Leno Drives Legendary 1969 Camaro Z28 Rally Sport with an Incredible Backstory! | Jay Leno's Garage
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- This week on Jay Leno’s Garage, we take a deep dive into the golden era of muscle cars with the stunning 1969 Camaro Z28 Rally Sport. Join Jay as he explores the car’s fascinating history, including its emotional reunion with its original owner, Glenn Stearns-now a bestselling author-after decades apart. Hear the incredible story of how Glenn sold this iconic car as a teenager, only to track it down at an auction nearly 40 years later. Restored to perfection, this Camaro is more than just a car; it’s a time capsule of memories and passion. Buckle up for an unforgettable ride as Jay and Glenn take this beauty out for a spin!
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A new video every Monday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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In 1979 I was 17 and bought a 69 Z/28 Camaro. I'm 61 now and still got it.
Lucy you, congrats!
my friend Kent has the same story @ 17 bought a 69 in 79 his is a Baldwinn Motion Z28
Awesome. I'm happy for all the owners with a similar story that own these cars. Blessings.
1969 GM cars were built with care and good looking. I had a 1969 hardtop two door Impala coupe body. I regret getting selling it. But needed food on the table. Now restoring a car costs small fortune, even doing myself.
Good for you, to have foresight too keep it 😊
This is probably the prettiest '69 Camaro I've ever seen. Absolutely perfect top to bottom.
It's beautiful, but I think the silver ones were the coolest. I had a friend who had one back in the day. Just my 2 cents.
How did he afford it as a teenager, I barely could swing a dodge duster manual and Honda CB twin. Friend worked with had one but they were twins and pitched in all their money.
@@hippydippy my next door neighbor in Georgia had a SILVER With Black Stripes 69 Z28 hideaway headlights 427
I think the white and orange stripes white top convertible pace cars were the ultimate cool. I remember a kid in high school got one, he had 50's on deep craigars, Headers, intake etc. at the homecoming football game he had the prom queen and 2 other queens sitting on the trunk lid in the parade,waving at the crowds, while its cammin down the street. Coolest of cool to this twisted teenager. I later had a red SS/RS with black interior,, 350/350. Should a kept that one,
I miss my 91 RS , it was light blue Metallic. It was loaded with everything 😪x 10
Boy, a dream come true, to get your teenage muscle car back again.
@garthhowe297 Yes, if it was actually his car, which he never confirmed through a vin search
My first car was an 89 Ford Festiva that caught on fire. I'm ok with not getting it back.
@DallasG83 lol, not even in a big decorative urn?
67 country squire, had the woodgrain even. Nope. I hope it's rusting in peace n full a mice.
250k. Whoa
I found my triple black X33D80 '69 Z/28 in '94 was a barn find with 32,822 original miles. I paid $2400 for her did a groundup restoration and have been driving it since. I will Never sell her. The '69 model is an icon for me as I own 5 others and I'm still buying/building as I write this. Life is Great....Gasoline Forever!!!
Seriously? You stole her from the barn! $2400 would have been "peak low" on the depreciation curve of a beat-up high mileage version. My guess is around 1975 that would have been an appropriate figure.
I'm a guy with the more typical story than you .... bought my 68 Z-28 for $4500 in 1978. It had around 60,000 miles and was a clean "driver," not a show piece. A year or so later, I spun out in the snow and hit a plow blank that happened to contain a landscape boulder. Passenger side fender, bumper and grill messed up along with the rallye wheel chrome trim ring.The corner of the cowl induction hood was tweaked also. I sourced a used fender and the wheel from a wreck and put them on. Never found the other parts on the used market. As a low budget high school kid, I faced the inevitable decision to sell. I got $4000 for it as-is. $500 cost to have an absolute blast for two years - what a bargain! Okay, the parts I found cost around $100, so it was $600 plus gas and maintenance for that two years of fun. I thought I was a real winer in that transaction, but of course I would love to have that car back. With today's crazy values, I'll have to wait until I become a best-selling author to search the market.
Congratulations on your barn find; amazing!
A hoarder who doesn’t share with the other kids very well
The gasoline you need to run a 69Z is also a thing of the past.
Glenn Stearns is beyond wealthy. Trust me, as a Newport Beach person, the guy is LOADED and yet he’s this humble and this grateful. A total class act and self-made, wonderful person.
Billionaire Next Door. Was that his series? He's got an incredible story.
Awesome he has his car back. Cool
Love him. Dresses like James woods in casino
If he actually buries that car with him when he dies, though, I'll be pissed.
@@jackgilchrist would hope one of his kids would take care of it when he’s gone.
I was 19. I bought a z/28 brand new. My dad had to sign for it but I made every payment.
I still have it. I almost traded it once but my wife didn’t want me to give it up. Thanks to her I still have my Z/28. We both love that car. I hear a lot of stories that start out “I used to own………….”
Not very many stories like mine. My car is burgundy with white stripes and white interior.
