The best car I drove this weekend......

Stand by, 5th gen content to follow....

This weekend is the Mecum car auction in St Charles, Illinois. My Camaro Club - Illinois Camaro Club - has an agreement with Mecum, to drive the auction cars. This weekend we have almost 1,200 of them to drive around. I can't even remember how many cars I've driven in the past two days. My clothes and hair literally reek of high octane hydrocarbons.

I drove all manner of smallblock and bigblock muscle cars, super high buck hot rods and street machines, antiques, an original 11,000 mile Hemi 'Cuda and a Ferrari 355.

Do you want to know which one gave me the biggest goosebumps out of all of them? A white with black stripes '67 Z/28. It was an original 27,000 mile car, which spent most of it's life racing, found in a barn in Canada, and restored 12 years ago. One of only 602 built and one of only 138 still remaining. I knew I was driving a serious piece of Camaro history, and would probably never ever have the chance to drive a '67 Z/28 again. This car held alot of magic for me. Magic, that the bidders felt as well - when I drove the little coupe onto the auction block, it sold - for $97,500.

I imagined what a completely, mind blowing, sporty, badass ride this must have been on the street, way back in 1967. Anyway, getting back to the 5th gen. I hope the 5th gen Z/28 exudes the same kind of magic, energy and excitement that this '67 Z/28 did. It was a very special car then, and I hope the new one will be every bit as special.

that sounds like an amazing time

it reminds me of the magic i felt when i saw the 5 corvette grand sports the only time they were at one place at the same time, the Concours de Elegance in FL. if the camaro has one ounce of that magic i will be extremely satisfied.

it reminds me of the magic i felt when i saw the 5 corvette grand sports the only time they were at one place at the same time, the Concours de Elegance in FL. if the camaro has one ounce of that magic i will be extremely satisfied.

This Z/28 had a soul, it was more than simply a collection of parts and shiny paint. It's hard to put your finger on what gives a car a "soul", but this one had it. How you can give a new car a soul is sort of a gestalt question. It needs to be more than just the summation of it's parts.
I think people on enthusiasts boards like this, generally don't get that. It's not just one thing (like only massive power) - it's the way everything is integrated to create the magic. That's what I hope the Camaro's architects understand.

Other cars that I drove with a "soul".
The Ferrari....because, well, it was a Ferrari.
A beautifully restored '70, W31, 4 speed, Cutlass. This car also had something special. With it's radical cam, nasty exhaust note and very smooth clutch...I loved it.
The other early Z/28's, had it as well.

BTW, most of the high buck, six figure, trailer queen, "streetrods" I drove were devoid of any soul whatsoever.....so you can't get soul just by simply throwing mega dollars at a car.

the 5th gen Z/28 needs:
1) a "light weight" feeling
2) excellent steering feel
3) high reving engine (8000rpm)
4) short throw shifter ( only a manual tranny)
5) big brakes (13")
6) a stiff suspension (think BMW)

8000 rpm? I think saying that the 5th gen needs to rev to 8000rpm is a little excessive.

It'd be cool, though... I just have a hard time believing it would happen, given that the LS7 only revs to 7000...

8000 rpm? I think saying that the 5th gen needs to rev to 8000rpm is a little excessive.

It'd be cool, though... I just have a hard time believing it would happen, given that the LS7 only revs to 7000...but the LS7 is 427ci not 3xxci. the Z/28 doesn't need massive torque that big cubes give. it needs to rev....just like the original.

This Z/28 had a soul, it was more than simply a collection of parts and shiny paint. It's hard to put your finger on what gives a car a "soul", but this one had it. How you can give a new car a soul is sort of a gestalt question. It needs to be more than just the summation of it's parts.
I think people on enthusiasts boards like this, generally don't get that. It's not just one thing (like only massive power) - it's the way everything is integrated to create the magic. That's what I hope the Camaro's architects understand.

Thats awesome! There is an original '67 Z28 at Maryland Int'l Raceway that races pretty regularly. I dont know if he has the original 302 but I dont think its in it. The guy can tell you what number the car was off the line but it has been modified for drag racing.

I like to think I get the soul which is why I like the 69 soo much. I like the 67 and 68 too though. If I had to boil it down, if it could be boiled down off hand I would say it came down to this.

How stylish the car is? as in is this thing a rolling Leonardo DeVinnci work of art?

How Signifigant is the car to automotive history and how signifigant is it to you?

