We met in 1962 about 15 miles from where our ‘68 Camaro was made. She was going to, Monroe High School, Sepulveda, CA/San Fernando Valley. I went off to the military and we dated on one of my military leaves. On one such occasion, I took her to a walk in movie on Van Nuys, Blvd. in Van Nuys, CA. In the process of taking her home, in my 1955 Chevy Bel Air two door hardtop, I lost the passenger side front wheel and it cairned down the street. It so happened that I did not have a spare, so I drove it into the parking lot where it was manufactured on Van Nuys Blvd. She sat with the car until I could find a phone booth to call a buddy and have him bring me a wheel. I am not so sure the GM plant employees were very amused by my failure to secure the wheel to the brake hub. She wasn’t very interested in dating me again for a couple of years. That is all good, as I didn’t get out of the service for a couple more years.
Upon my release date, Jan. 1968, yes I missed TET. I started college at, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. We went through a plethora of cars, mostly to augment funds for school. In all, over 300 cars since we’ve have been married 46 years ago.
About 19 years ago one car caught my eye, it the pictured car, this 1968 Camaro, Z28 with a retrofitted LS1. I bought it with the 302 missing. It that had been blown completely up, block and all. It came with the front clip off and a new unassembled 427 bored 30 over. It had juice/nitrous and made some 750 HP, needless to say it was a tyrant. After a few years I found a very nice LS1. After selling the PIG BLOCK, (some are big blocks an some are PIG BLOCKS) I applied the LS1 to a gaping hole that was there.
This car is special to us in because of where it was constructed, as previously mentioned was in Van Nuys about 15 miles from where we met each other. It was produced in, Jan. ‘68 the same month and year I was released from active duty. We were married in 1968 in the Chapel in the Canyon’s, Chatsworth, CA; a Roy Rodgers owned chapel.
It’s a honey and I kind of treat it hard but keep it up well.
Car Images:
