Papa John finds long-lost Z28, offers free pizza to all Chevy Camaro owners
08/25/2009, 6:18 PM
By Drew Johnson
John Schnatter, better known as the founder of Papa John’s pizza, was reunited with his beloved 1971 ½ Chevrolet Camaro Z28 on Tuesday after selling the car 26 years earlier to finance his pizza chain dream. Schnatter had been on the search for the car for the better part of the last two decades, with his hunt coming to an end earlier today in Flatwoods, Kentucky.
Schnatter began searching for his Camaro in the early 1990s, even enlisting the services of a former FBI agent. However, his efforts turned up nothing on the car, prompting the pizza mogul to launch a nationwide Papa John’s Road Trip promotion in May to crank up the search.
Schnatter went city-to-city on his nationwide road trip to find his old Chevy, offering $25,000 for any information leading to his former car. That amount was soon cranked up to $250,000, generating enough interest to finally unearth the lost Camaro.
Schnatter’s Camaro surfaced in Flatwoods, Kentucky, not far from Papa John’s headquarters in Louisville. As it turns out, the Z28 is actually a 1971 model, explaining why Schnatter’s search for the car as a 1972 model had turned up nothing.
Despite the years apart, the Camaro is actually still in good shape, although it has been modified for racing and shows. The Z28 reportedly pumps out 825 horsepower, but Jeffery Robinson – the last owner of the car – saved many of the original parts.
In celebration of the Camaro Z28 returning home, Papa John’s will offer free pizza to all Camaro owners on August 26th.
08/25, 6:22 PM
posted by:
moparsalesman1
They should combine with supercuts because most Camaro owners I see have mulletts
08/25, 6:25 PM
posted by:
JakeK66
A reason to pay $5k over sticker and go out and buy a new one!
08/25, 6:31 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
If that one worker at Papa John’s hadn’t refused my 8:52 order because they “stop taking pick-up orders at 9:00″, then I would consider picking up a pizza in honor of John finding his car. I think I’ll order from Pizza Hut this weekend, instead.
Congratulations anyway, John. I am happy for you.
08/25, 6:36 PM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
that’s pretty cool…and a lot of free pizzas!
08/25, 6:36 PM
posted by:
DenverGuy217
memo to self – test drive a Camaro on Aug 26th
this was more interesting than say Barry Manilow locating his ‘76 Mustang Ghia coupe
08/25, 6:48 PM
posted by:
leftwingagenda
i’ve got a relative with a vintage camaro, i can’t remember exactly the year, but i think its close to ‘70 or very early ’70s…something like 20k miles, garage kept, the works…he was thinking of selling it, too…i’d consider buying it, jacking the price 10k and putting it out in front of supercuts…who knows, i could make some pizza money that way maybe…
08/25, 6:48 PM
posted by:
A4
Quick everyone go get a camaro
08/25, 6:59 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
Has anybody seen the recent Papa Johns commercial? Where the owner comes up in his yellow Camaro, drops off a pizza and everyone loves it?
I was curious why the Camaro was inserted in there, I thought it was just for show. I guess not.
08/25, 7:04 PM
posted by:
NRG
Good story. Nice to see a classic muscle car on here for once.
08/25, 7:24 PM
posted by:
05Z88Path
@jayjc08: Yes, but I actually thought it was THIS car in those ads. Leading me to believe that he wasn’t reunited today but rather a few months ago when the ads were filmed.
08/25, 7:29 PM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
Lose your car, find it 26 years later in racing/show condition and putting out 825 horses? Not bad considering what could have happened if it ended up in the hands of some loser who might have wrapped it around a tree.
08/25, 8:00 PM
posted by:
CADDY-V
cool story. Glad to see he has some love for cars in him.
08/25, 9:01 PM
posted by:
TL
Ahh!!!
Hurry to the nearest Chevy dealer!! [
08/25, 9:01 PM
posted by:
KarLoveBoy88
That is a man that loves his Camaro. I know I loved eating Papa John’s pizza for a reason. My first car was a 1992 Pontiac Firebird. I love the F-body cars. They have always been my favorite cars on the road.
08/25, 10:07 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
He’s damn lucky to find it in any kind of shape. I’ve had 4 cars that I know of totaled shortly after selling them. The list still makes my cry sometimes:
1974 Plymouth Barracuda- unloaded it to pay off my Visa and years later I was restoring another ‘74 when I called my old parts guy looking for a fender. He said he’d just sold his last two which funny enough were off my old car. The car had been sideswiped running a red light and the back end was almost sheared off.
