There isn’t much of a question as to who would win in a collision between a Camaro Z28 and a bulldozer, but what the resulting carnage would look like? Well, the 1969 Camaro Z28 above had a run in with a disgruntled bulldozer and as you can see, the results are as catastrophic as one would imagine. This is a heart wrenching train wreck, you don’t want to look at it, but you just can’t take your eyes off it. The current owner believes that someone out there might be interested in trying to save it, but we don’t see it being used for much other than the coveted X33 VIN plate. If you are as captivated by this terrible sight as we are, be sure to take a look at the listing here on eBay.
As you can see, the damage inflicted to this Camaro is extensive and would be nearly impossible to rectify. As they say, anything is possible with enough money, but given how mangled this one is we don’t see it getting straightened out any time soon. There are few Camaros more desirable than the Z28. It was the highest performance Camaro one could get without going to Yanko for a COPO 427. If this were a Yanko Camaro, we have no doubt in our mind that someone would buy it and restore it from the ground up. While the Z/28 is sought after, we don’t see this one ever being restored, but we do see the VIN making its way onto a brand new reproduction body…
The Z/28 was a combination performance and visual package, but was mostly meant to offer customers with a near race ready Camaro. Vince Piggins, the driving force behind the Z/28, saw it as a chance to homologate the Camaro for Trans Am racing. To meet Trans Am regulations, the Z/28 came with a 302 cui V8 that was nearly race spec. To keep insurance rates down and stay in lower racing classes, GM underrated the 302’s power ratings. They advertised the motor as having just 290 hp, but in reality power was closer to 400 hp. Sadly, this car’s motor is long gone and finding a replacement could get expensive. Then again, does it really matter if the motor is there? Just about every inch of this car is damaged and most of the important pieces are either missing or destroyed.
Besides being a Z/28, this car also has the added benefit of having been optioned as an x33. Visually, the Z/28 packaged added a special Rally Stripe to the base car, unless you ordered it as an X33. The X33 package added the RS trim, making for one mean looking Pony car. Z/28 prices have been all over the place the past couple years, but recently skyrocketed. With nice examples fetching six figures, we are sure someone will buy this one simply for the VIN. It’s hard to tell what impact the X33 option will have on value, but it sure makes for one good looking car. We still aren’t sure how we feel about slapping the VIN on a modern day reproduction, but we do like the idea of having a Z/28 that we could drive every day and this crumpled and damaged shell to park as yard art. How many people can say they have a 1969 Camaro Z/28 that saw the business end of a bulldozer parked in their yard? Would you rescue this Camaro or is it beyond saving?
That should buff right out!
When the phrase “Beyond my ability” was coined, it was coined while looking at this car!
Sad This VIN on a repro body? Not if I knew about it,,, Kinda like a plastic surgery Barbie. Interesting…but no… No thanks
Lawn Art… that’s about it. I swear, some people will try to sell anything. Manure comes in bags and makes great fertilizer.
The eBay listing has been pulled.
What a piece of
well, either somebody got to the seller, or the bulldozer came back and finished the job because the auction has been ended by the seller. Having been a teenager when this car was new, I can just shake my head in sorrow.
Let’s hope someone bought it and that it never sees another bulldozer! It truly is a sad sight to see.
100% certain someone just bought themselves a VIN number to go on their fancy new body shell.
I hope somebody does get it and restores it whether with a whole new body or whatever, all the body is available so I would opt to make a car that can be driven or shown. To let it die would be heartless….
Letting it die isn’t an option, I fear if has arrived at that state.
Such a shame. I’m currently doing a complete nut and bolt restoration on a 69 z28 dz302 Camaro. It had been sitting in a barn since 1984. Can’t wait for the finished product, but she will ride again.
What was the line someone on here used, take the VIN plate & slide a new one under it.
If the X33 adds the RS trim, why does this car have the standard Camaro grill? Wish we had a shot of the rear end to see backup light placement…
As far as yard art goes, I’m saving up for a wrecked MIG from Poland. Bigger, uglier and it ought to annoy the neighbors WAY more than a mere wrecked car! ^o^
The steering wheel cover looks okay…..
I’m OK with re-bodying a rusted or damaged classic, but it should involve transferring all of the usable components from the original. This poor thing seems to offer nothing but the VIN. I guess this will always be an issue in the car hobby, and I would usually be good with it, but this is an example of a car offering nothing but that number plate. And it sold. Starting to change my opinion on this.
