed up with some documentation.

[DarrenX33]

Erik I will write it on a napkin. Just kidding. Very interesting topic I was always curious about.

[Supercar_Kid]

I was thinking more like a build sheet, protect-o-plate, or original window sticker. If it was a legit option in '69, it would have to have a specific option code regardless of build date or rarity.

In '67 the "bench seat" was referred to as a "Strato-back" front seat with folding center arm rest, and was available only in a sport coupe and in specific colors. Standard upholstery 739 Blue, 756 Black, and 796 Gold. With "Custom" upholstery in 767 Black, 712 Gold, and 716 Bright Blue shown here. '67 Custom Features Note that it was available with "Strato-ease" headrests as well, which would make it very easy for a trim shop to retro fit a pair of 69 bucket seat covers to one of these bench seat frames, needing only to add the smooth, patternless center section to the seat bottom and armrest. There's your "cloned" '69 bench as seen in several undocumented cars.

In '68 the "Strato-back" seat it came in standard upholstery 718 Blue, 713 Black, and 723 Gold. With "custom" upholstery 720 Blue, 715 Black, and 727 Turquoise, and again not available in convertibles for whatever reason.

I don't want to sound like a naysaying documentation hound, but to me it's pretty obvious that these seats were well documented and accounted for as installed in 67-8 Camaros. I just haven't been able to locate any option codes, color availability, upholstery patterns, original examples, or documention of any sort even hinting at the possiblity of the 69 bench seat having ever existed.

I sure would be interested in being shown otherwise though...gotta be about the rarest '69 RPO there is if no one has a single documented example. Makes liquid tire chain seem and JL-8 like everyday items.

[68vet427]

hi
do you know when this book about "motion " that mary schoor is writing going to come out??
any info is appreciated.
thanks,
joe