LeonardS

Another try.

LeonardS

Another.

LeonardS

Its working well.

LeonardS

One more and then I will give you guys a break.

Leonard

LeonardS

So I lied! I like this one, so here is one more.

LeonardS

This is how the Heritage Stripes were applied. The wings were removed and then re-installed.

Leonard

JT

iTrader: (1)

Leonard, if you have bigger (or more) pictures, you're welcome to email them to me ( jt@thirdgen.org ) and I will get them hosted for all those interested in seeing them.

Also, please check your Private Messages as I will be sending you a Private Message.

Thanks.

LeonardS

JT, I'll send a few pictures over for you to try.

Leonard

RPM WOT L 98

iTrader: (3)

This is the greatest thing I have ever seen. I feel like a giddy school boy right now.
Leonard, if there is anything you need from us to help you get these pictures out and posted online please let us know, JT should be able to take care of it for you, or just PM me and I will do whatever is necessary. I would love to be able to go through all the pictures of that day. I'll come pick them up and scan and post them all if needed.
Mark

BTW, are all those signatures still on the trans and such today?

LeonardS

I just sent a bunch of photos to JT for him to post in a larger format. Yes, all the signatures are still on the car. The car only has 125 miles on it.

Leonard

JT

iTrader: (1)

Leonard can best answer questions about his own car, but I recall him stating the car does have signatures all over the car (mostly hidden). Since he's the original owner, and the car has very low mileage, and it's stored, I'd imagine that the signatures are still there. But Leonard is the best person to answer questions about his own car.

Leonard and I have been trying to get together to get his material scanned and uploaded for all members to see. We're just a some minutes away from each other. I'm willing and wanting to do so, but have to respect that Leonard does have other projects and other things going.

I hope to be able to post up a dedicated page to Leonard's Camaro, with all the pictures he wants to supply, since the vehicle is special being the last Third Gen Camaro built. Since Leonard was at the factory and seen the car built, it would also be great if he could do some sort of story/write-up about it. I'm sure many members would like to see that.

LeonardS

JT,

I actually wrote a story about the car after I got back from Van Nuys. I wanted to put some things in print so I wouldn't forget. Hard to believe its been 16 years since the car was built!!

Leonard

RPM WOT L 98

iTrader: (3)

Can we see that story Leonard?

LeonardS

I hadn't even thought about it until JT mentioned it. I have it at home and their are no big secrets about it so yes I would be happy to share it.

Leonard

JohnC

iTrader: (1)

This is really cool. Thanks for sharing Leonard.

FrankieRider2

Excellent posting! Thanks so much for these images. First I've ever seen from inside the plant.

That assembly line looks pretty lonesome in the background there already.

Kevin91Z

iTrader: (1)

Its a shopping center now. An internet search for "the plant van nuys ca" turned up the info for me.

Xophertony

i know it's a shopping center. i want to get a photo of my car in front of the "the plant" sign.

LeonardS

OK, I was wrong.....GM says they built 70007 Camaros in 1992 and my VIN ends in 70008. I had to look it up last night since someone had asked.

Leonard

gatorcola

This is just TOO COOL!

I'm hooked - looking forward to the additional pics and the story.
Thanks LeonardS and JT.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Holy crap! I didnt realize the history behind your car!!! That truely is a huge piece of history you have there! Props to you for keeping it and having so much documentation to go along with it.

Im VERY interested to seeing many more, BIGGER pictures, as well as hearing your story! I mean...how the heck do you find yourself in a position to own that??? Waiting patiently for the story and pics!

Who got the last thirdgen Firebird?? Should find that person and see if they can produce something similar! Leonard and whoever got the last bird are somewhat connected in history. haha.

J.

LeonardS

The last Firebird was a black coupe with a V6. They quit building V8 cars about 2 weeks prior to the end of production.......except for my car!!

Leonard

gatorcola

vingta1989

great story..sad to see american jobs and memories disappear...

gatorcola

Here's a story of the "end" of the plant.
http://www.thestrategycenter.org/pub...ons-item6.html

RPM WOT L 98

iTrader: (3)

I bet that was the car in front of yours on the assm line in that picture you have. I want that car...

lotpowe

great pics. wanting more, can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the post. my car was built there in 87, formula 350.

ndiego75

Any update of this very intersting story?

LeonardS

JT scanned some of my documents last night. As he has time I believe he will be posting the information and story. We plan to get together to scan some photos in the near future.

Leonard

Tehsocks

Leonard that is an amazing piece of history you have, I cant wait till JT gets some of your info posted up.

JT

iTrader: (1)

I was a bit caught off guard with Leonard's material. He kept everything, which is a positive comment! He's got a binder full of notes he kept with the people he spoke to at GM, documents (sale brochures), a few articles in the newspaper about his car and the plant closing, stickers and tags, etc., for his car.

We didn't get to do the actual photographs he has, but we do plan to later.

For now, so far:

1992 Camaro Order Brochure

1992 Camaro Heritage Brochure

And some photographs of a late model stock TPI small block, that Leonard said was on a wall inside the plant:

Stock TPI Engine Photos

But really, aside from all the material I've seen, simply being able to discuss this with Leonard is the best source over all the documents I've seen. Him being able to tell you how the car was built, how the assembly line worked, etc., was very interesting. Some of that information will be in Leonard's story that he wrote about his last Third Gen Camaro, which will be posted along with photos of his car, in the future once we get some of his photographs scanned and a webpage online.

Links for the above material have been placed in our Media section and will also be placed on the front page news for those to see who may not see this thread.

Thanks, Leonard, for your time thus far, as well as sharing your experience and material with us.

