Internet Score: Right place, right time eBay find brings home this second-gen Camaro
Most individuals have heard the phrase “right place, right time”
used to describe that moment when something really good happens.
Sometimes things occur and their impact isn’t realized until much later.
The 1971 Camaro seen here is the result of a “right place, right time”
situation for Marylanders, Don and Karen Moretz. Over the years, both
had invested a fair amount of time trying to find the right project car,
but always came up short in their quest. As Don explains, “Since we
live on the East Coast, everything we saw had rust issues.” At some
point, they stumbled across a fully documented 1965 Nova Sport Coupe
that was in pristine condition with only 16,900 miles on the clock.
Powered by a 194-cubic-inch inline-six, the diminutive Chevy II didn’t
exactly scream performance. It was, however, the ideal foundation for a
killer street rod. They took the plunge and bought it, but as time
passed, an issue of conscience arose. That much originality created a
real dilemma for Don. He points out, “It was so original that I couldn’t
bring myself to make any changes to it.” While they inherited a really
nice cruiser, it didn’t get them any closer to fulfilling their goal.
2/11
By the fall of 2006, the Ravens were a team on the upswing, so
Don decided to test the waters. “They were doing really well and I
thought that it might be a good time to see if there was any interest
for someone to bid ridiculous money if they (the PSLs) were offered up,”
he says. EBay was the best means to sell all four PSLs. The starting
bid was a hefty $14,500, and within 15 minutes of posting it—to his
surprise—someone had placed a bid. He recalls, “that was only the first
day of the auction, and I had posted them for seven days, so we watched
the bids slowly creep up each day.” In the end, someone had dropped over
$20,000 for all four licenses. Are you beginning to see where this is
going?
3/11
The Camaro was perfect for what they were planning. While it
was a real 396 big-block SS, which outwardly appeared bone stock, tucked
in between the fenders was a fresh Chevrolet Performance ZZ502 crate
engine, so the originality hurdle wasn’t an issue. It didn’t take long
after bringing the car home that the parts swap began, and as is the
case when adding aftermarket parts, having the right reference material
is half the battle. For that, Don relied heavily on the content and
advertisers in Super Chevy and Camaro Performers magazines.
4/11
5/11
Under the hood, aside from the ZZ502 mill, the rest of the
hardware had that factory fresh appearance. While the plan was to leave
the engine unmolested internally, it did need to be dressed up. Crowned
with a replacement Edelbrock Performer manifold and Performer 750
carburetor, the only thing that he did was massage them visually. Also
added was a K&N air cleaner assembly and Billet Specialties Profile
polished aluminum valve covers. The engine compartment received
additional billet pieces, like the alternator, A/C unit, and a set of
Fesler billet hood hinges that he found under the Christmas tree. There
was plenty of bling being added to the engine compartment, but he says,
“As good as the engine area was beginning to look, I was tormented by
the shape of the inner fenders.” A friend suggested that carbon-fiber
replacements would look great. The problem was that no one was offering
them for second-gen Camaros. As luck would have it, he stumbled across a
post in a forum announcing the impending availability of said pieces
from Anvil Auto. “I placed an order and Santa came in a big brown truck
on Christmas Eve,” he exclaims. Other carbon-fiber items from Anvil Auto
added were fender supports and a closeout panel for the top of the Be
Cool aluminum radiator.
6/11
7/11
Much like the rest of the car, the interior was in equally
nice shape, but rather stock looking. While not wanting to deviate much
from that factory appearance, he does point out, “The interior was in
good shape, but with all the improvements made to the exterior and
engine bay, I felt that a refresh was necessary.” Those changes included
the installation of new carpet, along with a healthy dose of Dynamat to
keep things quiet and cool. The seats were also reupholstered, and as
was the case under the hood, a few billet items like window cranks,
striker bolts, and vents were installed.
Unrelated with anything to do with cars, Don and
Karen are also die-hard football aficionados. “As avid Baltimore Ravens
fans, we were looking for season tickets,” Don states. “Karen was
looking on eBay and saw someone offering to sell their PSL (Public Seat
License) for four seats at the M&T Stadium.” In Maryland, you need
to have a PSL before you can buy season tickets. The opening bid was
$1,995 for four PSL licenses, so for seven days they tracked the
auction. Near the end of the auction they were surprised that no one had
bid, so she placed a bid for the opening amount, which proved to be a
winner. This was a “right place, right time” moment, but you might be
asking, what does this have to do with a Camaro? Please read on.
2/11
With a nice pile of newfound cash in hand, it was
time to resume the search for a suitable car. Don was a fan of
second-gen Camaros, so that was what they focused on. As was the issue
before, most of the cars they looked at were described as being in
“excellent shape,” which was open for broad interpretation. EBay was
again the place that got the job done. Don found this particular 1971 in
Georgia, but was apprehensive about bidding for fear of buying a
cleverly disguised rust bucket. While the auction was still live, he
asked for more photos and information, and also hopped on a plane to see
the car in person. It was everything that was claimed in the auction,
and he was the eventual high bidder. The money from the PSL sale just
about paid for the purchase of the ’71.
3/11
The first change on his list was to give the ’71
the right stance and an improvement in ride quality. Don points out, “I
wanted the car to have the look of an off-the-line Super Sport, but with
all the tech changes to improve on how the suspension was originally
designed.” Since it was rolling on factory Rally wheels, those were the
first to go. In their place he installed a set of Billet Specialties
Vintec 17x7 wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR 235/45ZR17 tires at
the front and Billet Specialties Vintec 17x8 wheels wrapped in Nitto
NT555 Extreme ZR 255/45ZR17 tires at the rear. The new wheels lowered
the car, however, it still wasn’t low enough. That feat was accomplished
with the installation of adjustable QA1 coilovers at the front and
Hotchkis lowering springs at the rear. Stopping was also enhanced with a
set of SSBC Big Bite cross-drilled and slotted rotors and SSBC
calipers. The end result was a 2-inch drop in ride height and enhanced
ride quality.
4/11
5/11
The ZZ502 is backed by a TCI 700-R4 transmission
that delivers power to the stock GM posi rear. Don upgraded the exhaust
to give the Camaro a throatier sound. He added a set of ceramic-coated
Hooker Competition headers that dump into a set of 3-inch Flowmaster
Super 10 Series stainless steel mufflers. For even louder tunes, he
added QTP electric cutouts.
The paint that came on the car was impeccable by most standards.
However, knowing what was under that paint was equally important to Don
so he had the car repainted with the same black and white stripe
combination. Keith Edwards at K&K Customs in Aberdeen, Maryland,
performed that task. He laid down the slick PPG Deltron
basecoat/clearcoat bath, giving the ’71 a fresh, wet look to go with all
the added billet items.
6/11
7/11
For all their work, Don and Karen have had a ton of
fun putting this car together. They show the car at many local and
national events, yet their most prized wins have been at the Super Chevy
Show in Petersburg, Virginia. The Camaro has been recognized as a class
winner two years in a row. By his own admission, it has been expensive
to put the ’71 together, yet being in the right place at the right time
and finding a pile of unexpected cash has certainly made the sting less
painful.
