was surprised to find mostly 1969s for sale that included two ZL1s, a hemi-head Z/28 that his friend Charlie Lilliard still owns, several 396ci 375hp cars, a few Z/28s, multiple 427 COPO cars, and two NASCAR Pace Cars. The Charlotte car was all restored (and was sold in January 2010 for $258,500 (including buyer's premium) at the Russo & Steele auction in Scottsdale) and the seller wanted top dollar for it, but had the North Wilkesboro car in the back. This car was a driving car and had never been restored, price was more reasonable than the Charlotte car.

"I noted that the car was complete, numbers-matching, and included an amazing list of options," says Bruce. "I bought the car before the rest of the vultures swooped in and grabbed it. Buyers were flying in from all over the U.S. due to an ad that also came out in Hemmings' Motor News. But, since I lived nearby, I got there first. Right place, right time! Original mileage was 52,000 (documented through the paper trail of MVD ownership), a solid driver, never been apart but in need of a complete restoration."

For more than 10 years Bruce drove the car then started looking for a restoration shop, finally selecting Vintage Iron Restoration in Scottsdale owned by Mark Scalpone. The restoration consumed two years where Mark and his team performed a full rotisserie restoration, addressing some rust in the trunk pan area, the lower rear quarters and lower front fenders. Mark also did the full drivetrain rebuild with the engine being sent out to the APD Power Center in Tempe. At the same time the well-worn Camaro was treated to a new interior courtesy of Unique Auto Upholstery, also in Scottsdale. Sheet metal and many other parts and components were sourced from Classic Industries in Huntington Beach, California, and from Heartbeat City in Shelby Township, Michigan. The rest came from diligent and time-consuming shopping on the internet shopping and from Bruce's collection of rare Camaro parts.

Bruce and Mark made every effort to restore the original drivetrain components; nothing has been restamped. While Bruce notes that there were no build sheets, no window sticker, and no point-of-purchase documentation, the car's ownership chain is documented back to day one, including the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin