new 68 camaro fan here
#12
12-18-2009, 04:59 AM
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Casselberry, FL
Posts: 1,242
So burnt tell me some history of your camaro.
#13
12-18-2009, 08:33 AM
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 441
OK here is what i found out from the little old lady that owned it for the past 25 yrs.
she told me her and her mexican husband ( both from st.louis MO.) bought the car in 81 or 82 from the 2nd owner who gave them a copy of the original owners title when they bought it showing 71,324 miles on it (which she gave to me) the 2nd owner sold it after only 4-5 months to them after getting laid off. now the 3rd owners (whom i bought it from) did a custom frame off on it in 84-85 and took it to shows winning several awards etc. They worked on the car and showed it together it was their hobbie but she told me her husband died suddenly in the winter between 86-87 and she couldnt bare to drive it without him or could not part with it and maybe put 200 miles on it in past 20 yrs. the odometer now shows 73,451 it had the original born with 327 in it when i bought it that i pulled and dumped a fresh 355 in (to save the original for a later date), it sat in her heated garage for 20 yrs with about 10-15 cats so no mice but lots of claw marks on the paint!! she sold it because her grandson needed a car and didnt want that old piece of crap (he will kick himself in the **** when he gets older!) the lady was super nice and gave me a little clear bag with tons of paperwork and reciepts for the car, the grandson however was a little money grubbin pos! he kept saying barret jackson this and that and 12-13 grand bla bla !!
so i talk to the lil old lady and showed how the paint was bad from the cats etc. the tires were rotten from age, and how every thing mech would have to gone through from sitting all those yrs and she agreed i said i felt a fair price would be 8500 she said 10,000 (with the grandson poking at her) so i pulled out the 9400 cash i had and said thats all i had and that i would restore the car back to its glory and let it see the road which it hadnt in a very long time!! the grandson was about to shoot his mouth when she said shut up ! mister Riva you seem like a nice man and would take good care of my baby its yours! so i gave her the money and she signed over the title (im sure the grandson stole most or all the cash from her after i left!).
i went and bought 5 gallons of fresh 93 octane an oil filter and oil and a new battery and got it to fire right up in about 30 minutes!!! purred and idled smooth as silk!! (grandson was pissed!!!)
She asked me to keep something of her husbands work on the car if i could when i restored it so i said i would and i left the ss plate on the firewall they had installed in their resto back in 84. but all the mexican style pin stripping has to go!!
you can see i cleaned and repainted the engine bay deleteing the stripes
before
after
she told me her and her mexican husband ( both from st.louis MO.) bought the car in 81 or 82 from the 2nd owner who gave them a copy of the original owners title when they bought it showing 71,324 miles on it (which she gave to me) the 2nd owner sold it after only 4-5 months to them after getting laid off. now the 3rd owners (whom i bought it from) did a custom frame off on it in 84-85 and took it to shows winning several awards etc. They worked on the car and showed it together it was their hobbie but she told me her husband died suddenly in the winter between 86-87 and she couldnt bare to drive it without him or could not part with it and maybe put 200 miles on it in past 20 yrs. the odometer now shows 73,451 it had the original born with 327 in it when i bought it that i pulled and dumped a fresh 355 in (to save the original for a later date), it sat in her heated garage for 20 yrs with about 10-15 cats so no mice but lots of claw marks on the paint!! she sold it because her grandson needed a car and didnt want that old piece of crap (he will kick himself in the **** when he gets older!) the lady was super nice and gave me a little clear bag with tons of paperwork and reciepts for the car, the grandson however was a little money grubbin pos! he kept saying barret jackson this and that and 12-13 grand bla bla !!
so i talk to the lil old lady and showed how the paint was bad from the cats etc. the tires were rotten from age, and how every thing mech would have to gone through from sitting all those yrs and she agreed i said i felt a fair price would be 8500 she said 10,000 (with the grandson poking at her) so i pulled out the 9400 cash i had and said thats all i had and that i would restore the car back to its glory and let it see the road which it hadnt in a very long time!! the grandson was about to shoot his mouth when she said shut up ! mister Riva you seem like a nice man and would take good care of my baby its yours! so i gave her the money and she signed over the title (im sure the grandson stole most or all the cash from her after i left!).
i went and bought 5 gallons of fresh 93 octane an oil filter and oil and a new battery and got it to fire right up in about 30 minutes!!! purred and idled smooth as silk!! (grandson was pissed!!!)
She asked me to keep something of her husbands work on the car if i could when i restored it so i said i would and i left the ss plate on the firewall they had installed in their resto back in 84. but all the mexican style pin stripping has to go!!
you can see i cleaned and repainted the engine bay deleteing the stripes
before
after
Last edited by burnt68; 12-18-2009 at 08:55 AM.
#14
12-18-2009, 08:41 AM
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 441
the trim tag for the car showed OO paint code which was corvette bronze and that was the color of the first 68 camaro i owned when i was 19 or so and everyone i knew said it looked like BURNT orange. (hense my user name)
i will paint it back to the original color with a black ss stripe over the nose and down the sides
i have a fresh 355 (425 hp),m20 4 speed and a rebuilt 12 bolt posi with 3:31 gears thats gonna be installed. motor and trans are in!
i will paint it back to the original color with a black ss stripe over the nose and down the sides
i have a fresh 355 (425 hp),m20 4 speed and a rebuilt 12 bolt posi with 3:31 gears thats gonna be installed. motor and trans are in!
#15
12-18-2009, 08:50 AM
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 441
kinda goin for a modern/ retro look
i was a teenager in the early 80`s and liked the fat wide tires on the rear and just dont like the new 18-22`s on the old muscle cars
the sst wheels on my 68 were ones i had on my original 68 that i removed and covered in wax in my basement for the past 22 yrs so i figured they should go on this one!! trying to relive my youth i guess!!??
you can see in this pic the husbands paint work on the rear spoiler
i was a teenager in the early 80`s and liked the fat wide tires on the rear and just dont like the new 18-22`s on the old muscle cars
the sst wheels on my 68 were ones i had on my original 68 that i removed and covered in wax in my basement for the past 22 yrs so i figured they should go on this one!! trying to relive my youth i guess!!??
you can see in this pic the husbands paint work on the rear spoiler