Thanks for the nice presentation of this car and the owners story.
Lucky guy! Keep that car...and your cool wife
Thanks for sharing your story, it sounds like a wonderful car - Hold on to it as long as you can. I have found that when you hold on to a special car for such a long period of time, it becomes something more than a car, especially if it has been cared for. It becomes a part of you and your history, filled with memories good and bad.
Thanks
I bought my 69 Z28 in 1971 when I was in the 11th grade. I put a set of 4.56 gears in it and replaced the Goodyears with a set of Goodrich TA radials which really helped the traction problem and a set of headers and turbo mufflers. It was a great stop light to stop light racer. I kept all the factor parts and put them back on it about ten years ago. It is still part of mine and my wife's car collection and has 33k original miles. I like the fact that yours is a one owner. At 70 years old I still like to take it down a freeway entrance ramp and really blow the spyders out of the pipes.
@@nojunkwork5735nice
Amazing story for Glenn to find the exact car he had sold all those years ago. Love the sound it makes, some real American horsepower. You can see the joy it brought Glenn on his face, and some good memories, tickets and all. Great video Jay!
Not the same car he sold
That color with the white interior looks incredible!!
I am really happy for Glenn, all those memories came floating back for him. So nice.
My dad was a Chevy dealer in the 1960s when I was 16. My best friend bought the first 67 Camaro Z28 from him. We hot rodded that one, too. I had a 62 Corvette for a few months, it had originally been fuel injected, but the first buyer (remember, my dad was in the car SELLING business) put a 4BBL on it, defaulted on the loan and that's when I got it, until he sold it again. My high school classmates remember that car, just like Glenn's. Great memories!
Excellent video about a memory restored, I was smiling. I'll read his book.
I've Googled Glenn.
Wow what a life story!
Alcoholic parents, dislexyic so couldn't learn, baby at 14 then goes on to be first person in his family to attend and graduate from college!
Then on to start a huge mortgage business at 25!
I love stories like Glenn's.
Sadly only some people get emotional attachments to cars.
Not just transport but they get connected to them knowing everything about them and at a more than just technical level.
Some even name them.
Love your Garage vids Jay. Cars and stories like this you're the best at.
Best from me way Down Under in Middle Earth!
Grayson
Wonderful story. Glad he was reunited with his Z28. Love these stories Jay.
Growing up my dad had several first gen’ Camaros but my favorite will always be his ‘69 Z/28 in Cortez Silver w/ black stripes, equipped with the RS package, Endura front bumper, vinyl top, 4:10 rear end, and a Muncie M22 “Rock Crusher” transmission.
I was lucky enough to learn how to drive manual on this car. I’m telling you there’s nothing like learning how to drive a manual like the Muncie and DZ302 powering it. Like trying to tame a wild horse.
Took my high school sweetheart to prom back in ‘99
@dodgersfan8598 She was sweet. He also had another ‘69 Z/28 in Hugger Orange with white stripes and also a ‘69 Z/11 Pace Car in the Dover White with Hugger Orange stripes. Back when these babies didn’t cost an arm and a leg
My dad had this exact car bought new in 69, wish he still had it, the best looking Camaro ever produced
so not that exact car...
@@alexrex20Exactly!
@@alexrex20 yea, different VIN number
My brother's friend was discharged from the Air Force in summer of '68. All of my brother's friends had cool cars, so I thought it strange when he showed up in a '68 4-door Impala with a 307. Then in the fall (of '68) he showed up in the first '69 Z/28 the locals ever saw! It seems he wanted a Z/28 from the start but it was too late for a new '68. He ordered a new '69 (sight unseen I assume) and the dealer sold him the Impala to drive in the meantime with the arrangement to trade it back in for what he paid for it. I got a ride in his new Z, I didn't know it was possible to drive so fast on a back road! Wow! I bought my own a few years later.
One of the coolest muscle cars ever made!
Pony car.
Had a child at 14 and drove a Camaro Z28 at 16, and still turned out great. Damn, America truly used to be the greatest country in the world.
How old was the girl he knocked up?
*Heal up soon Jay!*
This episode is another example of what the hobby is all about - the passion for a car by
a good steward of it and especially the *stories* that come along with it are what matter,
oftentimes moreso than the particulars on the car itself.
Jay understands this and makes note of it often; he knows the difference between simply
owning a car and being a good steward of one.
- Ed on the Ridge
Jay is an interesting celebrity. Stays at the Hampton Inn and walks by himself to dinner down a bluff. Who else in Hollywood does that?
Jay also drives down the middle of two lanes often. All jay needs is a Florida license plate on whatever he drives.
All the best Mr. Jay , hope you will feel better soon , take care buddy 👍
What an awesome story! I was getting my drivers license about the time this car rolled off the assembly line....so many memories. Could be the best episode yet! Thanks Jay.
