Viewer Rides

Todays featured 'Veiwer Ride' is this beautiful LS1 powered Pro-Touring '69 Z/28. The owner of this vehicle is Mark Stiles. When Mark bought this car, it was a half finished project that was in more boxes than he cares to mention, but he knew the potential was there. Although the previous owner had a good start going, Mark had some slightly different ideas of where he wanted to go with the build. He backed the LS1 with a 4L60E transmission to make sure this car was a breeze to drive but still had the strength to handle all the motor could throw down. Out back is a Detroit Speed 12 bolt 4 link rear end. It's been mini tubbed to fit the monster rubber neatly inside the wheel wells. It takes a little work to get those BonSpeed custom wheels and 335/30ZR18 tires to fit right on a '69 Camaro. Up front it has Detroit Speed tubular upper and lower control arms. To make this cruiser go where Mark wants it to, he installed a Steeroids rack and pinion. A Speartech ECU gives the commands to the engine and transmission. The entire car is wired with an American Autowire set-up. To bring this beast to a stop, Mark put in CCP 4 wheel disc brakes with hydro-boost. Engine temp is controlled by an all aluminum radiator with dual electric fans. The motor exhales with a complete custom exhaust that exits through the tail panel. To keep the driver cool on those hot Texas days, a Gen IV Vintage Air system with vertical controller makes it cold on the inside. And speaking of the inside...nothing was left out there either. Mark made sure he had an interior just as pleasing to the eye as the exterior. The blue comfort weave interior has all the bells and whistles you'll need. The dash is a Detroit Speed dash cluster filled with Autometer gauges. There are so many Fesler Billet Products on this car, it would require more room than is available to list them all. The outside of this car is a 'House of Color' blue that stands out in any crowd with white Z/28 stripes and Z/28 badges. And never being one to leave something less than perfect, Mark also made sure the car had the RS/SS treatment. This is one very beautiful car.

I was there the night that Mark decided to purchase this basket case and listened to his dreams as he spelled them out. I also was fortunate enough to get lots and lots of pictures and video as the car came together. Below is a video I put together to highlight the build. I hope you enjoy it.

Joe Hudson's '68 Olds (in his own words)

Hi my name is Joe Hudson of Cincinnati Ohio. This is the story of me and my 68 Olds 442. Where it began! I purchased this car in June of 1977 as a birthday present to myself. I was out looking for a "NICE CAR" to replace the $35.00 Buick I had been driving for the previous 6 months or so. I was driving down Ohio 125 looking at all the car lots for that"SPECIAL" car. I was actually on my way home empty handed and somewhat disappointed I hadn't found anything! As I drove past a local Chevrolet dealer's Used Car lot I spotted a 1971 Monte Carlo SS Black paint Black Vinyl Top Black interior and a 454 to boot! Oh how COOL it was! I was in LOVE! As the salesman approached I asked him the price of that car and to my disappointment, it was out of my price range! So with my tail between my legs and my head down I was walking back to my Buick when there in the third row I spotted a gleaming Dark Green Oldsmobile 442! Now I was VERY APPREHENSIVE to ask again about the price of this beauty as I surely didn't want to be told again I couldn't afford a car! But I HAD to know! Well as fate would have it and a kind older brother to co-sign for me, I got to take her home! It was bone stone stock when I purchased it with a 400 cid, Muncie 4 speed, 391 posi traction 12 bolt rear end and the cool dual exhaust! The exception being some Keystone Classic Wheels that someone had painted the spokes white! UGLY WHEELS! But I was glad to have em! Five months after I purchased it I was off to the Marine Corps. So, for the next three years the car sat in my VERY UNDERSTANDING girlfriends Mother's back driveway. After I returned home for good I was hard at it getting the car back on the road. But finances and job requirements SLOWED my progress down quite a bit! But after about a year I had it running and driving. The time it sat idle, outside hadn't been kind to the paint! So with some help from my Dad and an old friend of his who had a body shop, I was able to barter some and get the car painted! I was so proud to get it back

above and below photo taken in 1977

At the track

and take it to car shows and cruise it around! The apartment my then my wife and I had at the time had a one car garage thank goodness! But after a couple years we bought a house...yep you guessed it...no garage! So after six more years of outside parking the paint had died again. But in the meantime I was able to erect a fine shop of my own at home and working at car dealerships enabled me to get some good deals on the materials to paint the car myself in my garage. So in 1991 a good friend and I spent a weekend painting my ride! Today this car shows it's age (chips, scratches, etc) from the miles and miles of cruising I have done with it. But that paint is still on it today. That just shows what inside parking can do for the life of a paint job! About 5 years ago I removed the original 400 and installed a 455 that I had built at a good friend of mine machine shop (R.I.P. Red Dog). It's a 455 bored 30 over. It has forged pistons and 10.5:1 compression. It has roller rockers and roller lifters. 515 intake 533 exhaust valves. Comp Cams. Cloyes True Double Roller timing chain. All gaskets are by Fel Pro. So when installing the fresh 455 I also installed Hooker Super Comp headers and Torque Technology's 3 inch exhaust with Flowmaster Series 40 2 chamber stainless mufflers all Jet Hot Coated. The 455 is topped off with two Carter Competition Series 500cfm carburetor's on an Offenhauser 360 dual quad aluminum intake manifold.With a polished dual quad ball milled Air Cleaner. MSD Pro Billet Distributor and a 6al box I also installed CoolFlex Hoses for the heat and upper radiator hose. Also installed 15x8 and 15x7 polished American Racing Torque Thrust II wheels with B.F. Goodrich Tires which have since been replaced by Micky Thompson S/T radials 215/65/15 front and 275/60/15 rear. I drive this car all over the place. It's been to The Woodward Ave Dream Cruise/Hot August Nights in Reno Nevada/The Grand Rod Run Pigeon Forge Tenn numerous times/The Shades Of the Past car show Pigeon Forge Tenn numerous times/ Somerset Somernights Cruise numerous times, and many many more places! Believe it or not this is the SHORT story. After THIRTY FOUR...yes, he said THIRTY FOUR years of ownership I have VERY MANY STORIES I could share about this car! Thanks for having a look! Joe

Hot August Nights

still cruising

Joe's 1969 Olds 442

as it looks today