Frame Off Restored Camaro SS 396/375 HP V8 4 Speed

The first generation Camaro market is a ruthless place. A few weeks ago, we debuted a "LeMans Blue 1969 Camaro RS/SS":http://www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/sales/inventory/sold#!/1969-Chevrolet-Camaro-RS-SS/134410 . It was a true X22 car and featured a fully dressed 396ci V8 backed by a 4-speed. The car stirred up an endless barrage of phone calls and headed out the door in under two weeks. If you fell for that F1 but missed the window to buy, redemption has arrived. Like its sibling, this '69 Camaro is a true X22 big block SS dressed in LeMans Blue and backed by a Muncie 4-speed. The paint and body work is spot on, the interior is mint, and, at $59k, the car represents a relative bargain for one of the strongest selling muscle cars around. If you want a Camaro that shows like a museum piece but doesn't charge a premium for pedigree, take a closer look at this SS.

We'll get started by breaking down the car's basic stats. Here's the decoded VIN:

1: Chevrolet Motor Division
2: Camaro
4: 8-cylinder engine
37: Coupe
9: 1969 model year
N: Assembled at GM's Norwood, Ohio manufacturing facility
706269: Sequence number

and the trim tag:

69: 1969 model year
12437: 1: Chevrolet 2: Camaro 4: 8-cylinder 37: Hardtop
NOR: Assembled at GM's Norwood, Ohio manufacturing facility
711: Standard black bucket seat interior
71/71: LeMans Blue upper/lower paint
10E: Assembled during the 5th week of October
X22: Camaro SS / 396ci V8
D80: Chin/deck lid spoiler package

Looking through the build pictures included with the car, it's clear that paint and body were a top priority. Nearly half the images are of that process and the results certainly speak for themselves. A passenger quarter panel was replaced during restoration, but the rest of the sheet metal looks to be original to the car. Once stripped of its original paint and massaged into a near perfect canvas, the body was treated to a fresh coat of code 71 LeMans Blue paint. The term “laser straight” gets thrown around a lot in car descriptions but this shell truly lives up to that description. GM instilled a lot of sharp lines in the '69 models and everyone is displayed perfectly here. A white hockey stick stripe extends from the front of the fender, terminating just before the door handles for a signature Camaro look.

The beyond-factory-perfect idea continues into virtually every detail on the car's exterior. At the front, a pair of round headlights sit in pristine bezels, framing a pointed black grille rounded out by a centered “SS” badge. Below, a thin chrome bumper hugs the body while a pair of driving lights sit just about a D80 chin spoiler. A ZL2-style hood gradually rises, feeding air into the engine compartment below. Behind it, a greenhouse consists of clean glass framed by mar-free stainless all around. Even the paintwork behind the drip rails is remarkably smooth – a rarity in the Camaro world for sure. The side profile is accented by a wide variety of details including new badges, fresh wheel well moldings, clean rocker trim, chrome door handles, chrome trim for the simulated vents and corner markers at both ends. Despite the long list, the design presents and fresh and clean, rounded out by a D80 deck lid spoiler, rectangular taillights, a satin black taillight panel, and a second chrome bumper handing below. A final “SS” badge hangs in the center of it all, just so onlookers know exactly what just passed them.

As an X22 car, the bay of this Camaro is no stranger to big block power. The current engine is a non-original but date-code correct 396ci V8 that does its best impression of the original motor. The block wears a correct 3955272 casting number alongside a June 12, 1969 casting date, and a “JH” suffix code that denotes it as a 375hp model. Naturally, there is no partial VIN but there are a ton of correct parts to admire. Up top, the air cleaner assembly features a rubber spacer ring for a better connection to the ZL2 sheet metal above it. Below, an original Holley 3959164-GE carburetor sends atomized fuel down through an original Winters aluminum intake. At either side, factory heads sport chrome valve covers while Packard plug wire snake through attached clips. The front of the engine spins a Delco alternator opposite a Harrison radiator and single fan while a reproduction Delco provides all the necessary amperage. Hardware aside, this a good-looking engine compartment. From the fresh orange paint and neatly routed GM hoses to the satin black firewall with replicated BTP inspection marks, everything is in place for an authentic appearance.

Put this F-body on a lift to find smooth satin black pans providing a backdrop for more factory-correct hardware below. Inspection marks have been replicated and a proper chambered exhaust system directs spent gases to the rear of the car. In the center, a non-original Muncie M21 4-speed manual provides authoritative shifts. The inner workings live in an earlier 010 case that's been stamped with the correct partial VIN. From there, power flows down the driveshaft to a BU-coded 12-bolt rear with 3.73 gears. Around the drivetrain, the suspension sticks to the factory plan with a double A-arm front suspension and leaf springs out back. The rear end has been updated with aftermarket air shocks for a nice period-correct upgrade. Adjustments can be made through a valve tucked neatly behind the license plate. When the roads curve, manual steering offers a direct feel while power-assisted front disc and rear drum brakes rein the 396 with ease. At the corners, 14-inch steel rally wheels are topped with beauty rings, top hat centers, and a fresh set of Goodyear Polyglas GT tires connect the chassis to the road.

Inside, a standard black interior looks a little more luxurious thanks to new pieces throughout. At the edges, Fisher door sill plates anchor fresh black carpet which is protected by black rubber floor mats up front. A pair of re-covered bucket seats provide front row seating while a factory console fills the space between. The console makes room for a chrome shifter, wood applique, and the ever-popular U17 console gauges that keep tabs on voltage, oil pressure, temperature, and fuel. In front of the driver, those gauges are supplemented by a speedometer, clock, and 8k rpm tach encased in squared bezels. To the right, a trio of sliders control the heater while a Delco radio provides entertainment below. The dash features a healthy dose of wood-grain applique to continue a trend started on the console. At either sides, familiar stainless-lined standard door panels offer fresh hardware while, above the cabin, the taut black headliner could pass for original. Take a peak under the deck lid to find a fresh weather-stripping, a correct trunk mat, a full-size spare and factory-provided roadside tools.

The sale includes approximately 16 pages of restoration photos to shed some light on what exactly the car has been through.

Any GM enthusiast would be happy to have a '69 Camaro. They're a pleasure to own, drive, and even work on. This Camaro elevates that ownership experience to the next level thanks to an impressive frame off restoration, big block power, and a price to rival any other F-body you might be considering. If you're in the market for a highly correct classic that shows with best and drives like a new car, put your name on the title of this Camaro and join the Chevrolet family!