Since nobody in the F-body area seems to know/care, I'm asking here. There is a 1st gen. camaro for sale a few blocks from me. Looks like it could possibly be a really good deal if in good condition. Does anybody know of good sites for info on these? I looked at the ones that came up in google, but the ones I saw didn't really have much info on 1st gens., at least not for someone in my situation. Also, suggestions on what to look at on the car (rust areas, common trouble areas, etc.)?

 

http://www.camaros.net/

 

I have spent a lot of time in a 69 Camaro Pace car. Owned it for 14 years before I sold it for a staggering 15K. I thought I had made a killing. Now it would go for quite a bit more. The typical areas for rust are the quaters and i nthe trunk pan, floor pans pretty much anywhere. Depends on where it spent most of its life. If it was a Ca. car I doubt you will find rust from salt but maybe where water sits, leaky trunk, leaky windows and water sits on the floor pan. Take a magnet along with a thin cloth. Run the magnet along the usual rust places and see if it is filled in with bondo. Just be careful and do your homework on the car.

 

Picked up a project 68 Camaro some years ago. After the teardown, the only rust I saw was in the corners below the rear window(right side far worse than left), and in the quarter behind the rear drivers side wheel.
Rebuilt this car as an SS clone and sold it to finance my Vette.
Only car I ever made money on

 

Michael Antonik has a "White Book" for Camaros that is similar in spirit to the Corvette "Black Book". It lists options that were available for each model year, colors, prices etc. I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the market. There are a number of other books dedicated specifically to the 1st gen. If you search on Amazon or check out National Parts Depot's or Classic Camaro's books, I'm sure you'll find some of these listed.

As 682XLR8 mentioned, the rear window area was a problem area as water collected under the back light reveal molding. The lower corners often rusted through there, letting water leak into the trunk. Other rust prone areas are typical of most other cars of the era: around the rear wheel lips, fore and aft of the rear wheels, behind the front wheels. The lower part of the cowl panel would rust if leaves and other stuff clogged the fresh air vent drains. Also, the rocker panels and floor boards, and the forward, lower corners of the doors were prone.

Lots of repro pieces are available for restoration but I think the '67 lags a little behind the '68 and '69 in this area as it had many unique to the model year parts (kind of like the '68 Vette). I'm partial to the '69's (it seems to be a crowd favorite as well) but all 3 years were great. People are even restoring the hulks from the 1st gen because the finished ones are demanding so much $$.

I loved my '69 Z28 and kept it from '81 through to '98. It had been pampered through its life and still is. My good friend owns the car now (It's in good hands).

 

done several sub frame of restos on the f body, I had a 67 rs/SS just before the vette...lots of fun

you want to examine the rockers closely, they used to fill then with foam, causing them to rust, you'll want to look at the rear deck between the trunk lid and the rear window at the corner, you'll want to look close at the sub frame, the mounting holes all usually toast, but there is a repair kit you can weld in, you ll want to check inside the forward of the door, behind the fender, as well as a general look at the sheet metal all around, especially the rear taillightpanel seams.

while I personally prefer the 67, they are all generally easy to find parts for, and about 10 -30 % cheaper that the vette depending on the part in question.

beware of clone cars if you want original, lots of ss clones and rs/ ss clones, also beware of the converted racers


cheers


tim

 

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I'll be able to check it out this weekend and I'll probably have plenty of questions afterward.