"The Graduation Gift That Keeps On Giving"
It's Monday of Camaro Nationals week and we're celebrating the entire month of June with a different Camaro as our #RideOfTheWeek. This week's submission comes from Lisa Feist who shares her love of Camaros and how she came to own this beautiful 1982 Indy Pace Car Edition. Take it away Lisa!
"I’ve been a Camaro fan for as long as I can remember. My dad had a burnt orange ’68 with a black roof. I just thought it was the coolest looking car ever and I loved how it rumbled down the road! Since then, I knew I wanted to own a Camaro someday.
I had just graduated college in May 1988. One day, my mom’s friend came driving up to our house in a beautiful silver and blue 1982 Z-28 Camaro he borrowed from his friend’s used car lot to show me, because he knew I was a Camaro girl. (At the time, I was even dating a guy with a ’69 Camaro who I ended up marrying!) This wasn’t just your average Z-28 Camaro, though. No! It was a replica of the 1982 Z-28 Camaro that paced the Indianapolis 500 that year! It was the most stunning Camaro I had ever seen! And the fact that it looked like the real pace car made it even more special. Chevy made 6,360 of the replicas, and to make them more affordable for the average Camaro lover, they put in a 305 engine instead of the 350 put in the actual pace cars. So, it wasn’t super-fast, but it surely was and still is a head turner! Many people are surprised to see a woman get out of this beautiful car, and it just makes me laugh!
I knew I had to have this Camaro, so as a college graduation present to myself, I bought it a couple days later! I remember having tears in my eyes after signing the loan paperwork at the bank. My mom had to co-sign the loan for me, but I felt so proud that I had bought my very own car…my very own Camaro!
I have cherished this car for the past 33 years. It looks just as good today as it did back then. I cover and garage it from October through April every year. It has never seen the snow since I have owned it, and I don’t even take it out in the rain! I had an appraisal done a while back, and it has increased in value. Every once in a while I will get this crazy idea to sell it and let someone else enjoy it, but then I quickly change my mind. All the wonderful memories of cruising with it, washing and waxing it, and taking it to car shows just won’t let me part with it. I’ve convinced myself that no one will love it and take care of it the way I do, so it’s going to stay right here with me."
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your Z, Lisa! We’ll feature another Camaro next week that will come from the Camaro Nationals Show. So, if you’re in Frederick, MD this Thursday-Sunday (June 24-26), visit Car Show Life and “SunShine” at Camaro Nationals. Check out CamaroNationals.org for the info!
If you’d like your ride to be featured as a #carshowlife #rideoftheweek, send us your story and at least 6 photos to info@carshowlife.net.
Comments