Of the 243,085 Camaros produced for the 1969 model year, Chevrolet delivered 37,773 units of the Rally Sport and 34,932 units of the SS. Chassis number 124379N581433 was specified with both options from the factory, along with Hugger Orange paint and a black vinyl top.
Presented in tip-top condition thanks to a recent body-off rotisserie restoration, this old-school pony reads X22 on the cowl tag. That is Chevrolet’s designation for the Super Sport with the 396 engine, a big-block V8 introduced for the 1965 model year in the second-gen Corvette.
This ‘Maro is rocking the L89 version of the 6.5-liter motor, which is lighter than the L78 thanks to aluminum heads. Even though the compression ratio is similar to the L78 at 11:0:1, the Golden Bowtie charged an extra $711 for the L89, representing just around 25 percent over the base price of the car.
Rebuilt and bored to 408 cubic inches (6.7 liters) 13 miles (21 kilometers) ago with period-correct parts that include a Holley four-barrel carburetor and a rectangular port aluminum intake manifold, the engine has been dyno-tested at 438 ponies and 428 pound-feet (580 Nm) of tire-smoking torque.
The numbers-matching 396/408 is connected to a Muncie transmission featuring a Hurst shifter. Immaculate would be the perfect word to describe the underside, which looks better than it did when the car left the showroom. You will also notice crimped pipes instead of mufflers, brand-new front and rear suspension, and a 12-bolt rear end with a Positraction clutch pack.
“Literally every single piece of trim is new” according to the selling vendor, which also notes “all-new glass all the way around.” Restored wheels are wrapped in BFG tires, and the cabin is rocking reproduction deluxe houndstooth fabric. The retro-styled stereo, tilt column for the steering wheel, reproduction belts, new cushions for the seats, deluxe molded door panels, and new center console are worthy of your attention as well.
A tasteful machine that packs a serious punch, this Camaro RS/SS 396 costs a little more than the most expensive road-going Camaro in production today: the ZL1 with the 1LE Extreme Track Performance Package. Appraised at $95,000 by Volo Cars, this bad boy is advertised at $89,998.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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