Really nice, humble sort of guy. Not like I know the man, but still I'm happy that he was able to reacquire his beloved ride that clearly means a lot to him. They belong together.
True he seems like a nice guy for sure, but a kid at 14 is crazy😂😂
What’s even more great about him is that he is LOADED. He’s one of the most wealthy people in Southern California and yet he’s that humble. Amazing.
Yeah, he's a billionaire,even had a tv show out not long ago, very cool show too!
@@zulgadams5837 What was the show name?
@@gordocarbo Undercover Billionaire
NICE !!! A 69 RS Z-28 with the very rare Dual Four Barrel Induction. I can't believe that Jay didn't
comment on the fact that the car has the Dual 4 Barrel Carbs 😟...
If the dual fours are original to the car, this is almost a Holy Grail Z-28. The only things that would
make it even better is if it has the very rare rear disc brake option, and factory headers...
That's an absolutely beautiful car. I have never seen that color combination before.
The 302 was factory advertised as 290 hp, but in reality they were dynoed by several people
back in the day, and were actually over 350 hp. Obviously the dual four barrels increased the
horsepower, but I can't remember off the top of my head what they were rated at.
It's funny to remember that back in the day you could buy a new car that had a camshaft that
you could actually hear. The 302's 30-30 camshafts sound really nice...
The whole time Jay was driving it, I kept telling myself that there's something wrong with the car.
It shouldn't sound that loud and raspy, and right at the end Jay mentioned that the muffler is bad LOL...
JL8 was the brake option and there was a rare chambered exhaust system available with no mufflers.
The dual Holley 4 Barrel crossram intake system was a "Dealer Installed" option, so there was no published Horsepower rating on it.
@@1gofastboat327:
It sounds as though this Z/28 is equipped with the NC8 chambered exhaust system. As optioned as this vehicle is, it likely also has the J56 rear disc brake option.
@@johnjohnsn7633 Correct. My father bought one and the 2x4 intake was lying on the front seat when it came off the delivery trailer.
Yes, I commented on the same thing up comment string, must have been some insurance requirement, living in California, possibly, on same ancient law, that 302 dual quad carb is not street legal. mb
I was adopted from a couple of 14 year olds; this was my favourite car as a kid - right down to the colour. I think I first saw it in something like HotRod Magazine. I remember also having built a plastic model of it.
Beautiful car.
hope you get to buy your own!
What do you mean adopted from a couple of 14 year olds?
@@vika0194 I'm guessing his birth parents were 14 and gave him up for adoption.
@@ChrisTheAspergerGuy some coincidence then since the Camaro owner in the video got a kid at 14.
Had 18 models of Z28s in the 70s one for every color combo GM had and a few they didnt. Ocd...lol
290 advertised HP, but in reality more like 375 brake HP, 11 : 1 compression ratio, 800 cfm carburetor. I remember my brother begging my Dad to cosign for a 1969 Z28, it didn't happen. Also he begged my Dad to purchase for himself a 289 Cobra new, I still remember him swearing, "I'm not paying $5000 for a car with no roll up windows". Famous last words.
Kinda like me not buying Bitcoin when it was it at $200 bucks.
Crossram with the second design solid cam with headers dyno’d at around 525 horsepower at 7800 rpm. This figure is from Traco racing engines. They built the competition 302’s for some of the race teams.
Here we again with pure BS. That motor is around 300 GROSS, not net. Comparing with a motor properly rated with SAE NET after ~1972 (a.k.a TODAY) puts this motor around 250-260HP. So if that car were sold today, and you looked it up on edmunds, it would say around 260HP. Definitely not mind blowing by anybody's measure and these cars were NOT light, at around 3500lbs. Go watch the Tim Allen video with the Nissan Altima. All these old geezers and their 500HP engines is all just mindless bragging
Engine - 302 CID, OHV V8
Horsepower advertised - 290 @ 5800 rpm, 290 ft-lbs of torque at 4200 rpm
Horsepower true - 375+ @ 7000 rpm, 330+ ft-lbs of torque
Fuel system - one 780 cfm 4-barrel
Curb weight - 3,296 lbs
0-60 time - 7.4 seconds
1/4 mile time - 15.12 seconds @ 94.8 mph
Top speed - 135+ mph
Number built: 20,302
MSRP price: $3,185.00
Or just a real 290 hp DIN and not Brut SAE HP like the others muscle/pony cars of this generation.
Two really heartwarming stories. That was OUR Era.
The 1969 Camaro & the 1972 K10 will always be American royalty. Thank you Jay.
I was in the Navy from 1969 to 1972 in Long Beach Ca . One of my ship mates had a Blue 1969 Z 28 Camaro . I have a lot of great memories cruising around Southern California with my friend in that car !
What ship?
@ USS Taluga. AO 62
My neighbor was in the Navy and while stationed overseas bought and had shipped home a 1970 1/2 Z28 gold with black deck straps. He still has it.
