ICC Website

I purchased my '86 bright blue Z28 in April 1986. After finding no local Camaro club, I went to the 1987 Camaro Nationals in Norwood, Ohio where the USCC helped me start a local chapter. They provided names and addresses of Illinois members that I could contact. I also ventured out on my own to local car shows and swap meets to round up members and to get the word out of a new club starting up in Illinois. The very first person I ever talked to about it was the late Bob Lotito. He was such a nice guy to me that I thought a Camaro club could work here in Illinois. Our first meeting was in July of 1987 at the Hillside Wendy's Restaurant on Roosevelt Road east of I-294. About 17 people showed up that day. By Christmas of that year we had about 58 members and Doug Meyer, the original newsletter editor and creator of the The Camaro Commentator as it was called then, was churning out newsletters every month. Within a year we had 100 members which allowed us to think big, our own car show. In July of 1989 we held the first of several car shows in Worth, Illinois. We later moved the venue to Tinley Park, Illinois at the intersection of 159th and Harlem Avenue. That's some of the early days in a nutshell. Much more to come later.

Paul Weinert Member #1 Founder - Illinois Camaro Club

If it wasn't for the Camaro I would not have met my wife Karen.  I traded in a 1985 Mazda 626 for the Camaro because I wanted more horse power even though the Mazda was a really sweet ride.  I hated trading it in but now I realize it was such a pivotal moment that would end up redirecting the course of the rest of my life.  Here is one of two pictures of me proposing to Karen at Rockford Speedway on August 12th, 1989.  We would later be married on June 16, 1990 where we had an all Camaro wedding procession.

In 1995 my Camaro went under it's first renovation.  Out went the tired and lackluster LG4 and in went a brand new GMPP ZZ3 5.7 H.O. liter crate motor conversion package, part #10185077.  A lot was done to it during this several week project that was headed by fellow club member Al Rubenacker.  If it were not for the new ZZ3 the Camaro would have probably been gone a long time ago.  My Z28 was saved for future generations.

After having some cooling issues as well a long list of things I wanted to do my Camaro, the car went up on jacks in 1998.  For most of the time it sat idle for various reasons.  However, I have been working on that list with the hope to get it back on the street ready for the Club's 25th anniversary.   Here are some pictures of it under it's second renovation, still on jacks, but being worked on.  The rear suspension has gone under the knife with new Energy Suspensions sway bar bushings and end links, an on-car adjustable panhard bar by UMI Performance, and new Bilstein B8 shocks.  The sway bar was removed and black powder coated.  A new gear and a powdercoated rear axle is proposed for the spring of 2012.      Paul Weinert