PDA

View Full Version : 1969 RS/SS 396 Restomod


cowboybob
04-23-2010, 10:06 PM
A new business opportunity has presented itself, so I have decided to sell my 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396. This car has less than 700 miles on it since a complete rotisserie restoration. Every single nut, bolt, washer, clip, etc. was replaced or restored to new condition and there is absolutely no rust or bondo on the car. I would classify this car as a restomod.

The car is a highly-optioned LM1 RS and I have the original numbers-matching 350 and PowerGlide. The car was originally Garnet Red with a white vinyl top and white deluxe interior. However, the new color is Cobalt Red (a lot nicer-looking red than the original Garnet Red) with black deluxe houndstooth, and I deleted the vinyl top. Also, in place of the original SBC, I installed a date-coded 396 and TH400. This will be the car that GM never built, because it is an L78 re-creation with factory A/C along with a few modern upgrades.

The options that were originally equipped on the car include:
• Deluxe houndstooth interior (now black instead of white)
• Vigilite fiber optic light monitoring system
• Rosewood dash
• Tilt column
• Rosewood steering wheel
• 12 bolt 3:08 posi-traction
• Power windows
• Remote mirror
• Passenger vanity mirror
• Speedminder speedometer
• Rear de-fog
• Console with gauges
• Blue light am/fm
• Rally Sport
• Headlight washers
• Power brakes & steering
• A/C
• Tinted glass
• Style trim (X11)

Paint and Body: When I first bought the car, it had rust in the typical locations, but instead of using patch panels to fix the problem areas, I wanted to replace the sheet metal in the same manner in which GM originally built the car. As such, all panels were installed by using plug welds or a spot welder just like the factory. New sheet metal includes: roof, quarters, full trunk pan, inner/outer tail panels, trunk lid, one-piece floor, hood (the SS hood is currently on the car, but I also have a steel cowl hood that is painted and ready), header, cowl, fenders, and lower valence (Marquez Designs lower valence currently installed, but I also have a steel GM valence that is painted and ready). All of the glass is green tinted like original and all pieces are new. All emblems, bumpers, and chrome pieces are new and all of window moldings are original GM pieces that have been restored and polished. The bottom of the car is painted semi-gloss/satin black and it looks just as nice as the top of the car. All brake lines, hardware, gas tank, driveshaft, etc. beneath the car are new. The paint is a base coat/clear coat and the stripes were painted prior to the laying the clear coat. The body is laser straight, the gaps are perfect, and the paint looks deep and wet with absolutely no flaws, runs, or chips.

Drive train: I have the original numbers-matching 350 and PowerGlide that came with the car, and they are included with the sale. The engine currently in the car is a 1969 date-coded 396 that is .030 over. This motor has copious torque and pulls strong throughout the entire RPM range. The factory heads have been ported/polished along with a competition valve job, hardened seats, and bigger valves. The cam is a new Comp 280H with .520 lift along with Comp Magnum 1.72 roller rockers. The intake is an aluminum factory GM 375 hp unit that is in perfect condition. The carburetor is the correct (for an L78) 780 cfm vacuum secondary Holley that has been completely restored with the correct hardware and finishes. The distributor has been re-worked and updated with a Pertronix ignition and a Flame Thrower II coil. A Doug Herbert SFI-approved flywheel was installed along with a high-torque mini starter. The exhaust system consists of Hooker Super Comp headers that have been ceramic and powder coated and a MagnaFlow 2.5” stainless steel x-pipe system. Engine accessory brackets (A/C, PS, etc.) are original GM units that have been powder-coated. Everything under the hood is new or restored and all of the bare-metal components have either been clear-coated or painted to look like bare metal. The transmission is a GM TH400 that has been completely restored and upgraded with a 10” (2200 stall) converter. The tail shaft has also been upgraded to a 1-ton unit with heavy-duty Spicer u-joints that mates to a new heavy-duty drive shaft. The car has the original 12-bolt posi with 3.08 gears. The entire rear axle was restored and all bearing, races, seals, etc. were replaced.

Suspension: All suspension components (drag link, sway bar, a-arms, idler arm, tie rods, pitman arm, springs, etc.) as well as the sub frame have been powder-coated. All rubber bushings were replaced with Energy Suspension urethane bushings for better handling. The front disc brakes are new from Right Stuff and the rear drums have been completely rebuilt with all new components. The rear leafs are 3” dropped springs from Detroit Speed & Engineering and the front coils have been cut to achieve the aggressive stance. The shocks are new KYBs front and rear. The wheels are V40’s from Vintage Wheel Works with flat polished caps; 17x8 with 4.75bs fronts and 17x9.5 with 5.50bs for the rears. Tires are Nitto NT555’s 235/45/17 up front and 275/40/17 in the rear.

