Zee28 (Jacquie Benthin's) Awesome 1969 Indy Pace!

[Xplantdad]

Hi Bruce,

Ok, I have written a little something about my Pace Car for you to post in the members rides. I've also attached a few photos. Thank you for your nice warm welcome on the Yenko
site.


Some of the people that were at Steves party probably best remember me as one of the group that spent way too much time at the free beer counter and was the last to leave the party. Not sure that's such a good thing I wish I knew the name of the guy that we closed the party down with. Maybe you know? He was involved in TV or radio somehow and was wearing a goofy tall furry hat. Ring a bell?? Anyway, thanks again and here's my story (and I'm stickin to it!).....


My love for the muscle car began in 1970 when I purchased my first new car. It was a 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T 440, hemi orange with black buckets, black vinyl top, side scoops and go wing and it was sitting on the show room floor of Lynn Hickey Dodge in Oklahoma City. I loved that car but my ownership was to be short lived. I was very young with a new baby on the way. Shortly after buying the car, I went through a divorce and quickly found that it was impossible for me to afford not only the huge $126 per month car payment, but the cost and amount of fuel it took to satisfy the unending appetite of this gas monster. It came down to either feeding myself and my baby daughter, or the car. So off I went to the VW dealership and traded my beloved Dodge in on a new Bug.

30 years later I was finally ready to get my 2nd muscle car. My husband of 18 years grew up driving Camaros as a kid in high school and had recently bought a 69 Camaro. Not to be outdone, I began my search for a Camaro of my own. I found an ad in Hemmings for a 396 4-speed Pace car and made a call to get the details. It sounded like the perfect one, nice but not a trailer queen so I could drive it. After a bit of negotiating we agreed on a price and the Pace Car was on it's way to Oklahoma.

This 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car Z11 convertible sports it's original 396/325 V8 engine,4-Speed M20 transmission with factory Hurst shifter, and 12-bolt 3.31 rear end. The interior is still mostly original and some of the options include power steering, power brakes, AM radio, tinted glass. Factory options that have been installed but were not ordered on the original dealer order are stainless steel chambered exhaust, floor mounted console with gauges, and tachometer.

This BB Pacer is documented with the original dealers invoice, protecto plate and warranty booklet, new car checklist, original cowl tag, owner and mileage history, and magazine articles. It remains mostly original with the exception of one repaint, a few interior items, and the aforementioned console, gauges and chambered exhaust system. The engine and transmission have been professionally restored. The original AM radio still has remnants of the factory sticker across the push buttons. It is still wearing 1983 tires filled, of course, with NOS air.

The car was purchased on June 30, 1969 by Junior Hutton of Mt. Vernon, OH, from Dusty Rhodes Chevrolet, also located in Mt. Vernon. Original purchase price was $3130.02 and

Junior made payments of $105.14 for 36 months. He drove the car sparingly and in 1986 with only 13310 miles on the
odometer he sold the car to C.K. Spurlock of Hendersonville, TN. In 1988 while the car was still in C.K.'s collection of muscle cars, Muscle Car magazine sent Don Emmons to do a photo shoot and upon learning that C. K. was interested in selling this Camaro, Don struck a deal for the car and it was then off to it's new home at the Emmons garage in southern CA. Don Emmons owned the car for 8 years and in October, 1991, it was featured on the cover of Muscle Car magazine's issue covering the Camaro's 25th anniversary. It was again featured on the cover in February 1993. In September, 1996 with only 15034 miles, Don Emmons sold the car to Blake and Laura Vartanian of Yorba Linda, CA. The Vartanian's owned the car for a little over two years before it was sold into the hands of a couple of dealers in GA, which is where I found it.

The car had 16807 miles when I purchased it in December, 2004. Since that time I have driven it very sparingly and the mileage is now just under 17k. Although I haven't driven the car like I had initially planned, I have enjoyed using it for my grandsons' homecoming parade events as well as other events and local car meets and shows. Here are a few photos, hope you enjoy

Jacquie B.

[Xplantdad]

I'd personally like to thanks Jacquie for submitting one of her fine cars for members rides!

I know that you guys will dig it...and it's nice to have another extremely nice lady here, too!

I love Indy Pace Camaros...

[JoeG]

Very ride---Never knew the Hooter's outfit the girls wear and the '69 pace Camaro have the same color code option..learn something everyday..

[MosportGreen66]

bbc and a 4 speed... not too shabby!
Very nice Z11! Seldom seen bbc convert...

[budnate]

wow, I recall that magazine article, really nice well preserved car, low mile Pacer

[kwhizz]

I'll post for both Me and Charley.......

[mockingbird812]

Welcome Jacquie! I can't see the pix of your cool ride here at work . Will have to wait till tonight. Love your story - thanks for sharing.

[Shevelle]

A special thank you to Bruce for the warm welcome and the post...and to everyone for the nice compliments. But the burning question...for Kwhizz...Is the drooling by you and Charley for my car? or is it the chicks???

[mockingbird812]

Very Niiiiiiccccceeee!

[Salvatore]

Hey Jacquie, welcome to the site! Is that the same Don Emmons the drag racer? Your car looks great. Love the BB! sam