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I’ve already stated in another blog post that the car responsible for my muscle car obsession is the 1969 RS/SS Camaro. And, in another post, I also stated that painting an antique car a different color than it had from the factory could diminish the car’s overall value, unless under a very strict set of circumstances.
This is one of those circumstances.
A tribute car is often the perfect opportunity to repaint, not to mention a great time to do a lot of other work. The reason why, is that there are very few real 1969 RS/SS cars available, the ones that are out there are way out of reach to the average Joe like me (though I guess I’m more of an average Josh).
To pay homage to a beautiful car that’s currently for sale over at Streetside Classics, I’m going to dissect this car based only on what I can see from the pictures and the very limited info they’ve posted on it.
I’m a qualified gearhead so this is right up my alley. Let’s decode the VIN Plates, shall we?
What color was this 1969 Camaro from the factory?
The 1, 2, and first 9 mean that it is, in fact, a 1969 Camaro. The first 3 means that it was actually a 6-cylinder car, while the 37 means that it was a coupe, and the N means that it was assembled in Norwood, Ohio.
Where things get a little interesting is the next plate. It looks like the owner who built the car was going for Dusk Blue, or a close relative to it, also known as 69 Camaro Paint Code 51.
(If I were being completely honest, this looks a little darker than Dusk Blue, but it could be the lighting.)
The Cowl Tag has the number 52, which means that the original color was Garnet Red.
This means that they re-painted from red to blue, which isn’t necessarily a bad decision because it is a tribute car with a desirable trim that is done very well with several upgrades.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the car so we can drool a bit.
1969 Camaro RS/SS Tribute Restomod
One of the beautiful things about doing a tribute car that’s also a restomod, is that you get the style you’re looking for, along with the creature comforts and go-fast goodies if desired.
Powering this Dusk Blue Beauty is a 500-horse 6.2L LS3 V8 engine. This is the one made famous in 2007 – 2017 Corvettes and is one of the most popular swaps out there. This is due to the power-to-weight ratio, as well as how easy it is to extract precious ponies for those extra tenths.
It’s a beast of an engine with a lot of aftermarket support and is the obvious choice for many.
Helping this one breathe a bit better is a cold(er) air intake, and aftermarket exhaust complete with headers.
Moving on from there, are the rest of the usuals like air conditioning, power steering, power front and rear disc brakes, an updated, stock-looking (for the most part) interior, power seats, power windows, and a Bluetooth radio.
Rounding out the restoration is a 12-bolt rear with a set of cruising 3.42 gears that still have some get-up-and-go, but won’t leave you feeling robbed at the gas station and a 6-speed automatic transmission.
It’s a gorgeous car, even though I would have stuck with a variant of red, or go all the way in your face with Hugger Orange.
I’d also stick a T56 transmission in there, and go a little more aggressive on the gear ratio. But of course, that’s only if I had an extra 90K to spend on this beautiful ride, which I do not.
Conclusion:
This is a classic case of when it’s perfectly acceptable to paint an antique a different color than it had from the factory. The amount of other work being done with a restomod, and the fact that it started its life as a 6-cylinder car, make a huge difference.
I’d highly urge you to check out Streetside Classics’ website (linked above) for more info on this car, or if it is sold by the time you see this and you’re in the market for a car, they’ve always got a great inventory.
I’m in no way sponsored by these nice folks.