@@gregoryschubring4795 Lucky man to still have the car !
If I recall correctly, the cross ram was developed by Smokey Yunick for the Trans-Am series. What I don't remember is that aircleaner decal. These were woefully underrated at 290 HP with the single 780cfm 4053 Holley . The 302 had the 4.00 inch bore of the 327 with a 3.00 stroke from the 283. They lacked low end torque but made up for it in the upper rev ranges. The 2.02 large valve heads flowed well however, the bore/stroke/cam combination resulted in relatively poor port velocity. Fitting the cross ram exacerbated the lackluster low end response though more than made up for it above 5500 rpm. It was not unheard of for these heavy breathing, high revving mouse motors to scream into the 400+ HP range particularly when fitted with factory GM p/n 3727140, or '140' solid lifter cam.
I can verify ( as above) back in 1970- since I did use the 140 cam, in my Camaro engine, solids, headers, Holley and Accel dual point, redline was 9300, and was all in a ‘55 Chevy, with 4:56 gears, M21.
I was lucky enough to own a 69 Z-28, 302 DZ solid lifter, factory headers.
It would rev to the moon…close to 8,000…..but the redline WAS NOT 9,000 !
Who the hell told you that ?
This little presentation has brought out a ton of “want-a-be’s” that are showing their trailer park ignorance.
( or 9,300 )
Noticed that
Probably wasn’t on there 44 years ago
@@Grasshopper0122 Correct, “Grasshopper”, the normal Z28 engine would not rev 9Gs, but my ‘ 67, SS Camaro 350 engine was all balanced, fitted by a race engine shop, with TRW 12.5 :1 pistons, special valve springs, and the special Z28 GM “0ff- Road” 140 service cam (for Trans Am racing), - not intended to be used on the street- and when I installed this (back in 1970), in a 1955 Chevy, 2 Dr hdtp, with A& A fiberglass tilt doghouse. And yes, I used a Super Sun 10 grand tach, and shifted the 4 speed Hurst, at 8500 rpm- And many like you were eating my Sunoco 260 fumes!
I can't wait for him to get into traffic, or third in line at a stop light! "It handles really well." So cool.
Wow, what a beautiful Z-28! My dad had a '69 SS-350 that he bought brand new in '69, and though it was pretty basic, though had the hood with the chrome intake grills, it was amazing to ride in, and then to drive when I was old enough. I still can't believe he let a 16 year old me drive his car to school, but he did, and I sure met a lot of new people on the days he'd let me. ha ha. I still have some great memories of times I was in that car, and yeah, it ended up being sold for basically peanuts because he didn't know what he had. Dad was never a car guy, which is why it was so shocking that he bought it in the first place. I mean, really, in 2008 he bought a Kia Spectra, and he loved it. smh. Feel better soon, Jay!
One of the most enjoyable episodes glad he got the car back I had a similar situation and got mine back so I can appreciate the feeling
Mr Leno, you have performed a Corporal Work of Mercy by providing this Soul with an opportunity to tell his story. You treated him with kindness and respect. Well done Good Sir Knight. PEACE
In the summer 1977 I was 15 and just short of my 16th B-day. My mom helped me buy my 1st. car with my paper route money too. An Orange 1968 Chevelle SS 396 4 speed with a 456 gear . Total beast mode that I'll never forget. One day the throttle stuck, spit the valve seals in the pan and the motor locked. These guys are right. We dream about it until the end.
My '69 Z/28 was silver with black stripes, full gauge package on the console, and it ran like a beast. I was 18 when I got it. So many great memories of my youth were made with that car. Eventually had to sell it to pay for college tuition and I still regret that day. I share the same dream as Glenn, hoping that one day it'll show up for sale and I'll find my old car again. Super happy for Glenn! What a great find and backstory!
Beautiful car. My buddy had a red ‘68 in high school in the early 70s. Loved that car and was shocked when he traded it for a ‘74 Vette. Has been my ‘dream’ car ever since.
My cousin had this exact car , only lime green with white interior in 1969 he was 18 years old , I was 14, and he took me for a fast ride in Tennessee mountain curves . What memories .
MAN! This is some story! Good for you to be able to get it back!That Z/28 looks good in Glacier Blue! Nice change from Lemans Blue. It looks great, has the cross-ram manifold, the ZL-2 cowl induction hood, RS package, the painted front bumper... All original equipment! That is a beautiful and rare machine! Love the idle on that thing, healthy but can be driven when still cold. Not a romp-romp thing.
Pretty but lemans blue is prettier.
Damn, that car is gorgeous! And what a great story, with Glenn just happening to be at a car auction and seeing his lost car. His story really shows that car culture is not just about the cars but the connections that are created and the bonds formed with family and friends.
