Papa John's founder embarks on cross-country drive to find his '72 Camaro

[BigPontiac]

Link to AutoBlog Article

[BigPontiac]

This should be easy money for Camino...

[David]

Totally Cool!!!

[Intrepidation]

Now that's just cool. I hope he finds it.

[Camino LS6]

<----- switches on Camaro radar.

All kidding aside, this is very cool.

[gm4life]

Very cool, I wish I could do that. I wonder where the old '71 Bonneville went.

[BigPontiac]

Reading the website for the contest, this gets more interesting:

Throughout the summer, every time you order a Papa John’s pizza for delivery, be sure to pay special attention to the person at your door. It might very well be Papa John himself, driving an authentic ‘72 Z28 Camaro just like the one he sold to purchase the equipment for his first restaurant located in a broom closet of his father’s tavern.

[Camino LS6]

I'd love to find the car...

[toesuf94]

While I hope he finds the car, what are the odds that somebody did not buy it and beat the thing into the junk yard many many years ago? It looks like Wisconsin plates on the car, which means salty winters, and the survival rates of Second gen Camaros are not great in the midwest as most of them find thier way to the roundy round tracks to die a horrible death. (see also trailer park, on blocks, windows down with the owner that always says he is "gonna fix 'er up someday")

Sadly, I bet this car became a lawn ornament or a Japanese 'car' a long time ago. I hope not, but my hopes are not high that it lives.

[Camino LS6]

If it looked that good in '84, I'd say it stands a fair chance of still being around.

[BigPontiac]

Since they're only giving "clues" and won't give up the VIN number, odds are they expect the car to be found.

[A Horse With No Name]

While I hope he finds the car, what are the odds that somebody did not buy it and beat the thing into the junk yard many many years ago? It looks like Wisconsin plates on the car, which means salty winters, and the survival rates of Second gen Camaros are not great in the midwest as most of them find thier way to the roundy round tracks to die a horrible death. (see also trailer park, on blocks, windows down with the owner that always says he is "gonna fix 'er up someday")

Sadly, I bet this car became a lawn ornament or a Japanese 'car' a long time ago. I hope not, but my hopes are not high that it lives.

My daughter Joanna works as a volunteer teen at Pets Without Parents, a no kill animal shelter. The building is right next to a repair garage, and a C4 corvete sits along with a second gen Camaro, rotting away behind the garage.

I count six C3 Vetts and an equal number of Second gen Camaro's rotting away within walking distance or short biking distance of my house.

The amazing way that second gen Camaro's were destroyed would make a very long, sad and strange novel.

Even in 1981 when I started driving, these cars were rusting badly in the midwest. I remember cars less than 10 years old with shot trunk floors and rockers...and visible rust bigtime on cars less than five years old.

Guy who lived behind me when I was 12-13 had a pristine 73 RS/SS (Yellow, IIRC) that he traded in. Next owner beat the &#036;h&#33; out of it and drove it to an early death. That was just common with the era. Personally I'd just love an early second gen...

Chris

Edited May 30, 2009 by 66Stang

[gm4life]

I'd love any old car like this, but a second generation Pontiac Trans Am/Firebird are near the top of my list and pretty affordable especially the later years.

[Turbojett]

Since they're only giving "clues" and won't give up the VIN number, odds are they expect the car to be found.

I willing to guess that they aren't giving up the VIN

a) because they expect several people to come forward with identical cars, as a publicity stunt.

b) so that they actually have the one concrete piece of information that can identify the true car, so that when someone actually finds it, they would disclose the VIN to PJ to avoid any wild goose chases or, more likely, fraud.

[ShadowDog]

I sure hope it hasn't already been turned into roofing tin.