I was also looking for a Camaro when I bought my Corvette. I wanted another '80-'81 Z28 like the one I had 10 years ago. when I saw the prices for decent ones were about the same as the same year Corvettes, I decided on a Corvette.

Corvettes are usually garaged most of their life, more likely to be adult owned, and seemed to be easier to find in this area rust free then a Camaro. So the choice was easy.

 

I currently own 64 72 76 79 88 (35th Anniv ) and 98 Corvettes BUT sold my 68 SS 396 Chevelle about 4 years ago mainly because some "kid" offered my insane money for the car ...

My Oldest son also owns a 68 SS396 Chevelle (still a work in progress in his garage) and my son in law owns a 68 Pontiac Lamans as well as a 71 or 2 Nova...

Muscle cars are COMPLETELY different then Corvettes no ands no iffs and no butts...
they sure do not handle like "most" Vettes do when you take them on the local back "twisties" and throw them around the curves..but they sure can push you back in the seat (and produce great music to your ears) when you put you right foot down and go straight...

One thing is that most Vettes are kept stock..most muscle cars are modified..(nothing wrong with either) and I honestly enjoy looking over muscle cars at cruise inns more then I do Corvettes...

DO NOT TAKE ME WRONG..But I am 67 been into cars all my life BUT TODAY .. I think that muscle car owners are much more likely to be car guys then Corvette owners ...they are more friendly and more interested in what is under the hood then Many (not all) Corvette owners who are just living their second childhood...

You have no idea how many times I have been told my a Chevelle/Nova/Mopar owner that I sure do not act like a Corvette guy... when I am checking out and commenting on their cars...

BUT what the heck you like... I have room for one more car in my garages and to be honest I want a 55 Chevy Bel air V8 Hardtop just like the one my wife owned when we got married bUT had to sell it ($200) because we could not keep 2 cars on the road (too expensive with the rent on our apartment being $65 a month.)
...

BTW...I really do want one BUT again my wife would Bitch if I purchased anything else...so why should I make any waves...

Bob G.
are...

 

oh yeah....55 chevy with a blown 454 would look sweet next to all of those vettes

 

When I look them up on NADA (for comparison pricing - I know NADA is BS for actual values) I show that 69 Camaro with a 350 selling at $10,500, $14,900, and $29,800. The RS sells at $32,890, $48,760, and $80,730.

The base Corvette of the same year sells (same source) for $27,300, $37,700, and $53,400. The L88 for that year sells for $188,800, $264,100, and $491,100.

You said the 69 Camaro is more valuable? There is no comparison between values. I can buy about eight 69 Camaros for the price of a 69 Corvette.

 

If you go out and buy 8 nice original 69 350 camaros, I will trade my frame-off restored 69 427/400 convertible - lets make a deal. If I had a 69 coupe with the 350/300 in driver condition, I would straight up trade it for a 69 350/300 camaro coupe in similar condition all day.

 

Just for fun let's look at the other year you mentioned - 1978.

The 1978 Camaro sells for $3,475, $5,425, and $7,300. The Z28 sells for $4,550, $7,050, and $9,600.

The 1978 Vette L48 (base) sells for $7,850, $10,800, and $18,400. The L82 sells for $8,950, $13,200, and 20,300. The L82 Pace Car sells for $14,100, $20,300, and $29,100.

Again - no comparison. I can buy several Camaros for the price of a Corvette.

 

http://collectorcarmarket.com/menus/.../69chcote.html

I'm not sure where you get your data, but it is quoted without context that can be used for a real-life comparison. Check out the above site - a #3 69 350/300 coupe is $14K and the same camaro is around $12K with the 350/300. So you are correct that the corvette is worth more but this is theoretical and I would still trade even because the 69 camaros hold value better at least in this market.

 

Those NADA values don't reflect the price of vettes in the sh*tter dude. Maybe you got me, but I would go for the Z28 in similar condition all day and pocket the savings.

