If you’re a fan of musclecars that are impressive enough to make you take a second look, then this 1969 Z28 Camaro belonging to Robert Hansen of Pleasanton, California is right up your alley. He has owned the car since 1990, and believe it or not, bought it off of a used car lot in San Mateo, California. When he acquired it, this Camaro was built for street racing duty, and had a 383 cubic-inch stroker engine for power.

“The owner of the lot knew what he had”, Robert explained. “I didn’t have a lot of money, but I was able to make a cash offer. I told him that I had three little kids, and that I really wanted to buy this car. I had a Camaro like this when I was in high school, and it was how I met my wife.” Robert made a cash offer, the dealer made a counter offer, and Robert jumped at the deal.

It turned out the dealer also had the original 302 cubic-inch engine block that belongs with the car. To add to the once-in-a-lifetime luck that surrounded this deal, there was a stamped Protect-O-Plate in the glove box that proved this was an original Z28 car, and that the 302 cubic-inch engine was the real deal.

The 383 cubic-inch engine that was put in by the previous owner inevitably got him in trouble with the law, and that situation forced him to sell the car. “There was a rumor that the 383ci engine had a cross-ram intake on it at one time,” Robert explained. “I never saw it, but about seven years ago, I bought a GM-licensed cross-ram just to have. I keep it in the trunk as a sort of trophy.” It’s not known if this car originally came with a cross-ram intake, but it’s interesting to think about it.

After Robert bought the car, he added roughly 500 miles to the odometer before tearing the drivetrain apart, starting what would be a ten year rebuilding project. The rest of the restoration was completed one piece at a time, while the car was still being driven on the road. Since the car was in relatively good shape when he bought it, and had been recently repainted to be ready for resale, it made a great driver project.

This particular Z28  was built at the Van Nuys, plant, and came off the line on September 4th, 1968. Along with the combination of RS and Z28 packages, it has a couple of unique options, like a speed warning indicator and optional fiber optic lighting. The speed indicator is an adjustable dial on the speedometer that will buzz if you hit the selected speed, and the fiber optic is a much more unusual option that uses a fiber optic cable going to the headlights, driving lights, and tail lights, and it shows the driver when the lights are on.Only 1,463 Camaros came with the fiber optic lighting option out of the 245,000 built. That makes this one rare gem.

Not only does this car utilie the 11.0:1 compression DZ302 cubic-inch engine, but behind that is a Muncie M-21 transmission, followed by a 12-bolt rearend with 3.73 gearing. Other than the headers, the engine is completely original, and the car rides on factory Rally wheels with B.F. Goodrich tires.

“I put about 3,700 miles on it in the 26 1/2 years that I’ve had it,” Robert told us. “It never sits outside, and I’ve never driven it in the rain.” It’s clear to us that Robert has put a lot of effort into keeping this car clean and ready to show, and as far as we’re concerned, it truly is a show stopper.