Originally Posted by bbbentley (Post 1487162)

Adding to what history I know: the second owner has shared much through texts and when we have met up at some car shows. He told me a story about how he would win bets with this Camaro by jumping it over a Little King's Cream Ale bottle when at the bowling alley after work. I envision one of those “hold my beer and watch this” moments, lol. The original owner and he were good friends that’s worked at the same factory. When the OO went in the service, he put the car in his Dad’s garage. The exhaust rusted off sitting. It sat 2 years. There is a story that the “kid” the 2nd owner, Dale, sold the car to, he put 4.88s in the car. He would drive it on the highway because Dale got into a few drag races with his old car. It was not long before the kid blew up the engine. Dale remembers a gas station that the car was sitting at waiting to get a new engine. That would have been in ‘78. This kid had the original gears put back in (3.31). Then, traded it to his high school buddy for a sb Nova and cash. That guy traded to the guy I got the car from after he graduated. The 402 that was in the car now was anemic and needing rebuilt. This 5th owner had a guy rebuild a 69 350 and install in exchange for the big block. And to quote this guy I got the car from:
According to Paul (5th owner):
It was probably 79 when I got it. I had a Honda 750 Chopper that I was tired of and wanted to sell. I saw an ad in The Tradin Post paper for a 69 Camaro for sale or trade for 750 cc motorcycle. So I called the number. The Camaro was only 4 miles from my house in Madeira. We made the deal and I soon had a Camaro. I drove the car for a bit with the 402 big block, but it just never felt good like it was under powered. I had a buddy named Warren in Covington, KY that was a mechanic and he said he could put together a screeming 350 sml blk and he would do all the labor for the 402. I preferred and small block for weight savings and handling.... so out came a big block and he started building the 350. never let a guy put on piston rings when he's been drinking a few beers...when he got it all together we tried to get it running, man did it smoke the oil....not long after that we had a falling out over the deal and thats when the car came home and was sold to you. The motor disappeared and so did Warren, so I have no idea where the 402 went.”
And there are more stories.
When I got the car, I towed it home with a tow bar. I got the 350 running, but oh, what a piece of excrement. A few buddies were there to witness this car running. I throw the truck plates off our farm truck, pile my buddies in the car and off on the car’s maiden voyage. No exhaust, no power steering or brakes, no tail lights or brake lights, no registration or correct plates. But off we went anyway. Talk about a smoking, no compression sick running car? We get to the bottom of my road which opened up onto a straight 4 lane. I lay into it. About 30 mph, the front lh tire goes sailing past the front door!! It was all I could do to get it stopped. A house nearby we were able to borrow a wrench and jack. But the homeowner called the law too. It was the Highway patrol. He did a lot of yelling and said he never wanted to see the car on the road again without proper registration and other violations fixed. Gave me a ticket for wrong plates. He followed me home and all the way up my parents long drive where I promptly pulled it into the backyard under a tree and pulled the engine right there.