The Two Lives of a 1969 Camaro: From a Bare-Metal Barn Shell to RK Motors' Six-Figure RestomodsFinding Old CarsJohnny PuckettFri, September 11, 2026 at 3:38 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleThe Two Lives of a 1969 Camaro: From a Bare-Metal Barn Shell to RK Motors' Six-Figure RestomodsSix weeks ago, we told the story of a bare-metal 1969 Camaro that spent 47 years hidden inside a rented warehouse in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a car missing its engine, its paint, and most of its original driveline, but carrying enough cowl-tag and hardware evidence to suggest it started life as a genuine Tuxedo Black Z/28. That car is still years from a finished restoration. New sales and traffic data from RK Motors, the Charlotte, North Carolina dealership known for high-end muscle car restorations and restomods, shows roughly where a car like that could land if the numbers hold up and the money follows.A Rough Start, and a High CeilingOur own reporting on that warehouse find covered the details that make a case for authenticity: an X33 code on the untouched cowl tag, a longer pitman arm specific to Z/28 steering, mounting points for a front and rear spoiler, and a leaf-spring count that rules out a Super Sport. None of it proves the car beyond doubt, since a numbers-matching engine and a finished build are still years away for owners Danny and Daniel. Factory Z/28 production made up roughly one percent of 1969 Camaro output, which is part of why the hunt for proof matters so much.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat RK Motors' Own Numbers ShowRK Motors has sold 453 Camaros to date, and 228 of them, just over half, are 1969 models, nearly five times the 46 sold 1967s and more than triple the 68 sold 1968s. Of those 228 sold 1969 Camaros, 52 are documented Pro Touring or restomod builds, roughly 23% of the total, with the rest split across stock-specification SS and Z/28 cars, numbers-matching restorations, and lightly modified original-drivetrain examples.Traffic on RK Motors' site backs up the demand. Its one currently available 1969 Camaro, a Kenne Bell-supercharged, Detroit Speed-chassised Pro Touring convertible listed at $189,900, has drawn 9,982 page views. Recently sold 1969 Camaros ranged from 6,661 views for a restored LS3-powered RS convertible up to 19,878 views for a high-end GMPP ZL1-powered build, placing both among the more heavily trafficked listings in RK Motors' inventory of 62 current vehicles. RK Motors published its own breakdown of that data here: https://blog.rkmotors.com/rk-knows-1969-chevrolet-camaro/SS or Z/28, Original or Restomod: Why the Distinction Still MattersAdvertisementAdvertisementHagerty's price guide values a #3-condition 1969 SS 396/350hp at roughly $59,900, with a range of $53,367 to $66,300, and a #3-condition Z/28 302/290hp at roughly $70,400, with a range of $64,500 to $81,933, the Z/28's smaller production numbers still commanding a premium over the SS on the stock side of the market. RK Motors' Pro Touring convertible, at $189,900, prices out closer to three times that stock Z/28 benchmark, and its recently sold ZL1-powered build likely commanded more still.That gap is worth keeping in mind for a car like the Winston-Salem shell. If it is eventually proven to be a genuine, numbers-matching Z/28 and restored to original specification, its home is the stock side of that comparison. If a future owner instead builds it into a modern Pro Touring car, the ceiling looks a lot more like RK Motors' current inventory.What This Means If You're Chasing a 1969 CamaroShopping a project or barn find, verify cowl tag and trim codes before paying any premium tied to an SS or Z/28 badge, since a mislabeled car is a common and expensive mistake. Shopping a finished car, decide up front whether you want a numbers-matching original or a modernized restomod, because RK Motors' own data shows that gap in price and demand only getting wider.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhether a 1969 Camaro starts life forgotten in a warehouse or rolls out of a specialist shop with a supercharged LS engine under the hood, the market keeps treating the model year itself as a calling card.Johnny Puckett