Meeting with an original owner...a special visit.

[DW31S]

Mine was a Super Stock as a brand new car in '69. Never cut, tubbed, backhalved; the only real body changes were the addition of front and rear spoilers and a swap from the standard SS hood to a "Cold Air" package---remember the term "Cowl Induction" officially started with the '70 Chevelle. The original owner of my car, Bill Izykowski, wisely chose the one he did because it fit perfectly in the same class with other cars that had a lower advertised horsepower. Bill won class in Stock Eliminator at the Winternationals the three previous years in 427 Biscaynes, but wanted to now field a Super Stocker. Savvy as ever, he discovered that the 396/350 and the 396/325 '69 Camaro both fell into SS/H, so it's not hard to figure out what drivetrain was originally in my car!
I see your car, originally a 302, was raced as the 350/255 combo that was so popular at that time.......and still is!!! A local Maryland racer named Gary Ewing just won the NHRA Division 1 Super Stock Championship in a '69 Z/28 (originally a 302), now running a 350/255! Gary bought the car brand new and started racing with his brothers (Ewing Brothers) within days of taking delivery!
At the risk of hijacking your thread, I thought the stories I shared were pertinent to your car's history as it is entirely possible that your car and the others I mentioned could have competed against each other and the original owner of your car might know Bill Izykowski or The Ewing Brothers.
Again, please share any and all history or racing stories involving your fine car!

[Bill Pritchard]

Great story and photos, thanks for sharing. You are fortunate indeed!

[njsteve]

Awesome story!

[NorCam]

Thanks for all the comments (no hi-jack concerns at all Dave). I was a bit too young to have caught all these cars racing in the early 70's as I was riding something with a banana seat and learning about dirt bikes. By the time I came of age with cars, it was 1980 and I had missed so much of the early race days. What's really cool now is how the Day II era has seen a resurgence where all these old race cars are more popular now than ever.

It actually has me on the hunt for a couple other well known cars from this same period that are still known to be tucked away, and if I can find the one I want, it'll be left mostly like it was back in the 70's. A 67 that was raced in the same area and took down many numbers. It's in the background of this next color shot with Kym's car below, and I have added a couple more shots of it in the pit lanes.

The 67 car was called Suddenly...and was a heavy hitter at the PNW tracks of the 70's.


Green 68 (Suddenly) in the back ground.

[NorCam]

And here are a couple more shots a few people with vintage stock have been sending me as of late. These 3 just arrived tonight and will going on the website tomorrow with a host of other race car pics that Kym raced against throughout the 70's.


Kym staging left lane (right of this shot)


Heating up the stickies


Think this was 73 when he pulled the 302ci in favor of the 350/255

[DW31S]

Very, very cool indeed! What, if any vintage race parts were still present when you acquired the car?

[scuncio]

Awesome, the best situation you could hope for is finding an original owner who's also a big time car guy....

[NorCam]

Not much Dave. The original ladder bar setup and the original diff was still in it but the drive line, cage and just about everything else was updated as the car was bracket raced throughout the 90's and right up until 2012 when Dean Watts owned the car and raced it locally. See here with the wheels up in 2011 and the Rocky Mountain Nationals in 2012.







When I bought the car, Dean had pulled the 540ci and the Jerico out of it and those went to one of his friends. I only wanted the car so I was all good with that and here is the way I unloaded it here at home 18 months ago. Since then I've been busy gathering a lot of parts including some original stuff from the earlier owners. I think I have 99% of what I need to put it right back to factory now except the born with block which lived and we are working at finding. Kym has tracked it through 3 owners now and is close to discovering who's car it's in now? (fingers are crossed)


As found 2015

[ZLP955]

Great that you've been able to meet and talk with the first owner!
Looks like the car originally had a flat hood (pic 7 of the first post), are you going back to that?

[Geoff Smith]

Nice work. Persistence has certainly paid for you and I hope it continues. Great opportunity to get the original engine and reunite with the original owner...