What is the rarity of the car?

is the car fun to drive as in does it make your heart pound even just seeing it?

Only $97,500? That's a little low for what restored 67 Z/28's have been going for recently. (With only about 150+/- remaining that are accounted for they don't come up for sale too often.) Perhaps the Camaro market is coming back down to earth now that the 5th gen is a go.

I seriously envy you though. While my 67 coupe has been built as a modern day interpretation of the original Z/28, it still isn't the same as driving the real thing. :D

Lucky you! :D

Only $97,500? That's a little low for what restored 67 Z/28's have been going for recently. (With only about 150+/- remaining that are accounted for they don't come up for sale too often.) Perhaps the Camaro market is coming back down to earth now that the 5th gen is a go.

I seriously envy you though. While my 67 coupe has been built as a modern day interpretation of the original Z/28, it still isn't the same as driving the real thing. :D

Lucky you! :D

The market may be softening abit. The owner had a $100,000 reserve on the Z/28, but lifted it at the last second.

Today, I drove a fantastic '70 Boss 302, (another car with "soul"). If anything, IMO, it's restoration was at an even a higher level than the '67 Z/28 I drove the day before. It was a "no sale" at $67,000.

I miss the Mecum auction. From a design point of view, it's great to all the designs from the past up close and personal, whether it's the HVAC controls of a '59 Impala or realizing just how expansive the front passenger space in in a '78 Toronado with a bench seat.

Wow, that's a sweet gig you guys have with Mecum!
That settles it, I need to join that club. :D

Here's a weird coincedence....
Looking at my car-a-day American Muscle Cars calendar...
Today's car...
1967 Camaro Z/28... white with black stripes!
...could very well be the same car.

Wow, that's a sweet gig you guys have with Mecum!
That settles it, I need to join that club. :D

Here's a weird coincedence....
Looking at my car-a-day American Muscle Cars calendar...
Today's car...
1967 Camaro Z/28... white with black stripes!
...could very well be the same car.

I wonder. Did it have a rear spoiler?

I miss the Mecum auction. From a design point of view, it's great to all the designs from the past up close and personal, whether it's the HVAC controls of a '59 Impala or realizing just how expansive the front passenger space in in a '78 Toronado with a bench seat.

Yeah, you're right about that Tim.

You really get a sense of what revolutionary products the early Mustangs and Camaros were. I mean, they were so much smaller than the huge landbarges that the full sized cars, (and their performance car variants) of the time were, but they weren't plain jane, econo-grocery getters like the smaller Falcons or Novas were either.

They were sporty, stylish, compact, performance cars. Really completely different than anything offered before.

Getting back to that '67 Z/28. Drive a bunch of circa '67 cars, (like we did this weekend), and then drive that Z/28. In that context, it was mindblowing.

That's the essence I'd want the 5th gen Z/28 to have.

Yeah, you're right about that Tim.

You really get a sense of what revolutionary products the early Mustangs and Camaros were. I mean, they were so much smaller than the huge landbarges that the full sized cars, (and their performance car variants) of the time were, but they weren't plain jane, econo-grocery getters like the smaller Falcons or Novas were either.

They were sporty, stylish, compact, performance cars. Really completely different than anything offered before.

Getting back to that '67 Z/28. Drive a bunch of circa '67 cars, (like we did this weekend), and then drive that Z/28. In that context, it was mindblowing.

That's the essence I'd want the 5th gen Z/28 to have.

As would I (although I' think I've made it pretty clear I won't be considering a Camaro again until the 6th gens arrive). On a styling note, the front of those cars I always though were very revolutionary. No one else (save maybe the '68 Charger) was putting a strong egde border around the entire front end (including the headlights). Take a look at a '70-'73 Mustang and '71+ Charger/'Cuda and the similarity isn't hard to miss.

Lucky :p .

David

I wonder. Did it have a rear spoiler?A little bit hard to tell because of the angle of the car, but it appears so!

A little bit hard to tell because of the angle of the car, but it appears so!

No rear spoiler on the one I drove, Tim.

believe it or not,w-31's were more rare than w-30's..only about 2900 built in the 3 years they were available
you could order these cars with 5.00 gears,dealer installed,of course.:D

w-31's won F/Stock in NHRA for a couple years straight,more famous by being run by the Smothers brothers racing team back in the day.

only 26 w-31 ragtops made in 1969:D

in 1968 they were called ram rods