THIS CAR MATTERS: 1968 ex-Sunoco Penske Team Trans-Am Camaro

[@stevecanyon23]

What a great car and symphatetic owner. That is the definition of a race car to me. I own a mostly stock 1968 Camaro and always loved these cars, that came out when I was a 9 year old. Thanks a lot for sharing this video.

[@FeiHuWarhawk]

I was at Watkins Glenn in 1969 watching Mark Donahue and George Folmer go at it. Remember Sam Posie was running the AMC. I camped out there for the weekend. It was Rainy and Cold. Everyone else went to Woodstock ;-)

[@dougm5697]

So happy to see the car is in good hands. I saw it race at Lime Rock. I loved that series. Saw them from during the late 1960s - early 1970s. Best racing I ever enjoyed.

[@Fkidd702]

I respect owners of these beautiful historic cars who actually know about their cars

[@amaterasu8829]

My grandfather Leroy Gane helped build this car, and many others he’s the man to the right that looks like he’s running at :41. He died just this morning. I love and miss him very much, and hope to build a car in his legacy.

[@jackthompson1382]

That's one cool owner. Truly deserves this piece of history.

[@jonathanheap2613]

This car warms my soul

[@bdaileron]

For our generation, this car does matter! I tell both of my (gearhead) sons that some cars are pretty, but some have souls. This one is an old soul.

[@ellisonlowrimore7751]

Beauty in motion!!

[@SoI_Badguy]

I love these Superlights.

[@medusasg8]

Congratulations!!

[@wrenchmonkey3920]

This must be the one I saw at the glen several years ago. Stopped right in front of me behind some 911's.

[@marvinhindman1790]

That's badass 😎

[@colinbailey6883]

Sorry about the accident. What a shame. Glad you're OK.

[@corrupt7011]

Good job!

[@earlebarker1359]

Did the Penske cars ever run the aluminum canted valves heads?

[@nicolewembley3093]

Good Video! I see a few people are mentioning in the comments, about the possible acid dipping on a few of these race cars to lighten them, is that really a thing or a story that got started? I will keep researching.

[@daphnejames3571]

Ford did it with the '70 Mustangs. Don't know if Chevy did that.

[@keithleeuwen877]

Great !

[@bundzeakmotorsportz9767]

Pass it on to me Bill !

[@Autosiastas]

Camaro

[@joedirt7091]

Well he said four of the six sunoco camaros are known to exisit . My question is this what happened to other two sunoco camaros?

[@lowerlevel2398]

What happened to the '68 spec parking lights in the fenders? The archive footage shows them but this car appears to be a '68 with the vent windows removed?

[@jimestep560]

+Denty Kaffalatta Vent windows disappeared for 1968. Only the '67 had vent windows.

[@lowerlevel2398]

+Jim Estep Yeah. I was thinking backwards. Thanks. Was concentrating on the lights. Heh, Cheers!

[@jimestep560]

+Denty Kaffalatta You're correct on the side lights, Denty. Those two items, lights and vents are what separates '67 from '68.

[@jimestep560]

My guess is they filled and smoothed the body where the side marker lights were to improve aerodynamics. Keep in mind, The Unfair Advantage included many seemingly small touches, like the air wrench with all five lugs in one, the high tank for refueling. Penske and Donohue were very innovative.

[@___-ht6js]

This would be fun to throw around Imola or Spa

[@kylelumpkin742]

Did they use leafs or pull them out and throw in a coil suspension?

[@jimestep560]

+Kyle Lumpkin Suspension had to be the same configuration as stock. Leaf springs in the rear.

[@TheJagjr4450]

Leaf springs, addition of a rear swaybar, and a PANHARD bar to locate the rear. In the front they used a 1-1/4" sway bar for the original 3/4" one moved the upper A-arm mounting position down by about 3/4" and slightly to the rear in order to correct the bumpsteer which made them handle so much better... They ran the J-56 HD Corvette Calipers with twin pins, 4 pistons, and phenolic pad insulators adapted with with capability to apply a slight vacuum to the brake system in order to retract the pistons into the calipers during brake pad changes which allowed the Penske team to gain as much as a lap on the Mustangs at every stop for pads. FWIW Penske brought a level of professionalism - preparation to show room stock racing that was unmatched, think about the fact that Penske/Donahue took the AMC team and won the champsionship with a inferior car and manufacturer without so much as a podium finish EVER. The AMC heads were terrible, they ended up welding the heads up and reconfiguring port and runner design.