In 1968 I purchased a used 1967 Chevelle SS 396 350 HP 4 speed with 410 gears from a late teenager who was forced to sell it by his mother who held the title because he lost his license from street racing. I was 18 at the time and paid $2200 for the car. The car was VERY fast and I raced it at Englishtown Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ up to 1971. The best ET was 12.56 @ 108.xx MPH. I was getting married in 1971 and my soon to be father-in-law told me If I wanted to marry his daughter I'd have to sell my car. I sold it to a butcher from Staten Island NY for $1800. I cried when that car left the driveway.
Still married to that girl?😊
And did she appreciate in value as much as that SS?
@@jerryfischer3988 We divorced in 2010 - She found a younger guy and I became the "old shoe". I still cry over that Chevelle. I only have an old beat-up picture on my desk of it. Marina blue with black interior bucket seats, short Hearst T-handle shifter, Lakewood scatter shield and Cragar mags.
@@usaturnuranus Well - the last time I saw her in court she was still an attractive woman but I knowing what I know now the car would not have left me and gave me all I asked from it! I sure did LOVE that car!! Nothing beats the feel of HORSEPOWER!!
@@paulberkuta4965 sounds like a beautiful car!
Im so sorry when I heard about your fall. Please heal quickly
He needs to pay the gambling debt, even if he has to sell most of his cars. It's not going to end well otherwise.
@@Kenjh71 the hell are you talking about??!!
@trapin68
There is total rubbish rumour that Jay is in huge Gambling debt. Totally unsubstantiated
@@trapin68 just look at what has happened to him the last years. And look at the circumstances in this last one. Something is not right.
How did you know I fell today? I'm fine but thanks for asking. AI is getting spooky
My 1st love was a 70 383 cuda...numbers matching documented with every receipt since 70...still have it...bought it with 56k miles..only 59k on it now...fe5 red...big crower cam and dual quads and 3000rpm stall and headers...are the only things not original..got several others..34 ford victoria...my dad's car...won automata a couple years in 75 and 77...too many others to list....my most recent being a limegreen widebody scatpack with 21k miles...very rarely pull them out...drive 2003 ford f150 5.4...for a worktruck...I too wanna be buried in my Cuda and my favorite lespaul guitar...great story...Jay's always such a gracious host as always..
Drive that thing, what are you waiting for? Miles aint gonna affect its value at all
That car is a heartbreaker!!!!! Very nice Jay.
He survived having that as a 16 year old? Dang, and lived long enough to get it back? Well done! And still around to enjoy it? DAYAM!
First he survived being a dad at 14 then survived owning a very expensive and fast car at 16
My cousin got one in '68 from his father who was a GM executive. They had a big block Vette in the garage as well, but when you started this thing, it shook the dishes in the cupboards 100 feet away across the house. An absolute beast. But it didn't truly shine until higher RPMs. Not a stoplight race car, a road racer. We had a blast in that thing - and me a little kid in the back seat. After 3000 RPM this motor would just scream and you'd actually feel the power of the thing, which was short stroke fat. I couldn't believe he sold it for a 73 L-82, but I guess his requirements had changed. That car was a weapon.
Does bring back memories - my buddy Philip had one of these - back in 71. His was a 69, white, orange stripes, convertible. A real beast!
There were no convertible 1969 Z28's.
Sounds more like one my friend Phil had, 1969 White, Orange stripes Indy Pace car with a 396 as I recall - not the Z/28
@@mikeyboy3054 rally sport
Beautiful car, great story. For a split second, I thought the story about his friend was going to end with his friend saying he married the girl.🤣🤣🤣
This is the most beautiful 69 I've laid eyes on. I love the factory look. 48 years old and this has been my dream car as long as I can remember . Love the videos Jay .
That is an eye watering beautiful car from the lines to the paint and everything in between! 😌
My friend used to have one of these, or maybe it was the '67. We had just graduated highschool in '66. She had money, I had a '63 VW Bug! We used to cruise up and down Sunset Blvd in her Camaro, meeting guys and going to dance at the Hullabaloo! Fun times!
What a gorgeous car! That is a really great story to go with it, you can see that Jay is just as much into that aspect as the car itself.
My brother had a maroon 69 Z
He sold it when he got married in 1973 for $2700 this configuration is my all time favorite.
Thanks Jay
Driving these cars is what makes them special. Make sure you children and grandchildren have the experience you had then. Nobody fights for Dad’s old car in the garage but everyone fights for the car they drove 1st or took to prom or drove on their wedding day. Take the grandkids to get ice cream on weekends or to the drive-in. My 5 year old grandson claims my Wife’s red Mustang GT convertible as his car from the moment he seen it in the driveway when we brought it home.
69 is my favorite year as well. I remember my Uncle Bill had a two tone 69 with a 350, got my first speeding ticket in that car. This car is absolutely beautiful, so lucky to have it back, worth every penny....
That car sitting at the lights idling sounds so good!
