OUR NEW RESTORATION PROJECT, A VERY SPECIAL 1967 Z/28

On one of the first outings to the drag strip, Ray took the Z/28 up to 75-80 Dragway in Monrovia, Maryland. In bone stock condition, this Camaro ran in the high 13-second zone at 105 mph. This is when the car had approximately 1800 miles on the odometer! Ray stated that the car needed more gear as he was going through the finish line in 3rd gear. The perfect choice would have been 5.38 rear end gears if this Z/28 was a dedicated race car.



On August 12, 1968, Ray was drafted into the service. Ray's dad, also a Walter Ray Fairall, cared for the car while Ray Jr. did his hitch in the Army. Over that two-year period, Ray's dad took care of the maintenance on the car and occasionally street raced from stop light to stop light with the locals. Ray Jr. had told me that his mom was always upset when dad took the Camaro out for a spin. Seems he was always hot rodding the Camaro on the street through the neighborhood. Why not? He was driving a factory-built race car that would become legendary in the world of Trans-Am racing and NHRA drag racing by the end of the decade!

When Ray Jr. returned home from the service in August of 1970, the Z/28 Camaro became more of a dedicated hot rod rather than his everyday transportation. Eventually, the engine was removed and taken to "Little Howard", a local engine builder that had an excellent reputation for building NHRA drag racing engines. When the engine was reinstalled, performance gains were off the charts.

It was the Fall of 1970 when I first met Ray Fairall. We were both at Capital Raceway in Crofton, Maryland during a time trial session. I was racing my new 1969 SS396 Chevelle. I remember our first meeting like it was yesterday. Ray's Tahoe turquoise paint and white Z/28 stripes hit you right between the eyes. In those days, the only Camaros you saw with Z/28 stripes were actual Z/28s. As we know, in later years everyone installed Z stripes on all Camaros. Back then Z/28 stripes were different and unique.

What amazed me was the performance out of that little 302 engine. I had this big new 396-375 horsepower Chevelle. In those days, we ran seven-inch rear slicks and open headers. Capital Raceway had a bracket racing program for all of the locals like Ray and myself. If you had a 12-second car in those days, that was fast! I was running in the 12s, but so was that little 302. This is where I really had a reality check as to just how bad these new Z/28s were!

Photos taken near the old Friendship Airport, now BWI Airport when car was less than a few months old. Some were taken at the Westinghouse parking lot near the airport. Note the spring shackles added to the rear leaf springs.

For you Camaro enthusiasts who love original unrestored cars, you'll love our original paint Ermine White'68 Z/28 with only 22,000 original miles showing on the odometer! This 1968 Z28 is the only one known to exist with all of the factory installed high performance options and full documentation to back it up.

It features some of the rarest and most desirable options ever offered on a 1968 Z/28...cowl plenum air cleaner assembly, factory Kustom headers, Muncie M/22 "rock crusher" 4-speed , 4.88 posi rear axle, 8-track tape player, console, gauges, wood steering wheel, auxiliary lighting, tinted windshield, floor mats, style trim group, special interior group, AM radio and rear defogger are just a few of the options on this fully documented Z/28. Oh, by the way, this Z/28 is still sporting its original plug wires.

In 1993, we took this Z28 to 75-80 Dragway. In bone stock condition, we ran 12.90s at 108 mph through the mufflers on street tires. If you don't believe it's a factory built rocket ship, ask some of our customers who have ridden in the "white rocket." One of the most fun Z28s you will ever drive