Hi All,

First time post here on the forum. I will caveat up front that my knowledge is limited and I am hoping the experts here can offer some good input. I have an uncle that recently passed away who was a Camaro lover. For years he had a 1967 Camaro RS/SS in his garage that he prized and eventually wanted restore. While I know this is a special car, I am hoping that some individuals on here can provide some input on it. I have attached some pics including the VIN. Any ideas on the rarity of this car or what it may be worth? I am debating if it is worth keeping and eventually restoring or if there are enthusiasts that would love to own this car.

 

Bought a plain Jane 68 3 years ago for 21k
Not half the car yours is but in twice the shape
Yours is currently worth 60k as it sits IMO
Good job uncle!
DO get your hands on the car
I fix them all the time for estates. Youd be surprised how many siblings DO NOT want their dads or grandpas' old cars
You may never get the headlamp doors working correctly with factory parts, but that car is sure special enough to keep and spend a fortune on restoring

 

Yes and yes.

 

Thanks gentlemen! I had no idea that the car would be worth that much. Certainly worth keeping and restoring!

 

OP

I suspect in the real world, you will not get the value suggested, but given cost to you is $0, the $ invested to restore would be less than the restored sell value and if you keep it after restoring it, value will continue to increase, and the heritage factor is worth a lot to you

You can decode the cowl tag here

Camaro Research Group

 

Glad SoCal67 gave you that website link! You should spend a lot of time there as that site (Camaro Research Group) is an amazing collection of FACTS about our 1st-gen Camaros.

If you decide to keep it, the first decision you will need to make is whether to keep it original (I call it “rude and crude”) or turn it into a ‘modern’ car, with modern drive train, modern suspension, modern engine, all ‘disguised’ under an old car skin. Neither choice is wrong; it’s more a question of personal philosophy. In my case, I chose ‘original’. First off, I’m probably from your Uncle’s generation (I’m 75) and secondly, I bought Ricky Camaro around 1981 or so, and drove him every day for about 7 years, as ‘just my car’. I grew to love that rude, crude feeling of a car from Detroit’s 1960’s. Plus, I already own a modern car, and there are a near-infinite number of modern cars available, but VERY FEW 1st-gen Camaros! Concerning value of the car, you will probably want to find all the various identifying numbers (VIN, Engine codes, tranny codes, rear end codes, etc) to figure out if it’s truly an original Camaro without any major part replacement. If so, its resale value as a “numbers-matching” 1st gen is substantially greater, and that might impact how you choose to restore, and whether to sell it for ‘big bucks’.

Personally, while I chose to stay ‘original’, I wasn’t a fanatic about it. For instance, I replaced the original differential, Eaton’s ‘clutch and special oil’ unit of Positraction, with their current and (to listen to them) substantially improved modern equivalent, termed a “Detroit Truetrac” differential). And while I kept my 396 big block true dimensionally, I did improve its cam, had it internally balanced and blue-printed, lots of heads-work, and went to an HEI distributor for better spark. But I did not go for huge horsepower, or better front suspension, etc. Design-wise, it is still the original 12-bolt rear end and leaf springs, original Muncy M-20 tranny, original front sub-frame and suspension, original rear suspension, etc. The interior looks original, the paint color is true, etc. So, it is still a truly 1st generation Camaro, in my opinion. Of course, by now in life you should have learned about opinions, and how they resemble human anatomy, in some respects. Keep that in mind while you participate in this forum, but know that almost everyone here is experienced, helpful, and has substantial knowledge of this subject. So, my personal recommendation is to keep it, restore it to the extent you can afford, and then GO DRIVE IT! These cars are NOT race cars, but they are a joy to take out on the back roads… Plus, unlike a modern car, they are worth more money with each passing day. Something of an investment that also brings a smile as you drive. Just repeat after me: “No Hanger Queens in this man’s fleet”.

 

Where's the "like" button for 1st Gen's post?
I second that
They are worth a bunch more unmolested
I have a friend with a 68 ss 350
Was a nice car worth 50 or 60k
He spent 80k for a LS engine and a new frame (complete frame)
It's bad **** no doubt but he took 30k off the value IMO
And he's still looking for another "tuner" after the other tuner
My 68 with a 427 I built from scratch is about to smoke him IMO