Hello there.

[FTC]

Originally Posted by big gear head

Did you put a 4 speed back in it?

Yes, when I first bought it, I put a 1970 350, 300hp SBC with a turbo 400 auto, a combo I had just built and had in a 73 Camaro which got totaled. That's why I bought the 68. Only about a year or so later I put the BBC in and switched from the automatic to a Borg Warner Super T-10 4 speed.

[dykstra]

Great pics!! Thanks for posting.

[FTC]

Here's a few pics when the first hood went away, replaced with a snorkel scoop hood. Bob still owned it at this time, and the same two drivers campaigned it around the New England and North East areas. I know it ran CT. Dragway, New England Dragway, and might have ran Lebanon Valley too among others.

[FTC]

These photos are from when Bob got the car and ramp truck back from the two guys who raced it, and sold both. As said previously, the ramp truck was believed to be sold to someone in CT, and the car was sold to a man from Cranston RI who continued to drive it with the Bob Johnson lettering on the sides. The car ran E/MP (Modified Production), F/MP and here you can see it ran C/SM (Super Modified). It ran with numerous engine combos and in numerous weight classes.

You can now notice the ladder bar set up with wheelie bars, this is when the 12 bolt was removed and a full floating Dana 60 was installed. (still in the car today)

Hey, 10.55 dial in shown in that first picture,...not bad for the mid 1970s.

[FTC]

So, the race history for the car ends in 1981, when a buddy of mine trades a front engine dragster he had for the Camaro. I can't remember if the car had no engine/trans in it when he got it, or if he took them out himself,...but he only had it for a very short time when I got into an accident with my 73 Camaro, and a deal was struck to purchase the Z28. The car was till set up for the drags. 4 point roll bar, Dana rear, ladder bars, frame connectors, drive shaft safety loop. 50/50 drag shocks in the rear, 90/10s in the front, solid body mounts, no rear seat, (it was carpeted back there), no hood, no radio or speakers, removed power brake booster, 6 cylinder drum brakes replaced the front disk set up, (common practice back then, and most if not all of the Bob Johnson drag cars got that same treatment, for less weight reasons),...etc....etc...and was still covered from bumper to bumper with lettering and sponsor decals. Pictures to follow.

[FTC]

Here's the semi-barn find feel to the story. It wasn't in a barn, but in the back of my buddy's mechanic/body shop. Like I mentioned before, I wrecked my 73 Camaro, just built the engine and transmission in it, so I needed a body for them. He said "I got the Z in the back", and with a little reluctance because I was into early 2nd Gen Camaros, not really 1st Gens,..I said yes and we struck a deal. Here's what it looked like in that back garage.

Notice, I installed a 68 SS hood on it, and front and rear spoilers, (straight from Scuncio's part dept. because they were still open in 81 and were one town away from me)..before I even took the dust off of the car...lol. You can see the Dana 60, complete with wheelie bar brackets, narrowed leaf springs, and still wearing slicks.

[FTC]

Next photos are of the first reincarnation of this car when I was 19 years old. It's the first of 3 looks it has had.

[FTC]

This first photo shows the car in 81 when I started to get it back on the street, I have many pics of it but they are all in print form and haven't got a chance to scan them. This one photo shows it right after a complete lacquer paint job that wasn't buffed yet. This is when it had the 350 and turbo 400 in it, complete with 4 into 1 Hooker side pipes, SS hood, and Cragar SS wheels.

The car was lightened so much, that the new V8 coil springs I put in it were obviously too stiff, and I ended up using 6 cylinder springs, and they are still in it with the BBC I have it now.

[FTC]

Bad polaroid phot next..After buffing out the lacquer paint job, and with the 6 cylinder springs in it.

[dykstra]

Very cool!!!