Hello my old friend! My 2000 SS Camaro returns home. Long read

Justins00ss

Active member
I wasn`t sure where to put this but here it goes.




So as some know about 5 years ago I sold my beloved 2000 SS Camaro. Well I`m happy to say I was able to purchase it back and it has arrived.


Back in high school these 4th gen SS were released and I wanted one bad! After graduation and working a couple years I was able to purchase this black/black 6 speed Camaro SS. And like most I raced on the track and street and was always tinkering or modding. Shortly after I met my now wife and we continued racing and attending car shows.


Shortly after purchasing


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One thing I had done was a full repaint with custom flames using Spies Hecker paint.


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Around 2008 we got married and moved down to Florida. We bought a house and started to get settled in all while getting involved in the car scene. Lucky for us we lived in Port St. Lucie just short drive to Autogeek headquarters!


In fact I was in attendance at one of the earlier detailfest shows in 2012




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Shortly after this show our first born came into this world. And he immediately took a liking to the car. Once he was old enough he enjoyed going for rides and having fun.


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Some other shots of work and racing


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Unfortunately life gets in the way and has other plans and I was forced to sell the car. Ever since then I wanted it back. Thanks to social media I have been able to keep in touch with the gentleman who purchased it in Albuquerque NM. He raced it a bit but it mostly sat in his garage or shop collecting dust.


Fast forward and now that business has been good and things keep getting better I decided to reach out to the gentleman to see about purchasing the car back. He agreed and a deal was struck. But there was one catch. The whole interior was out of the car as he had plans to install a serious cage and go racing but never got around to it. But he agreed to install the interior and send me the chromoly roll cage to go along with it.


Well today was the day she came home and she is definitely in rough shape. But mechanically it`s mint. I already have plans to have both bumpers painted and a new sail panel installed which it needed when I sold it.


WARNING THESE PICTURES MAY BE GRAPHIC TO SOME!!!!!




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I immediately gave it a good wash and decon to remove over spray and other contaminates.


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I had to test out how this thing would come back to life. 1000 grit on the bad area, then 2k grit and 3k grit on the rest of the door. Rupes 21 Mark ll, BS eurowool, Fast correcting cream. Rupes 21 BS Yellow with 3D ONE and Hyper polish.




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Needless to say this car is going to take a bit of time and work to get back right but it will slowly get there!!!!
 
I can almost guarantee that ANY car enthusiast will have that one car they wish they would have kept. It is rare that you have an opportunity buy back THE very car that you wanted so bad in your younger days and even rarer that it has survived to this point in time. Lucky, fortunate, blessed, good karma, aligning of the stars... call it what you will.. a family "vehicular prodigal" has come home.

Also, thanks for the brief description on bringing the paint back to a condition that meets your standards. Wet sanding is an extreme step in paint correction and I cringe when I see it, BUT you know this car and its paint better than anyone, along with your wet sanding skill and experience. Like baseball`s legendary New York Yankee manager (and quipster) Yogi Berra said, "It ain`t braggin` if you can do it!"

Maybe we will see you on an episode of "Street Outlaws" racing against some of the "409" racers!!! Cool??
 
Justins00SS- Thanks for sharing this with us! I too think it`s great that you were able to get it back, and I`m glad that at least the mechanicals are OK.
 
What a great story. I’m glad you got the car back and the feeling of having it is priceless. Kinda like with me still owning my first car. It’s just something special.
 
Thanks everyone.

I think my oldest is more happy than me! He definitely remembers the car as he has talked about it frequently.



 
Very cool and congrats on bringing it home. I have one car in particular from my past that I regret selling(E36 BMW M3), but at least I get to see it at Cars and Coffee every once in while and it’s having a fun second life as a track day toy.

Keep us appraised on the progress but first steps already showing a huge improvement!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Awesome you got it back. I’d love to get my 94 Mustang back but judging by the CARFAX it’s probably in the scrap heap.
 
Thanks guys!

First stage completed today. Spent about 6-7 hours getting the engine bay back up to snuff. Degreased, steamed and coated the engine bay, windshield cowl, underside of the hood with IGL Eclipse high temp industrial coating. Also installed some new stainless hardware and new headlight housings.


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