[jbtech]

I have found complete ownership history of my 1967 Camaro SS L78. I spoke with the original owner today while he was at a bar and boy did it make his day to know the car is still around.

I'm going to write this with the best intentions and with my notes I have written down and the notes I gathered from Bentley (bbbentley) who spoke to Dean Rooker, Jenkins, and Todd. There will be updates as I'm now in constant contact with the first 3 owners and their families.

After returning from home from Thailand where he was stationed while in the military, Bruce Cremean (now 79) from Logan Ohio worked a well paying job in Columbus in 1967. During his off time after work, he would go to National Trails and check out the races. One day he spots a Gorgeous Black on Black 1967 Camaro SS 396 L78 Bobb Chevrolet drag car and decides he wants to buy it. When asked if the car was lettered up, Bruce said the car coming down the track was , "Brand New, it still had the window sticker in it!"

Later he walks into the dealership to buy it but the salesman (who was driving the car at the track) doesn't want to sell it, after all, he was the one who custom ordered the car with all the goodies including the 4.56 rear, disc brakes, style trim package, console and gauges, white stripe, and the list goes on. Bruce goes to the higher up at the dealership and the higher up tells the salesman that if he didn't sell a certain Corvette within a specific time frame, he would sell the 1967 Camaro to Bruce. That is exactly what happened and Bruce says the salesman was not happy about it.

Bruce enjoyed racing the car mainly at National Trails and making changes to help the car go faster at the track. He fabbed his own plenum air cleaner "to pull air right below the windshield" and even made custom wheelie bars for the Camaro at one point. He said "that car ran 12's all day with that HiPo 396". He he married his girlfriend and life happened. He kept the car and removed the original 396 so his wife could drive the car with a 283 in it. He was still commuting to Columbus and at one point his other cars broke down and he commuted to Columbus daily with the 4.56 gears which explains the miles on the car. Eventually with a growing family he sold the car to a young John Goss Jr. Bruce kept the 396 in his garage for years with the hopes of eventually buying the car back but he never found it. He also still has his custom plenum air cleaner and will get it down for me. He sold the original 396 to a friend to use in a restoration who owned an insurance company. His friend -REMOVED- has unfortunately passed but his daughter still owns the car to this day with the original 396 from the Camaro.

As previously mentioned, Bruce Cremean sold the car to a young John Goss Jr. in the 70's and installed the 396 from his wrecked tow wagon. I was able to make contact with John's younger brother Shane who said John went to the prom in the car and has a photo with his date. John then blew up the 396. The car sat in his parents driveway with a blown 396 and while John was away in Germany serving in the army, John's dad parked the car out in front of their house with a for sale sign on Maysville-Williams road. John was not happy that his father sold the car while he was gone.

High School senior Alan Mason bought the car with the hurt engine and took it apart to see if it could be fixed, he invited his close friend Richard Buckley to check out the car with the heads off it. After seeing it was too far gone, Mason installed a 350 small block and ran the car. Mason removed the original SS hood and bought a White fiberglass cowl induction hood that was a lift off design, he screwed the hood to the car. Him and his friend Richard Buckley from down the street would often trade their cars on weekends. Richard had a 69 Swinger and Alan the 67 Camaro.

They traded so often that one day Richard says, "how about let's trade for good". Thus, Richard got to keep the 1967 Camaro. I spoke to Richard and his younger brother Charley and they had some great times in that car. In 1980-81 The car was MINT with white cowl induction lift off hood, Mickey Thomson N50's on the back, skinnies up front, and the interior was original and cherry. The only blemish Richard had to fix was on the LH quarter where Alan blew a tire. Alan was known for driving his cars hard and went through a few muscle cars over the years.

Richard installed a 400 small block in the car, "Man that thing would SCREAM" and according to his younger brother Charley, the car would "SHIT N' GET BOY!... John NEVER lost a street race". The car still looked pristine. They would even race guys in reverse! Richard took the 400 small block out of the Camaro and installed it in his truck. He sold the car for 500 dollars without an engine to two guys who came to pick it up James Rooker and Dean Rooker. Then 14 year old Charley says "man.. I CRIED when my brother sold that car I wanted it SO bad".

James Rooker owned the car, sold it to his brothers girlfriend (Judy). Judy and Dean were married for some time and sold it after a divorce to a Mr. Baxter who sold to Mr. Jenkins whose name appears on the title in 2013. Mr. Jenkins sent the car to Florida to a body shop it was there 18 months and gave them $10,000 and they did nothing to the car. He got disgusted and sold it to Howard who sold it to Todd, who sold it to Bentley, who bought it on my behalf. THANK YOU BENTLEY!

Bruce has original documents and photos to the car and says he will get them to me.
Shane also has photos and is going to have his brother John call me in the next few days.
Shane has been a tremendous help and when he called me the first thing he said was, "I KNOW THE ORIGINAL OWNER TO THIS CAR!" After our conversation he drives to the local bar where he and Bruce hang out and has Bruce call me right then and there.
Mason has been very hard to get a hold of but the Buckley's say they are going to get a hold of him.
Charley and Richard Buckley also said they have photos and will gather them up. Charley, Richard, Shane, and Bruce were all great guys and fun to talk with.
I previously thought my original block was in a restored pace car but the current owner of that pace car got back to me and the VIN on the pad is 7N212552 No match for my car.
However that car (124377N212552) may still be around in Georgia. Bruce clarified my born with block 7N212598 IS still around in the -REMOVED- car mentioned (different than pacer).
Charles Buckley helped me get into contact with Charley Buckley so thank you!

After I got off the phone with Bruce the original owner I could hear him laugh in the bar and say "We'll I'll be damned" before hanging up.