It’s a head-scratcher. It’s a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS, originally a 396 (L78), that despite never having been titled or registered has more than 17,000 miles on it. It turns out that the car has extensive racing history, and was run on the road via dealer plates by the son of that dealership’s owner. The car is available here on eBay in Saginaw, Michigan. The current bid is over $45,000, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
The Camaro was known as “The Green Meany” on the track, and it set several records, being the first Showroom Stock car to run a quarter-mile under 13 seconds back in 1971. The class it ran in probably explains the fact that it’s still mostly intact, though the radio and heater were removed. The car could fairly easily be converted back to stock—it was never cut up, abused, or visibly modified (though the rear wheel wells were tucked in slightly for bigger tires). The missing parts, which include a blank Protect-o-Plate, the fan shroud, and brake components, come with the car, 52 years after they were removed.
The story is this: The lucky young owner was there in 1969 to unload the car at dad’s dealership, and personally undercoated it. The car was loaded from the factory, with a cowl induction hood, power disc brakes, 12-bolt rear end, rear antenna, and Endura front bumper.
“This car was built to be a sleeper, and was tuned to perfection,” says the current vendor. “The original owner went on to become an engineer with GM. He developed a patented ‘switch plate’ stator for a racing torque converter with this Camaro—after that, he created 24 other patented inventions.”
Back in the day, the owner (whose first drag car was a ’63 Impala SS) promptly removed and sold the original 396—he wanted a 427. He later tried to find his original again, but settled for a similar power plant from an SS Chevelle. It’s there now, and running strong. Total mileage on the odometer: 17,715.
In keeping with the “sleeper” theme, the owner (a college student then) removed the 396 badges and replaced them with misleading 327 items. And he snuck off to Midwest Raceway in Manhattan, Kansas whenever he could. On the first day, he recorded a 14:10 ET. “I started going after the World Record for Showroom Stock in earnest for the rest of the summer of 1970,” he said. “And just about every time I got the car under the record someone else would bump it down again.”
Finally, on a day in 1971 when “the track was so sticky that it would pull your tennis shoes off…I ran the Camaro to a 12.99 ET!! And I ran the necessary back-ups in the low 13s….Admittedly, 12.99 quarter-mile times for today’s muscle cars is nothing. But back in the 70s, the tires were bias plies. The suspensions were archaic and many other factors limited getting all that raw power to the tires and track itself. This certainly was an accomplishment for its day.” Videos on eBay show the car racing back then and give a tour of it now. There’s no photo of the 396 on the eBay post, but you can see it and hear it run on Youtube.
After college, the racing records and dealership service experience helped our hero land a job with the GM Proving Grounds. He took the Camaro with him and used it as a testbed for many years. He Teflon-coated the pistons and “just about everything that moved inside the engine.”
“I also was among the first to use crank-triggered ignition,” he states. “Additionally, I had an onboard analog computer which sampled the exhaust temperature at each port for balancing fuel mixture distribution. Altogether, I have 24 patents with GM with still a few pending. All were for engine, transmission, and fuel system designs.”
In 1987, after time out for the family and building a house, he was back racing, with Mark Reuss (now president of GM) as a coop student helping him. “I put just about every available technology into the engine and transmission. I designed my own valve body for the trans with a lot of trick stuff. Eventually, I got the car to run in the mid-10s. I think the best I did with the car was at Norwalk, with a 10.49 ET and ~ 133 mph. Yup, that Camaro was a big part of my early life.”
So it’s a well-loved, historic car, that could either be raced again or returned to the street as a low-mileage original. Maybe the radio could even be re-installed, and the heater once again pumps out warmth. The new owner will have quite a few options.
Seriously mean running car.And those aren’t bias ply tires. That’s a lot of miles 1/4 mile at a time but someone’s going to get a nice ride! Would appreciate it in my garage for sure.
17,000 miles 1/4 mile at a time, skinny pedal mashed and banging through the gears. That’s a lot of abuse on the internals!
But the article says that the OEM engine got swapped for a 427 and after racing was over a 396 (not the OEM) was put back in. The wear ends up in the driveline and rear suspension.
Artical says he had a impala he replaced the original 396 with a 427 and ran 327 badges on car
Amazing and interesting! If its as advertised, its one of a kind, you dont find them like this. The bid history is laden with suspect scammer bids, in fact, looks like the scum scammer has the hi bid right now. Good luck and know what you are buying.
Cheers
GPC
Those are not scammer bids. Geez. I know the car locally as it is 30 minutes from me. I know two of the bidders. It likely won’t end up locally but I know people were waiting for the auction in the area.
Those are not scammer bidders. Geez. The car is 30 minutes from me and I know two of the bidders locally here. In the end, it likely won’t end up locally, pretty unique car that will do well if the reserve is realistic.
As it says, he drove it with dealer plates. In no way is the mileage indicating the number of times down the strip.
It’s just too bad the original motor is gone.
What a neat history. I watched the clip of it racing-mean bad to the bone camaro. I would put the removed parts back in and drive it ,run it a bit down the 1/4. Its to bad the original engine is gone. I had a 64 gto(3rd gto built!) around 1985 that was mostly a weekend racer. It had 35,000 or so miles on it.I got to talk to the guy that ordered it,it had a 389 tipower originaly with ,in the trunk came the 421 heads and tripower,factory headers. silver with red int. only head it 6 months. this camaro will find a nice home-it should sell at top $$ stuff like this does not show up ofen. I had a chance for a 69 z-28 eng. and trans gone ,only had 19,000 miles. red and very nice.Same story,1/4 miles at a time.
I had a chance to buy a 69 Z28, four wheel discs, just about every option. The service manager at the dealership bought it, out the motor in a drag car and sold it. It’s still in town, Reggie Jackson tried to buy it once I heard but the owners a hoarder with 20-40 cars.
Friend of mine has an original 302 block with Hi nickel content and 4 bolt mains. Interested email me at ecoair9798@aol.com.
Cheers
GPC
Those are the same blocks used for 350’s that came with 4 bolt mains, they all used the same 010 casting numbers. Unless it has an original DZ stamping with a legible VIN it’s just another 350 block with its value tied to its casting date.
Steve R
Just say all the blocks were the same.
Cool car and history just funny as a dealer’s kid he didn’t go with the COPO 427 package…..maybe it was a daddy thing and he had too go with the 396 – as ordered – and then back doored a 427.
I once had very similar car only it was a 1970 Nova SS396/350HP same color with color matching wheels and hubcaps. It had a bench seat, no carpets and column shift. It to had a switch installed on the dash for the torque converter… interesting!
Joe
The interior appears to be a mix of black and green parts. Just wonder why.
Dealer plate or not how do you present an MSO 51 years later at DMV?
Maybe it’s just me but is that an automatic shifter in the cars?
I had a chance to buy a 69 Z28, four wheel discs, just about every option. The service manager at the dealership bought it, out the motor in a drag car and sold it. It’s still in town, Reggie Jackson tried to buy it once I heard but the owners a hoarder with 20-40 cars.
Cool story but I’m wondering why with all the drag racing history he never put frame connectors on it also doesn’t look as it’s ever been caged if this car eventually ran 10’s it would certainly have needed at least a 6point roll bar and with a 119 mph trap speed i would think it would ET better than a 12.99 but still a very cool history to it
Not sure about the development of this ‘switch plate’ stator for the torque converter since Buick used it in the mid 50’s in the Dynaflow Transmission and along with Olds again in mid 60’s in the Turbo 400 and the Super Turbine 300.
Made it to $48,300 but Reserve Not Met.