sammyb

Yesterday morning I was reading the auto classifieds and saw an advertisement for a '68 Camaro: $3500...hmmm. Knowing that Camaros are really, really hot (and will not be affordable much longer) I called. The guy said: "It ran until two weeks ago, now it doesn't, so I'm flexible on price."

Called my friend Bret (a mechanic, current '67 Camaro and former '68 Corvette owner) and said "let's go look."

We drove out about 30min to see the car in my C5 (who says you have to drive a beater and look poor to get a good deal?) The front was up on jackstands. Lots of dings, some surface rust, a few big dents...but all there. Bret and I had seen worse asking more. We tried cranking on the engine: no spark. The owner brought a mechanically-inclined friend who had tried to tune the car two weeks ago. (It ran poorly, then he put in new plugs, wires, points, rotor, cap) then it didn't run at all.

The car is an original V8 car (but with a replacement 350.) 3spd automatic with console and clock. Still has original black houndstooth interior in decent shape (with some pulled stitches and stains on the rear seat.) Rear seat is a fairly rare fold-down option. Power steering and brakes.

No rust on floorboards or trunk!

Bret and I decided to go "halfsies" and offered well under his $3500 asking...he asked for a hundred more than we offered. Brought it home on Bret's tow-truck.

By the time we got it back, it was almost 9:15PM. It was running by 9:30 (albeit poorly.) Owner's friend had set the points too far apart!

This morning, we realized that owner's friend also only replaced 4 of 8 plugs, and did so with the wrong ones. We got 8 new plugs and I installed them. Then we both drove it.

Needs: new starter, alternator and serious oil change...Shocks are totally gone. We started pulling dents. It will need a new rear valence panel and a new windshield. But considering our sub$3K starting price...I think we'll be able to drive, enjoy and sell it in the future without losing a dime...that's the way I like to own cars!

Eddie 70

You have a good nose for the bargain it seems. Not my luck at all. Good job on the camaro. Post us a few pictures when you get a chance so we can all kick ourselves again.

pra4sun

Nice!
I like those first generation Camaros too.
It will be interesting to see what you think about the driving/handling.
A buddy of mine has a "67 convertible Camaro with 327 auto.
We've switched rides a couple of times, and it is amazing how much tighter the Vette is.

Tominator

My sister had one when I was younger, always liked them. :cheers:

Budman68

Great deal, What are you going to do with it?

Fevre

My father had a 67 (year I was born) RS vert with NO body defects or rust but was stripped down with a solid Ford 9 ich rear, seat up for drap racing but no eng or trans. He was going to fix it up while Ii was in college. Came home one weekend and it was gone. Me "Where's my car?!" Him "Sold it, didn't have time to work on it. What, you wanted it?"

:cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry

87bob

I did the same thing several years ago. I have a 67RS 2BBL Glide 106,000 A little rust but what the heck. It's all orginal and I have it safely tucked away. Like you said the value will only go up.

PatsLs1vette

good deal,i had a 69 rs/ss indy 500pacecar convertible camaro,looking for another one that i can restore again,i love old camaros.

GrandSportC3

1st Generation Camaros are some of my favorite cars!! :thumbs: :thumbs:

Schmucker

Yeah, back in the day my mom had a '67 SS. It had an ugly poop brown paint job, and was hit in the rear. Boy was that thing a pile... that'd be worth a lot now.

sammyb

First, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. I think we'll get it in good driving order and use it during the summer. Right now it needs a lot: shocks, bearings and probably brake shoes/adjustment before it can be compared to my '69 Vette. It's actually funny, I sat down and tried to think of a time I drove another Camaro, and I realized that today is the first time I've driven a Camaro. Driven just about every other car under the sun, but never a Camaro.

And yes, it's part luck, but also just having the desire and taking the time to call on ads in the newspaper for time-to-time. Again, I'm not that smart, and I'm not even that persistent! Just a few calls every few weeks, and you're bound to unearth a good deal in this economy in a matter of months.

Here are pix:

Chris O'

Oh to be able to buy a '68 Camaro over here for that money! :cry :cry :cry

pra4sun

i had a 69 rs/ss indy 500pacecar convertible camaro,

It's funny you should mention that. When I was looking for my Vette in '85, I was also looking for one of these. I found the Vette first, so I bought it. In retrospect, I'm still happy with my choice. But that would have been one hell of a Camaro, and probably worth more now than the Vette, if I cared about such things.

:chevy

Metal Wulf

Wish i could get lucky like that, all the ones i go to look at that are under 5k are full of rust!!

I'd love to pick up a 67-68 RS :yesnod:

Chevyguy

Wow, good looking car for under 3 grand! Nice find. Looking for a 67-68 myself :thumbs:

Corvette SSX

Great find. :thumbs:

sammyb

But you all have to admit...the license plate is CHEESY!!! I'm going to have to take the plates off and put them on the wall of my garage. The previous owner got the car in high school and said "I was a total geek, but when I got this car the girls were all looking at me and coming up to talk to me."

I told him that the car would have an opposite effect for me...my wife would stop talking to me! (Luckily, she realized the car was a good buy...always marry a woman who grew-up in C1, C3 and C4 Corvettes and had a Camaro in high school!)

I wish this car were a SS or RS or RS/SS...would uprate the value extensively. It's so strange how an appearance package, like RS, can raise the value 20-25%!

joeveto

That's a nice car for an excellent price. You did very well. Wow.

Enjoy!

:cheers:

LAvetteman

Once a car thief always a car thief!!!! :jester Just kidding. But seriously, you have a talent. Is that interior in really as good a shape as it looks.

74FLCONV

Best thing about old Camaro's...NO TRAILING ARMS!!!

(And you can weld the body panels...and you can strip the paint without melting the whole thing...and so on, and so on...).

D. Ocean
Miami, FLA