I’d like some advice from the Camaro folks out there…I have a 68 Camaro that I’m restoring. It’s a matching number car with a 327, powerglide, and a rust free body. The car originally was blue with a blue interior.

I’ve toyed around with the paint and interior colors. I’ve considered hugger orange with white rally strips, or black with white rally strips. But some folks have told me I’m crazy for not putting the car back with the original colors.

So what does the Camaro knowledgeable crowd say? Stay with the numbers or go with the new color?

 

Everybody has their own opinion about that, keep it all original, modify it, etc.
You have to ask yourself, who are you restoring the car for, you or someone else? So what, maybe blue isn't your color. If it was an ultra-rare model, I might have second thoughts about wanting to keep it completely original.
I'm sure some here may tell you that you would be hurting the value of the car by not painting it the original color. That's just not so, and I've had the experience to support that. A number of years ago, I restored a '69 Vette convertible. The original color was green...yuk, so I painted it red instead. When I was done, it was a perfect, beautiful car, just not the original paint color. Shortly after, I put it out in front for sale (I have a business on a major highway). The car was sold that same day, and I got top-dollar for it.
My point is that if you have a great car, there will be a buyer for it even if it isn't accurate down to the number, and it won't be at a loss either. And besides, paint is only paint! It's not like you want to do like some other nuts who modify their car beyond all recognition. Uhhhh....never mind!
So, I would do it how you want and enjoy it.

 

I say built it how you want like camaro 69 said its for you not some one else.

 

IF...you plan to keep it, make it the way you want it and enjoy it. But, if you plan to sell it when you are finished, I WOULD KEEP IT ALL ORIGINAL. [since numbers matching original cars are getting more scarce all the time]. Personally, I don't much care for blue cars, but there are a ton of people that do.

 

I agree with the others. It really does all depend on what you plan on doing with the car. My orig color is yellow and I hate it. I am going with a color that I love. No mine is not going to be a numbers matching car but the quality of work that is going into it is top notch and that alone is giving it alot of value.

 

Thanks for the advice.

Also, does anyone out there have the same drive train? I’m trying to get some feel of the performance for this car…327 (4 barrel), powerglide, and 2.73 rear gear? My wife has a 2008 Mustang GT, and I have to make sure she sees lots of the Camaro’s tail lights. So before this car hits the road, I want to make sure that it’s quicker than her car...even if I have to make some 'improvements'!

 

Without major mods: engine, tranny and rear end your going to see Mustang tail lights all day long. Maybe if you have a real 68 Z28 you would have a chance.

I didn’t take the time to look anything up but I think the 08 GT is pushing 300-310 RWHP. You 327 is 275 at the fly wheel which means about 220-230 RWHP. Add in the fact that if you had the same HP you would still lose due over all car designand the smoother torque curve fuel injection gives you are going to lose bad. I would put a 4 gen LS1 Camaro up against the 08 GT any day.

I read in Hot rod a guy who owed a 69 and 98 Camaro’s. Both where 12 second cars. The 69 felt out of control, a real wild ride, in the 98 he can put down the window hang an arm out and crank some tunes while doing 12 seconds.

 

Not quite. A stock GT puts 275-280 to the rear wheels. With a CAI and a tune, they are pushing 300-305. They also have the "drive by wire" acceleration which results in a tiny bit of lag time. If they have forgotten to turn off their traction control, then that's sort of embarassing for them...bog...bog...bog.