Eckler's Camaro World

I'm sure by now everyone that's into cars has seen the weekly TV series called "Pinks". The show is about drag racing "street style" where the loser signs over his Pink Slip (Car Registration)to the winner of the best of fives races. When the show first aired it was entertaining but now I think it the cars need to be grouped closer to their performance levels. Giving cars 7 or 8 car lengths is not very entertaining. If this show is supposed to represent the old days of street racing, from what I heard cars were staged side by side to race. No one in their right mind would race for money giving someone 6,7 or 8 car lengths. Back in the mid 70's I actually witnessed a title for title race between some very fast cars in the back streets of a GM Plant that was closed for the weekend and to me that was a stupid race. Giving up your pride and joy after hours upon hours of labor to prove your car was the baddest car around made little or no sense to me. Those days are long gone, although there's reports of high rolling car guys racing for more than $50,000 one race winner take all, the price of cars these days are out of control. I treat shows like "Pinks" as mearly entainment and I watch it if nothing else is on TV, after all it is racing and it's better than watching roller blading or a dart match.

With more than 4,000,000 Camaros built and many of them still on the roads today, I can't understand why more Camaro enthusiasts don't subscribe to a "Camaro Only" magazine. Our Camaro World magazine is unlike other car magazines because it's not filled with advisements and little content. As an example the next time you receive or purchase a Chevy magazine count the pages of advisements then count the pages of actual car stories and you will find out how really useless the magazine is. On the other hand if you read Camaro World, you will find the entire magazine is filled with Camaro stories, how to Tech Articles, new products, Camaro show information and more. Printing cost continue to rise and without support from Camaro enthusiast a certain demise loomes in our future. Worldwide Camaro Club contines to be the best Camaro voice in the country and we want to ensure our club is a club for the future. If you've ever attended one of our shows, you'll have the time of your life in a relaxed environment. So help us help you, join us now!

Now is the time to start planning for the upcoming 40th Camaro Anniversary Celebration to be held in Detroit Michigan on August 9th thru August 11th, 2007. The host hotel is Best Western Sterling at a rate of $94.00 per day. The hotel is located near the GM Tech Center, and if you are bringing kids they will love the large indoor water sports park. Don't miss out on this very special event! Make those room reservations now, because this show will also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 57 Chevy which means, cars, cars, and more cars.

How much do you value the engine in your car? Think about it, because the life of your engine depends in no small part on the quality of the oil you put in it. Oil is the lifeblood of your car's engine. Mineral oils are based on oil that comes from dear old Mother Earth which has been refined. Synthetic oils are entirely concocted by chemist in laboratories. The only other type oil is semi-synthetic, sometines called premium, which is a blend of the two. Synthetic oil bases tend not to contain reactive carbon atoms which create acids. Synthetic oil are custom-built oils that are designed to do the job efficiently but without any of the excess baggage that accompany minerial based oils. I my opinion there is no reason to use mineral based oils in later years Camaros. GM even recommends that Mobil 1 be used in all of it LSX engines, for the simple fact that synthetic oils prevent wear better. I spoke to a friend of mine that builds high dollar NHRA Super Stock engines and he stated that since the Federal Government is limiting the use of Zink in mineral based oils he's noticed more engine failures, and has personally experienced piston wrist pin failures because the zink is no longer present in mineral oil. He informed me that since I used synthetic oils that I should not have a problem with my engine. Just select a good quality synthetic oil, change it often and use a "Filter Mag" these things really work!

Beginning with the 2011 model year vehicles, automakers will need to disclose the existence of the technology (black boxes) in owners manuals. The data recorders will also need to be more durable to protect the information during a crash to allow the auto industry to collect a uniform amount of data to help in the development of new safety regulations. With more than 40,000 motorist killed on the roads each year, supporters of the black boxes contend they give investigators and automakers an extensive database that can help them design better vehicles safety features and improved roads. Some privacy experts worry that the information could be accessed by anyone and also argue that most motorists don't know the black boxes are installed in their vehicles. The rules do not require the data recorders to be used in all new vehicles, despite past recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board that the devices be mandated.

The Toronto Star reports that General Motors will build the new Camaro at its No.2 plant in Oshawa,Canada. Production is set to begin in 2008, with the new Camaros hitting the showrooms in early 2009. The move came after the Canadian Auto Workers union agreed to 2,500 early retirements to reduce costs at the plant to win the rights to make the new car. The plant was scheduled to be closed in 2008 but will now stay open, saving about 2,700 jobs. The new Camaro is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the 1969 icon. GM has indicated that the production version of the Camaro is going to look almost identical to the "Best in Show" concept vehicle first featured at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year.

We at Worldwide Camaro Club were sadden by the news that our North Carolina State Representative Mike "Willard" Scott passed away Friday, August 18th. Willard was a true Camaro enthusiast that travel great distances to attend Camaro shows. He was one that was always more that willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. We have so many good memories of Willard preparing his Camaro for judging, and his many stories about the good old days when Camaros didn't have all that computerized stuff. Willard touched many lives, and we wish to offer his family our sincere condolences. He certainly will be missed by all of us here at WCC.

