Author Topic: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968  (Read 4375 times)

mls68z28

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Thanks Scott for the pictures of the 1968 Z28 pace car at Watkins Glen.It could be the same Camaro but the one I am helping with doesn't have frt.and rear bumper guards.Maybe they were removed.They are trying to find earlier pictures of the car. Thanks Mitchell
« Last Edit: February 15, 2022, 11:26:59 PM by SMKZ28 »
Mitch,1968 Z28 03C Norwood,03/18/68,Seneca Falls NY,Z/28 Emblems.Purchase 05/04/78

SMKZ28

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Thanks Scott for the pictures of the 1968 Z28 pace car at Watkins Glen.It could be the same Camaro but the one I am helping with doesn't have frt.and rear bumper guards.Maybe they were removed.They are trying to find earlier pictures of the car. Thanks Mitchell

Your welcome Mitchell.  Good luck with the search.  Let us know what you find out about LeMans Blue with white stripes 1968 Z28 you are researching. 
« Last Edit: February 15, 2022, 11:30:01 PM by SMKZ28 »
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

KurtS

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Thanks Scott for the pictures of the 1968 Z28 pace car at Watkins Glen.It could be the same Camaro but the one I am helping with doesn't have frt.and rear bumper guards.Maybe they were removed.They are trying to find earlier pictures of the car. Thanks Mitchell

All Z28's had rear guards, btw.
Kurt S
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MO

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Thanks Scott for the pictures of the 1968 Z28 pace car at Watkins Glen.It could be the same Camaro but the one I am helping with doesn't have frt.and rear bumper guards.Maybe they were removed.They are trying to find earlier pictures of the car. Thanks Mitchell

All Z28's had rear guards, btw.

Right, not an option, it had to do with federal bumper height requirements. That goes for 69's as well.

mls68z28

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https://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk227/MelroseRS/P1100794.jpg            Hi Scott,found this picture of a 1968 Camaro at Watkins..Mitch/
« Last Edit: January 10, 2022, 01:50:03 AM by SMKZ28 »
Mitch,1968 Z28 03C Norwood,03/18/68,Seneca Falls NY,Z/28 Emblems.Purchase 05/04/78

mls68z28

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Sorry 1967
Mitch,1968 Z28 03C Norwood,03/18/68,Seneca Falls NY,Z/28 Emblems.Purchase 05/04/78

SMKZ28

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Sorry 1967

Thanks for the picture Mitch.  Interesting photo.  I wonder what the occasion was.  The place looks empty so it wasn't taken during an event.  I wonder if the 1967 Camaro RS was owned by someone who worked for the track and just took a cool picture of his or her car in front of the flag stand. 
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

mls68z28

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Hi Scott,my research so far on 1968 Z28  # 124378N420159,04D that may have been used by Watkins Glen Race Track.The new owner spoke with the original owner and he was told that the Camaro was used at the race track,it had 7018 miles on the odometer when he bought it Oct.16 1968..According to the POP,.Clen Chevrolet in Watkins Glen NY.date is 5/10/68 .I have been in touch with IMRRC ,a racing research center in Watkins Glen .They are looking into it but nothing yet.There is evidence the Camaro did have rear bumper guards but he doesn't see any evidence for the frt.bumper guards.,,,Mitchell
Mitch,1968 Z28 03C Norwood,03/18/68,Seneca Falls NY,Z/28 Emblems.Purchase 05/04/78

mls68z28

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And this is the engine stamp.
Mitch,1968 Z28 03C Norwood,03/18/68,Seneca Falls NY,Z/28 Emblems.Purchase 05/04/78

SMKZ28

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Re: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2022, 11:37:33 PM »
Thanks Mitchell for the updates.  Keep 'em coming.  Hopefully the IMRRC will be able to find some photos or documentation in their archives.

I do believe the name on the POP is Glen Chevrolet Co. Inc. not "Clen" as you wrote in your post.  I hope it was just a typo and that you had not been researching "Clen" Chevrolet.

I did some research on Glen Chevrolet Co. Inc. and only found a few things.  I was surprised by the lack of information.  I only found one newspaper advertisement for the dealer and a single piece of give away merchandise.  I'll keep looking.

The following info on the dealership came from page 29 in a spreadsheet in PDF form here: http://buickgsx.com/Dealer%20Codes%20by%20Zone.pdf

Dealer Code: 05-230
Dealer Name: GLEN CHEVROLET COMPANY INC.
Dealer Address: 111 N FRANKLIN STREET
Dealer City: WATKINS GLEN
Dealer State: NY
Years Active: 61-74


Images:
1) https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/np00020004/1968-11-22/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=01%2F01%2F1967&city=&date2=12%2F31%2F1969&searchType=advanced&SearchType=prox10&sequence=0&lccn=&index=1&words=CHEVROLET+Chevrolet+Glen+GLEN&proxdistance=10&sort=relevance&to_year=1969&rows=20&ortext=&from_year=1967&proxtext=Glen+Chevrolet&county=&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

2/3) worthpoint.com
« Last Edit: February 16, 2022, 12:23:51 AM by SMKZ28 »
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

SMKZ28

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Re: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2022, 11:42:15 PM »
In our personal correspondence, I let Mitchell know that the car he is researching might have been the pace car for the 1968 Glen 500 Trans Am race held at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, Watkins Glen, New York on Sunday, August 11, 1968.  So far, it is the only event held in 1968 at Watkins Glen that I believe to have been paced by a 1968 Z28.  Click here to view my thread on this particular car: http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=17800.0
« Last Edit: February 17, 2022, 11:25:53 PM by SMKZ28 »
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

SMKZ28

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Re: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2022, 11:49:24 PM »
I was able to find an image documenting the fact that Glen Chevrolet Co. Inc. was at least involved in advertising their dealership inside the souvenir program for the 1968 Glen 500 Trans Am race held at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, Watkins Glen, New York on Sunday, August 11, 1968. 
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

SMKZ28

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Re: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2022, 12:06:19 AM »
Hi Scott,my research so far on 1968 Z28  # 124378N420159,04D that may have been used by Watkins Glen Race Track.The new owner spoke with the original owner and he was told that the Camaro was used at the race track,it had 7018 miles on the odometer when he bought it Oct.16 1968..According to the POP,.Clen Chevrolet in Watkins Glen NY.date is 5/10/68 .I have been in touch with IMRRC ,a racing research center in Watkins Glen .They are looking into it but nothing yet.There is evidence the Camaro did have rear bumper guards but he doesn't see any evidence for the frt.bumper guards.,,,Mitchell

The car must have been doing something for those five months.  7000+ is a lot of miles!  Perhaps it was a company car used by one of the VIP's of the race track.  In the Trans Am section of this forum, Jon Mello posted a blurb from a 1968 enthusiast magazine that stated Watkins Glen "Managing Director Cam Argetsinger has given up his Mark III Ford for a Kelly Green Z-28 Camaro..."  Perhaps the LeMans Blue 1968 Z28 you are researching came to the track along with this "Kelly Green Z-28 Camaro." 

In addition, maybe the front bumper was changed sometime during the past 54 years.  That might be why there is no evidence of the bumper guards.  Just a thought.
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

group/7

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Re: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2022, 09:28:57 PM »
In our personal correspondence, I let Mitchell know that the car he is researching might have been the pace car for the 1968 Glen 500 Trans Am race held at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, Watkins Glen, New York on Sunday, August 11, 1968.  So far, it is the only event held in 1968 that I believe to have been paced by a 1968 Z28.  Click here to view my thread on this particular car: http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=17800.0
In our personal correspondence, I let Mitchell know that the car he is researching might have been the pace car for the 1968 Glen 500 Trans Am race held at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, Watkins Glen, New York on Sunday, August 11, 1968.  So far, it is the only event held in 1968 that I believe to have been paced by a 1968 Z28.  Click here to view my thread on this particular car: http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=17800.0

Scott another interesting thread , I imagine you are talking about production cars, the one-off '68 Z/28 'vert used at Elkhart for the '68 Can-Am wouldn't fall into this category ?

Mike

SMKZ28

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Re: 1968 Camaro Z28 Possibly used as a Pace Car at Watkins Glen in 1968
« Reply #14 on: February 17, 2022, 11:24:04 PM »


Scott another interesting thread , I imagine you are talking about production cars, the one-off '68 Z/28 'vert used at Elkhart for the '68 Can-Am wouldn't fall into this category ?

Mike

Mike, good catch.  I should have been clearer.  I meant only at Watkins Glen in 1968.  Mitchell (Member mls68z28) contacted me back in December and said, "Hi, I know of a 1968 Z/28, Lemans Blue/White Stripes, that was supposedly used as a pace car at Watkins Glen.  I haven't had any luck finding info on this or pictures.  Maybe you can help?  Thank you"

I pointed him to my thread on the 1968 Z28 that I think was used to pace the Trans Am race at Watkins Glen that year based on the picture you provided.  Thanks again for that.  He then posted all of the information on the 1968 Z28 he is researching in another thread.  Rather that have that info in that thread I decided to create this thread dedicated solely to the car he is researching so he could post more information as he finds it.   
« Last Edit: February 18, 2022, 05:02:36 PM by SMKZ28 »
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

 

anything