\Of course, nothing is ever the first. My love of these car's began some 25 years ago, when I purchased a somewhat junky 1967 Camaro convertible for $500. Click the PIC to see and learn more about that car.
Jim's Camaro Site, The Beginning
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\Of course, nothing is ever the first. My love of these car's began some 25 years ago, when I purchased a somewhat junky 1967 Camaro convertible for $500. Click the PIC to see and learn more about that car. |
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So, it was 1999, business was good, I was turning 40, and started feeling the "itch" to get an early Camaro. The deal was, I had to unload my '98 Vette daily driver, and my old unreliable K5 Blazer, get a daily driver that the entire family would fit in, and then I could get whatever toy I wanted with what coin was left over. So, with around 10k in hand, I went shopping. After several months, I came across an internet ad for a 1968 convertible, painted the near the same color as the '67, in Princeton, IL.
| I drove out there with the family and checked it out. For a supposed "fresh restoration", it was pretty rough, but looked OK, seemed solid, and ran. The next weekend, I went out there with a buddy and fellow car guy, we checked it out pretty close, then forked over $8500 in cash, and I drove it home. As the muffler was shot and there was close to a half turn of play in the steering wheel, we took the backroads, and got home in one piece. |  |
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The story I got was that the car was purchased from another guy in Princeton, who restored and resold Camaro's and 'birds, as a basket case. The car had been blasted, 80% qtrs welded on, and painted. The guy I bought it from put it back together over a 5 year period, then decided to sell it. It was for sure blasted, to this day the trunk is full of sand. The paint wasn't that great, and had suffered some in the years it was off the road, but it was mine, and with a little work, it would be safe to drive. I started with an inventory of what needed to be fixed right now. There was a LOT of slop in the steering. The shocks were shot. The original exhaust system had been welded back on, with sheetmetal tacked over the larger holes in the muffler. Where the radio was supposed to be was just a hole. |
| The engine, a #'s matching 327-275seemed in great shape, While the Powerglide was as well, 2 automatic gears didn't do it for me. And for some reason, person unknown had attached the engine compartment with flat black spray bombs. Shortly after I bought he car, I discovered the wonderful world of reproduction parts, and I stumbled across a place called Team Camaro (http://www.camaros.net) Team Camaro is a tech forum just for first generation Camaro's, full of information, great people, and lots of fun. |  |
Background "donated" by Chris Funk