I hate to be the one that busts a good story but this was not crushed by a bulldozer. I used this car for a “pin-up” photo shoot of my ex-wife.
What do you bet one of those monkeys from one of the car reality shows bought this? Gonna find the missing parts, paint and bodywork, motor, interior- done. Flip it for big profit. In 10 days.
SAD Sight. Sure would like to know the story of why someone did this to a car like this. But probly old news along time ago. I did notice a factory tach,the rear axle might be something to check out . I owned two 68 z-28s and they both where 12 bolt pozi,s. So there might be a few things beside the tag and vin. But still to bad ,I don’t think a sound minded person would even consider fixing the car.
This looks like some of the Porsche auctions you see
I think these sad remains need to be buried in the backyard, right next to the old man’s leg lamp, more shattered remains of life’s major awards!
Thanks for the chuckle, I really needed that today!
I’d hold out for the 1967 Chevelle SS396 in the background. It’s probably where that big block exhaust manifold came from and likely has a chance of being a real car again without a reproduction everything.
As for this car, someone will grab the VIN, add it to a new shell and scrap all or almost all of the rest. It reminds me of a 1969 Camaro I found delivering pizza 15 years ago. The roof was rotted out and so I passed, but I can’t help but wonder if the 1976 Nova around the corner that supposedly had a real-deal 302 under the hood (and that I was offered for $200!) got the engine from that donor. Sadly, neither car exists anymore as the trailer the Nova was at was bulldozed before I could come up with the money. I really wanted that Nova.
LOL…LOL. and….LOL. (Oh my, I can’t breathe.)
VIN plate swapping is lower than low. For me it’s the biggest BS in cardom. Acknowledged ‘tribute’ is one thing, passing-off is something else completely.
who in their right mind would try to get money in exchange for this? Can someone explain?
X-33 did not get you a rally sport car. X-33 was the Style Trim Group which got you extra chrome like the wheelwell moulding and the lover trim on the quarter panels and some extra fancy bits in the interior and headlight chrome trim.
one owner,all original,rare in this condition,ran perfect when parked,much restoration work already done,Body in primer,ready for you to pick your color,easy project to finish, numbers matching,frame-off, too much to list
I don’t agree on putting an original tag on a repro body. That’s just not right. And if this has the RS package, why is the grill not a rally grill? And isn’t it called a Yenko, not Yanko? But seriously, the car isn’t even worth being a yard ornament. Crush it, cry, and be done with it. It just makes the others a little more higher priced.
I disagree. I love the idea of reproduction bodies and have no problem with them at all. To me, the issue is when you put such a car together and pass it off as original. That I don’t like. This is a VIN donor, and if it were priced as such (and not as a potential real Z-28) I wouldn’t have any issue with someone using the VIN off of it to make their kit car legal for the streets. Passing off the same car as a real Z-28 though is unethical and fraudulent. Then again, I have no interest in restoring a rare car to factory spec and would never take the time and money to buy a valuable car and do that to it. I prefer the base models so that I can paint my own work on a blank piece of canvas. For me, the rising value of these cars makes them less interesting since I am not an investor and will never have the kind of income that lets me be one. I buy a car to build it and drive it, and a reproduction body makes an excellent starting point for that purpose.
With all the replacement parts available, it would be cheaper to rebuild a “new” one from scratch then trying to rebuild this one. Whomever will, they can take the cars I.D. plate/tag and put “In Memory of” and let it go at that. Right now its worth more in scrap then anything that running in the next 1000 years. Sad.
Hmm, That is going to need a bit more than Tcut before its show ready, ahhh some paint should do yes, a new paint job and shes ready.
I have to point out that in the filming of Vanishing Point (1971) the car that was destroyed at the end of the movie wasn’t a Challenger but… a Camaro! Probably not a Z28 and not sure the year but I think that’s conclusive evidence that the bulldozer wins.
Yeah I remember that when I first saw it at the Sunset Drive In in San Luis Obispo CA. I almost had a stroke when I thought the Challenger was destroyed but was relieved at the end when it was only a lowly Chevy ;)
Now I have seen everything.
The seller ended the auction early, so we assume a deal was made offline.
When talking about Yenko Camaros, they are Yenko Camaros and not Yanko.
The Camaro Z28 that met with the dozer probably could be restored. Watch what Mark Worman does with Mopar cars that are nearly gone on the Velocity show Graveyard Carz.