I bought a 69 Pacesetter Camaro in 1975 for $1,500, I still miss it! It was a convertible with all of the SS and RS options, mine was a 350 4 barrel/4 speed. Something about that classy white with Hugger Orange stripes paint scheme, and the orange houndstooth interior really set it off. I could never resist revving it up on every shift high enough to hear the suction from that cowl induction hood!
I was able to drive a 69' RS/SS 396 car. It was so much fun. I used to detail this guy's car collection and he'd let me tool around in them. Totally worth it!
Had a 69 SS350 as my daily, late 80s. Still a teenager
Always kept my dailys bone stock just a good tune up shift kit and tunes.
Every drive I was in heaven
I had a 1968 Chevelle SS 396,4 speed in high school back in 1983....sold it in 1993...dang i miss that car.😢...Saw it in Pigeon Forge,TN at a rod run many years later...won 2 trophies.
That being a cross-ram car, it's putting out significantly more than 290 hp. Stunning car!
I've heard stories that some had as much as 540H/P, maybe someone could do some research and find out for sure.
@@BobbyTucker No stock one even with duals made that much.
Traco built race 302s made roughly 480ish
A high school buddy of mine had a '68 Rally Sport 327 Camaro that he bought after graduating. Four speed, four barrel, traction bars, oh what fun. Great car, one that I made a few rounds of the gut with him.
I briefly owned a Grabber Orange 1969 RS/SS Camaro and people went insane over it. Honestly, people would scream at me on the freeway and on the street to pull over. I'd come out of a store and people would be crawling over it and even trying the door handle to check out the inside. It was crazy. Had to sell it because taking it out was so stressful.
I Almost bought a 69 396 rs ss.
Same color. White stripes.
*Hugger orange, Grabber is Ford…
@@JayLarusta last thing I would claim to be, is an expert on automobile trivia.
The grabber maverick with the 302.
It does sound ford.
I did owned a 68 rs ss. But it was a crappy
hot rod metallic root beer orange.
And a fold down rear seat for
added versatility and style.
Happens to me most times I took mine out.
I dont remember being stressed when people look at it..heck all mine were dailys. Some were faded originals others frame offs
I took several pictures of this very Z28 at BJ Scottsdale 2020, it was sitting outside in the sun and was breathtaking! FF almost 5 years and here it is on Jay's Garage!!
Jay,
Thanks, this is my favorite American car from the 60s. Absolutely gorgeous, with the 2/4bbl option, back in 1969 when it was ordered the factory put the intake and carbs in the trunk, it had to be a dealer installed option. This is the story I got on it, maybe you can check that out for authenticity. Thanks again for sharing this with all of us, I enjoyed it.
Never came in the trunk, over the counter dealer unit only
Dealer could install it, best done with their upgraded cam.
Those two things, headers and 4.56 made these cars rip!
An older friend of mine still has his dark green/black interior '69 Z28 R/S 302 dual quad 4sp that he got brand new as an 18 yr old for his graduation! This guy is the same age as me but I waited until I was 23 to have kids & now have 3 with 5 grand kids! We all know those engines made way over 350-375hp as they were way underrated just like all muscle cars ✌💖☮
Fit and finish looks perfect
Jay love your channel and boy does this video hit home. I am from Melrose Ma and when I turned 16 my Dad bought me a '69 Camaro Pace car - white with orange stripes convertible. I had my learners permit and my Dad before school one day drove us to Waltham to his friends Ford dealership and without me knowing pulled up and said that's your car! He then says, drive it to school which was St Johns Prep in Danvers and home, but don't tell your mother. Like this video everyone knew me by this car. I was reminder of it recently when I went back to my home town for a buddy's Mom's funeral and all my old friends asked me about the car. Like your friend in the video, my Dad paid $2,300 for the car and I sold it a couple of years later for $1800 to buy a Corvette.
What a great RUclips channel! Jay Leno’s Garage is!
In high school I had a classmate who had a ‘69 SS Camaro, green with white stripes. If I remember right he had a 427 in it, 4spd, 4:11 gears. Sweet car. He claimed he could pull the front wheels off the ground
I love that powder blue on this car. Looks gorgeous.
Just looking into the interior screams high school, ... spectacular.
There will never be a car like this again. Light weight, powerful, nimble and makes all the right sounds.
OMG!!!
1984 a friend of mine hd one of these with a Hurst shifter. Candy Apple Red with the white stripes.
That thing Roared!!!
'69 had the Hurst w/about 350hp in real life. 8k rpm
Man how fun that would have been!
Had a friend also back in the 80s with a hugger orange and his brother had a dark green one. . ...both legit Z)28 302 dz . awesome car
That is without a doubt the prettiest 1969 Z-28 Camaro I have ever seen!
You've never seen one in phantom green then.
Two super cool Grandpas enjoying a super cool car ❤
God Bless Jay's Simplicity
In 1971 I purchased just out of high school a 1969 SS 350 Camaro. Best car I ever had and will have.
