1969 Chevy Camaro SS
Discussion
Love it! That sits perfectly!
I wouldn't bother with an auto.. Look at maybe a hydraulic clutch to solve the heaviness. It will be screaming it's tits off due to a short final drive. Check out Quick Performance for very reasonable diffs.
Stuff is cheap and plentiful for these! Just make sure you check postage, if the company are OTT with that, there options to either jump in a container coming over (STS Imports for example), or something like Stackry for smaller stuff.
Personally I really wouldn't put it on air, it's not that low, doesn't look that much lower than stock in the images and if it rides well!
Enjoy!
I wouldn't bother with an auto.. Look at maybe a hydraulic clutch to solve the heaviness. It will be screaming it's tits off due to a short final drive. Check out Quick Performance for very reasonable diffs.
Stuff is cheap and plentiful for these! Just make sure you check postage, if the company are OTT with that, there options to either jump in a container coming over (STS Imports for example), or something like Stackry for smaller stuff.
Personally I really wouldn't put it on air, it's not that low, doesn't look that much lower than stock in the images and if it rides well!
Enjoy!
If you need general maintenance bits use Rockauto.com and select the fedex shipping option to pay the taxes. You'll get stuff within a week. You can keep it manual and change the diff for a taller one, With all the big block torque it'll still accelerate quite well.
More specialised Camaro stuff can come from here. https://www.ss396.com/category/camaro-parts.html
More specialised Camaro stuff can come from here. https://www.ss396.com/category/camaro-parts.html
So I have got round to opening the sealed and ancient. Pack of docs that came with the car. I may have to rethink chopping it about.
Turns out that it is an original, matching numbers big block '69 SS, that then went off for a dealer conversion to 427, as Chevy weren't yet doing the 427. So it has a same year Corvette 427 in it. It was restored in 1993 to that original spec, having been a dealer rece car, except that it had been yellow from the factory. Since then, I think the electronic ignition is the only non-period mod.
I learned this from a bunch of old magazines (in which the car was featured) from the late 90 and early 00s, included in a pile of documents. It was also in the Cartier Style & Luxe concourse in 2000 in it's current spec, except for the ignition.
It was has done less than 1000 miles between 2005 and 2017, when it was presumably dry stored as it is in perfect cosmetic condition. Engine was rebuilt in 1996, and has done less than 5000 miles since then, but probably needs an overhaul.
This may all need a rethink, as I suspect that if I want to hack a Camaro up to be a restomod, it needs to be a mongrel, not this one?
Turns out that it is an original, matching numbers big block '69 SS, that then went off for a dealer conversion to 427, as Chevy weren't yet doing the 427. So it has a same year Corvette 427 in it. It was restored in 1993 to that original spec, having been a dealer rece car, except that it had been yellow from the factory. Since then, I think the electronic ignition is the only non-period mod.
I learned this from a bunch of old magazines (in which the car was featured) from the late 90 and early 00s, included in a pile of documents. It was also in the Cartier Style & Luxe concourse in 2000 in it's current spec, except for the ignition.
It was has done less than 1000 miles between 2005 and 2017, when it was presumably dry stored as it is in perfect cosmetic condition. Engine was rebuilt in 1996, and has done less than 5000 miles since then, but probably needs an overhaul.
This may all need a rethink, as I suspect that if I want to hack a Camaro up to be a restomod, it needs to be a mongrel, not this one?
Edited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 23 July 22:05
-Cappo- said:
Harry Flashman said:
Mike, any ideas for decent folk who can look after these cars, in SW London or Surrey?
Jump on the 'Why so High?" thread, it's become a general Yank chat thread and what the main protagonists on there don't know, you won't need to know! Harry Flashman said:
-Cappo- said:
Harry Flashman said:
Mike, any ideas for decent folk who can look after these cars, in SW London or Surrey?
Jump on the 'Why so High?" thread, it's become a general Yank chat thread and what the main protagonists on there don't know, you won't need to know! https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Car looks lovely btw!
This was my uncle's - bought in the early 1980s. It was registered as a UK "M" reg but its import records had it as a '68 however it had the speedline arches so must have been a '69. It also had a 427 and a 3-speed auto.
We lived in Solihull at the time, J5 of the M42. I remember my Dad driving it with me on the back seat in my early teens - no seatbelts. We jumped onto the M42 going about 30mph at the top of the sliproad and roared onto the motorway at well over 120mph.
Judging by it's rear wheels, it had been used for drag racing. The rear suspension could be pumped up in height using a foot pump. It needed that too because at about 130mph Dad said the steering went so light the car started wandering across the lane. When it was pumped up and leant into the road, it was more stable, apparently.
If my uncle hadn't used it for a while, it needed two car batteries to start it. My parents' neighbour was a bit like Margo from The Good Life. Her lounge window was adjacent to my parents' drive. When my uncle visited then fired it up to go home at night, she would complain about it rattling her windows and giving her a start.
Despite the dodgy rear wheels and ridiculous bonnet scoop, it was glorious.
