Please nominate dads Camaro for restoration

[notstock71]

I was viewing the other posts tonight in the Lounge section and came across the topic of the cable show looking for cars to have on the show. What I am asking members to do is to please help me try and get dads old Camaro on the show. I spoke with Tera and she really enjoyed the story behind dads car and asked me to email the story and pictures to her. The car falls outside their guidelines since it is a 1977 and I am in Nebraska. I did offer to pay shipping of the car to them if they would consider restoring the car. I am praying that the car will be chosen so I can give it back to mom and dad when it is completed.

Here is the letter I sent:

Tera,

Thank you for your time tonight. I enjoyed telling you the story of my dads old Camaro. I still can’t believe I actually found it and was able to buy it back. I will recap the story behind the car and attach the links to pictures I have in my Photobucket account.

The Camaro is a 1977 Z/28. This was the first year return of the Z/28 after Chevrolet cancelled the Z/28 option after the 1974 models. My dad, Lew, special ordered this car from H&H Chevrolet in Omaha Nebraska. The car was ordered black on black with the 4 speed transmission. It has very few options. He took possesion on May 20. The Camaro served daily duties for mom running errands and driving my sister and me to school. I still remember getting stuck on hills in the winter. I clearly remember dad running it through the gears, powershifts and all. Dad sold the car in 1981 to fund a 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible he found. I still remember that day. Dad worked at a used car lot in Bellevue Nebraska. The sale was by owner to another serviceman in the Air Force but the deal was done at his work. I remember saying goodbye to the car. I was only about 5 years old but I never forgot the car.

While most kids were playing sports growing up I spent my time with dad at car shows and race tracks. His passion for cars definately rubbed off on me at an early age. I would occasionally ask about the Camaro over the years and was hoping to find another car similar to the one I so fondly remembered. As luck would have it my mom, Rose, found all the paperwork on the car including the order slip, sales contract and even a lifetime free oil change certificate from H&H. The sales contract gave me the VIN number and thanks to members on the website Yenko.net I was able to get the name of the last registered owner. I was unable to find the current owner so I took a chance and called the police station in West Point Nebraska where the car was last registered. After explaining who I was, what car I was looking for and why, the officer on the other end gave me the next big break. He actually knew the car and who had it. He gave me a phone number to try. All of this happened within 24 hours of mom finding the paperwork. After dad sold the car in 1981 the next owner only kept it a short time. It ended up on a used car lot where a young man bought it. The Camaro was passed through three brothers before being stuffed in a barn. I finally got in touch with the current owner and after much negotiating I was able to buy the car back for $3500, no engine (the original was long gone). Finally, in December of 2006 I took ownership of dads Camaro, the car I dreamed about for so many years. Coincidentally the sale was about one month off of 25 years from when dad sold the car and I got it back. The story of dads Camaro was even chosen for the May 2009 Hot Rod Magazine featuring 11 stories of the lost but found cars from our past.

The twists and turns of this car weren’t over yet. I went through a divorce in 2008 and had to fight to keep from losing this car once again. After two years and a trial I was awarded the Camaro in the divorce. I have very slowly gathered parts as funds would allow to try and return the Camaro to its original glory when dad took possesion. I bought another Camaro shell for sheetmetal replacement parts and have found other odds and ends over the years. Unfortunately the car still sits, buried in the garage.

As I mentioned to you on the phone my dream is to rotiseree restore this car to its showroom glory and give it back to mom and dad. What I fear is not being able to complete the car before mom and dad both could enjoy it again. Mom started chemotherapy today for breast cancer and while the doctors are optimistic for a full recovery it just reinforces to me that time is not on my side.

I know you are looking for cars in your local area and as I mentioned I will ship the car to you and back if nescessary. You mentioned the cutoff year of 1972 as criteria of cars to be considered. I hope that consideration will be given to dads “old Camaro”. With the significant rise of value and demand of late 2nd generation F bodies I believe this would be a great opportunity to show something different with a Camaro besides the typical 1967 to 1973 Camaros shown on television and in magazines.

I thank you again for taking time tonight to talk to me about dads car. I pray that even though it falls slightly outside the criteria it can be chosen for the restoration it deserves and can be enjoyed not only by mom and dad again but also by my two sons who are 6 and 9.

And finally the good stuff, the pictures.

When new
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/scan0001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/scan0002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/scan0003.jpg

Yes, these are me
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/scan0004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/scan0005.jpg

As found
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011046.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011048.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011045.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011044.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011043.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011040.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011039.jpg

Mom and dad back with their car
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../momanddad.jpg

After a bath, my first car in the background
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011061.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011057.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011060.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011067.jpg


With my friends old Trans Am
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011063.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011066.jpg

The donor car, metal still needs to be installed on dads car
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1010727.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1010728.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1010734.jpg

NOS front spoiler
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011117.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011113.jpg

Restored, correct carb, donated by member @ yenko.net
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ock71/carb.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011197.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1/P1011199.jpg
As the car sits tonight
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...camaronow1.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...camaronow2.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...camaronow3.png


Thank you for your time and consideration, I hope to hear from you soon.




I know we all know someone with a great car waiting to be restored. Hopefully there will be enough encouragement from the outside world to convince them that dads car would be a worthy candidate for restoration on their show.

Here is the only email address I have:
[email protected]

Thank you in advance for any support I can get to make this dream come true.
Lewis

[1970Bluel78]

What show is it ??

[notstock71]

I'll be honest and say I am not sure. They were looking for cars needing restored with family history. I got a reply today and it doesn't seem the car is being considered. I can only speculate the year of the car is a problem. Even though I knew the chances were slim next to none it is kind of a let down. Hopefully someone will have a change of heart and reconsider the car at some point.

[396L35]

That neighborhood looks familiar from 1977????

[notstock71]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 396L35</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That neighborhood looks familiar from 1977???? </div></div>

23rd and Harrison Street in Bellevue.

[mockingbird812]

Great story and wonderful vintage photos!

[Brewster]

Thanks for sharing and hope things turn out for the best. Please do keep up us up to date and wish the best.
Regards, Brew