CRG Discussion Forum

Model Specific Discussions => Trans-Am Camaros => Topic started by: motorcitymike on January 19, 2017, 12:57:19 AM

Title: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: motorcitymike on January 19, 2017, 12:57:19 AM
I am second owner of a numbers matching British Green1968 Z/28 Camaro which I have had since the Fall of 1970.   The previous owner claimed he and a friend both bought Z/28’s from Hult Chevrolet in Madison, WI. in the Spring of 1968.  They drove their Z/28’s to work Monday through Friday and raced them on the weekends.  My evidence of this was a pattern of roll bar bolt holes in the rear floor boards under the back seat and cut-out flanges in the stock exhaust system to open the pipes up.  There was a copy of a FIA ruIe book in the glove box.  I drove my Camaro as a kid for about four years as a daily driver and after that preserved the car and began to show it as a hobby. Approximately 1990 I met a fellow Z/28 owner from Madison at a Camaro event in Indianapolis who claimed to own the other Camaro and had the roll bar that came from my car in his rafters at home.  I eventually bought this. 

 Fast forward to 2015, I researched and found a phone number for the previous owner of my car.  Although in serious health condition, John was happy to talk at length stories about himself and my Camaro.  It was then that he confirmed he drove the car to race tracks with a set of racing tires stacked in the back and campaigned fiercely as SCCA A/Stock #28 owned and driven as John Theios in events at several midwest tracks in the Summers of 1968 and 1969 including:
Elkhart Lake, WI
Brainard, MN
Meadowdale, Il
Blackhawk Farms in Rockton, WI
Grattan Raceway in Belding, MI
Milwaukee Mile, Milwaukee, WI

During our phone conversations, John claimed to have photos and memorabilia of the car racing but I couldn’t encourage him enough to send them or copies before he passed away in 2015.  All his possessions have gone to his family in California.  I am in search of records and photos confirming this car was registered as an SCCA race car which would only add to the charisma of an already novel car.  So far I came up empty handed. Any leads with information or sites I might explore would be appreciated.
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: 69Z28-RS on January 19, 2017, 01:22:50 AM
Great story.. and interesting to chase stuff like that...  not to mention worthwhile if you find anything!  :)
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: 1968RSZ28 on January 19, 2017, 02:04:00 AM
Mike, what's the VIN?  It will help anyone with documentation for your car find this post.

Paul
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: maroman on January 19, 2017, 02:12:23 AM
Killer story. If the car was raced that much maybe there is a local club you could contact. Many people took video back or pictures. I live very close to where the Hershey hillclimb happened back in the 60's and early 70's. Lots of pictures exist, you just have to find that right person. Can you contact the previous owner's family in Calif.?  I would hopefully think they would want to help.
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: Jon Mello on January 20, 2017, 05:01:01 AM
That name does sound vaguely familiar to me. I will try and look through some of my old Road America programs this weekend to see if I can find him in there. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of his car. Very cool though that you have kept it all this time.
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: cook_dw on January 20, 2017, 01:43:14 PM
Post PICS of the car as it is now!!!!   ;D
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: BULLITT65 on January 20, 2017, 03:40:09 PM
Post PICS of the car as it is now!!!!   ;D
X2
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: 69Z28-RS on January 20, 2017, 04:58:23 PM
X3...  :)   Yeah, we're all going batty wanting to see pix of it ..  :)
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: motorcitymike on January 20, 2017, 09:23:56 PM
Thanks for the support so far.  No the family has been "busy" settling the original owner's estate and I prefer to honor their healing process. 

I am trying to post a photo but they are all to big.
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: 1968RSZ28 on January 20, 2017, 09:30:49 PM
Beautiful car! I love those British Green '68 Z28s!  8)

Paul
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: motorcitymike on January 20, 2017, 09:40:18 PM
Hey the photo of the car and it's roll bar worked! 

I hope you agree the unrestored condition is pretty pristine.  Hard to imagine going door to door on a race track with it when it was new.  John claimed he could pull the Corvettes in the straight away and then loose out to them in the corners.  He did have to replace a front fender and grill header panel.  Said he was plowing a Corvette in the door sideways at a Milwaukee Mile road course.

He told me a story about a post race incident in Minnesota.  He and his girl friend were in the process of changing out the racing tires for the street tires for the drive home.  Dick Trickle had been in the event too.  Trickle pulled up to John's pit in his loaded hauler and shouted in shock "Your DROVE that thing?"   ;D

The dealership (Hult) caught on real fast when John come in Mondays with burned up disc brake pads expecting them to be under warranty. 

John did blow up the MO motor in Iowa street racing a kid during a trip to California. (Can you imagine grinding a 4.10:1 gear from Wisconsin to California?  The local Chevy dealer fortunately sleeved the motor under warranty so I still retain the numbers matching block.  Most dealers would have swapped in a service block and my MO would have been bye bye forever.  John never told me this stuff when, as an 18 year old kid, was buying the car.  He told me this stuff recently when I reconnected with him. 

Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: BULLITT65 on January 20, 2017, 10:09:30 PM
great stories. How about more pics?
if you are having trouble resizing them, if you email them to Cook, he will post them.

I look forward to hearing more about both Z's
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: 69Z28-RS on January 20, 2017, 10:32:52 PM
The car looks *super* in that one photo...  and BRG is difficult to beat as a color..  :)
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: Trans Åm on January 21, 2017, 01:03:11 AM
BRG is one of my favorite colors, love that car, even if it's just a little quarter panel. :)
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: motorcitymike on January 26, 2017, 05:32:29 PM
Here's photo of me at 20 in 1970 when I bought the car for $2000.  It already had the header panel crunched which cost me $300. to have fixed.  It has Goodyear Polyglass GT's but they were upsized to G70-15. 
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: Trans Åm on January 27, 2017, 06:22:10 AM
What a cool experience to have one of those cars in its prime. I won't lie: I would've run the CRAP out of it.
Today they are collector/investment cars.


Thank you for posting, love vintage pictures.
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: motorcitymike on January 27, 2017, 11:09:32 AM
I've got to confess even now at 66 years old, I misbehave every time I take the car out.  The little 302 whispers in my ear "beat me!"  and I oblige.  Love the rev sound and getting a little tire chirp out of banging the gears.   :P
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: 69Z28-RS on January 27, 2017, 02:19:06 PM
I  am sure that most Z28 owners suffer from? (enjoy?) :)   that same exhileration!   I know I do...  :)
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: BULLITT65 on January 27, 2017, 03:58:01 PM
Great pic.
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: motorcitymike on January 28, 2017, 01:36:44 AM
Reply to Paul (1968RSZ28),
I don't think I should put my VIN number out on the internet.  What does everyone think about that. 
Title: Re: Seeking Confirmation of the SCCA History of my 1968 Camaro Z/28
Post by: Trans Åm on January 28, 2017, 06:15:01 AM
If it is currently registered, It's not that big of a deal. Trying to fake a record of a car that is already in the system is not easy.