1984 Dodge 600 convertible- a guy at work bought this one and totally restored it including a color change to Torch Red. Rear ended by a semi 2 weeks out of the paint shop.
1988 Camaro 2.8- it was only a six but it was white on red and clean as a whistle. Sold it to my boss for his daughter. Took 2 weeks before it was rear ended by a Ford Econoline.
1991 5.0 ‘Stang Interceptor Coupe- sold it with just 5,000 kms to buy our first house. Got a call from the police about 2 months later asking questions about the guy who bought it. All they said was he was driving it at the time of the accident but he wasn’t the registered owner.
I mostly trade my cars in now. Sometimes it’s just easier not knowing.
08/26, 12:18 AM
posted by:
chevymanc6
This is awesome! I know where I’m driving my Camaro tomorrow.
08/26, 4:46 AM
posted by:
A4
05Z88Path: “The car will be displayed at the company headquarters in Louisville, replacing a replica Schnatter commissioned while he searched for his original car.”
08/26, 4:50 AM
posted by:
Soravia
T.T I miss my 240SX. I know how it feels to have a paticular car in the heart.
08/26, 6:33 AM
posted by:
JakeK66
You know JohnnyC, this is why I hate today’s car industry. No more does anyone have the luxury to buy automobiles like they used to for cash that are good, interesting cars. It’s all mostly parents forcing their kids to buy a Civic or Corolla now. I mean, sure there’s a sprinkling of Mustangs and Camaros and whatnot, but not nearly to the way it used to be where you’d pay cash for it. Now what are most kids today going to wind up looking for? Their pimped out ‘98 Civic Si? That’s a good car and all but hardly collector car worthy. I see a void in my future that others like my dad had to say he owned a ‘72 Mustang and a Opel GT, I can only say I financed a Protege5 and a Accord amongst other boring sounding cars.
08/26, 7:13 AM
posted by:
iluvamcars
Boy i wish i had a Camaro. I like anything that is free.
-iluvamcars
08/26, 9:08 AM
posted by:
memphis442
Note to self: Don’t buy a car from johnnycanuck. You’ll just end up getting hit by another car.
08/26, 10:15 AM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
Jake my dad had a 1970something Chevelle SS as a kid, his mom sold it when he went off to the army…
Your right about parents nowadays, true quote from a mother I know “We did the research and the Corolla was the safest most reliable car, but he wanted something sportier so we got our son the S version, it has a spoiler”.
08/26, 10:28 AM
posted by:
swamp donkey
Damn JonnyC;
Note to self don’t buy a car off you. Chances are you’ll have a nasty accident.
08/26, 3:05 PM
posted by:
SoTXFord
too bad I’m a Mustang guy… still, awesome story. That car financed his “empire”, nice he could get it back
08/26, 3:17 PM
posted by:
NRG
@Soravia. I had a 240 SX too. Red and mint. My ex got it. I loved that car.
08/26, 4:20 PM
posted by:
Mark Elias
Hey, guess what? My test car this week is the 2010 Camaro SS!
Pizza time!
08/26, 4:27 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Awesome Mark. I’ve always wanted to see pictures of a respected journalist in a wife-beater t-shirt!
08/27, 7:47 AM
posted by:
key4wheels
I love the fact that he was searching for the completely wrong model year.
I just can’t seem to locate my 1975 Datsun…oh, that’s because it was an ‘82.
…and a Buick.
08/27, 11:44 AM
posted by:
CajuRican
Great story! I love when an enthusiast is reunited with his ride! Of the 15 cars I’ve owned over the years, the only 2 I’d ever like to find again are a 1988 Mazda 323 GTX and a 1965 VW Beetle that I restored. However, I sure wouldn’t pay the kind of coin he did!
08/27, 12:44 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
You would if you were rich. Well, maybe not.
I miss my 1976 280Z, but I know where that one is. I sold it to someone who is restoring it, and he lives just up the street. It looks really good, but he’s not done with the interior yet.
08/27, 2:01 PM
posted by:
2WheeledSpeed
key4wheels, I’m not sure what Chevy did to play with that model year but sometimes year designations get tricky with certain cars (A great example being the Ford Mustang 1964 1/2, built and sold in early 1964 but classified by Ford as a 1965 model).
08/28, 12:16 AM
posted by:
AL KAHOLIC
I’m glad I have never sold my first car, a 66 Chevelle.
250K is a hefty price to pay to get your prize ride back!
Anyway the free pizza was good, I used my 72 Camaro to go get it.
Thanks Papa J