...But Is It Really New?

Well - yesterday was the day; 5/16/2015. At 4pm local time out in Detroit, GM "officially removed all the covers" to reveal the 6th generation 2016 Chevy Camaro. It was hard for me to swallow any remaining hype about this event, because there was hardly any left. Browse the Internet and you can find older posts and information that already showed the back, side, the hood, as well as the front bumper. The silhouette of the car wasn't changed all that much (thank you GM) and rear visibility will still be hell. We already knew there was going to be a turbo 4 banger available this year, along with the standard six, and the LT-1 V-8 borrowed from the Corvette. Even a few pics and supposedly an "insider" memo about the specs of the Camaro were leaked on Friday. About the only things that still need to be clarified are when will the car be for sale and for how much. And maybe a few interior shots would be nice...

I'm sorry - but after glancing over all this pre-release drama, I feel sorta cheated. I've come away with the feeling that the 2016 Camaro isn't truly "all new". It still shares numerous cues from the current model we've had for the past 5+ years. It's like that old adage where you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. If you skip the bad luck part, the main reason why is so the groom is blown away when she makes her appearance - the dress, her hair that's been done uniquely, the flowers, the whole deal. With the case of the 2016 Camaro, it's like the groom has already seen the bride 24 times. I can remember when the 1970 1/2 Camaro (above) came out. That was a TOTAL departure from the previous year. Every square inch of that car was different from the 1969 model (left). Except for the engines and transmissions, and even then there were some new additions, it was a "new" car. GM could've announced, "Oh, by the way, we've discontinued the Camaro and this is our new pony car offering called the Terminator." And we would've believed them.

Now that I've got that out of my system, let's unveil of a few covers of our own from the past. I recently posted a Throwback Thursday pic on Facebook. It was taken by my Mom of my sister and I in April 1966 when we lived in northeast New Jersey. With that 1966 mindset, I was tripping down amnesia lane with a truckload of memories that made that year, at least automotive and racing wise, "brand new" if I can steal a now overused phrase.

By this time, the muscle car wars were more than just heating up. Chrysler's street Hemi still carrying 426 cubes under the hood was unleashed on the buying public in an all-new mid-size B-body platform of the Charger, Coronet (pictured above right), and Satellite. The cars were indeed all-new - everything from sheet metal, interior, to suspension and brakes, even the front portion of the frame was different. It would be two years before Dodge &

Plymouth would hit their stride styling wise, but these cars at least got the ball rolling. Over in Dearborn, Ford and Mercury stepped up their games by offering the animalistic 425 horse 427 side oiler V-8 in the mid size Fairlane (above left) as well as the Comet (right). This was a game changer as previously both manufacturers only offered that potent engine in full size models. Finally, as history would prove, by the fall of 1966 GM would officially enter the pony-car market with their Camaro and Firebird. (1966 Comet photo courtesy of Car Craft).

Drag racing took a brutal leap forward that year. Mercury dropped a huge A-bomb when "Dyno" Don Nicholson debuted his Eliminator 1 funny car. When comparing concepts to modern race cars, this rig truly was the first funny car. No longer based on stock vehicles and using altered wheel-bases or engine set-back, the Eliminator 1 had a separate full on tube chassis and cockpit much like today's funny cars, and had the stock looking fiberglass body hinged onto it. Weighing a mere 1,850 pounds, it was miles ahead of any competition. It's difficult to find

pics of the Eliminator 1 in books as well as on-line... for good reason. The all-fiberglass body sat too high on the chassis allowing mass volumes of air to get underneath it at speed. The end result was the body getting ripped off its attachment points, going seriously airborne, and being destroyed upon crash landing. The Eliminator II appeared very shortly after that with revised components to prevent repeats of the initial mishap from happening again.
Dyno Don would only race the Eliminator funny cars for two seasons, as too many close calls with these beasts convinced him to go back to the Super Stock class for 1968 and eventually into Pro Stock class racing which debuted in 1970 where he would truly make his mark in history.

Since the Chrysler 426 Hemi was now a mass-produced production vehicle motor, NASCAR allowed it back into it's folds after a year hiatus. It wasn't all peaches and cream, however. Dodge thought their new swoopy fastback Charger would be a natural to win. Once again, however, large volumes of air at high speeds proved to be a challenge. Remember the Charger had hidden headlights along with a recessed grille area as well as a recessed rear window area. At speeds of over 135 miles per hour, the car would literally start to lift off the ground! Plymouth and Richard Petty fared much better. With the new boxy B-body Satellite, Petty would regain his footing in NASCAR and by the end of 1967 would absolutely clean house with records that still stand today.

Lastly, I'll leave you with a story about a brand new 1974 Dodge Charger Rallye. Well, okay - it's almost brand new. It only has 712 miles on it. And it still sits in the same garage where it has been for 15 years, after being in another garage for 25 years. No, I'm not going to tell anyone where it is. What I will relate is that it is a rare 440 Magnum car with a 4-speed. It's a stunning black beauty, but the thick layer of dust hides it well. The bucket seats are still soft and the rest of the interior is immaculate, although it could use a cleaning. The engine is fired up regularly and is kept in decent shape. The suspension, brakes, and exhaust are all in good condition. The doors still

close solidly with a gentle push. It sounds new. So - what gives? Why the extended state of hibernation?
It seems the young man who purchased the car in the late fall of 1973 was sent overseas just as our involvement in the war in Vietnam was starting to come to a close. Unfortunately, the young man never returned. His father wanted to keep the car as a reminder of his lost son. When the father passed, that's when the car was moved to the young man's brothers house.

I've heard numerous stories like this, all of them true; all of them sad. Maybe we can learn something new from our past mistakes. There's always time...

Until next time, peace out,
Dave