[@robertbublies2004]

are you saying the "dog leg " port head design that AMC came out with in 1970 was a Penske innovation? that would imply that Penske was engineering with AMC early enough to have implemented a change in 1970 production? From research and development through design, prototype and testing, and then be put into production it would seem more likely the TRACO or Kaplan Team, and not Penske's work with AMC might have been influential for one of the best American cylinder head designs ever. As for "podium" finishes AMC was right on Chevy's heels in 68 -69, maybe not getting first place, but second and third. AMC's so called "inferiority " in cars and manufacture is a MYTH..... look at the results, with or without Donohue and Penske. only thing thing AMC didn't have that other manufactures had was money and experience., but they still were competitive.

[@kensalazar5066]

Has a 67 mirror, driver's side, early 68 car, probably just what they had

[@randyjones7818]

So cool this camaro says it all..chevy power wins..let me drive 2 laps..2 .4bbls.its got some power.rj..love 68 camaros.I set in a new camaro in 68 that my cousin had..what a thrill at 14..these are great cars. Rj

[@joedirt7091]

SO the 68 sunoco camaro is actually a 1968 Z28 race car is this correct?

[@joedirt7091]

If four of the Penske 1968 sunoco race cars are known to exist. Then my question is what happened to other two Penske 1968 sunoco camaro race cars?

[@spicymiataguy9115]

Joe Dirt likely deteriorated. The cars were acid dipped for weight reduction. It was genius the first year but then was ruled illegal and they decided to do it again anyways. They had to sneak the car into regulations a certain way. Look into the history of the car and you’ll see

[@trevorvanbremen4718]

@@spicymiataguy9115 IIRC, they INENTIONALLY wanted race number 15 and race number 16 so that they could be quickly 'morphed'. The HEAVIER car is the one that was checked - TWICE (once with each race number on it). The LIGHTER car is the one that was qualified - TWICE (once with each race number on it)

[@375GTB]

Did this car ever get Gary Wheeler's Traction Masters Roberts Linkages to the rear axle? At least one car did... Traction Masters also helped control the Le Mans Sunbeam Tigers axle... But at a cost! J.C.

[@spicymiataguy9115]

This was one of the cars that GM had the bodies acid dipped to reduce the weight of the car to the point where it was illegal and under the weight restrictions. They would bring 2 cars with the number 15 on the side. One was acid dipped and the other wasn’t. Then they would weigh the non dipped car then quickly paint the 15 into a number 16 and weigh it in also. It was a genius weight reduction trick at but the fact that they did this repeatedly should’ve gotten them DQ’d after the second time. But that also leads to GM threatening to withdraw from competition entirely which of course was not desired.

[@earlebarker1359]

The first car is a 67, see the wing windows?

[@pfan760]

who else pronounces it sun-uh-coh?

[@klousy58]

they cheated by using a lighter car. dirty cheats

[@williamboardman9476]

Had to scale to spec prior to race...they dipped to LIGHTEN, and put weight where they wanted / needed it, for handling and braking . I saw at Watkins Glen as a kid. 67, 68, and 69.

[@375GTB]

AN IGNORAMUSES TYPE OF COMMENT!

[@ThatjhitMunoz]

The cheater

[@InvincibleExtremes]

Darn good looking car but it's a cheating pile...

[@kurtpoblenz2741]

They cheated with that car with the weight. They brought 2 cars , # 15 & #16. They went to the scales with a legal weight car , then went to the garage & put the numbers on the light weight car to race. That's not bending the rules. That's out right cheating 👎🏻

[@jjsemperfi]

Source?

[@trevorvanbremen4718]

@@jjsemperfi HISTORICAL FACT is quite a reliable source!