Matt Barczak's 1967 SS 396 Camaro!!

**Xplantdad** · #1 11-11-2010, 04:21 AM

Back in 2006, I was working construction, just out of college and attending graduate school full time. I was on my lunch break reading the local trader paper when I came across an ad for a 1967 RS 327 4 speed project Camaro.

I immediately called the number and spoke to a lady who answered my inquiry with “Which Camaro do you want?” I gathered some information and went to look at the cars later that evening. Apparently the couple that owned this car was not car enthusiasts. They inherited some vehicles from the wife’s father a few years prior. After owning the vehicles for a couple of years, she decided to sell all the cars. I was immediately drawn to this particular Camaro being a big block car and great candidate for a restoration.

The husband told me stories of driving this car at 120 mph across some local highway. He also informed me that if I put a keg in the trunk and two in the back seat the car will bottom out on rough roads. He was not a very good salesman!

The car was in surprisingly great shape and all the numbers seemed to check out. The closing deal for me was the couple of original documents that were in the glove box, including a warranty service card showing warranty work being done at Dana Chevrolet in October of 1968. At that time, the car had a little over 25,000 miles on it.

The couple that I purchased the car from knew nothing of its history prior to their family’s ownership. We brought the car home, never drove it, and tore it apart a few years later. The car was totally restored piece by piece, completely disassembled and re-assembled by my father and me.

My father and I have restored many cars in the past, but this was our first attempt at a complete original concourse restoration and not a hot rod. I was able to discover that the car sold new in Canada and was able to get the GM of Canada documents to go along with the car.

Thanks,

Matt