[Indy48]

EDIT: I knew I was right the first time… I think it's just because it's 5:00 AM here in the Pacific Time zone and I haven't slept yet. This car is a production week seven car so that means it was third week of February 2016. The 2016 convertibles came out after the coupes did. So what this is is a preproduction Camaro convertible. Sorry for the mistake.

As long as that build sheet says Merchandised Package Indy Pace Car" That's all that matters to me.

Truly… I never expected so many kind remarks. I've always enjoyed reading the forum here and seeing everyone's pictures and how happy they are with their cars it's really a pleasure for me tonight to enjoy sharing something special if it's in my garage with all of you. I must say the cars that all of you have really are beautiful. The Camaro has truly changed the rules and I don't know about any of you, but I find BMWs wanting to race me all the time not show much Mustangs or challengers… It's always BMWs. It's pretty fun to see the look on their faces when the backend hunkers down and it takes off like a jet...

[Indy48]

The Ceramic White IMO was hands down the best looking interior and I stubbornly had to have it

I had originally ordered a go mango 2016 challenger. But FCA couldn't get the car from the train car that was stuck in for 12 days before my preapproval ran out. I didn't even know that this Camaro existed. But the car that drew me to the Camaro was a hyper blue coupe with ceramic white interior. It was absolutely gorgeous. It's the only wish that I could've had on my car.

[Indy48]

Originally Posted by MiamiBlueCamaro

.

Thank you very very much! That's very kind of you.

[Indy48]

Originally Posted by LesBaer

LOL...thanks and if you're ever in my area let me know and you drive it yourself

The Ceramic White IMO was hands down the best looking interior and I stubbornly had to have it...but it's a PIA. Dye transfer is a real issue and I've been lucky enough to get it out with professional help (cost me $125, but was worth it).

Now I keep a white hand towel folded up where the back and seat bottom meet on my seat since that's where it happened to me. It was very light and came off from blue cargo shorts that had been washed a million times and from jeans. I keep a spare towel on hand to pin under the headrest when I bring it for service.

Same goes for you my friend… You're ever up in the Pacific Northwest you can drive mine too.

[MLL67RSSS]

Almost every single year the actual pace cars are not legal to drive on the streets, sometimes due to an "EX" VIN, but once they are strobe light equipped and the factory lighting altered, they're not always street legal. When moved outside of IMS they are usually trailered.
Of course they always have other street legal non-pace cars prepped as every year each of the 33 Festival Committee members are loaned one for a month or two prior to the race (the other 17 or so assigned to IMS) , so those additional 50 -100 cars were often referred to as "Festival Cars" and some years aren't even the same model as the pace car (like 2013). This year the folks at the Speedway adopted a "new policy" and starting this year they began calling these non-pace cars "Parade Cars." (Note that these car will sometimes have "Official Car" lettering on the door while the pace cars have "Official Pace Car.")

So the answer to your question is documented in your picture:
48 of 54 2016 Indy 500 PARADE Car.

BTW they are selling one of Chevrolet's two 2014 track-prepped Z-28 Pace Cars coupes at Barrett-Jackson in Vegas. (The Parade/Festivals were 2SS/RS 'verts.) Normally they make three track Pace Cars, one goes to the Speedway, and the other two go to the GM Collection. They do say it still has the pace car equipment and they usually have a "bill of sale" disclaimer if it's non-street legal status.
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Event...ARO-Z28-198996

[MLL67RSSS]

2016 was a little tough, due to the late edition of "Penn Grade" as title sponsor as well as some placement errors there were delays in getting and applying the graphics. Also after three tries they finally got those parade car license plates correct. They had to overnight ship them and they arrived the morning of the day we were setting them up for the Festival Committee members. Were putting on the plates while we were parking them out on the track.

Getting washed and ready to line up on the track.

[camarolover16]

Congratulations on your new acquisition! We have two members of the Gateway Camaro Club in St. Louis that own #8 and #46 from 2016. They are beautiful cars indeed! Enjoy!

[init4fun]

I saw one of these cars on the road on my way back from KY on Sunday. The pic is kinda blurry but I can email to someone if they would like to post it up.

Can did have Indiana plates.

[MLL67RSSS]

Originally Posted by init4fun

I saw one of these cars on the road on my way back from KY on Sunday. The pic is kinda blurry but I can email to someone if they would like to post it up.

Can did have Indiana plates.

Well we did have #45 here in Indy Sunday as it was part of the "Pilot Parade" prior to the Red Bull Air Races on Sunday. Had 14 convertible pace cars for the 14 Master Class pilots. Might have been him on his way home. The Corvette and the 2011 Camaro (#1) are the Speedways cars, they provided 5 or 6 of them, rest of us drove our cars (the 2013 Corvette was the pace car for the pace cars ).

Awesome car OP, enjoyed these cars more than the previous Camaro parade cars, a real hoot to drive!!!

[Indy48]

Thank you very very much for the wonderful pictures and stories! I really enjoyed that very much from someone that was there. It's always nice to hear from someone that was there because you learn so much more. I can tell you as an owner of one of these 54 cars, the decals are bubbling up at least they have on my car. And Chevrolet has not produced any more of them yet. (YIKES)

As for me, I have a build sheet that says from the factory this was a 2016 "pace car." that's good enough for me. But I have something much more than that…

I'm blessed to know that the car that I waited 36 years to purchase was more than most highly promoted "Pace Car's" i'm sure every owner of a 1969 pace car that knows it wasn't at Indianapolis before or during the race doesn't really care because they have a 1969 "pace car." And even though it wasn't at the track, it's still bringing huge dollars at Barrett Jackson, Mecum and others... and. I remember when I could purchase one for $1500… Those were the days!

I'm thankful... I waited 36 years for this car. I have a build sheet that says it's a 2016 "pace car," but I also have something more… in 1980, my mother who was a single mom raised my brother and I the best that she could on a single moms salary back then. In 1980, as she went to buy her first "brand-new car" which would be a 1980 Turbo Trans Am, I begged her to buy the white coat Indy pace car" that was in the showroom floor… That was one of 5700 produced. It never saw Indy, it never had went outside of the Van Nuys Factory outside of getting onto a train headed north to Oregon. But mom went with the "Atlantis Blue" metallic Turbo Trans Am instead.

But boy oh boy… Did that 16-year-old young man want that white and dark gray "Pace Car" back then.

That's where my "quest" began... as a 16 year old boy wanting a Pace Car."

Little did I know, that 36 years later God would make it just perfect. A bright blue metallic car with brilliant white dual stripes. i'm grateful to know that I have a vehicle that I know was actually THERE before the race. A vehicle that was also in the Indy 500 parade, and I know that it also went around the iconic Brickyard track as well. That is so much more than most "Pace Cars" history have... and that's good enough for me.

By the way... The date thats placed on the side of both the 2017 white 50th anniversary edition pace car as well as the identically Indy decaled vehicle I'm blessed to have share... The date of this year's race, May 29, 2016… Well, my mother passed away on May 29, 1995. For me, this car is a miracle.

Thank you again for all your pictures and stories. If you have anymore that would show the number 48 car I would sure be very grateful.

[Indy48]

Originally Posted by camarolover16

Congratulations on your new acquisition! We have two members of the Gateway Camaro Club in St. Louis that own #8 and #46 from 2016. They are beautiful cars indeed! Enjoy!

Thank you very very much! It was really funny my friend the further west I travelled, the more people would come out and take pictures. I'm pretty sure not many cars made it this far West. It was the drive of a lifetime. The only one I presently know of in the Pacific Northwest is this one .

I think for me to be able to get the car was as much a gift as being able to drive it all the way home. I've never had a car that draws this much attention. I'm not used to that… Believe it or not I drive a Prius while the Camaro stays in the garage most of the time.

That's great that you guys have two of those cars in your club. Also, I thank you for your kind words. It's really been a pleasure to be on the site. Everyone is so nice. Because of this cars rarity, I would love to have some sort of a database so people know where all of the 54 cars ended up. Here's a picture of the Monroney sticker for this car as well as the path that took me from Indiana home.

[SPARTAN sui]

Cool story! Congrats on your purchase! Cool car indeed

[Indy48]

Originally Posted by SPARTAN sui

Cool story! Congrats on your purchase! Cool car indeed

Thank you very very much my friend! I've got to tell you a little story about your cars picture. Growing up, I had a 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 magnum. I loved that car. So I added up custom ordering a go mango 2016 challenger this year on May 29. For whatever reason, FCA could not get my car off of the boxcar it was housed in for 12 days to get it to the dealership before my loan preapproval expired.

One day, while waiting at the Dodge dealership for the car to hopefully arrive, I walked across the street to the Chevrolet dealership to look at the Camaros. All of a sudden, I see this hyper blue 2SS. I fell in love at first sight with that car because of its color and how beautiful it looked. That's your car my friend! That's how I fell in love with these cars. The sales person gave us a ride in it and truly showed us how well the car drove. I knew at least in my opinion, it was superior to the Scat Pak Challenger. But I'm a man of my word and I stayed true to the deal for the car I had ordered.

Two days before my loan approval was to expire the Dodge dealership told me they couldn't guarantee my challenger could arrive in time. I knew what I wanted, it would have to be a 2016 Camaro 2SS but if I got one I wanted it to be the convertible because if my brother ever had to sit in the backseat I wanted to make sure that he had enough headroom.

This IndyCar was the first car I called on. I didn't even know that they existed. It was far outside of my price range but I was raised that you have to ask because you already have a "no" you can only gain a "yes" by asking so, I called the Indiana dealership and gave them my best price. They called me back about an hour later and said we were still $2200 apart.

So, I called on other Camaro 2SS convertibles. I really wanted the magnetic ride, The dual mode exhaust and the spectrum lighting. It looked pretty hopeless to be able to find a car configured that way. But I had a strange feeling about that car, I told my mentally disabled brother that sat next to me in that 1980 Indy turbo Trans Am in March of 80' "someday I'm gonna get one of these." After calling the Indiana dealership, I had a strange feeling that that car was supposed to be ours. I told my brother that after I got off the phone. I take. care of my brother full time.

It made no sense because the car was so highly priced. After calling dozens of dealers around the country finally at 5 PM Pacific time I called the Dodge dealership to cancel my order of the Challenger and get my deposit money back. No kidding… Within 20 minutes the Indiana dealership called me back and said they had talked to the owner who is on vacation in Florida at the time and he said he would accept my offer.

I literally cried like a baby. It was an emotional moment for me that I really can't describe to you. It was for me, the "perfect car" has the date of my mothers death on the door and strangely enough that same date was the day I ordered that Dodge Challenger.

It's nice to share the stories finally with other enthusiasts. In my life, I've been blessed to own a 1969 Z/28, 1972 Camaro, 1984 Z/28, 1985 IROC Z28 and a 1989 RS Camaro. By far, this is the nicest, most well balanced and believe it or not, fastest car I've ever owned. I think this car could have beaten my 1969 Z/28 in a quarter mile run.

Your kind words truly mean a lot and I'm very grateful for them. Thank you for taking the time to share them with me.

Larry

[freddyD]

wow! is all I can say!cool car-great pics,!Thanks for posting.