I've been extremely busy the past week, trying to seek a better position (this new job is NOT cutting it!!!), as well as researching the 1977 Z28 article, so someone pick up the ball for me for a bit, please!

Heard back from Chevrolet archives, seems they are moving all their stuff and consolodating it into one huge GM archive, so it is unreachable, at least for the near future. I need to write Robert Lund directly ASAP as well. Still haven't had a chance to e-mail those pics out for remote hosting, but will maybe tomorrow (day off).

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Originally posted by Als78z28:
Just wondering, do the 77z's have the rope style steering wheels like the 78's and above?

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nope, look at mine on page 49

I've only seen one: Jeff's yellow car at the Camaro Superfest.

That would make it the rarest restored Camaro: only ONE. How many COPO Camaros have you seen? ZL-1? Common as dirt compared to a restored 77 Z!!!

And Jeff said he could have restored ten 1969 Z-28s as easily as he did the one 1977 car.

Looking forward to starting on mine.

Anyone reading this board from the Detroit area, who may be able to help locate him if he's around that area still? Thanks.

We buried a truly good man today, a truly good one. His name was Richard Mann.

At the ripe old age of 17, Richard (please don't ever call him "Mr. Mann"!) inherited a beat used auto parts store from a father who passed on much too early. That was 51 years ago. From that, Richard built a 25 store empire that dominated the Rhode Island/Southeastern Mass. area, and serviced countless repair shops. He had a huge warehouse and office facility, and kept countless hundreds of people employed throughout those years.

Richard was one of the truly rare ones, the kind who actually cared, truly cared, about those people. We all hear tales of a company that makes you feel like a "family" .... Richard made that a reality. To be one of "Richard's Guys" was to truly belong to a very special group of people.

He had boundless energy and enthusiasm that was more infectious than any disease ever known by man. And he did the last 20 of those years fighting a tenacious battle with cancer that would have long ago beaten any ordinary soul. But Richard was oh so extrordinary...

If you are a true "car nut", and who here isn't, or just a true lover of life, it's hard not to stand up and applaud someone who did it so well.

I came into the picture at Replacement just before the curtain fell and he had to sell it, but I got there just in time for a tatse of how it TRULY should be done in this world. He wasn't just a "boss", he was your friend. He truly cared, and you knew that. For an owner like that, you'd run head first into a brick wall.

Richard was a fantastic human being, and I am lucky and ever so grateful to have known him and be a part of his world. Thank you, Richard, thank you. And even though he was "out of the picture" for the past two years (and I don't work either for the new company or even in the same field anymore), I kept in touch with him regularly, just the same. I was fortunate enough to have just talked to him last week, days before he passed. He wouldn't let on a clue how bad he really was.

For anyone who cares, here is a link to his obituary, and your prayers for his familiy, both immediate and "personal", are appreciated ...... this was one truly great human being.

http://www.milforddailynews.com/obituaries/view.bg?articleid=43602

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Originally posted by Dan77:
This is a poll of everyone with a silver car, what is your dash instrument cluster color/ Mine is tan (light brown). Dan

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I didn't know about it before, but Chevy Action (September 1977) had an article comparing the '77 Z28 and the L82 Vette. Two seperate issues came up on E bay, and I won the second auction (probably paid too much, but after losing the first one, I wasn't going to lose the second!).

For the "numbers" people- this post would have been #768 and have resided on what would have been page 51. 405 posts have been removed. If people want to know how this topic is going from this point on- look on the Camaro Questions main page for the current number of replies and add the cut 405 to this number.

Before anyone gets upset or otherwise about the cuts- go through the entire topic and see if you can even begin to guess what's missing and if it really had any relevance to 77Z's.

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Originally posted by rich m:
I have plans to scan and copy several original 1977 magazine articles and road tests on the '77 Z28 that would be of interest to every such owner on the board. It could take up a bit of space but would benefit many people.

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Rich: I'm sure we can put this info up- in fact I might venture to say that Mike might be able to put it in the main area of the board for people's reference right off the main page- but don't quote me on that- he will have to figure that out. Once you have it all compiled, post a note in "Site Topics" asking about what can be done with it.

Also- keep up the good work on keeping the 77Z alive...