North Texas Camaro Club featured in the May 2006 issue of Camaro Performers
One of the Southwest’s most active Camaro enthusiast clubs is the North Texas Camaro Club, (NTCC) which call the Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area home. The NTCC openly welcomes all interested parties owning ’67-’69 First-Generation Camaros to join up, and the club is based on fellowship, working on, and enjoying their cars. Invariably, we always seem to run across an NTCC member or tow throughout our Southwestern travels while photographing cars for Super Chevy magazine and Camaro Performers. NTCC member cars are always first rate, and a number of them have been featured in both magazines.  According to charter member Bill Roy, “The NTCC was founded in 1991 by myself and charter members Bob Senich, Rick Kidder, and John Gruendl. We had been meeting at Fender’s Drive In located off Northwest Highway in Dallas for quite some time, and decided that perhaps it might be a good idea to start an enthusiast club catering to First-Generation Camaros.”  According to Roy, from the outset, the NTCC’s philosophy has always been to have a low-stress organization with no elected officers, and no mandatory monthly meetings. “We hold and annual planning meeting in early March each year, and use volunteers to coordinate our events which include driving our Camaros to cruises, car shows, and to open track days. Furthermore, a portion of our dues are annually donated to the USMC-sponsored Toys for Tots program in conjunction with Arlington, Texas’, Christian Classic Cruisers each Christmas”.  Bill Roy continued “We welcome and, and all Camaros manufactured from the years 1967 to 1969, Z/28s, RS-Z/28s, SSs, SS/RS models, Z10, Z11, COPO, Yenko, Pro Street, Pro Touring. We even have a few blown street racers in the club!”  While member cars range from rollers to factory original to full-on restorations, about 25 percent of the club’s roster cars are “work-in-progress” These cars are updated in the winter and enjoyed in the summer.  Roy also cited that the fact that while the common denominator may be 1967-1969 GM sheetmetal on the outside; many of the power trains in member cars have been technologically upgraded to keep up with current trends.  “Quite a few of our member cars use any number of crate engine combinations available for power. That also includes First-Generation cars equipped with new age Electronic Fuel Injection technology, and electronic overdrive transmissions.”  Last March, on the eve of the Fort Worth Rod & Custom Car Show, held at Fort Worth’s Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall located on the Will Roger’s Fairgrounds, Camaro Performers magazine attended the NTCC’s yearly planning meeting held nearby at the Railhead Barbecue Restaurant. After washing down some of the best barbecue in town with a couple of tall ones, we had a chance to speak with a cross section of the NTCC’s 100-plus members, and discovered that professions ranged from housewife’s to mechanics to paint and body men to teachers to aeronautics engineers to doctors and lawyers to plumbers. Furthermore, there is no average age group. NTCC members run from 21 to the late 1960s. However, they all share a common bond, namely, and intense love for the First-Generation Camaros.   Contact the NTCC by logging on to the club’s Web Site, www.northtxcamaros.com. Once there, you will discover features member cars, an event list, photos taken from past events, a buy and sell section, and a monthly newsletter. The club also uses a Yahoo group email service to discuss Camaro topics, and keep NTCC members up to date on upcoming events.   Page 2 captions: This Hugger Orange ’69 has twice been on the Power Tour. It’s owned by member Keith Dorsa.  Camaros are a family thing. Darlene Hooks has owned her ’69 SS 350 convertible ever since it was brand-new. Her father gave the car to her as a graduation present. She and husband Bill also used the Camaro on their honeymoon and, after a full restoration, the Hooks’ daughter also used the ’69 in her wedding  A well-attended club favorite is track day at nearby Texas Motor Speedway. Do these folks look happy or what?  Shown here is David Caver’s marina blue, ’69 Camaro SS. Caver has owned his ’69 since his school days, and recently restored the car with help from his father Don, who is also an NTCC member    Page 3 captions: This is Tom Pott’s awesome ’69 Pro Touring Z/28 – totally awesome!  And speaking of Don Caver, this is Don’s ’67 Pro Street Camaro at last year’s Ft. Worth Rod & Custom Car Show. Formerly a race car, and campaigned by the entire Caver clan, the Camaro was converted to Pro Street status a few years back. Another regular at the Fort Worth, Rod & Custom Car Show is Fern Duron’s ’69 Z-11 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car. Fern always puts on a really nice display  Fred and Christie McKinley’s two-tone blue, ’69 Z/28 is a prime example of a mildly modified First-Generation member car. Power comes in the form of a warmed-over 350/350.  This is Brad Howell’s Grand Prairie, Texas-based ’68 Camaro SS. This car has won a ton of awards, and is one of the nicest restorations in the club.    Page 4 captions: The most important part of “Camaro Fellowship” is the joy of driving your classic, no matter where that may be.  Although the club specializes in First-Generation Camaros, all years, and models (unofficially) welcome on club runs, just as long as the name “Chevrolet” is somewhere on the fender.  Here’s a shot of a typical NTCC weekend gathering at a nearby park. The club has been known to participate in the Hot Rod Power Tour, the Waco Mini-Nats, the Dallas Auto-Rama, the Muscle Car Challenge, and other well-known events.  A Classic Camaro street machine is a beautiful thing.