Ok now that we know that the 2009 Camaro is coming, certainly there must be more information as to the types of Camaros that will be built. Enthusiast want to know about convertible models, types of engine options, stripe options, and if the Z28 model will be the top of the Camaro line? I'm probably jumping the gun by asking these questions since I'm sure that the powers to be at GM are hard at work trying to first figure out where the car will be produced. I pray that this car will be produced in the United States so that GM can put more Americans to work. This is an American icon as as such these cars should roll off American assembly lines in my opinion. Just think how great it would be to be able to follow the assembly of your Camaro from start to finish. If GM can do this for its Corvette customers, they certainly can do it for Camaro enthusiast who've wait patiently for numerous years for the return of our car. GM ARE YOU LISTENING?

We've all seen the car build up shows with a team of builders that can build that perfect Camaro, but most of these cars are rarely driven. People like you and I make modifications to our cars, to enhance the overall beauty as well as the performance, without the fancy shops or lifts. Many of us has garage floor marks on our bodies as proof that we know how to get down and dirty, but that's the fun part of owning our Camaros. We can take great pride in the fact that when we attend a local or national car show people come over to admire our work. I would love to chrome various parts on my Camaro to enhande that "show quality look" but I also understand that chroming adds weight and since I also like to occasionally drag race my Camaro, more weight equals less performance. I take the simple approach of simply cleaning the engine compartment, polishing certain components and waxing the exterior. I would love to have a large shop, and have the time to completely disassemble my Camaro however, since I don't, I do the best I can with what I have. Don't ever let anyone tell you that your Camaro is not good enough to be brought to a CCI/WCC show. Every car out there has flaws, of course some people want that "Perfect Camaro" and they spend a great deal of money seeking the top prize, but they don't have the same fun as we do. So keep driving, and keep coming to car shows, just have fun that's what it's all about!

Mr. Mike Scott is a life long car nut and a true Camaro enthusiast. He's attended Camaro shows for years and he's always there to offer a helping hand to someone with car problems. I know for a fact that he can talk for hours about his passion, Camaros and his other love, racing. Mike was advised by doctors that he only has a short time to live due to terminal cancer. Mike is our North Carolina Camaro State Representative, and being a true Camaro enthusiast he made sure once he was advised of his illiness that a suitable replacement was made. He also offered training for his replacement and sent his replacement all of his training material. Our program has vastly improved because of Mike's suggestions and he is a person that can be counted on to assist any fellow Camaro enthusiast. I asked that everyone take a few moments to pray for Mike and his family. Thanks

Now that the 5th generation Camaro production has been announced, it's time for all Camaro enthusiast to express how they would like to have their Camaro built. Many of you are too young to remember the days when you could walk into a Chevy dealership and pick up a sales order blank and special order your Camaro. I personally feel that those days should return because you as a consumer should be selective about car you're about to spend your hard earned dollars on. If you have plans to road race the car, you should be able to select a 1LE option with heater and AC delete, special suspension and all the good road racing options. If you want strips you should be able to select strips, not just walk the dealers parking lot trying to find the correct color and hope that strips are on the car of your choice. There are some very special and rare Camaros across America and the reason they are rare is the fact that the customer had the power of choice. One Camaro that was auctioned was so heavily loaded with options it commanded a very high premimum which was paid by the new owner. I personally want the lightest low option Camaro without T-tops I can buy, because this car will be headed for a complete overhaul to make it a monster on the streets and drag strip. So although we will have to wait for a few years to get our hands on a new Camaro, there's light and the end of the tunnel, let's be patient!

As previously written in my blog, I was in Springfield, Missouri at our International Convention, when I received a call from GM advising me of some very important news. The was like the shot heard around the world when I heard there would be an announcement that the Concept Camaro would become a reality. My flight was changed and off I went last Wednesday to Detroit so that I could be present at the GM Tech Center for the much welcomed news. Thursday morning I arrived at the GM Tech Center, and what a beautiful sight to see so many Camaros of all generations sitting in the field. After approximately one hour sirens were heard and it was a wonderful sight seeing a Camaro Police Car escorting our new Concept Camaro down the street. On the hill near the GM Tech Center there were hundreds of GM employees watching the event, and once the Concept Camaro was driven onto the field Mr. Ed Wilburn GM VP of Global Design exited the car. This project was one that he saw from the inception to the beginning of production. Mr. Wilburn spoke to the crowd and he stated that the new Camaro was be available at dealerships the first quarter of 2009. Although many expected the Camaro to be produced sooner, it was announced that the vehicle started from a clean sheet of paper, meaning a new platform, which would required tooling for an entirely new vehicle. Well, I for one am just glad that the car will once again be produced. You can bet that I will have on in my garage, will you?

Although the weather was hot, the cars that came to the show were hotter. Some of the best cars the midwest has to offer were in attendance at the 32nd International Convention. We even had a 1000 point car, a 1970 Chevelle that three judges felt was perfect in all catagories. Mr. Barry Berstein brought his beautiful 1969 Blue Camaro ZL1 to the show and it certainly wowed the crowd, since very few cars that attend Classic Chevy Shows are worth 7 figures. There were several trailered Camaros in attendance that scored extremely well, and the driven Camaros made their presence known by collecting trophies. Look for the entire show story in a upcoming Camaro World magazine. The host hotel rolled out the red carpet for all of us, and the welcome barbeque was held Thursday night was extremely tasty. If you get a chance next year to attend the International Convention, check the dates and make your plans now. This show is expecting at least 500 cars!