The lead player in a band I was in had a brand new Z/28 in 1969. Parents bought it for him. Our neighbor gave each of their two sons new Z/28's. Incredible cars - I had to work not to slobber over them. Not related but, a good friend (1969) had a new 440 Charger RT with a Torque flite, and another buddy had a Torino 429. Last, a friend had a 64 Nova with a small block, a tunnel ram and carpet in lieu of a back seat. This is by way of saying that living in the 60's was life at the end of a fire hose - took a lot of it for granted - overwhelming.
I had a Stingray in 1969… a Schwinn Stingray… purple sparkle with a banana seat… I was 9 years old… I swear I locked it but someone stole it. I recently found the same bike at an auction and paid $37,000 for it…
@@jamesmcghee344037k holy crap. ,It's a Schwinn At least with the banana seat you will always fit.
CooL
@@jamesmcghee3440 Stingray bikes were SO cool. I always wanted one but never made it happen. The handle bars and banana seat. There was a lot of imagination happening back then.
Dang, that's who bought all the muscle cars up as they were all pretty rare.
Thought for sure these old eyes had deceived me when there was no mention of the rare dual quad cross-ram induction
pkg. whilst discussing options on this beautiful example! Seems a few old, but SHARP eyes picked up on it too!
Great episode, Jay; brought back memories watching the Trans-Am races at Seattle Int'l. Raceway back in '69-70!
What a classy car, nobody can deny the 69 Z-28... Excellent
I have a buddy who had a '67 chevy II with a 327/275 4spd. anyway another friend had a 69 Z/28 that was a stolen/recovery, he sold the engine to Bob Lumley, he put the engine in his Chevy II after cutting it out of the Z/28, Bob finally took the two/4bbl set up off the engine because it hit RPMs so quick it would sling the alternator belt off the pulley, lol. I thought he could have set it up with dual belt pulleys and eliminate the problem but it wasn't my car. I just wanted to share that with everyone.
What a beautiful car, and cerulean paint with the white stripes just brings it to the next level. What a spectacular vehicle.
Easily my favorite episode. Story is everything ❤️
I was 18 in February, 1970 when I bought my first car - a 1969 Z/28 Canary Yellow w/black vinyl top, black interior. I paid $2,400 for it and $1,100 a year for insurance. Dreams do come true. My favorite year is the 1968 - slimmer body but with all the fun parts.
My all time dream car
Wonderful video, I'm so glad he got his car back. My late wife passed away last year and she was a true Camaro girl having owned a '67, a '70 prior to us meeting and a '91 RS that I bought new for her which arrived at the dealership on Valentines day. Her last Camaro was/is a 2015 silver one we bought new together, I'm 71 and that car will be with me until the wheels fall off or I die.
Jay Leno & Reggie Jackson own the biggest and best car collection in the universe
Thought Reggie sold his off many yrs ago after the fire
@evorider3689 and what... cruise around the sand dunes
@@evorider3689 Too bad....storing cars just costs $ over time if they arent driven and maintained
My friends first car was a 67 Camaro RS...he knew cars...I knew music.....he asked me what kind of stereo he should get...I told him a Craig Power play 8 track....we cruised from sunset to sun rise....what a time it was.
What a great story. Congrats on finding your Z28!
As a 1st Gen Camaro owner and fan, I really enjoyed this episode!
I am a Ford person, but this 1969 Camaro is beautiful!
Crazy thing happened to me, on my hour long drive home from work I wondered if Jay would do a review of one of these, incredible !
Poignant statement at 0:27. “Can you imagine being 16 and having a car like this?” No… nowadays a similar Camaro would start at $44,000, which is unobtainable for 99.9% of 16-year-olds.
My cousin bought this car in green with the houndstooth interior. Was delivered with the hood mounted tach. It was so much fun. I remember driving it and simply up shifting when you heard the valves float. He passed it to his younger and he in turn passed down to the next so forth ……4 brothers. I’ve always regretted not putting dibs on it to my cousin, the 4th brother.
I have never seen a hood mounted tach on a Camaro from the factory,.....Firebirds and GTOs yes,.....Camaros, no. It was a Pontiac only thing.
this was in Quebec CAN and where he took delivery. I hear ya. But true, it was an available option (evidently in Canada) interestingly enough. More than likely built in ONT province. Now it is very possible it was a dealer install (and they did a bloody good job matching the paint). But there was a clock instead of a tach in the panel if I recall correctly. Is that how the Pontiacs would be configured?
@@Lt_Tragg I'm not sure. I have a 68 Camaro Z28 which has what was called a tic-toc tach because the clock is in the middle of the tachometer. As far as the hood mounted tach on a Camaro, perhaps it was a special order through the COPO program. Central Office Production Order. I think I read a few, mostly cars ordered to race through COPO might have had one.
