My dream car since I was a kid is a 1st gen Z/28, and while I don't quite have the funds yet, I'm hoping in the next few months to a year to be in the market
The dream is a '69 #s drivetrain 72 72 car, non-rs, and not a finished restoration but rather I'd love to help bring one back to life. I'm a mechanical engineer by day and always-learning wrench-turner by night and weekend on a few fun cars.
I've been diving into reading all I can to try to be an informed buyer and Camaro lover: Camaro Untold Secrets by Wayne D. Guinn, Jerry M's book, all the great pages of CRG, the musings about eBay cars on yenko.net, and also Donohue's fun autobio The Unfair Advantage. I'm definitely always looking for more recommendations from this wonderful community if anyone has more recommendations for some pre-ownership reading...
I'm sure I'll be posting more as I get closer to properly looking for the dream project, but in the meantime I figured I'd say hello!
Welcome Matt. If you find a car you're interested in and looking for opinions we always
have plenty and love spending someone else's $$. :wink2: Seriously if you have questions
ask away. There's a tremendous amount of 1st gen knowledge here.
Welcome, Matt, to the Club.
Yes, I read your posts asking and as Allan suggests, I agree, keep asking.
As you have done, post addresses and ask questions of your choices. Good luck in your search.
Welcome to the forum, Matt! Nice to have you here. Lots of knowledgeable people here who can help you when you get what you're looking for. Good luck with your search and keep us posted!
Thank you all very much I'll post as options come along and see what folks think. A project HO car that's a real numbers Z could be tricky to find but we'll see what's out there...
Howdy and thanks I don't expect I'll be so lucky to find one that close by but who knows.
I'm lucky to have an understanding wife... I don't even have budget yet but I'm already scouring CL and the forums every day to see what's out there :nerd: That and the growing stack of Camaro books around the house... :wink2:
You know finding a # Z28 will be difficult and $$$$. I see you are in Cali where housing is $$$$$, You could end up spending more on a car than your house. Why not just build one to Z28 spec and not badge it. My 68 started life as a 327, Saginaw 3 speed, 308 10 bolt base car. Only "Z28" parts on my car now are standard 302 Crank sourced our of Arizona and standard manual steering box sourced out of a wharehouse in Oregon, oh and the 302 emblems I stupidly put on the hood. Yes it is a 302, not DZ or MO. Build what you want and enjoy it. If you have to badge it don't poke holes in your car, tape it. And as mentioned above there are more Z28, SS & RS running around than were ever built by Chevy.
I'm with Scott on number-matching cars. Not only will it be costly to acquire, you might not want to drive it so to minimize the mileage and stone chips. I would look for solid car and build it (or leave it) into anything you want. You'll enjoy a daily driver more than a trailer queen.
Welcome to the sight. Having owned 36 Camaros over 40+ years, 20 or so of them first gens. The least liked was my Garnet red RS Z-28 4:10 all numbers matching, owned back in the 80's with a frame off restoration. Driving it was a nightmare, sold it for big$$$ and bought 3 more first gens to restore. Depends on what you plan to do with the car. . . . .they all look pretty much the same! Now I have 2 SB RSSS and a BB RSSS. . . .all fun to drive and ALL with AC. Good luck on the hunt and once again welcome.
Welcome Matt. Keep my username as you get closer to your buy date. Might not have the right car for you but I am in California and I do have a authenticated Z/28 that might be for sale. As I said, might not be the right one but it is real and it will not be auction priced....and it's somewhat close. PM if you want more details.
I am hot for Pro Touring/Restomod and might have found the right one for me. If so, the Z has to go. :smile2:
Thanks, all, for the messages. My personal view is that there are very few cars out there that shouldn’t be driven. I respect folks who are into collecting but it’s not my style. Maybe if it’s a killer original paint, ultra low miles survivor or a 100 points perfect car, but if it’s a recent restoration then it can be restored again someday. That said, I’d probably feel different if it was my own dollars into a high dollar paint job!
So my goal is to find a project where I can focus on restoring the mechanicals and enjoying the occasional trip to 7,000 RPM where the 302 was born to sing :grin2:
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