Pristine Pro Touring LS3-Powered 1969 Camaro
Steve Wagner’s 1969 Camaro was saved from the crusher0:00 / 0:00
Do you remember your first car? Of course you do. Those of us that have a few years under our belts and have owned a number of vehicles will always look back at the first one as a marker in time. For many, it brings up stories of the one that got away, or the one that should never have been sold. While the overwhelming majority of individuals can only look back on their first ride as a distant memory, there's a fortunate minority who can boast about still owning their first set of wheels. Steve Wagner falls into the latter category. He recalls, "In 1983, I was 13 years old and I went with my father to do a favor for a family friend and haul an old car from behind his business to the junkyard." As you can probably guess, that old car was the remnants of a 1969 Camaro that had been sitting in the weeds for a decade. Those 10 years were not kind to the poor first-gen as the entire front end, engine, and wheels had been stolen or scavenged. The quarters were rusted and weeds had taken up residence through the floors. On the plus side, the dark-green interior, dash, console, glass, and rearend were still intact.
The optimism of youth kicked in when he set eyes on the car. As he points out, "I felt this Camaro deserved better than the junkyard so I convinced my father, Andy, that we should keep the car and I would make it my project since I would be able to drive soon."
The Camaro was given a second lease on life, and for the next four years occupied Steve's afterschool and weekend hours. It eventually grew into a father and son project. As a teen working at a diner as a busboy and at a motorcycle shop, the budget was very limited, and much of the work done on the car reflected that limited cash flow. "We patched the floor panels and replaced the quarter-panels as best as we could," he explains. "We also modified a fiberglass flip front end to replace the costly sheetmetal and built a 400ci small-block and a Turbo 350 transmission."
By the time he was 17, the Camaro had blossomed into a "show car and cruiser" that Steve was very proud of. It was his most prized possession. They would take the car to local shows and cruise nights.
When adulthood came knocking on the door, Steve notes, "Over the next 25 years—after high school—the Camaro, unfortunately, sat dormant and neglected in my parents' barn as I pursued my dream of becoming a doctor." That journey saw him go through college, medical school, internship, residency, and fellowship as the foundation for a successful practice in interventional radiology. Dr. Steven Wagner had come a long way and had also started a family.
With the passing of his parents, it brought to light the need to make a decision as to what to do with the car. He wasn't sure if he was up to the challenge of redoing it again. He thought about selling it. After sitting for all those years it had rusted again and mechanically deteriorated. Mice had chewed through the wiring and squirrels had taken up residence in the interior. He points out, "It was my wife and three children that reminded me of the sentimental value of the car as it had become a member of the family, and something my wife, Jennifer, and my kids Mitchell, Jacqueline, and Reed looked forward to seeing in the barn at my parents' house."
