COMP Cams 40th Anniversary Camaro at V8 Speed & Resto Shop
 

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We are all very excited here at V8TV and the V8 Speed & Resto Shop, as we've received the high honor of being chosen to restore the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro belonging to COMP Cams! They've had the car for many years, and 2016 marks the 40th Anniversary of COMP Cams, so they wanted the car freshened up for the milestone year. We'll be documenting the restoration of the car along the way, both in photos and video.

Plans for the car include a FAST EFI equipped LS engine mated to a TCI 6X 6-speed automatic transmission, a Heidt's suspension system, updated wheels, tires, and brakes, and a fresh paint job... among many other details.

This is the rendering by Carter Hickman Design showing the slightly updated style and new attitude of the Camaro. Although the car will retain it’s black-and-white theme, it will have a red pinstripe on the SS stripes, updated wheels to go with the new suspension, and a few other subtle tricks here and there.

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Our crew is ready to make it happen, and we're proud to work with one of the industry icons to bring this significant car up-to-date. Follow along in the photo gallery, videos, and a build thread on this slick '69!

Kevin I can't wait to see this one !

Very cool.

Thanks guys, it's a cool project, one in which we are honored to be involved.

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This 1969 Camaro convertible was built during the fourth week of September of 1969. Typically, a September build date would have been into the next production year, but Chevrolet ran the 1969 Camaro model year longer as they waited to tool up for the 1970 model year, which took longer than expected. But soon, a shiny new V8-powered Daytona Yellow with a white top and a black interior rolled off the assembly line in Norwood, Ohio. The Daytona / white / black / black color combination is a little unusual today, as most seem to be yellow with a black top, but this must have been a good looking car.

It also sports the X11 designation on the trim tag, and the car is currently wearing an RS appearance package with the hidden headlights and the RS seperate tail / reverse light combo. Although all RS package cars (CODE Z22) were X11s, not all X11s were RS cars. The car does not have the Z22 RS stamping on the trim tag. It appears to have the Z21 Style Trim package, with bright wheel lip trim and quarter panel “gills”, but it is reported to be an original RS car. The crew at COMP Cams added the wheel lip trim during the first restoration.

The 1969 Camaro is a significant car for the COMP team, and has been closely knit into the fabric of the company.

COMP Camaro History

1975- Scooter Brothers raced a white convertible ‘69 Camaro with a black top in the M/Automatic Super Stock classes, and won his class at the 1975 US Nationals. It was prepped by Herb McCandless with an engine by John Lingenfelter, a very close friend.

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1977ish- Car was sold to a customer who lived in Canada. It was eventually tracked down to a guy’s garage in Texas. The car was entangled in a divorce case, and after inquiry, “Not nice enough” to pursue as a project.

1998- Current car was located through the internet. It was is Afton, WY and was a yellow 307/2bbl RS car with black stripes a black interior, a white top and factory air conditioning. It was in solid shape and a running and driving car with around 120,000 miles. According to the body tag it was built in the fourth week of September at the Norwood, Ohio assembly plant. It was driven to Georgia by COMP employee Chris Brown three days after it was delivered to COMP in Memphis.


The car was taken to Carlos Sanders of Atlanta Street Rods in Commerce, Georgia in April of 1998 to be built into a Power Tour car and to be presented to Scooter in 1998. The goal was a solid driver with an LT1 and an overdrive to pay homage to his old drag car. Things got out of hand and it ended up with a radical new-for-the-time 1st gen SB2 NASCAR engine featuring 674hp and 554lb.ft. of torque. A Richmond six-speed was added. The front suspension was converted to coilovers, and a Currie 9-inch rear with 4.10 gears was built and hung on a fabricated tri-link by Atlanta Street Rods. Baer disc brakes were added. Butch Bass supplied the 17” RK-series BBS wheels, Richard Childress Racing rebuilt the steering box. The Camaro was painted white with a solid black vinyl top and matching interior from Year One.

Car delivered from Atlanta Street rods to John Lingenfelter on July 20th, 1998. Lingenfelter built an 11.0:1 compression 410ci small block with a Bowtie block, 3.750” Lunati crank, 6” Eagle rods, a COMP Cam, Comp’s Winston Cup valve springs, an SB2 intake and matching cylinder heads, and a 750cfm Gary Williams carb. A billet serpentine belt drive system from KRC was used.

Car was scheduled to be picked up for the Summer run of the 1999 Power Tour. Chris Brown came down with adult chicken pox just prior to leaving, and Scooter Brothers and James Fry drove to GA in the red Astro van to collect the car the night before the Power Tour. The car was in 500 pieces, but Carlos said it would be ready in the morning. Scooter looked around and said “No it’s not,” and did the Power Tour in the Astro Van.

It was completed in time for the 2nd Power Tour in the fall of 1999 and driven from Fitchburg, Massachusetts to Tampa Florida.

1999- Second Refurbish at Davis Body Shop in May of 1999.




Car fell out of trailer on way to a Power Tour. Straps came loose, car bounced back and forth inside trailer, beat the rear door open and rolled out. Caught on header flanges and was stopped on door at speed. Cars pulled alongside to alert driver to pull over.

Camaro taken to Davis Body Shop and repainted, this time with Violet Pearl added to the white, and black stripes added. Interior upgraded to hound’s tooth inserts and top upgraded to Haartz cloth. Carb switched to a one-off EFI system. Detroit Speed tubular A-arms added to front suspension.


1999- 2010- Camaro driven on eight or ten Power Tours over the years until 2010. It came back with body damage on the front valence panel, driver’s front fender, and rear quarter and a dead cylinder in the engine. Additionally the coilovers in the front had pushed through the shock towers and separated from the subframe.

2011-ish? Car partially disassembled to install Heidt’s front subframe. Mocked into place, dash removed, engine and transmission also removed. Stored in R&D area for several years on car skates and under a car cover.

2016- Car to be refurbished at V8 Speed & Resto and presented to Scooter Brothers at 40th Anniversary event.

Here are some pics of the first restoration of the Camaro back in ‘98. It was a complete tear-down and repaint, with the Lingenfelter SB2 small-block and FAST XFI Fuel Injection installed in the restored subframe.

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The car enjoyed a lot of positive feedback, including this article in Hot Rod Magazine by Terry McGean.

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I loved this car when it was introduced. The SB2 sort of defined it's character so I hate to see that go. It's cool to see it being updated and freshened up.

Congrats on getting the build. This'll be a fun one to watch.