We lived in Solihull at the time, J5 of the M42. I remember my Dad driving it with me on the back seat in my early teens - no seatbelts. We jumped onto the M42 going about 30mph at the top of the sliproad and roared onto the motorway at well over 120mph.
Judging by it's rear wheels, it had been used for drag racing. The rear suspension could be pumped up in height using a foot pump. It needed that too because at about 130mph Dad said the steering went so light the car started wandering across the lane. When it was pumped up and leant into the road, it was more stable, apparently.
If my uncle hadn't used it for a while, it needed two car batteries to start it. My parents' neighbour was a bit like Margo from The Good Life. Her lounge window was adjacent to my parents' drive. When my uncle visited then fired it up to go home at night, she would complain about it rattling her windows and giving her a start.
Despite the dodgy rear wheels and ridiculous bonnet scoop, it was glorious.
Edited by Mars on Sunday 23 July 22:23
I just spoke to the lovely man at RPM, who built it. It is indeed a clone of a COPO car, so has no intrinsically high value as original. He's retiring, else he would have loved to have had it back for servicing
Just spoke to Hot Rod Technologies, not far from me, and they build loads of cars, including modernised classics. They have lots of London customers, so my requests sounded pretty standard.
So EFi for easy starting in all weathers, auto box or lighter clutch, Aircon, losing the slapper bars and a slight lift on the rear (it sits a touch low to my eyes, maybe an inch), engine bay heat management are my priorities. It doesn't have to handle or be overbraked as it's for cruising around with kids in, not racing.
I suspect that will get it where I want it to be in terms of driveability. Last will be an interior retrim in brown leather to set off the green paint, and inertia reel seatbelts and Isofix in the back for kids' seats.
I have provisionally booked the car in for October to do everything but the interior over winter, subject to agreeing a job quote.
I want a car that looks like a classic, sounds like a classic, and drives like a classic - but is just a bit easier to live with.
Just in case you haven't found it yet, this website should help you identify what the car was originally.
http://www.camaros.org/diffs69.shtml
Any chance of some engine bay pics?
http://www.camaros.org/diffs69.shtml
Any chance of some engine bay pics?
Harry Flashman said:
I just spoke to the lovely man at RPM, who built it. It is indeed a clone of a COPO car, so has no intrinsically high value as original. He's retiring, else he would have loved to have had it back for servicing
Just spoke to Hot Rod Technologies, not far from me, and they build loads of cars, including modernised classics. They have lots of London customers, so my requests sounded pretty standard.
So EFi for easy starting in all weathers, auto box or lighter clutch, Aircon, losing the slapper bars and a slight lift on the rear (it sits a touch low to my eyes, maybe an inch), engine bay heat management are my priorities. It doesn't have to handle or be overbraked as it's for cruising around with kids in, not racing.
I suspect that will get it where I want it to be in terms of driveability. Last will be an interior retrim in brown leather to set off the green paint, and inertia reel seatbelts and Isofix in the back for kids' seats.
I have provisionally booked the car in for October to do everything but the interior over winter, subject to agreeing a job quote.
I want a car that looks like a classic, sounds like a classic, and drives like a classic - but is just a bit easier to live with.
I really like the EFi systems available for these things. I can't afford one for mine, so a carb it is, but they seem to work very well, as long as they are installed correctly! Yeah bin off the slapper bars, there is better solutions to wheel hop. Air con and heat management are a good call.Just spoke to Hot Rod Technologies, not far from me, and they build loads of cars, including modernised classics. They have lots of London customers, so my requests sounded pretty standard.
So EFi for easy starting in all weathers, auto box or lighter clutch, Aircon, losing the slapper bars and a slight lift on the rear (it sits a touch low to my eyes, maybe an inch), engine bay heat management are my priorities. It doesn't have to handle or be overbraked as it's for cruising around with kids in, not racing.
I suspect that will get it where I want it to be in terms of driveability. Last will be an interior retrim in brown leather to set off the green paint, and inertia reel seatbelts and Isofix in the back for kids' seats.
I have provisionally booked the car in for October to do everything but the interior over winter, subject to agreeing a job quote.
I want a car that looks like a classic, sounds like a classic, and drives like a classic - but is just a bit easier to live with.
Harry Flashman said:
I just spoke to the lovely man at RPM, who built it. It is indeed a clone of a COPO car, so has no intrinsically high value as original. He's retiring, else he would have loved to have had it back for servicing
Just spoke to Hot Rod Technologies, not far from me, and they build loads of cars, including modernised classics. They have lots of London customers, so my requests sounded pretty standard.
So EFi for easy starting in all weathers, auto box or lighter clutch, Aircon, losing the slapper bars and a slight lift on the rear (it sits a touch low to my eyes, maybe an inch), engine bay heat management are my priorities. It doesn't have to handle or be overbraked as it's for cruising around with kids in, not racing.
I suspect that will get it where I want it to be in terms of driveability. Last will be an interior retrim in brown leather to set off the green paint, and inertia reel seatbelts and Isofix in the back for kids' seats.
I have provisionally booked the car in for October to do everything but the interior over winter, subject to agreeing a job quote.
