Mid-Life Crisis '68 Camaro

[novadude]

Cool Pics. Where in the 'burgh was that car built?

[markinnaples]

When I learned of the car, it was in South Park, at a shop down in Broughton by the fire department. Norm had his shop in there for years after I knew him. I'm not sure if they did the entire car there, but I know he was down there when I used to see it.

[RSSSfan]

Really neat time capsule! Reminds me of the cars I worshiped when I was growing up in the 70's / 80's. I used to build models and did custom candy paint jobs with an airbrush. I dreamed of doing that for a living. So much for that. I have always wondered what happened to a lot of the old show cars from back then, especially the really high dollar ones. I can't imagine someone would just let something go when they have invested a lot of time and money into it, but it happens. Glad yours was so well preserved.

I would try to find a good engine guy to see if you might just be able to get by with rebuilding the engine that is in it. Might be as simple as honing one hole and installing some new rings. I would take it somewhere and have them check it out before dropping something else in it.

I don't recall reading if this car was an original 68 Z. If it was, all the more reason to keep that engine in it.

[markinnaples]

Thanks RSSSFan, appreciate it. I thought it possibly was an original Z when I got it, but after some research, I found out it was originally a plain 327/4spd Camaro. I'm OK with that. The 302 in it is a original DZ out of a '69 Z (3970010 casting, so I guess it's a late '69 Z?) but the block has been decked. I tried using the acid etching to see if I could raise the DZ stamp but they must have decked it too deep and wiped out the stamping. Bummer.

I have started taking it apart to see what happened to it as I initially thought it was a head gasket, but turned out not to be that. I'm hoping it was just a collapsed lifter and that the cam isn't wiped out, but I have several other projects to get finished before I can dedicate myself to finish taking it apart and seeing what's up. I really hope that it's not going to take a full rebuild but I guess that might be the best option. If it does need a full rebuild, I may take out the DZ block and replace it with a 383 and see if I can get the other numbers off it and sell it to someone who needs one for their OG '69 Z/28.

[markinnaples]

Well, the last year has been one full of really hard times (lost my mom in May, found out my job was being eliminated as part of a merger in the same month, the loss of some friends and acquaintances) and some decent times (good severance package and a new job that's pretty good). Through all that, I was finally able to make some progress on my '68 with a new engine that I've been pretty excited about and we got it put in this week and I've started working on hooking everything up to get it running in the next week or two.

[Xplantdad]

Glad that things are going better for you, Mark. Sorry about the loss of your mom-and the elimination of your job. My wife knows all about that...

[Lynn]

Very cool. Keep the pics coming.

[L78M22Rag]

That is one iconic day-two ride!

[big gear head]

That should make some tire smoke!

[Pro Stock John]

Great car, seen pics of it on FB maybe that's you posting but it's a sharp ride!!