My favorite year. I have a Hot Wheel. Green convertible.😂 ❤ Hilarious he buys a Rabbit.😅 Great story. He did get that beauty back. Thanks Jay.💙💜
Amazing story, never knew the indicators were in the lower middle part of the bumper like that. Very interesting. My 'gateway' car was a high school friend's 1980 Camaro with a converted Z 28 bumper. All the burnouts, all the sound, all the style.... makes life worth living as you say in the video! Thanks!
Jay heal fast and please take care of yourself. God Bless.
Nonsense
What happened to him?
What a beautiful story. The smile on his face is undeniable. Most people with amazing cars are just flexing their bank account. Not this guy. He’s in love. ❤
Best of all he drives it!! All his memories were behind the wheel like it should be
My first car was a 68 camero rs ss
with a lT1 350 out of a 70 corvette.
M22 4 spd.
Now I own an 84 rabbit gti
It is highly modified. Super fun car.
The gti used to be owned by
Robbie Knievel.
No shade on you, but I still find it funny how many times I see Camaro spelled like that :)
@michaeljcurry no problem. I have a learning disorder.
You wouldn't want to make fun of somebody with a learning disorder, now, would you.
@michaeljcurry I'm actually more likely to call it , the Carmelo.
Bought 83 Gti ordered from VW dealer winter 82, my first new car. Drove it 10 yrs loved it. Should never sold it had around 70k miles.😢
@craigpitre3035 only available for two years in the states. For me, the mid 70s
Into the 90s, was a miserable time for American automobiles. And they sounded like vacuum cleaners!!!! That was an exquisite disappointment. The only American made cars I would buy were foreign brands built in the USA. Full size pickup and van
Might be a different story.
I have four rabbits. A 77 group A rally car
That has the vw motor sport mods for rally.
Like the boxed trailing arms on the rear axe,
Seam welded, rollcage, 930 turbo inner cv joints, race preped gearbox, armor and a 1.8 block de stroked to 1.6 cc. The bilstein rally
Adj dampers and springs with heavy duty
Strut towers welded in that use three stud strut bearings that are set 1cm inbord
Compared to stock. I also have a 79
Diesel 2dr that has just over 70.000 miles on it. Original paint and very nice. It has a European turbo diesel engine.
The gti has an ABA block with a 1.8 head
Modified by tectonics. Stainless header and
exhaust. One thing I found out about these cars. I don't use a front swaybar.
That and proper toe out and negative camber makes these cars understeer less
and easier to make the car oversteer.
The rally car has adjustable front to back brk bias. Adjust for more rear brakes and
Corner entry oversteer is cake.
Remember,
Understeer sucks. When I got into rabbits back in the 80s, I was choosing between
A Datsun 510 or a rabbit.
The best race car driver from Portland Oregon, known for driving porche cars, had a rabbit as his last race car.
I figure that he must have known a thing or two.
My 2nd car in 1974 was a 69 Z rally sport. Red w/ black stripes. 33 thousand on the clock. Hounds tooth interior. Console w/ gauges. $2199. Swapped the rally wheels right there in the parking lot for the cragars on my chevelle. Turned it into a drag car.
It was definitely Fate that got this car back to its original owner. What a story.
Great story!! I got a chuckle when he was talking about having a 56 Chevy with a 283 and dual 4 barrels. I am 74, and I have my 56 Chevy, and it had a 283 with dual quads many years ago. I am restoring it again, and putting back the last engine it had in it, which is a 69 Corvette 427......but only 1 carb. ;) Have had it for over 50 years. :) Also still have the same good wife! ;)
Glad to see the guy thinking he got his old car back, but there was never any mention of matching the vin. And along with way too many cars I grew up with that have been covered here, the exhaust note is totally wrong for all those that were running the streets back then. It may have the chambered exhaust option (which I know could be ordered on the SS cars but not sure about the Z). Which, having been active in the hobby for a long time, makes me think the restoration was an auction special where lots of options get added. The cross ram 2 holley intake was extremely rare but never mentioned, along with the body colored endura bumpers - also pretty uncommon. No doubt it's a real Z28, but seriously doubt it's the same one and carrying the options on the car when he originally owned it. Wouldn't be surprised to learn it has the very rare JL8 4 wheel disc brakes also. Auction cars get loaded up to pad the value.
All looks yellow to the jaundiced eyes my friend, he spoke of the car being verified.
@@timothydraper3687 Exactly, and Jay apologized for the sound in the video and said that the muffler was broke...
What a great reunion story, thanks.
@@timothydraper3687 Jerry Heasley is legendary for his knowledge of these cars. I have no doubt he verified it as a true Z28, but unless there was a build sheet there is no way to verfiy the options or restoration. Like the vin match, that is a crucial piece of informaton which surely would have been mentioned. I speak from experience - how many cars have you bought, sold, or inspected at auctions?
Way to try to ruin a good story!
💪
I had a 67 and put a 68 Z/28 in it in 1978. After 15k later an amazing rode hugging better than a current corvette or jag in its day. Miss that Machine....
Beautiful car. A great story too! What's not to like.......