Here is the very First Camaro... EVER
The Chevy Camaro is a classic that represents pure American-muscles, but the very first Camaro ever built sits in a category of its own.
1. Early Life
The very first Camaro ever built started its journey on a lot at an Oklahoma dealership in 1966. The Camaro served as a "new" prototype and was used as a marketing tool to bring people into the dealership. The dealer then sold the Camaro to a friend of his who kept it for a short while and sold it.
>>Join the conversation about very First Camaro right here in the LS1Tech Forum!
2. Drag Racing
Usually, a car that is a first of its kind ends up sitting in someone's garage for its entire life, but this one had a unique life. The very first Camaro had its carpet removed, as well as the seats and numerous other components, which were removed to make the car lighter, thus allowing it to be used for drag racing.
>>Join the conversation about very First Camaro right here in the LS1Tech Forum!
3. Logan Lawson
After the forefather of all Camaros had lived in numerous homes, it ended up for sale on a Camaro forum website. Unfortunately for its owner, he was struggling for money after losing his job and his Camaro had to go, but the unfortunate news was the most fortunate for a 13-year-old boy named Logan Lawson from Kansas, who saw the unique VIN of this vehicle. Logan and his father went to look at the Camaro, and his father was quite the car-guy who judges car shows and is tremendously involved in the automotive industry. After meeting the very first Camaro, Logan and his father bought it and brought it to its new home.
>>Join the conversation about very First Camaro right here in the LS1Tech Forum!
4. Research - Research - Research
After Logan and his dad bought the car, he started doing an exhausting amount of research to learn everything there is to learn about this Camaro. Logan finally discovered that this was indeed the very first Camaro ever built, and it was used as a prototype to test various components' fitment and assembly methods. The car wasn't called "Camaro" quite yet, and it was equipped with an inline-six engine and just minimal features and options.
>>Join the conversation about very First Camaro right here in the LS1Tech Forum!
5. Restoration Process
After Logan and his father were sure that this Camaro is the real N100001 Camaro, they tracked down the warehouse where all of its original parts were stored, which were all stripped and put away by one of its previous owners who used it for drag racing. Logan and his father put the very first Camaro together and back to its original glory.
For the Camaro's 50th anniversary, this Camaro was on display at the intersection of Woodward and Maple in Birmingham, Michigan, where it sat in a glass box with plenty of lights.
Watch the short documentary about this Camaro HERE.
>>Join the conversation about very First Camaro right here in the LS1Tech Forum!
For help with service of your car, check out the how to section of LS1Tech.com