Friday, Jun. 13, 2008

'First Generation’ Camaro Club Gathers at Colleyville Home

By Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer

That was certainly the case recently when the North Texas Camaro Club hosted its annual picnic at Frank Manzare’s Colleyville home.

It’s an exclusive club for first[generation Camaros, meaning only 1967, 1968 and 1969 models, and it has more than 100 members.

"The bulk of the people are at an age group that they grew up with those cars," said Manzare, who graduated high school in 1969. "They’ve gotten older and started collecting as a hobby."

Club members swap all kinds of stories about customization and racing, and trade advice.

"I think it’s just camaraderie. I like hanging out with guys who have the same interest," Manzare said.

Bill Roy’s 1969 Camaro packs a 500-horsepower big block, a wheelie bar and roll cage that would be more at home on the drag strip than parked in a suburban neighborhood.

But he insists his car, nicknamed Copperhead, is all just for show.

"We cruise it and don’t race it," he said.

The car took about three years to restore to pristine condition.

Terry Bell took a more modern approach with his jet black Camaro, throwing an LT 1 engine from a 1994 Corvette under the hood and seats from a 1990s Camaro inside.

Though the car is 40 years old, it’s packed with the latest computer diagnostic equipment, making servicing at repair shops a breeze.

"The after-market companies make it so user friendly," Bell said. "If you’re somewhat mechanically minded you can do it."

Other Camaros are painstakingly restored to look like they came off the assembly line when Lyndon B. Johnson was president.

Speaking of being frozen in time, an Austin Powers impersonator also showed up to liven up the crowd with some swinging tunes from the 1960s and 1990s.