Andrew's 1969 Chevrolet SS 396 Camaro - FEATURE

The appeal of American pony cars of the 1960s was that, in general, you could pick whatever body style you liked and then specify how "mild" or "wild" you wanted the paint, trim and drivetrain. For every tar-frying 450hp big block drag monster sold, there were 10 milder, 250-300hp base models shipped to older, more sedate owners.

And then there were all the young punks who loved drag racing and speed, but chose to live their thrills out on the streets or in lower sportsman classes. For all the press surrounding the fearsome top-line models, only a fortunate few could ever afford to buy them, let alone race and insure the hyper-fast specials like the ZL-1 and Z/28.

With Chevy Camaros, this meant they ordered the more affordable Super Sport (SS) or Rally Sport (RS) models. They both still packed the Rallye wheels, go-fast stripes and some choice high-performance engine options, but were priced down into a bracket that meant high school and college students could legitimately afford one.

Boosting the Camaro's showroom cred amongst that audience was the fact it had been selected for pace car duty at the Indianapolis 500 in '67 and '69. Generally, something "new" or "hot" (or both) was selected for pace car duty each year, so the choice of the SS (with RS equipment in both instances) by Indy 500 organisers was a reflection of the fact that the SS Camaro was a hot offering in each of those years.

Andrew Conway's SS 396 Camaro is a long way from Main Street USA circa 1969, but his fastidiously maintained example shows why so many enthusiasts hold 1960s American cars in such high stead, not just for its condition, but for its desirable combination of features.

"I did not build the car; I bought it as is about three years ago from the USA," says Andrew. "It is an original manufactured car, date code-correct running gear and was restored around 2007."

1969 Camaros like Andrew's are arguably the most desirable, thanks in part to some subtle restyling on the body that debuted for 1967. The wheelarch tops were flattened and so-called 'feature lines' extended from these to give a lower, leaner and, dare we say it, faster appearance. (Don't just take our word for it. Place a '67 or '68 Camaro alongside a 1969 model and you'll see the difference). Finally, a more powerful nose and tail treatment endowed the Camaro with a sense of attitude that it needed to take on the new '69 Mustang.

While the '69 still rode on the same 108-inch wheelbase, the body was 3.8cm longer and 5cm wider than the prior year, leading to a 77kg increase in weight, to 1415kg.

From the base model six-cylinder, the Camaro could be optioned up with a V8, or as an RS and/or SS, with the Trans-Am-spec Z/28 sitting at the top of the tree for 1969. Away from these official offerings, those in the know could use GM's COPO (Central Office Production Order) program to order their Camaro with features unknown by the broader buying public.

In the unusual shade of Garnet Red, Andrew's SS Camaro is even more unusual as it carries a white roof. While there were two-tone options available for 1969, Dover White over Garnet Red wasn't one of them. The Garnet Red finish on Andrew's car was one of 18 (yes, 18!) paint colours on the options list for '69. Six optional two-tone colour schemes (costing $31.60) were also available, along with an optional vinyl top (costing $84.30) in five colour choices. Garnet Red is a relatively rare choice, and in the case of Andrew's car, the combination of this and the white vinyl roof makes for a refreshing change from the usual colours you see on '69 Camaros.

There were 12 different engine options for the Camaro range in 1969 and the SS sported four, with one 300hp 350 (L48) and three different "Turbo-Jet" 396 V8 options, from the 325hp L35 to the 375hp L78, with the 350hp L34 in the middle - as fitted to Andrew's car. While that seems a bit weedy compared to the 450+ horsepower big block options in larger Chevy offerings, the Camaro's fairly light 1415kg weight and over 500Nm meant it could punch well above its division.

Regardless of engine choice, SS buyers could choose between two Muncie four-speed manual transmissions; the close ratio M21 or hardcore M22 'rock-crusher', along with the optional and extremely heavy duty Turbo 400 three-speed auto.

"Since I have owned it, I have rebuilt the gearbox as it was starting to jump out of first gear on the odd occasion. It retains its power-assisted steering, but I changed it over to a fast-ratio unit so it did not take five turns of the wheel to run a corner and it's more responsive on the road."

Differentials for '69 were still Saginaw 10-bolt items on lower-end cars, with high-performance models fitted with the beefy 12-bolt item. Andrew's car has the desirable Posi-Trac limited-slip diff that gives the narrow 14-inch Rallye wheels some faint hope of not spending their whole life spinning down the road.

Aside from the badges, the 396-powered SS could be identified - at least from the rear - by a blackout tail light panel. Andrew's car also features the so-called "Super Scoop" that debuted in 1969. When hooked up, the Super Scoop delivered extra air into the carb for what Chevrolet called "an extra dash of dash".

The SS specification for '69 also included items like power front disc brakes, white-letter tyres and appearance items like a blackout grille with SS badging, black-painted sills on selected colours, and an SS steering wheel badge. The RS-spec hidden headlights and other features were often combined with the more performance-oriented SS features, but not in all instances of the 36,309 units identified as SS Camaros for 1969, and not on Andrew's example. Of 243,085 Camaros built that year, SS-spec versions represented just under 15-percent.

Inside, there's classic white vinyl trim and high-backed "tombstone" bucket seats, with the manual shifter poking out of the console letting everyone know the original owner of this car was serious about performance.

Today, there is a different flavour 1969 Camaro to suit everyone, from hardcore track and drag racers, to slick, modified street machines. However, for all the fanfare over the insane 427 COPO and Yenko machines, there is something to be said for a more common, but no less desirable mid-spec model like Andrew's.

Text: Frank Slacks
Images: Dan Smith

Andrew's 1969 Chevrolet SS 396 Camaro - basic specs

Engine type: Chevrolet Turbo Jet big block V8
Capacity: 396ci/350hp
Compression ratio: 10.25:1
Transmission: Muncie close ratio M21 4-speed manual
Diff: Saginaw 12-bolt diff with Posi-traction LSD
Brakes (Front): Power assisted discs
(Rear): Drum

FOR SALE
As you can see for yourself, Andrew's Camaro is a deadest gem. Even better for the wannabe Camaro owner, it's for sale.

In addition to all the features and recent mechanical upgrades mentioned in the article, the unusual colour combo gives this Camaro extra appeal.

Asking price is $65,000. View online at justcars.com.au, under ad code JCW3501836, or click here. (NOTE: vehicle still for sale at time of posting).