Would you full chassis a 69 Z28?Street

[Munch69ProTour]

I have been hunting for suitable 69 bodies for a full chassis TT LS build. Just bought a 69 Z28 roller. Should I restore or cut it for an alston chassiswork GStreet or equivalent.

Will probably try to find another one and do the resto of the Z but looking for opinions.

[Schwartz Performance]

I'd do what you want with it..! If you have a body already, what are you waiting for?? ;)

Also keep our full chassis in mind, they don't require much fab/cutting, so someone could go back to stock in the future with minimal work!

-Dale

[NJSPEEDER]

If I was going all out I would go with a chassis. Yeah, the purists will be all pissy but not all of us were born to sit in lawn chairs and talk about driving our cars around the block once a month.

[howehot]

I'll vouch for Schwartz Performance,I have two of there chassis. You can't find better people to work with.

[BMR Sales]

Do what you want with the car, it's yours!

[Randy67]

I say go for it, who cares what the purists think. And like Dale said, it can be put back to stock form pretty easily.

[Auto Rod Technologies]

Go for it.. one more vote!!

[f-body]

I don't have a 1969 Z28 but I have had the pleasure of owning a few 1974 Z28 models. The current ones are a 1974 Z28 (This is -1 Im the third owner and my very first Z28) I have the original engine but the rest is gone. Started a restoration and then....well its not done. The second (lets call it dash 2 or -2) 74 Z28 is a shell or a roller, Im sure some dirt trackers would love to get their hands on it I got it cheap several years ago, and its a basket case. Then there is -3, a plain 1974 Camaro coupe. It was running but that is a long story.

So -1 will get a nice 350 or some stroked small block like a 397 with a 6 speed Richmond and look pretty stock.

-2 I would really like a street version of the original IROC series cars. Fall of 1973 the series switched from using Porsche's to the 1974 Camaro and since I wanted an IROC in high school in a round about way I got one. I want the truck arm suspension in the rear weight jacks in front, a full cage, NASCAR tires and fender flares and license plates and lights and wipers just enought to be street legal, cause I'm gonna drive it.

-3 is the guinea pig, I try stuff out to see what I like. Global west bushings in the stock a-arms, Afco 175 rear leaf springs, some subframe connectors, Some old Rancho big sway bars, new stock brakes all around (new hoses make a lot of difference). Its not pretty but its solid.Drive it every day and beat on it. It eats gas like its free. I can drive this car into a corner and drift it with the throttle if I want, its really neutral and goes where I point it. I had to back out the front sway bar because the first time out I went into a corner and it was scary. All the auto crossers would probably laugh cause cooper cobras only have so much grip. Well on an on ramp I had some light behind me and being the smart a$$ I can be I grabbed the shifter and ripped it into second gear. Popped back into third at well over the national speed limit and BAM, It got me home but that was it. Cracked TH350 in 6 places and the engine is hurt also. I guess 3.73 gears and no over drive don't mix. But who needs over drive when you can take a quick run out on the highway at 145 for a 10 mile stretch and slam on the brakes and pull up with a big grin. So that one is also sitting waiting on me to fix her.

Sorry for the rant.

I was looking for a 1969 Camaro back in 1987 (yeah high school). I remember an article in Hot Rod magazine on the 1969 ZL1 Camaro. That was what did it for me. It looked stock but had a crazy all aluminum 427. I knew I could not afford a real one but I could build my own version. I looked at many, I found many but all were to much for a kid. I worked after school and found an add for a 1974 Camaro in the paper. It was cheap enough at $1000 and it had a new engine. After that it was all she wrote. Again I started looking at older Hot Rod magazines from the 70's for info on my car and that was where I found all the old IROC info. So my new love was the 1974 Camaro and I wanted a 74 Z28. In 1989 I bought -1 and it was stock and fun. So it will have subtle mods one day when its finished, but it will be fast!!

I would love a 1969 Z28 with cross ram and manual and a high rpm small block. Obviously Im no concours numbers matching kinda guy. But when I look for a 74 Z28 I shy away from perfect examples since there are so few left I find it hard to tear one up. Thats why my -2 is perfect for a race replica. its a good starting point but its a shell and thats pretty much it. If the 69 Z28 you have is in good shape its sounds like a good starting point. If everyone had the money I guess they would all buy brand new Dynacorn bodies and start from scratch with brand new sheetmetal. But you have a real made in the USA 69 Z28 not a official licensed by GM replacement body so take that for what its worth.

Ultimately its your car and build it how you want. I'm building my cars the way I want. I believe a car should be driven and be able to take you to work and back. I thought the whole original idea of pro-touring was a car you could drive and have your performance, have your cake and eat it too. Back when I started with my first 74, my car had to get me to work to school and be reliable. It also had to keep up with those LX mustangs that were brand new, and stop light to stoplight it did just fine. I could not understand having a daily driver and a race car??? Why would I want a some econo box and my camaro to sit at home, plus that's two cars I have to keep registered and insured. So I said screw that and I had one. Stuff brakes and you fixed it I know now I have three and none of them are back together, the daily driver is a 1992 Chevy truck everyone thinks it a 454SS. But hey we all need AC and heat and a pull vehicle and something when its winter and it snows and something to pickup parts from the store.

Build what you want and then drive the crap out of it!!!