Those Where The Days My Friend

In 1969, Steve was driving to work one morning in his 442 (a 1967 Oldsmobile). He drove by the Big R Chevrolet dealership daily. But this morning he glanced over at the dealership and they were unloading an orange and white 1969 Z-28 Camaro off a car carrier. It was Lust At First Sight! He immediately stopped at Big R and my ever impulsive husband traded on the spot.


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They hammered out a deal. Then the smiling salesman loaned him a brand new demo, an Impala, while the Camaro was being prepped. He picked up his new car two days later (he had to wait on all the usual financial shuffling, etc.). Then he drove home a happy boy, uh, man.

From all the tales I've heard this Camaro was something else!

Chevy built the new Z-28 so that they could qualify it for the TransAm Series Race. It had the only 302 cubic inch V-8 that Chevy ever made. All the parts of the motor where straight from the Chevrolet racing catalog. It would only run on Sunoco 460 Premium fuel or it would knock and fuel economy was not a factor (15 highway, 10 town). It had no air conditioning or any of the now common amenities because the motor turned over 6000 rpm. Chevy wouldn't guarantee the air conditioner motor at such high RPM's. It didn't have power steering, so it was a bear to drive at slow speeds and in parking lots!

He once drove it from Jacksonville to Daytona Beach Speedway, which is approximately 90 miles one way, in under 55 minutes. By the time he got there, none of guys in the car could hear and they all felt like their insides were shaken not stirred!

It was definitely a man's car. A true muscle car.

Unfortunately, he had traded the Z-28 by the time I came along, but I get to hear all the fun stories about his shenanigans.

These old autos where uncomfortable as can be, but I miss really fast cars. They had character.


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