I want a car that looks like a classic, sounds like a classic, and drives like a classic - but is just a bit easier to live with.
All of that is very sensible, besides, it is your car and you can do what you like to it. Just spoke to Hot Rod Technologies, not far from me, and they build loads of cars, including modernised classics. They have lots of London customers, so my requests sounded pretty standard.
So EFi for easy starting in all weathers, auto box or lighter clutch, Aircon, losing the slapper bars and a slight lift on the rear (it sits a touch low to my eyes, maybe an inch), engine bay heat management are my priorities. It doesn't have to handle or be overbraked as it's for cruising around with kids in, not racing.
I suspect that will get it where I want it to be in terms of driveability. Last will be an interior retrim in brown leather to set off the green paint, and inertia reel seatbelts and Isofix in the back for kids' seats.
I have provisionally booked the car in for October to do everything but the interior over winter, subject to agreeing a job quote.
I want a car that looks like a classic, sounds like a classic, and drives like a classic - but is just a bit easier to live with.
That is bloody stunning, what a car!
Another vote for IGS, done a service on my 2016 Challenger and also sorted out the parking brake on a separate occasion a few weeks back. I moved not long after the first service so have also used Muscle Car UK (Pilgrim) too but a bit further out for you. Used IGS for the parking brake as I still work in Surbiton, can drop it off and get the bus to the office!
Another vote for IGS, done a service on my 2016 Challenger and also sorted out the parking brake on a separate occasion a few weeks back. I moved not long after the first service so have also used Muscle Car UK (Pilgrim) too but a bit further out for you. Used IGS for the parking brake as I still work in Surbiton, can drop it off and get the bus to the office!
So I am finding more out about the car now.
RPM spent 14 months building it in 1993/4. Amazingly, the car appears to have done less than 10,000 miles since then, with a long period of (clearly indoor and humidity free) storage from 2005 to 2019amd very limited use after.
- 1969 Corvette 427 engine, balanced and rebuilt
- Crane Street/strip mild competition hydraulic roller cam
- steel original cowl induction bonnet, correctly set up for cold induction
- Edelbrock Torker manifold
- Holley 750cfm four barrel carb
- Hooker Competition Plus headers, aluminium sprayed (I am guessing ceramic would be better)
- MSD 6AL electronic ignition
- Muncie M21 box rebuilt
- Positraction 12 bolt rear axle with 3.07 ratio
- heavy duty radiator
- extra oil cooler
- SPAX adjustable dampers with poly-graphite bushes throughout
- power steering and brakes
All this stuff still looks like new. The car's last magazine feature was in 2004, 11 years after it was built.
I am hoping that:
- clutches have come a bit of a way, and something lighter would be easy to fit.
- a Vintage Aircon system can be made to fit
- EFi can fit: someone on the general American thread mentioned that the higher inlet manifold may make that tough.
This last one is a fun read. This Camaro won the test over the Mustang and Challenger in terms of driveability and performance. They state that the Challenger's clutch is just too heavy (among other issues). Given that the Chevy's clutch is an absolute sod by modern standards, I dread to think what the Dodge was like! But they state that the narrow tyres on the Camaro aren't great for the power it has - modern rubber was going to happen anyway, as these could well be absolutely ancient given the minimal mileage the car has done!
RPM spent 14 months building it in 1993/4. Amazingly, the car appears to have done less than 10,000 miles since then, with a long period of (clearly indoor and humidity free) storage from 2005 to 2019amd very limited use after.
- 1969 Corvette 427 engine, balanced and rebuilt
- Crane Street/strip mild competition hydraulic roller cam
- steel original cowl induction bonnet, correctly set up for cold induction
- Edelbrock Torker manifold
- Holley 750cfm four barrel carb
- Hooker Competition Plus headers, aluminium sprayed (I am guessing ceramic would be better)
- MSD 6AL electronic ignition
- Muncie M21 box rebuilt
- Positraction 12 bolt rear axle with 3.07 ratio
- heavy duty radiator
- extra oil cooler
- SPAX adjustable dampers with poly-graphite bushes throughout
- power steering and brakes
All this stuff still looks like new. The car's last magazine feature was in 2004, 11 years after it was built.
I am hoping that:
- clutches have come a bit of a way, and something lighter would be easy to fit.
- a Vintage Aircon system can be made to fit
- EFi can fit: someone on the general American thread mentioned that the higher inlet manifold may make that tough.
This last one is a fun read. This Camaro won the test over the Mustang and Challenger in terms of driveability and performance. They state that the Challenger's clutch is just too heavy (among other issues). Given that the Chevy's clutch is an absolute sod by modern standards, I dread to think what the Dodge was like! But they state that the narrow tyres on the Camaro aren't great for the power it has - modern rubber was going to happen anyway, as these could well be absolutely ancient given the minimal mileage the car has done!
Edited by Harry Flashman on Tuesday 25th July 23:04
Apart from paint on one of the wheels slightly flaking, it just doesn't look, inside, underneath, outside or in the engine bay any different to how it looks in these magazine articles, going back to 1994. Someone has absolutely loved this car.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Tuesday 25th July 23:03
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