Mahomet native Scott Miller now owns his dream car.
The owner of Bulldog Automotive acquired the 1969 Supersport Camaro after a trip to North Carolina with his son, Ty, in October.
“It’s been my dream car since I was 13-years old,” Miller said.
Miller had talked about restoring an old muscle car for years. When he happened upon the 1969 Camaro that had just finished a four-year restoration process, he knew that he’d found something special.
“If I had to get a project car, it would have been five or six years before it hit the ground,” Miller said. “Just being so busy here, I just don’t have the project time anymore.”
“Ty and I had looked locally,” Miller said. “We made a trip to Northern Indiana and one to Indianapolis to look at cars.”
The search through Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist led the Millers to Northern Indiana and Indianapolis empty handed.
The father-and-son duo took off for Charlotte with a cooler in the truck to take a stroll around the fuel-injected five-speed that has a 499-cubic inch strip big block (625 horsepower) and three-link rear suspension.
Miller had the car shipped back to him in Mahomet with about 500 miles on it. After adjusting a few things, including fixing the oil pan and waxing it’s bright red exterior, Miller said the vehicle is ready for the road.
“I can drive it anywhere,” he said. “I’ll get 15 to 16 miles per gallon as long as I can keep my foot out of it.”
The car of his dreams took on a new meaning when he called Thompson Racing Engines in Georgia to learn more about replacing the oil pan.
“The guy (the builder) remembered the car vividly,” Miller said. “He said he can guarantee me that everything was original because it was his dad’s car for 25 years.”
Scott hopes to build similar memories with Ty. The pre-teen enjoys spending time with his dad at Bulldog Automotive, helping where he can. But the journey to bringing home his dad’s dream car is not one either will soon forget.
