In this office, I am known to loathe the use of the word “iconic.” It’s a word often parroted by fly-by-night automotive websites that know little about the natural order of cars, and I’d like to rise above that. Yet if there’s a muscle car that can be considered iconic, the 1969 Camaro would be one.
Truth be told, the 1969 Camaro is not a muscle car—it’s a pony car. However, if it’s a Camaro Super Sport, COPO 427s, or Z/28, you’ve got a pony car that’s a muscle car. And while the Z/28 is in a cubic-inch deficit compared to its small-block and big-block brethren, it’s still one of the most desired muscle cars in the market. Luckily for some, over 20,000 were built, but unlucky for others, the Z’s homologation history makes it a pricier proposition than its cubic-inches would suggest.
Muscle Car Campy paid a visit to Tom Layton of Robert’s Collision Center in Clearwater, Florida. Tom restored a 1969 Z/28 that was previously stuck in Body Shop Hell. His restoration was sensitive to the build date (in respect to running changes during the model year) and using NOS parts whenever possible. There are some nice options and features on this Camaro too, such as tilt wheel, headrests, houndstooth interior, walnut steering wheel, gauges—even the smog equipment is there!
Tom has taken liberties with two items: he left off the standard stripes, and he installed a black grille (seen on SS and RS cars excepting those painted Tuxedo Black) instead of the stock silver; he also made several engine mods you can’t see. Otherwise, Tom build a Camaro better than what Chevrolet did in 1969.
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Source: www.classiccars.com