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Slide Show: Cruise Night car of the week Q & A

Steve Shauger, 54 of Baiting Hollow owns the Times/Review Cruise Night car of the week for September 8. Scroll down to see what he had to say about his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.

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Q: When did you get the car?
A: I bought this car in 1999. I paid $25,000. It was $4,119.45 when it was brand new. The original owner was Gerry Nelson, he purchased it by satellite when he was stationed in Vietnam. He bought it at Park Chevrolet in Asbury Park, New Jersey. When he got back from Vietnam it was sitting in the dealership showroom.

Q: What shape was it in?
A: It is all original — paint, carpeting, wiring and even the tires. It only has 24,900 miles on it. It has an original eight track. I have 7 cars, all Camaros, so I only drive it a couple times a month. I just bought back the car I owned in 1976, also a ’69 Camaro.

Q: What was the biggest challenge in restoring it, and did you do the work yourself?
A: I’m just a caretaker. I have four survivor cars, all original Camaros — yellow, white, blue and green. I do all the mechanical caretaking myself. I haven’t restored a car in five years and that last one took me five years.

Q: What’s your favorite thing/feature on the car?
A: They are just something that attracted me — it was the styling. They are really refined. 1969 was an iconic year for Camaros. They won the Trans Am racing series in 1968 and 1969. I’m from Pennsylvania and the team Penske that won was in my hometown.

Q: What was the first car you owned, make and model?
A: It was a 1988 Ford Galaxy 500. It was a hand-me-down from my sister Carol and brother Dean in 1974.

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Steve Shauger, 54 of Baiting Hollow's 1969 Chevrolet Camaro