Fred Gibb is known among the Camaro crowd as the “father of the ZL-1” and while this isn’t one of those, it IS a well-optioned SS396, and it’s up for sale right now, here on craigslist near Phoenix, Arizona. Let’s look closer at this very shiny machine! (Big thank-you to reader Rex M. for the tip)
Fred Gibb ran a Chevrolet dealership during the heyday of the Muscle Car era in the rural town of LaHarpe, Illinois, about 250 miles southwest of Chicago. He and his wife were personal friends of GM President Ed Cole and his wife Dolly, so Fred had an ‘in’ with Chevrolet engineering. Similar to Baldwin/Motion and Yenko, Fred used that connection in conjunction with the Central Office Production Order (or COPO) system to custom-order and outfit multiple Chevrolet vehicles for serious street racers, at a high price tag as compared to the standard, run-of-the-mill units.
The vehicle we see before us is not one of the infamous aluminum-block ZL-1s, but it IS an L-78 SS396 4-speed car that was sold at Fred’s dealership and apparently comes with some authentication documentation – a very important thing when you’re making claims about a piece of automotive history. We are told by the seller that it has been completely restored and is good to go, including many correct bits and pieces for the time and option packages. Its maroon paint and black vinyl roof treatment shine over the black interior, color-matched steelies and poverty hubcaps, and its modest appearance hides the mechanical monster under the hood. The seller’s description suggests that it is not numbers-matching, but for what it is and its condition, it’s hard to tell that anything is not as it was when it rolled off Fred’s lot in March of 1969.
I don’t know much, but I know a nice car when I see one, and this definitely ticks all of the boxes for me. It seems to be a beautifully well-restored example and has a big block V8, manual transmission, Posi rear, and hasn’t been tarted up with stuff from the J.C. Whitney catalog. That’s what I think, what do you think? Let us know in the comments!
It’s a beauty but that ‘Burgundy Maroon’ paint doesn’t seem to me to be a stock 1969 color. I’ve never seen another one like it.
That is a real color combination. Actually a pretty good one.
Here is the breakdown of colors for 1969 – percentages listed in picture. There are three ties (same %);
1. Le Mans (bright) Blue
2. Frost (light) Green
3. Fathom (dark) Green
4. Hugger Orange
5. Dover White
6. Garnet Red
7. Daytona Yellow
8. Tie – Cortez Silver
Olympic Gold
10. Rally Green
11. Glacier (light) Blue
12. Tie – Dusk (dark) Blue
Azure Turquoise
14. Tie – Burgundy
Burnished Brown
15. Butternut Yellow
16 Tie – Champain
.Black
Google; Camaro Research Group
This was a 69 factory color. I used to have a 69 Rally-sport convertible in the same color with red pinstripes. (the same shade as the hockey-stripes on this car).
Leaning heavy on that Fred Gibb connection to give the car some historical significance that it really doesn’t have.
This is not just some Impala 327 sport sedan sold from Fred Gibb Chevrolet… it’s one of (less than) 4,900 L78 396 made in 1969. Not too many built in Burgundy, plus the red stripe adds anothor element of scarcity, besides the other HiPo options. No COPO order form needed for this one, and a lot more affordable, too.
That makes for a strong provenance in any Chevrolet and/or Super Car collectors book…
I am so conflicted right now. Do I pony up the cash for this one? Or get the Rustang and sink that much or more in it?
Awesome Camaro though.
I would have to agree and the same thing I was thinking after viewing the pictures and reading about the SS Camaro , what one of the other readers (Melton Mooney) had posted was the seller was “Leaning heavy on that Fred GIbb connection to give the car some historical significance that it really doesn’t have ” , and he is exactly right . Numbers matching is the ultimate undisputed king of Authenticity and will command the best price especially it is a true survivor , this car is nice ,and it has some options but i would not say it’s heavily optioned. It has no tilt wheel , no deluxe interior , only poverty hubcaps ,no front /rear spoiler , and non- numbers matching engine , doesn’t mention what gear ratio in posi-rear end , the seller say he has documentation . Documentation of what it used to be at best . Looks like the original SS396 is long gone . Period correct is not numbers matching ,worth the same if it came from Fred Gibb or any dealership .
It’s a nicely optioned car that’s completely restored to high level. It’s a factory BIG block car with manual trans and limited slip. She’s wearing a color not seen 10 times a day, and a stripe color I don’t remember ever seeing. Two Camaro’s being equal this being a Gibb car has bragging rights over the Camaro ordered by Smith Chevrolet in Idaho. I don’t see any un-true claims being made by the seller, and it sounds my inspector will have no problems when he arrives on time to go over the car. The only problem this car has is all the Deaks on this site.
The facts don’t lie and you obviously don’t much about cars, or how to evaluate them . Bragging rights don’t mean squat , overpaying does .
James all things being equal it sounds as if you have over paid a few times.
An L78 396 Camaro was and is special , just check out that gorgeous paint job and solid lifter menace under the hood, a real factory street machine…whether it was sold by Fred Gibb, Dana, Grahalva Chevrolet makes no difference unless it was taken further by the dealer. The 427 Camaros were special dealer order/built machines that are quite rare anyways and will always command a premium. Nice looking car up there that looks too new,, if thats possible. Thats what I think if it to answer the original question.
How can you tell this car didn’t leave the factory with an L35?