Author Topic: The Vince Piggins Camaro  (Read 26344 times)

BULLITT65

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2014, 04:31:26 PM »
Pat87, any chance of her emailing/sending you some current pics (of the car)?
1969 garnet red Z/28 46k mile unrestored X77
-Looking for 3192477 (front) spiral shocks 3192851 (rear)
-Looking for an original LOF soft ray windshield
-Looking for original Delco side post negative battery cable part # 6297651AV

janobyte

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #16 on: August 14, 2014, 12:51:53 AM »
DITTO
68 Z/28  born with: 302, drive line, etc..

VHX032

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #17 on: August 17, 2014, 10:27:30 PM »
This is so cool. I love it when a historical car is discovered to still be with the original owner (or family). Looking forward to the photos too.

kool66

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #18 on: November 08, 2014, 02:18:41 AM »
To all-I remember reading this article years ago.I was president of the Michigan Camaro Club in 1970.Diane was my club secretary.I can personally attest to her driving ability and the beating of many worthy competitors with more horsepower.In the club we had one 375 and a Rally Green Copo that she couldn't beat but those were about the only ones.Pat tell Diane Lou says hi i haven't seen her in 40+ years.

Jon Mello

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2014, 04:37:15 PM »
Lou,

Thanks for your recollection. Do you happen to have a picture of Diane and her car from back then or any other pictures that would be fun for us to see? I was also curious, where did your club hold its meetings and how many members did you have at that time?
Jon Mello
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kool66

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #20 on: November 08, 2014, 06:48:11 PM »
Hi John-We didn't take a lot of photos but i have a few. Unfortunately i have to figure out how to reduce the file size before your server will accept them.We met at Michigan Ave and Outer Drive at the Plaza in Dearborn.We had 125 members on the books but realistically we had 20 or 30 regulars as many were one timers never to be seen again.Myself,Diane and the other officers plus some regular members attended most of the meetings and functions.We were originally sponsored by Roger Peck Chev. in Farmington.When they quit my Sgt. of Arms Gary Kay and I met with Dick Genthe Sr. at his then new dealership in Southgate and secured a new sponsorship.We ran Telegraph,partied,worked on each other cars and generally had a good time.The Tree Kegs Round Bar and the 4 Vees in East Dearborn were some of our regular haunts.We met with the Corvette Club of Michigan at Bill Wink Chev before we incorporated and got some advice.We had and interesting mix of Camaros,lots of Lemans Blue,A few Z28s and SS's 350 and 396 as well as 2 Burnished Brown 69s one of which belonged to me and the other to the first president Dave C.We also had 2 COPOS both out of Emmert Chev. One Rally Green automatic and a special paint Pontiac Veduro Green 4 speed.It was an interesting couple of years.I moved on in early 71 but i still remember those days fondly.

Jon Mello

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #21 on: November 09, 2014, 06:25:37 AM »
Thanks for that info, Lou. Sounds like you guys had some enjoyable times as a club. I got the photos you sent to my home email and have posted them below...

An original, unused chrome mylar club sticker


Club gathering at "The Plaza". Lou is the skinny guy in the white t-shirt with his hands on his hips and Diane is the blond on the left looking at the camera.


Grand River drive-in.This was located next to Roger Peck Chevrolet taken on a Sunday afternoon.The first Camaro on the right is believed to be Diane's car. Lou's car is on the left


"This was taken on Grand River heading towards the Drive-in.The middle Camaro is mine sometime in 69 as the dog dish caps and 6 in wheels are still on.The Camaro behind me
has Hilborn stack injection! He only came this one time.The car was an automatic and was a real handful to drive.I had to get out in front of him a few car lengths so he could take
off without stalling!


Lou's burnished brown L65 4-speed car circa 1970. The club sticker can be seen in the rear quarter window.


« Last Edit: November 12, 2014, 01:56:00 AM by Jon Mello »
Jon Mello
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SMKZ28

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #22 on: November 09, 2014, 02:35:32 PM »
Love the vintage photos and recollections.   Thanks for sharing them.
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

VINCE Z28

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #23 on: November 09, 2014, 07:25:24 PM »
Hey Lou is that you smoking the pipe in the camaro.... special tobacco ? ;D
" He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught"  It's not you...  It's just the way my brain is wired.

cook_dw

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #24 on: November 09, 2014, 07:57:47 PM »
L65 Z28..  Goes to show clones were popular back then too.

