One owner, low miles: Almost 30 years later, Z28 is still one sweet ride

There was just something about that 1979 Camaro Z28.

Greg Currens was 21 years old, with some money in his pocket and his eye on a candy-red sports car. He saw a coworker's Z28 and immediately knew he wanted to be behind the wheel of that machine.

"I just really liked the look of it," he said. "I liked the design, the features. It stood out as a car I would like to have, so I bypassed the Corvette and the TransAm for it."

Currens shopped around, and finally found a dealer who could get it for him. There was a six-month waiting list, but Currens finally got the call that his Z28 had come in. He gladly paid $7,800 for the car, and he was thrilled to drive away in it.

It's been about 30 years since Currens first sat in his Z28, and he's still as happy as ever to have bought that car. He's never considered selling it - although he estimates the car is now worth around $25,000 - and brings it out on only the sunniest days.

"It really is something I'm glad I kept," said Currens, a 50-year-old from Dixon. "It still has the features I really like. I've had this car from day one, and it's almost like part of the family.

"To have a car this long doesn't happen that often."

In fact, it was Currens' long-standing love affair with the car that led Musclecar Enthusiast magazine to write a story about him for its February issue. He says he was approached at a national Camaro meeting about being in the magazine, and he also expects to have his car featured in an upcoming, still-unnamed book.

"Wow, this is too good to be true," he said. "First they're taking pictures for a magazine, then they're putting it in a book."

Currens' daily driver is a Hyundai Santa Fe, which he generally relies on for long trips or bad weather days. But he did drive the Z28 to Pennsylvania last summer for a Camaro meeting - the longest trip his treasured sports car has ever taken.

"I was nervous, but I was cautious," he said. "I thought of (towing) it, but a lot of people said the fun part would be to drive it."

The Z28, one of about 1,700 Currens said is still in existence, has had some basic restoration work done to its red exterior and black interior. The car has brought home about 30 trophies from area car shows since Currens began showing it in 2000. At shows, he gets plenty of feedback from car enthusiasts who are interested to meet someone who has kept a car for about 30 years.

"A lot of people recognize it for having the original owner," he said. "Most people on the car show circuit have been second or third owners. They think it's the neatest thing that I've had the car as long as I have."