Camaro History On Display Tomorrow Evening
 

Arguably one of the most important pieces of Camaro production history (perhaps the most exclusive) will be on display early tomorrow evening in south central Ohio.

If you are near by send me a PM and you can join us for the get together. Pizza is on me. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

For those who can't make it...I will get the pictures up for you guys.

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I wish I could attend. Looking forward to seeing the pictures and news.

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I get to drive it! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/3gears.gif[/img]

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While I await the arrival of the car... here is the 1967 Camaro Pilot Booklet cover page and the build information for VIN #0001 Fisher Body Plate unit 860 computer designated for IBM 360 data testing as &quot;DD01D&quot;.

This is the real deal. #1 build in the Pilot book delivered from Norwood Fisher body to Chevrolet Norwood on 5-21-66. The IBM card was already key punched for September Production on this particular unit.

The coach for the car was built out as unit 860 (which obviously it was not) as a test for the Fisher Body automated systems. (IBM 360 computer)

Photos of the car to follow shortly. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

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that is real cool......gezzz, I thought all the cars got &quot;show paint&quot; :-)

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What was the &quot;110 Volt Wiring&quot; option? Something to do with lighting for an unveiling?

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So it could be plugged into 110 at car shows instead of running on the battery.

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It was actual 110 volt so they could display the car with installed accent lighting.

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The Number one Camaro from the &quot;Number One Team&quot; arrived tonight in a glass trailer. Here are some teasers.

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More...Since the car was a tubbed race car before restoration he took extra pains to acknowledge the car's race history leaving the weld seams on display on the trunk floor.

The guy who had built the car into a racer had the original front sheet metal and the engine. The guy who restored it tracked him down and got the front end back.

The cost of the restoration is estimated at $250K [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img] Many-many NOS parts used on this car.

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Nice work Phil....

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The car was on Ebay and a no sale at around 35k. I remember thinking that was crazy for a 6 cylinder car. But need that it was number 1.

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That's incredible. Thank you for posting...any chance at all it will be at MCACN? I would dearly love to see this car up close as it is such a historical piece.

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img]

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I didn't see the shifter in any photos but the under hood shot looked like it is 3 on the tree, column shift. I remember a few Camaros and Firebirds equipped that way.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 70 copo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

The cost of the restoration is estimated at $250K [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img] Many-many NOS parts used on this car. </div></div>

$250K Yikes, is this for real?

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For real...Ownership cost including the restoration cost and a boatload of NOS parts is currently at $250K.

Example: Current owner located the guy who made the car into the bushmaster. The original engine and the front sheet metal are in the guy's barn. Grille is broken but the rest is otherwise complete. Owner of the car had to buy the entire contents of the barn from the now very old race car guy just to get the front sheet metal...guy who had it was crazy and would not separate anything so he had to buy it all.

This was the Bushmaster race car.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tracker1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That's incredible. Thank you for posting...any chance at all it will be at MCACN? I would dearly love to see this car up close as it is such a historical piece.

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img] </div></div>

Yes MCACN is possible...Charley knows about the car. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

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Correct..It was/is a pretty basic car..column shift.

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Here is a post about this car in 2009.
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=155777

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When he bought the front sheetmetal were they the orig fenders and that is why no Camaro emblem ?

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">When he bought the front sheetmetal were they the orig fenders and that is why no Camaro emblem ? </div></div>

Correct. Never drilled. The early Pilots left the factory with no primary name emblems. The build at Norwood was called the &quot;F car&quot; only at that point.

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It's really cool that it survived and has been so meticulously restored. I too would love to see it MCACN . Is there any ownership history prior to it becoming a drag car? Like did it end up being sold new at a dealership or did a GM exec have it as a demo?

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 6t7 camaro</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It's really cool that it survived and has been so meticulously restored. I too would love to see it MCACN . Is there any ownership history prior to it becoming a drag car? Like did it end up being sold new at a dealership or did a GM exec have it as a demo? </div></div>

Owners wife title searched the car back to January 1967. When she started hitting dead ends, they contacted General Motors, and GM told them to contact me.

There is a binder that has information on every owner to date including pictures of cemeteries..yes they went to the places where the previous owner was buried (if dead)

Good guess on the dealer... not a GM exec, but a big shot dealer ended up with the car when it was new.

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Neat stuff...I remember the ebay link from when it was for sale....

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The owner of the car is a noted Shelby Cobra aficionado. He is going to get a new glass panel made for the trailer very soon. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/burnout.gif[/img]

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Who was the big shot dealer?

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R.T Ayers Chevrolet... Long gone it is a car wash now

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Is there a reason for the lack of a cowl seal ?

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Was that Richard Ellis' trailer ?

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Yes it was...the trailer with the Shelby hi po parts display indoors at MCACN.

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Wow&quot;..........did I say WOW?
Gorgeous.
(Looks like one of InTech Trailers? They build some bad ass trailers)

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is there a reason for the lack of a cowl seal ? </div></div>

That is a good question. I will ask the owner tomorrow. I know that he was still looking for some hard to find NOS parts.

I almost choked when he told me he paid $550 each side for NOS sill plates..and then he showed me one NOS heater hose and said he was looking for the other one, and regretted having to use anything other than NOS on this car -even to get it operable. He has an NOS battery, but it is dry and he is on the fence if he will use it or just display it with the car.

Tomorrow he is meeting with 4 surviving Pilot build guys from Norwood at a private residence to discuss the car and the pilot program. We will be rolling video where we can - to gather what we can for the documentary.

Tuesday the car will be on display for the main active UAW retiree group. They will number about 400 and we will be rolling video there also.

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I think the cowl seal is still available from Chevrolet. I see one on Ebay now new in the box. Makes no sense to me to use NOS parts but not repair the trunk properly.

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Gotta have NOS dum-dum too! Just kidding - great piece of history. It's a labor of love for sure.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think the cowl seal is still available from Chevrolet. I see one on Ebay now new in the box. Makes no sense to me to use NOS parts but not repair the trunk properly. </div></div>

Owner is the type of guy who insists on NOS where the P/N is the part number on the wrapper as found in the AIM, that is just the way he is.

We spoke at length on the trunk repairs. Undeniably the car took an unprecedented beating across many forums when the car initially appeared on the E-bay auction, and a review of the 22 pages of team Camaro forum replies alone show the animus towards the car because of the extreme restoration needed to save it.

Weld seams visible was an intentional act because the next allegation to be thrown would be the rebody assertion when the car resurfaced as a restoration.

With the way the car was done that allegation is taken off the table from the get go.

Given a review of what was said about the car I agree 100% with the restoration approach taken.

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Thanks for posting this Phil. A historic part of Camaro history and thanks to all involved for saving it. Interesting on the trunk floor sections. That is one way to preserve what could also be a special floor pan. It would be nice to see if there are any minute differences from the production 67 panels. I felt the same way about the Firebirds, too bad they all ended up in the dumpster.


BIG

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Just great photo documentation during restoration would prove it's not a rebody.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just great photo documentation during restoration would prove it's not a rebody. </div></div>. I agree Great job Phil on the info

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Well the way it is no one will ever claim that there was any trickery employed.

If that makes him happy good for him, besides dressing in the seams could still be done at a later date.