kool66

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #25 on: November 09, 2014, 10:42:16 PM »
Sorry even back then i smoked just regular tabacky,Boone's Farm and beer were my vice of choice!The Z emblems on the front and rear came off a real Z that a guy wanted to put a blue chevrons on so we traded.It's painted yellow and the 8 has been cut to look like a 9. Z29 the term coined by Car and Driver for the 350/350 Blue Max Camaro.I always wanted to have that engine package but it wasn't to be.I had a lot of guys scratching their heads on that emblem! I still have it some where in the house.I painted the headlight bezels Brown to match the car and shortly after i filled the 350 engine tags COPO style.Never got the cowl hood either.I ordered this car in Spring 69 too late for the LM1 package i wanted.10 bolt 3:36,cast iron Saginaw 4 speed,but it did get multi leaf springs.I wanted a Z28 without stripes but could not afford the extra several hundred bucks and couldn't figure out how to get rid of the stripes.I talked to Jim Mattison years later and found out they did COPO delete some stripes on Camaros but not many.Poor man Z I always said,Deluxe Custom weave,tint glass,posi,spoilers,AM-FM,N44 quick manual steering,L65,white letter tires and disc brakes.I sent Jon a copy of the window sticker which he 's free to show if he chooses.One or two Custom interior cars in the club other that a couple Pace Cars.Forgot dual exhaust and i should have ordered a Fold down rear seat!

cook_dw

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #26 on: November 09, 2014, 11:11:01 PM »
Great info and memories!

BULLITT65

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #27 on: November 10, 2014, 05:50:49 AM »
Shoot I thought the Z wasn't a whole lot more than a base v8 Camaro. I wonder back then did Z cars stay on the dealer lot for that long, or did they move them pretty quickly? Meaning would you have had a chance to get a deal on a Z if one didn't sell quickly
1969 garnet red Z/28 46k mile unrestored X77
-Looking for 3192477 (front) spiral shocks 3192851 (rear)
-Looking for an original LOF soft ray windshield
-Looking for original Delco side post negative battery cable part # 6297651AV

69Z28-RS

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #28 on: November 10, 2014, 02:04:40 PM »
I was shopping for a '69SS396 Chevelle  (for several months) during the '69 model year, and although I wasn't shopping for a Camaro at the time, I don't recall seeing any/many Z28's sitting in showrooms, and I probably visited 6-8 different dealerships in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama over that period.  I'm guessing that either the Z28s were special ordered, or were purchased very quickly upon delivery to dealerships.  Two friends bought '69 Z28's for SCCA racing purposes; one special ordered his, the other bought one that the person ordering it decided not to purchase it on delivery.

PS.  Another thing the Z28 had going for it was the 290 hp rating; Most insurance companies charged a large premium for cars over 300 hp, esp to young drivers - and I suspect that was the primary reason that the Z28's, Boss302, AAR/TA Chrysler cars, etc had 290 hp ratings even though carguys knew the hp was actually much higher.
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

kool66

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Re: The Vince Piggins Camaro
« Reply #29 on: November 10, 2014, 02:16:03 PM »
Bullitt-As far as stocking Z28s in 69 at least around the Detroit dealers i saw they didn't.I'm sure "Performance" dealers like Berger,Nickey and Dana were exceptions to this.Many times a specially ordered unit would be turned down because of the buyers inability to get the loan when the car got to the dealership.I ordered my Camaro and it took about 8 weeks to get.Even 4 speed cars of any type were not the most common on the lots.As i said there were exceptions one being Emmert Chevrolet in Detroit.Do to a interesting arrangement with the dealership owner and a suitor of the owners daughter who was connected in Chevrolet,Emmert stocked L72 COPO Camaros!They were every flavor from somewhat stripped to full blown RS,special paint,houndstooth check interior,AM-FM stereo and endura bumper + loaded pieces! As far as deals i'm not sure this was the case as they realized what they had ordered.As i said in an earlier post my Sgt of  Arms in the Mich Camaro Club had a Rally Green COPO out of Emmert.It was a double COPO.9561+9737,vinyl top,endura bumper,console,automatic and i think it had a factory tach.BTW it had no spoliers! Many Emmert cars were not ordered with them. It seemed like he told me he paid in the low $4000s for it.Go into the CRG section on COPOS for more interesting facts on these cars.

I had a friend who bought a 69 Hugger Orange Z 28 RS,black vinyl,gauge package,AM radio off the lot at a dealership,Gene Merollis Chev in Garden City, Michigan a Detroit suburb.We walked in and he bought it right off the lot.I believe it was the only one they had at the time.I remember in summer 68 going to Mark Chevrolet in Wayne,Mi just West of Detroit and going into their large storage lot and running across at least 10 1968 Z28s.They were again everything from strippers to fully loaded RS,custom interior,stereo FM ,etc. units!I'm assuming they worked some kind of a deal with Chevrolet to order them at the end of the 68 build.I had another buddy who bought one, a loaded RS,Sequoia Green,FM stereo,Custom int unit.These was my only experiences with this kind of volume of Zs or high performance inventory in stock.As far as pricing i'm sure it was wide open.In those pre internet days you had to prowl the dealerships to see what was in stock,always an adventure!