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Old 05-25-2010, 08:25 PM
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Smile '68 Camaro in WI, first post

Hello all, here is my story

I bought this car in 1979 for $650, I was 15 at the time and this was my first car. It was originally a 327 3-speed car with no options - just a base model. Shortly after I brought it home I found a '69 Yenko Camaro for $950, the original motor was out of the car but everything was there. It was dark green with a black interior and a turbo 400. Being 15 and just spent all my money on the '68 I did what any 15 year old would do........I asked my dad for the money - he said no. Every year I inform my dad what they are currently selling for. I tried to locate the car a couple years later but it disappeared, but I digress....

About six months after getting the '68 home I sent it off to get new quarters and get the body work done, it came back to me in primer. At this point it was decided to completely tear it down. The picture with the body on the snowmobile trailer shows how I got it to the sandblaster, he blasted the bottom and firewall. Those pictures are what it looked like before it got blasted. (link at bottom of post)

I wasn't sure what I was going to use for a motor at that point but a swap meet find a little later helped me with that decision. My buddy Jim and I (now 16 with a license) found a set of Winters castings, rectangular port with a closed chamber that had been used on a alcohol dragster. A quick call to my engine builder (Carl Wegner) confirmed they were a good buy - $450 in 1980 money. Carl built the .030 396 around those heads after doing $900 worth of porting work to them (again 1980 money). All totaled I had $3500 in the motor.

While the motor was being built my buddy Jim and I rebuilt the front subframe, everything was blasted and painted. There wasn't many choices in suspension components in those days so I used the best (only!) parts I could find: Moroso a-arm bushings and solid subframe mounts. This along with the 6-point cage and new multi leaf springs as the mono springs were both broken under the axle perch. Solid aluminum spring bushings were pressed in and some shorter shackles added. Moroso subframe connecters helped tie it all together. A 12-bolt with 4:56 gears and posi was located and installed, did I mention I was building a drag car? With the M-21 bolted to the Lakewood scattershield and aluminum flywheel I was ready to go racing - but then I foolishly discovered girls! Got married had 2 kids, got divorced and in '94, when the rest of those pictures were taken, decided to pull it out of storage. The m-21 was replaced with a Coan turbo 400 and the 3-1/2" centerlines and 10" slicks got replaced with some rallies and 235/60 and 295/50 BFG radials and KYB gas shocks. I put maybe 200 miles on the car that summer and met my current wife - car back in storage.

Which brings us up to date. It still has that 12.5:1 big block and those 4:56 gears! Not sure where I am going from here or how I am going to get there as money is non-existant at the moment.

PeteH
Baraboo WI

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Old 05-25-2010, 09:56 PM
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Welcome Pete! Great story! Unlike when you first built the car, there's now many aftermarket companies offering all the parts we need to transform these cars into something that you can truely enjoy driving! And a quick FYI, we here at L-g love to help others spend money!
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Old 05-26-2010, 07:02 AM
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Thanks for the welcome Anthony

You hit the nail on the head - I want to make this into something that I can truely enjoy driving! In the 31 years I've owned this car I have only put about 200 miles on it and quite honestly was getting ready to let it go. On a whim I decided to go to the car show in Wi Dells last weekend, I ran into Scott and chatted with him for a bit - I do like the way he builds a car! It got me fired up again!

Some years back I ran a bunch of SCCA TSD events and have always been a fan of road racing - I can't think of anything better then to run these events in the Camaro! I've got some ideas on how to build the car unfortunately my bank account isn't cooperating - not to mention I've been unemployed for longer then I care to admit (not a good time to be a carpenter/cabinet maker).

So I'm not sure what is going to happen with the Camaro at this point, I know what I "want" to do with it but it's taking the back seat to reality at the moment.

Kindest Regards,
PeteH
Baraboo, WI
all prayers accepted
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Old 05-26-2010, 08:08 AM
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XcYZ XcYZ is offline
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Welcome aboard, Pete.
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My LS7 69 Camaro
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Old 05-26-2010, 08:24 AM
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I'm about 45 minutes from you good luck with the build!
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Old 05-26-2010, 09:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XcYZ View Post
Welcome aboard, Pete.
Thanks Scott, I take it you made it home in one piece

It was good talking to you at the Dell's show, but I'm afraid I lied to you - I've never been to this site before - lot's of great info here Keep up the good work
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Old 05-26-2010, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by tellyv View Post
I'm about 45 minutes from you good luck with the build!
You know I've driven by your shop MANY times and was always going to stop....... In fact i grew up in Neshkoro and a couple of years back I built a house for my aunt literally across the street!

Congrats on the Optima invite, let me know if you need a pit guy
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Old 05-26-2010, 12:32 PM
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mike343sharpstk mike343sharpstk is offline
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Another Wisconsin member, great!
Seems like the Pro-touring thing has really taken hold in the midwest for some reason.
Cheers
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Old 05-26-2010, 01:05 PM
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Welcome Pete, great to hear from another fellow Wisconsinite. I hope you get a lot of great ideas from this site & it's members.
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Old 05-28-2010, 06:54 PM
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Welcome Pete, great story. Glad you hung on to it.
Im in Delafield ( almost midpoint between Milw and Mad town)
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