REPAIRABLE WRECKED CAMARO PROJECT CARS FOR SALE - MAKE OFFER

 

THE HISTORY OF THE 1969 CAMARO

The year 1969 marked significant modifications to the Camaro, featuring a deeper-set grille, elongated and thinner taillamps segmented into three parts, and pronounced "eye-brow" creases on both sides extending from the front to the rear wheel wells. Additionally, a corresponding crease ran from the rear wheel well to the rear quarter panel, while new fenders, door skins, rear quarter panels, grille, and taillights contributed to a broader and lower profile.

Inside, the Camaro was enhanced with a redesigned dashboard and more comfortable seating. The introduction of Endura rubber bumpers and two ram air induction systems for the SS model included a new hood with a rear-facing inlet and a cold-air duct, alongside a dealer-installed cowl plenum kit that required no special hood. The year also witnessed a surge in engine options.

On the lower-performance spectrum, a new 307 V8, utilizing a 327 crank within a 283 block and rated at 200 bhp, was introduced, while a new 350 V8, rated at 255 bhp, replaced the more powerful 327 engine. The Z28 continued with its underrated 302 engine, now designated as DZ, and the popular RS package featured a special grille with concealed ribbed headlights, chrome wheel well moldings, drip rails, pinstripes, and RS badging.

The SS standard 350 received a modest power increase to 300 bhp, while the 396 engines remained available in 325, 350, and 375 bhp variants. A white RS/SS convertible equipped with the 396 engine once again served as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500, with Chevrolet offering replica versions as white convertibles adorned with orange stripes and hounds tooth upholstery, although most replicas were powered by 350 engines. Due to their desirability, numerous counterfeit 1969 Pace Car replicas exist in the collector market, necessitating caution for potential buyers.

True performance encompasses more than just unique upholstery, and a significant development in 1969 was the introduction of Camaros equipped with the special 427 cid V8 engine. Initially, these were dealer-installed units, with the Yenko Camaro 427 being particularly notable. Yenko Sports Cars in Pennsylvania, along with other Chevrolet dealers like Nickey in Chicago, Dana in California, and Baldwin-Motion in New York, facilitated the installation of the L72 427 cid block, which Chevrolet rated at 425bhp.

The 427 engines were procured through the Central Office Production Order System (COPO) code 9562 for buyers' Camaros. A prime example is the Yenko Camaro 427, which left the factory devoid of ornamentation and badging, with the 427 engine shipped separately. Yenko then installed the 427 block, adjusted the horsepower rating to a more accurate 450bhp, and included 15-inch rally wheels, an upgraded front roll bar, and sYc (Yenko Sports Car) badging. A variety of racing enhancements were available, enabling quarter-mile times under 13 seconds with additional investment.

The 1969 Camaro stands out as the highest-selling model of the first generation, with a total of 243,085 units sold during its production run from September 26, 1968, to the end of November 1969. The subsequent 1970 model was not launched until February 26, 1970, and this production figure remained unmatched until 1978.

While part of the first generation, the 1969 Camaro underwent significant exterior and interior redesigns. The new exterior features included updated header, valance, fenders, doors, rear quarters, and rear end panel, with flattened wheel wells for a more aggressive appearance. The standard grille was redesigned with sharper angles, and the Rally Sport models of 1969 included vacuum-operated covers over the headlights, which had slits to allow partial lighting in case the covers malfunctioned.

The 1969 Camaro was the only model year to have headlight washers. The system was operated by vacuum much like windshield washers. The headlight washers were included with all Rally Sports and could be purchased separately as RPO-CE1.

Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmissions were available in any 1969 Camaro except Z28's. Availability was more restricted in previous years. Variable-ratio steering appeared in Camaros for the first time in 1969. This meant that as the steering wheel was turned, the wheels turned progressively more as they approached lock. This permitted faster steer but prevented excessively quick response in straight-line driving.

The console and secondary sawtooth instrument cluster designs remained as in 1968, but the 1969 Camaro did get a redesigned main instrument panel. It featured two main pods as before, but 1969's were squared off instead of round. A smaller pod was placed between the two bigger ones. In the standard arrangement, the left pod housed the speedometer, the right pod the fuel gauge, and the center pod the optional clock.

With the Special Instrumentation option, the secondary gauges (fuel, battery, temperature, oil) were mounted on the console, the tachometer rook over the big right side pod, and the clock again went into the center pod. If a tachometer was purchased separately in 1969 Camaros (the first time this could be done), the fuel gauge was relocated to the small center dash pod normally reserved for the clock.

The BIG-BLOCK 427 engine was not listed on the 1969 dealer order sheets; however, some dealers placed special orders for it, resulting in authentic factory-built vehicles. These 427-cid Camaros are referred to as COPO cars, which stands for Central Office Production Order. Among them, the COPO 9560 Camaros featured an aluminum block "ZL1" 427-cid engine, with a total of sixty-nine units produced—fifty for Chevrolet dealer-racer Fred Gibb and nineteen for other dealers. 