 

I'm not interested in what you - or any other individual - would do. I'm more interested in the overall market. The market says the 69 Corvette is worth much more.

You can do whatever you want - but the market says if you took that trade you'd be throwing lots of money away. A better option would be to sell your Vette, buy a 69 Camaro, and pocket the difference.

We all have our own individual likes and dislikes and as individuals none of us always make what the market would consider a 'rational' decision. But the market does exist, and you could make a lot of money selling your Vette on it and buying a Camaro!

 

NADA is all retail so no - it doesn't take really bad car's into account, and it is also only considering retail pricing. Private sales are generally lower. But that's true for both the Vettes as well as the Camaros I looked at.

For comparison purposes - the Vettes are worth substantially more.

That doesn't mean the Vette is 'better' though. It just means it attracts more money on the market.

Many people think Vettes are over-priced and prefer other car's for that reason alone...

 

Just something to think about, try putting any of those cars you list, on sale at those prices, on this forum and see what sort of response you get. I can't wait to see you ask $29k for that PACE CAR on here.

 

I've said many times on this forum that NADA pricing is BS for actual pricing estimates. NADA stands for 'National Auto Dealers Association' and gives an accurate idea of what DEALERS list cars at. It's absolute BS as far as our purposes on this forum.

But if someone wants to know the relative value of two cars (how much more one is worth than the other), NADA will give you a pretty good idea.

I'm not saying you'll get almost thirty grand for a 78 L82 Pace Car. I am however saying it is worth much more than a 78 Camaro Z28.

 

How many have you driven in? I've owned a couple old camaros. They handle like, sedans.

 

For starters I can hoenstly say that I love ALL cars and have no specific loyalty strictly to Corvettes. Before purchasing my '69 coupe I was realy hoping to find a 1970 Z28 or a nice first generation big block SS but the prices for those cars were way above my budget. Even really nice 1969-70 GTO's were more than I wanted to spend.

In the long run I bought my Corvette because I wanted another collector car to replace the Camaro I had sold years ago and it was what I could afford.

I still think that the typical musclecar is valued much higher than a comparable Corvette; I don't get it but, that is what I have noticed. With the current economy I am upside down in my Corvette and would more than likely lose money if I ever sold it; I hope that one day the values come back up so I won't get clobbered if I ever do sell it.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1978-...item1c1e5ae83b

 

I think if you research the market you'll find that the 78 L82 Pace Car is worth right around three times what the 78 Camaro Z28 is worth.

 

Too bad it doesn't say what the reserve is. It'll be interesting to see what the final bid will be. It's at $26,000 already and there are still more than two days left. But with only 17 miles it's hardly representative of the market IMHO. And it is only one sale...

 

Certainly not a car that you would ever drive. So it just sits in a museum.

 

Why do you keep bring up a Cadilac?
i could care less about one, what are you talking about.

 

I've also been involved with cars all my life, not quite as long as you but close enough. I've noticed the other car guys don't seem to mix with Corvette owners. It's been a while since I've hung out with other car guys, back in the days when owned Mustangs, a few Firebirds, etc. The car guys were generally interested in what's under the hood, modifications, seeing what it will do in the 1/4 mile and so on. I recall viewing Corvettes as being a different class, too expensive, hard to work on and high insurance cost. Out of reach for the average Joe. Those who owned them were generally the more affluent guys, sometimes regarded to be snobs, may have caused some resentment. It seems many of the average car guys don't connect with Corvettes. Could be a nostalgia thing (lack of) or a feeling they don't fit in with Camaros, Mustangs, Firebirds, GTOs, and so on. Corvette owners are more likely to pick apart someone elses car for minor details. Seems to be more competition wrt whose car is more 'original', 'correct', or more valuable. The reputation of being a bit arrogant or snobs may have some basis. Part of the culture?

The muscle car community seems a bit more friendly than the Corvette crowd, more interested in what else is out there, less critical. Could be part of the reason for more interest in muscle cars over Corvettes?