Thanks. I'm sure there is much more to come.

whyt86roc

iTrader: (13)

A HUGE thanks to LeonardS and JT for posting up these amazing pictures!!! I just bought an article off of Ebay from a guy out in LA that used to work there and had an article from a local paper about the last Camaro that was brought off the line.. it was the red Z28.... and that was yours Leonard !!!... talk about getting chill bumps once I read thru all this and got ahold of my article... WOW!!!
If I can, I will try and see if I can scan it and post it up here.. it may take a couple of pics to get it all but I will see what I can do..Give me a week or so...

JT

iTrader: (1)

Leonard had shown me some of his articles, and this is one that I did scan (will scan more next time):
LA News Article

It shows the source was the LA News.

Is that the same article?

scottmoyer

JT and Leonard, I'm glad you guys are finally able to hook up. I just noticed that it's been almost 3 years since I first talked with Leonard and asked him to join the forums. It's nice to see the information coming together. Thanks guys for your time and effort.

RPM WOT L 98

iTrader: (3)

That article is awesome, nuff said!

JesterHead1651

this is absolutely amazing, ive been looking for stuff like this for a while...if only I was around when these cars were popular, being 18 sucks sometimes!

gatorcola

This may sound weird but so what - I find this touching - melancholy and proud at the same time. Thank you again Leonard and JT.

I sincerely hope the Van Nuys team members know that their work remains appreciated by so many.

H8TRAFIC

I wonder if Kae Sang Ko still has his Camaro.

87cmroiroc305ho

iTrader: (2)

this is an amazing article, i now want to find the history of my car, not much to it tho, an 87 iroc with t tops 350 tpi 700r4, not much to say bout it, but who knows, maybee it was made in that factory, is there a way to find out the entire history of your car, or even get production pix or something? if so, let me know on a pm, and thanks. keep more pix and stuff comin

whyt86roc

iTrader: (13)

My article was from the Daily News... dated Aug 28, 1992.. but it was pretty much the same article... it had that same picture of Leonard standing there with his red Z....
My Camaro came from a person out in LA that actually worked at the Plant for many years.. He ordered it thru Competition Chevrolet, now Rydell Chevrolet on Devonshire Blvd back in 92 and let his wife drive it... she drove it for a while and then wanted to get into a newer one, so he took over the 92 and bought her a 94 Z28 ( I think ) and I learned of the car after I started chatting with his daughter back in 2004... so I ended up moving out there in 2005 and bought the car for $1,000... it had 248K miles on it then and still ran great.. He was very meticulous with the maintenance and whatever went wrong he got it fixed immediately... He used it to get around in and also for his work.... that is where the miles came from...I got it ready and drove it all the way across the USA on I40 in June 2006 and it didnt give me any trouble at all and I averaged about 25 mpg all the way across.....
I didnt really talk with him that much about what he did there at the plant but he had told me some of the things he did... one instance in which he was running a forklift to carry the engines to the lines..
I would have loved to been able to get a picture of the Van Nuys Assembly sign when it was still up... anyone out there have a picture or could find one????

SERIO

So where is the story. I wanna hear it. I am only 18 years old and I live in Panorama City, CA which is like the next door neighbor of Van Nuys I lived in panoroma since i was born. I was really small back then but I can remember always seeing the GM sign which i saw it on my dads truck seatbelts . Everytime we passed by there idk wat it was but i always wanted to look over to that direction. You guys think its all gone now well it is but there is one more thing I think there is like a painting on the railroad tracks bridge on Van Nuys Blvd. When you go under the bridge on the both sides of the walls they have painting of cars and I believe i seen GM logos on some of those paintings. i rarely pass by there cause man Van Nuys is filled with traffic so I am not 100% sure guys but Ill go take a look and maybe some pics of it. If you guys want me to.

JT

iTrader: (1)

Following is the story that Leonard typed on how he got to own the last Third Generation F-Body Camaro, as well as and getting to tour the assembly plant in Van Nuys.

Hopefully when I add the rest of the material, I can make it easier to read. Sorry for the lack of quality on publishing it (for now), but I figured members are interested in the story itself - which is very interesting:

SERIO

I REALLY LIKED THE STORY!!
Is there any pictures LeonardS of the Z now.
I want to see how well care u have given the last 25th anniversary Z28.

JT

iTrader: (1)

I do know that Leonard doesn't use the last Third Gen Camaro as his daily driver. If I recall, it has about 125 miles on it and has been stored. I don't think he has recent pictures, using recent equipment, of the car. The pictures I've seen, and scanned, are pictures taken on film back when the car was being assembled and then delivered.

That's something I'd like to work with Leonard - me taking some recent pictures of his Camaro with a more modern camera.

Brennan

wow that is amazing i envy you leonard. just a quick question though do you own any other thirdgens?

SERIO

Yea that would be great using a modern camera to take pictures of it now. Since i bet many people would like to see it how it looks now too.
hopefully you guys can do it one day.

TOM-1LE

What a fantastic story, about a truly historic vehicle. It sounds like GM really had a heart when it came to letting Leonard buy the last car--very surprising from such a big, regimented company.

I agree with the others who said it would be great to see pictures of the car now!

primerk5

I started looking for the video. It would be great to find it on the net. Any how, Wikipedia shows this about the 3rd gen camaro on there web site.

"The last third-generation Camaro produced was a red Z28 coupe on August 28, 1992"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-g...evrolet_Camaro

RPM WOT L 98

iTrader: (3)

Thanks JT, and a big thanks to Leonard for sharng his experience with us. Amazing story!

gearhead0384

iTrader: (7)

I had not idea that the Last Thirdgen Camaro was owned privately and better yet still owned privately and on this board!

What and amazing story and thank you for sharing.

Kevin