Although Chevrolet considered introducing a unique graphics package for the ZL1 Camaros and even constructed two for internal use, the public versions lacked any distinctive exterior markings. The option was priced at $4,160, exceeding the cost of the base Camaro. Another variant, the COPO 9561, was equipped with iron-block 427-cid engines, with Chevrolet dealer-racer Don Yenko acquiring either 201 or 199 of these models, some of which he sold with special Yenko graphics through his dealership. 

Most of the Yenko Super Camaros were distributed via Yenko's company, SPAN, Inc., while additional iron-block 427-cid Camaros were produced under COPO 9561, though the exact number remains unknown. Furthermore, it was common for dealers and owners to install 427-cid engines into 1969 Camaros. 4. In 1969, four-wheel disc brakes, adapted from the Corvette, became an official factory option, contrary to the belief that they were exclusive to Z28 and SS models. The RPO JL8 option was available for any Camaro, but the cost was higher for models other than Z/28 or SS, priced at $623.50 compared to $500.30.

The braking system of the 1969 model differed significantly from the front disc and rear drum configuration, featuring a new single piston, floating caliper design for the disc/drum setup, while the Corvette style employed a non-floating design with four pistons per wheel. Additionally, the 1969 Camaro introduced the option of two-tone paint for the first time. .

Serving as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 in 1969, the Camaro saw Chevrolet produce 3,675 replicas under Regular Production Option Z11, which included SS Rally Sport convertibles with distinctive features such as Dover White exteriors, orange hounds tooth cloth seats, custom interiors, and unique striping.

While additional options were not compulsory, specific RPOs had to be selected to replicate the actual pace car, including A01, A39, A85, C06, D55, D80, G80, M40, N34, N40, U17, and U63, with a limited number of Pace Car hardtops also manufactured under RPO Z10. 4. All 1969 Camaros equipped with four-speed transmissions featured Hurst shift linkages, and cowl induction hoods with rear-facing cold air inlets were standard on all 427-cid COPO models, pace car replicas, and could be factory-ordered for any SS or Z28 variant. A fiberglass version of the cowl induction hood was available for purchase over-the-counter, designed for use with the dual four-barrel carburetor cross ram setup or, with an adapter, for single four-barrel engines.

The factory-installed stripes on 1969 Camaros equipped with rear spoilers left a small section of the trunk visible between the spoiler and the taillight panel. As a result, both dealers and owners frequently painted this trunk lip. Production of the 1969 Camaros extended into early 1970, as the completely redesigned 1970 models were not introduced until mid-1970. Additionally, some late 1969 vehicles were registered as 1970 models, further complicating the situation.

Production Quantities:
RS: 37,773
SS: 33,980
Z-28: 19,014

Engine Variations:
250 I6 155bhp @ 4200rpm, 235lb-ft @ 1600rpm.
Z28: 302 V8 290bhp @ 5800rpm, 290lb-ft @ 4200rpm.
307 V8 200bhp @ 4600rpm, 300lb-ft @ 2400rpm.
327 V8 210bhp.
327 V8 275bhp.
350 LM1 V8 255bhp.
(SS350) 350 V8 300bhp @ 4800rpm, 380lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 325bhp @ 4800rpm, 410lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 350bhp @ 5200rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 375bhp @ 5600rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3600rpm.
(COPO 9561) 427 V8 425bhp @ 5600rpm, 460lb-ft @ 4000rpm.
(COPO 9560) 427 V8 430bhp @ 5200rpm, 450lb-ft @ 4400rpm.

Performance Ratings:
(Z-28) 302/290bhp: 0-60 in 7.4 sec, 1/4 mile in 15.12 sec @ 94.8mph.
(SS396) 396/375bhp: 0-60 in 6.8 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.7 sec @ 98.7mph.
(COPO 9561) 427/425bhp: 0-60 in 5.4 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.5 sec @ 102mph.
(COPO 9560) 427/430bhp: 0-60 in 5.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.16 sec @ 110 mph

NOTE: We have specialized exclusively in car insurance salvage vehicles at DEEPLY discounted prices since 1976.  We offer inventories to include cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, atvs, rvs, aircraft, repo cars, bankruptcy liquidations, corporate fleet dispersals, military and commercial vehicles.  Inventory brands for sale to include BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Viper, Corvette, Lexus, Honda, Toyota, Skyline, Volvo, Mustang GT, Camaro Z28, Cobra, Audi, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Tesla, Ford, Pontiac, GMC, Nissan, Maserati, Chrysler, Harley Davidson, Indian, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Mopar, Ducati, Moto Guzzi.  Vehicles sold as flood cars, wrecked cars, wrecked trucks, wrecked exotic cars, repairable cars, theft recovery cars, repos, vandalized, wrecked motorcycles and repairable collision damage vehicles.