Interior: Everything from the floor to the headliner is new. The seats are covered in new black deluxe houndstooth and include new seat foam and inner springs. The rear seat is a fold-down unit that has been completely restored and the new headliner and sail panels are the correct Madrid grain material. The carpet, console, console gauges, rosewood steering wheel, seat belts, various trim pieces, and all hardware are new. Everything else has been restored to as-new condition. The original radio has been swapped out for a new Antique Automobile Radio, Inc. AM/FM digital stereo with 45 watts per channel and an MP3 hook-up. The front speakers are Pioneer OEM fit 60 watt units that are fitted to the original mono speaker location.

Miscellaneous: Included in the sale are most of the original parts that were removed from the car during the restoration as well as various items that were purchased but never installed. This includes the following: Detroit Speed & Engineering mini-tub kit, Spaghetti Engineering rear LED light kit, new Goodmark door shells, Prodigy Customs stainless steel hardware kit, AMK hardware kits, extra GM and reproduction window molding sets, and a GM rosewood dash set that is nearly NOS. There are dozens of other parts that I’ve accumulated, so anything else that I’m forgetting but is 69 Camaro-related, goes with the car.

Serious buyers can email me for additional build pictures. Asking $52,000.

Brian
405-550-7843
[email protected]

WILWAXU
04-24-2010, 07:50 AM
Great looking car!

g356gear
04-24-2010, 11:01 AM
Looks to be a shade darker than Garnet red...very nice.

coolwelder62
04-24-2010, 01:42 PM
NICE car!! Look's like it was done right.:thumbsup: Good luck w/ the sale.

tones2SS
04-24-2010, 02:44 PM
Looks to be a shade darker than Garnet red...very nice.

It is Cobalt Red. (It's stated in the description.)
What a really nice car. I'm really digging it. GOOD LUCK with sale.:thumbsup: :cheers:

cowboybob
04-24-2010, 03:44 PM
Thanks for all of the responses guys. :thumbsup:

Buidling this car has been a "labor of love" and I 'm really pleased at how well the car the turned out.

The pictures in my first post are a little bit deceiving because it was a cloudy day when I took the photos. The darkness of the red that you are seeing is actually the reflection of the storm clouds in the distance. In bright sunlight, the red is a couple of shades lighter and the black SS stripes really "pop". Cobalt Red is actually a GM color that was used on Vettes starting in 2005 and other models starting in 2008.

Here are a few more pictures that do a better job of showing the true color. Please disregard the 4x4 stance; the pictures were taken before reassembly started...

68/Camaro
04-27-2010, 06:52 AM
Great Looking car Brian :thumbsup: Good Luck with the Sale!

cowboybob
04-27-2010, 09:44 AM
Thanks again to all that have replied with comments. The positive comments that I've received from you guys that have such incredible rides :hail: is the biggest compliment that I could receive. :yes:

By the way, I did a reality check on my price and dropped it to $52K. I'm thinking about putting the car on ebay and will post the link once that is done.

Musclerodz
04-27-2010, 10:22 AM
I have seen this car. built right, no disappointments.

cowboybob
04-27-2010, 03:37 PM
I have seen this car. built right, no disappointments.

Thanks for the compliments Mike..that means a lot coming from you! You need to come by and see it again now that its finished.

I went ahead and put it on ebay in order to generate some more interest. Here is the link...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160428295614&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:MOTORS:1123

tones2SS
04-27-2010, 05:05 PM
Good luck. That is a nice looking car.:thumbsup:

Jay Hilliard
04-29-2010, 07:12 AM
Very nice looking car. :thumbsup: Good luck with the sale.

cowboybob
05-05-2010, 09:34 AM
Looks like the car is going to sell through ebay, so I'm going ahead and marking this one as "SOLD".

Thanks for all of the kudos on the car....now I just need to decide on what to build next! :yes: :unibrow: :willy:

tones2SS
05-05-2010, 11:42 AM
Looks like the car is going to sell through ebay, so I'm going ahead and marking this one as "SOLD".

Thanks for all of the kudos on the car....now I just need to decide on what to build next! :yes: :unibrow: :willy:

Good deal!!!:thumbsup:
Good luck with the next project. Will it be a pro-tour build?

cowboybob
05-05-2010, 12:24 PM
Good deal!!!:thumbsup:
Good luck with the next project. Will it be a pro-tour build?

Thanks Tones! It will definitely be a pro-touring car. I'm planning to do all the things to my next project that I didn't do to this one; aftermarket frame/sub frame, mini tub, LS motor, 6-speed, big brakes, etc...

tones2SS
05-06-2010, 10:41 AM
Thanks Tones! It will definitely be a pro-touring car. I'm planning to do all the things to my next project that I didn't do to this one; aftermarket frame/sub frame, mini tub, LS motor, 6-speed, big brakes, etc...

Sounds awesome!:thumbsup:
Are you going to post up your build here for us to follow? That would be great!

cowboybob
05-08-2010, 07:44 AM
Sounds awesome!:thumbsup:
Are you going to post up your build here for us to follow? That would be great!

Absolutely...at least once I figure out just what in the heck I'm going to build.

tones2SS
05-08-2010, 11:55 AM
Absolutely...at least once I figure out just what in the heck I'm going to build.

Very cool. Thanks and good luck!:thumbsup: