1990 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z – Billy Clausen

By Customs -N- Classics on September 20, 2017 • ( Leave a comment )

How often do we just live life, unaffected by the things others may be going through, or, oblivious to the struggles and tragedies happening around us everyday?

I wish every story that I wrote was a happy, no tragedy included, story, however, that would not even come close to representing truth, or the world we live in. Although, the way I write about and convey those tragedies, can create a better story and shed hope and light on an otherwise dark story. This is one of those stories. I hope that you can see hope through tragedy, as Angela has, but I would also like to share another hope with you, so check out my article called restoration.

In honor of her husband, Angela Clausen has asked that I write a story about his beloved Camaro, Sadie. I hope you enjoy and I hope it honors the man and the car!

This is directly from her words.

I have my late husband’s 1990 Chevy Camaro IROC_Z. Her name is Sadie.

Billy, my late husband, bought her in February of 2011. She was in rough shape, but he wanted her because she had yet to be modified.

A week after he bought her, we met on a dating site, of all places.

We finally met in person a few weeks later.

Sadie was his pride and joy, besides his kids, so we would always tell people that she was his wife and I was his mistress. He had a duty to her and I was his woman on the side. He had such a love for cars, which has since spread to me. I was never bothered with her being first. Even in the hard times she came before me financially. Never before our kids though!

She started as a factory 305 TPI with a 700r4. Black with silver racing stripes that didn’t match up, and a grey interior and T-Tops.

Since 1989 was the last year of licensing production for the IROC, GM used bits and pieces left over from the other IROC’s, which is the reason for the 305

As time went on she changed. Billy built her with odds and ends from “parts” cars we purchased. He kept the best for her and sold the rest.

Our adventures turned Sadie into a site to see. She now has a 350 LT1, and a t56.

She has a black and red interior. I just recently replaced the red carpet kit, the one he put in was disintegrating, it was from ’85 and when I vacuumed her after our evacuation, fibers came out.

She also has a digital dash, and Siphon suspension, she has been lowered, with after market 18″ IROC knockoffs, BMN bar for stability since she is no longer a 305, and a few other stability bars underneath.

On September 1, 2015 the unthinkable happened. We were in a head on collision.

After we had just purchased a daily driver for me that needed work (we were towing it on our car trailer), two of our kids and our dog were with us. My husband and the other driver passed away on scene. (http://fox40.com/2015/09/02/good-samaritans-help-save-two-kids-from-fiery-crash/) I was able to keep our dog from going through the windshield, and two brave men saved our kids that night. The kids only had burns from seat belts, (WEAR THEM!), I unfortunately had some worse injuries, but pulled through.

On September 9, 2015 the Butte fire went through our area. Luckily I had friends on the fire team who gave me a heads up since I wasn’t able to drive yet, I could hardly walk when we had to evacuate.

During the evacuation a car show was happening that Billy was working towards. His family evacuated myself, kids, animals and our cars ( his IROC and my 78 Firebird Esprit). His wonderful cousin cleaned Sadie the best she could in the short amount of time she had and helped get Sadie to the show. Sadie received “kids choice” and his cousin that helped us was ” Miss Muscle Car” at the show that year.

My husband had me make him a promise that if anything ever happened to him I would crush Sadie. It is the only promise I have broken.

I have been blessed to be able to continue his work with Sadie. She is at the spa as I write this. All body work and paint is being redone from the metal up. She has had a few hiccups while at the spa, but nothing that couldn’t be repaired, and nothing that would stop me from finishing Billy’s dream of Sadie, being a show car that can also take you for the ride of your life!

I have to thank a great friend of my husbands, and now mine too, for helping me maintain Sadie since my husband past. Also for always supporting my opinions and choices for Sadie that I have made since our loss.