“Causin’ Commotion” – Mark and Elaine Regan’s RS/SS 396 ’69 Camaro
Mark Regan was a teenager at the height of the muscle car era, and like many who grew up in those days, he always wanted a first-generation Camaro. At the time, though, his muscle car dreams were satisfied by driving a ’67 Malibu and a ’70 SS 396 Chevelle for several years.
Flash forward nearly five decades, and five years of searching, and that dream materialized for Mark and his wife, Elaine, when they found a ’69 RS/SS 396, four-speed Camaro. The Rallye Green coupe was fresh off a five-year meticulous restoration. The bulk of the work was accomplished by the crews at Freddie’s Restoration in Calvert City, Kentucky, and Brown’s Collision and Restoration in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The SS is powered by the original 350-horsepower 396 that was rebuilt to factory specs. Of the more than 243,000 Camaros produced in 1969, only 2,018 featured the 350-horsepower engine. A Rochester Quadrajet carburetor resides on a stock intake to feed the 10.25:1 compression engine, which produces 415 foot-pounds of torque.
Behind the big block is the original Muncie M21 close-ratio four-speed transmission, which is controlled by a Hurst shifter. The 12-bolt Positraction rearend houses 3.31 gears. Drum brakes in the rear and power disc brakes in the front help bring the 3,600-pound car to a stop. Factory-correct 15×7-inch Rallye wheels are wrapped in F70-15 Goodyear Polyglas tires.
Brown’s Collision and Restoration restored the body to factory specs. The shop also applied the PPG Rallye Green paint, which is a relatively rare color choice. Fewer than five percent of 1969 Camaros left the factories with Rallye Green paint.
While the houndstooth pattern upholstery was a popular choice for ’69 Camaro buyers, Mark’s coupe features the optional comfort-weave material. The interior also features the optional three-spoke rosewood steering wheel on a tilt column. A stock AM radio provides cruising tunes while the optional console-mounted gauges – a relatively expensive $95 option back in the day – help monitor the engine’s performance.
Mark and Elaine enjoy driving the RS/SS 396 Camaro around Southern California, and the car was even one of the select Camaros featured in the “Summer of ’69” display at the 2019 Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus.
Now, about that personalized license plate: CZN CMTN. “Its origin comes from the first time we took the Camaro out for a drive,” the Regans report. They received such positive comments on the car that they decided their ’69 is “Causin’ Commotion,” in all the right ways, of course.
Photos by John Jackson
