Vehicle Description
Facebook marketplace only allows 20 photos but there are more
photos on my website at www.carbuffs.com. Clean Camaro! Excellent
running and powerful 383 stroker engine with 4 speed transmission.
Runs and drives excellent with many receipts for recent work
included. Only 2000 miles on the build. Here is a note from the
owner: "Dear potential Z/28 buyer: Like many enthusiasts I fell in
love with the 1969 Z/28's during High School in the 70's. I drove a
1967 Firebird but my best friend had a fathom green 1969 Z/28 and
boy was she a runner. The Z was stock with a 302 and a flat hood
and the original owner had upgraded to the M22 Rock Crusher
transmission. I liked my Firebird but you could say I was really in
love with my best friend's girl. In 2004 my dream came true and I
found a very clean, running Z/28 not far from home on eBay. And for
a shade over $16,000 she was mine. I had the shop where she'd been
sitting bleed the brakes and change the oil to get my Z ready for
the 80 mile drive from San Jose to San Rafael, Ca. By the fall of
2004 I was itching to get the car show worthy and, through the
guidance of some great guys on an online Camaro forum, was
introduced to Kurt Pedracci and hot rod machine in El Sobrante,
California. Kurt ranks as one of the most genuine people I have
ever met and he's one hell of a mechanic. His shop as a muscle car
playground with beautiful rods parked her and there and engine
blocks, heads, carbs and intake manifolds neatly arranged inside
the shop waiting to be united with amazing cars from the 1950's or
1960's. When I first met Kurt he had just finished Sean Penn's 1965
El Camino and that was the closer for me. I had found my mechanic.
Kurt kept the car for about 8 months and I spent almost $50,000
with him to get the car right. The Z's block was shot and couldn't
be further bored so that was a non-starter. This was not a big loss
as the block had been decked previously and was not the car's
original 302. Regardless the block was tired and needed to go.
While the block could not be salvaged, many components under the
hood were in good shape and were original Z/28 Parts including the
double-hump heads, the Winters aluminum high rise intake manifold,
deep groove pulleys and quick ratio power steering. As for the
engine block, since we didn't have the 302 to work with, Kurt and I
opted for a 383 stroker, a powerful engine that delivers loads of
torque. Someday this car should be matched with a period-correct
302 but we went the more "fun to drive" route with the 383 in 2004.
Kurt hand-built the stroker from a 350 cubic inch block with 4 bolt
mains and estimates it to make 475 to 500 horsepower. So the big
question of course. Is this an original Z28? I've owned the car for
14 years and while I don't know for sure, I think it is. The car
was built in Chevrolet's Van Nuys plant on April 18th, 1969 and
delivered to La Coste Chevrolet in Rodeo(Bay Area), Ca. So the good
news is that this is a California car and has like we never been
exposed to icy conditions or road salt. The bad news is that,
unlike the Norwood, Ohio plant, the Van Nuys plant did not use the
X-codes on firewall trim tags to denote the Z/28 package making
authenticating Van Nuys cars more difficult. I have interfaced with
Jerry MacNeish over email the past several years and have asked him
to inspect my car. Jerry lives in Maryland and travels occasionally
to California but only when he has secured a significant number of
cars to evaluate. In the past few years he has not attained the
necessary critical mass in California to justify the trip West.
I've referenced Jerry's Definitive 1969 Camaro Z28 Fact Book many
times over the years and can say that many 1969 Z/28 features and
components are present on this car. A few examples: Double-hump
cylinder heads Winter's aluminum high-rise manifold 2.02 intake
valves Quick-ratio steering Heavy-duty suspension 3.73 axle ratio
Dual exhaust (tail pipe adapter plate is present) Stereo rally
stripes Air spoiler equipment (mandatory beginning April 1969)
Power front disc brakes 4 speed transmission No air conditioning
Attached to this letter I've included some part numbers and date
codes that I have recorded from the car. I have not completed an
exhaustive audit of every component and part number as Mr. MacNeish
would do were he to evaluate the car. I have enjoyed this car
immensely over the past 14 years. Kurt Pedracci knows how to build
hot rods and this is one quick Z and has just 2,000 miles since the
2004-2005 rebuild. I have shown the car many times in local car
shows and have won numerous trophies and plaques. Without a doubt
the 1969 Camaro remains one of the most visually appealing cars and
I've always been proud to show this one as a fantastic
representation of the greatest muscle car ever built, the 1969
Camaro Z/28."