Black on Black 1967 Camaro L78 124377N212598

[jbtech]

As I've discovered before, Max Edward McCandlish is the salesman who ordered my car when working at Bobb Chevrolet and whose name is signed on the original sales documents to my car. I'm still in contact with his son Matt McCandlish who has been a tremendous help with uncovering new information about the dealership. Back in December 2022 Matt shared a few photos with me that I posted here but today I was able to get permission to share a photo of Mr. and Mrs. McCandlish and their new 69 Camaro. I wanted to share the photo because I think it is a cool part of the story as he ordered a Black 67, Black 68, and Black 69, all Super Sport in addition to the many cars he ordered and owned. Although, he was able to buy both the 68 and 69 in time before a customer snatched them up.

Here is the short recap of the story:

After taking delivery of the custom ordered L78 Camaro, Mr. McCandlish took the brand new car to National Trail Raceway in Columbus Ohio for a test drive down the strip. This is where Bruce would spot the black Camaro going down the drag strip with the window sticker still in the window.
Bruce the same or very next day walked into the dealership to buy the car but Mr. McCandlish simply didn't want to sell the car. Mr. Woodward, I believe the owner of the dealership, posed an ultimatum where Mr. McCandlish either had to sell a Corvette or the Camaro would sell to Bruce. Bruce was able to buy the car and Mr. McCandlish was not happy about it.

[BJCHEV396]

Great story and pics Jose....thanks for sharing!!

[1967Z28]

Seems like the salesman could have still had time to order another black '67 SS if he really wanted to if this one was delivered in late April.

[Geoff Smith]

Great car , find and read ...

[L72copocamaro]

I don't know how it all happens in two days, but it's a great story.

[jbtech]

Originally Posted by 1967Z28

Seems like the salesman could have still had time to order another black '67 SS if he really wanted to if this one was delivered in late April.

It's possible!

Matt (son of salesman) says his father would order cars "All the time. Drove them off the lot on Fridays & sold them on Mondays"

Originally Posted by L72copocamaro

I don't know how it all happens in two days, but it's a great story.

The deal in it's entirety didn't happen in two days.

I just got off the phone with Bruce. He is following and wanted to confirm that the boss gave Mr. McCandlish a few days to sell one of 2 other cars he had ordered to have a chance to keep the Camaro. One he remembered being a Corvette. Bruce had to wait a few days and he then got the call to come pick up the Camaro as the salesman didn't sell one of the other cars in time.



On a side note, how accurate are gm production dates on NCRS reports?

[jbtech]

Feels good to find something from the cars past like this!
I sent the photos to Misty the ex wife of the 3rd owner Alan Mason and she loved it. Alan thankfully took photos when he owned the the car in the late 70s including the interior pic shown. He was a high school student then. Alan was able to help me solve the puzzle of the ownership history before he passed.

The two big missing items to the car are the POP and trans. Bruce says he thinks the POP went to the car when it sold. I reached out to Shane Goss, brother of 2nd owner John Goss. Shane says his brother confirmed he didn't keep any paperwork to the car and when the car sold it likely went with the car. Since Alan passed, I reached out to Richard Buckley (4th owner) through his wife Dorothy who said he didn't remember the booklets coming with the car. (See previous posts for pics of Dorothy with car as a HS student).
This leads me to believe that Alan must have had the POP last if Bruce indeed sold the car with the POP in glove box. So I reached out to Misty who said she's going to ask a family member who kept some of Alan's things to see if somehow the POP is there.

In regards to the transmission the last I know is that Richard Buckley sold the Camaro with a bad steering box and without an engine. Younger brother Charley Buckley remembered the trans was tied up in the car.

Mr Jenkins who got the car as it was pulled from the barn from his friend John Baxter in the 2000s said the Camaro had a non numbers matching junk transmission and the fiberglass hood was coming apart.

My guess is trans was likely swapped out between Tom Rooker (5th owner) and Judy Stevens-Rooker (6th owner).

[big gear head]

Is that a Cal Custom shifter handle?

[jbtech]

Originally Posted by big gear head

Is that a Cal Custom shifter handle?

I'm not sure. Do you have a photo of the T handle to compare? It would be cool to find that. I believe the shifter in the photo is a supershifter because the shifter hole in the tunnel was notched about 1" on the left side and bent downward for clearance. And the console shifter plate was also notched.

[big gear head]

I don't have a picture, but I've seen a lot of them on Facebook.