Before the days of the world wide web, old car enthusiasts would find vintage automobiles listed for sale in the classified section of their local newspaper. Or perhaps they'd have a subscription to Hemmings Motor News, where antique cars would be listed for sale across the U.S.A. and in later years even the world over. They might also purchase Auto Trader magazines at neighborhood magazine newsstands. Back when Road & Track magazine was still published, that monthly also had several pages of classified ads in the back of the mag with cars and parts listed for sale.
Above: Rafael's 1967 SS/RS Camaro is still powered by its factory original Chevy 350 cubic inch V8 and backed by the from the GM factory original Muncie M21 four-speed manual transmission.
Depending upon where you lived in the country, your town or city might have had a section of the neighborhood where used cars would be parked with a for sale sign in the window along the side of the road or in a grocery store's parking lot, or perhaps in the parking lot of an auto parts store, or a community recreation area or pool, and reasonably priced American muscle or old cars could be purchased. Those were the days, and they are unfortunately long gone.
Above: The gauges are all original. The dash/interior wiring harness is from Classic Industries, as is the Camaro steering wheel.
The advent of the internet has made it easier to find an old car for sale, but it has also made it harder to be able to afford that vehicle, as has the passage of time. These old cars used to just be secondhand cars, but now they're collectors' items and worth a great deal of money, depending upon how nice they are, what make and model they are, how well they are equipped, how rare they are, how well restored or restomodded they are, what their provenance (history) is, etc.
The Los Angeles Times Antiques and Classics Section
Above: Procured from Classic Industries, the deluxe seat covers are all new, as is the black carpet.
Back in 1990, Mr. Mendez and his son Rafael, decided they would find an old American pony or muscle car to purchase as a father and son project. Being Los Angeles County residents, the go-to guide for old cars in Southern California at the time was the Antiques and Classics section of the Classified Ads of the venerable Los Angeles Times newspaper. In the 1990's and even more so before, the Antiques and Classics section of the L.A. Times was a veritable treasure trove for finding vintage automobiles.
Sunday Mornings for Searching
The father and son team would spend part of Sunday morning searching in that very Antiques and Classics section of the Times. One fine Sunday morning the glorious, classified ad read:
"1967 Real Camaro SS/RS. $4,400 OBO."
The Mendez Team called the owner and drove from Seal Beach, CA to Westwood, CA. They offered the seller $4,100 and drove the Camaro home as the new owners by 11:00 am that same morning!
That week, 14 years young Rafael spent a good portion of his spare time taking the Camaro apart. When that next Saturday had rolled around, Rafael's pop had seen what his enthusiastic teenaged son had done and was steaming mad. The elder Mendez had only wanted to teach his son how to tune up the running pretty well Camaro and how to drive a manual transmission-equipped car. But, by that Saturday, the Chevy was all in pieces and taking up a big chunk of the Mendez family's garage.
Classic Camaro to the Rescue? Not Yet...
The Mendez Team went to Classic Camaro (sound familiar?) and purchased $2,500 worth of mostly NOS (New Old Stock) Camaro parts to begin the process of renewing the Camaro. A few years later college beckoned for Rafael. By this point, the father/son build team didn't have the time or the money to proceed. The restoration of the Camaro would have to wait.
Above: Back in 1990, the Retail Showroom experts at Classic Camaro (now known as Classic Industries) were so impressed with the father and son Mendez Camaro Build Team and the eagerness of young Rafael to get restoring their 1967 Camaro. A retail sales agent gave the teenaged Rafael a Classic Camaro jacket that he still owns to this day. Rafael estimates that 90% of the purchased parts for his Camaro came from Classic Camaro/Classic Industries.
Restarting the Restoration
Rafael restarted the restoration in 2017. He says that he, "made dozens of trips to Classic Industries picking up parts." Rafael hired professional auto painter Pete Santini, owner of Santini Autobody in Westminster, CA to cover the Camaro in its original hue of Capri Cream.
An 18-Month Restoration
From the 2017 restart, the rotisserie restoration took a scant 18 months to complete. After Santini completed his masterful paintwork, Ron Cambra and Craig Nettles put the car back together. Since the Camaro is a factory original SS/RS, the car was renewed per its trim tag and VIN. The only items that are other than original are an upgrade from front drum brakes to CPP disc brakes and brake lines, painting the wheels Capri Cream to match the Camaro's original exterior paint, dog dish hub caps, and retaining the Hurst shifter, because it was on the Camaro when the Mendez Team purchased it in 1990.
Classic Camaro/Industries and A Special SS/RS Camaro
The Mendez Team's 1967 Camaro SS/RS has won every major car show that Rafael and his dad have entered. The Camaro came home from the shop the day before it won Best in Show at the Seal Beach Car Show. It has also won at Cars and Canvas, The Steve McQueen Car Show, Cruisin' Brea, the Huntington Beach Concours, and South OC Cars and Coffee in San Clemente, CA. It would be considered rude to mention how much Mendez money went into the restoration of the Camaro. However, we know that the Mendez Team are pleased with the result, not to mention the father and son quality time spent getting the Camaro back to a multiple show winning standard.
Should you have designs on bringing your Camaro back to top form, the Mendez Team knows of a great place to find those must have Camaro components - Classic Industries! Camaro owners can shop online and augment their search by using both a printed Camaro parts and accessories catalog and a digital Camaro catalog.
