I am in a little situation in which I have to make a decision between a 68 Camaro and a 66 Chevelle SS. I have to make the decision by tommorrow. Both of the cars need work, and at this point I assume about the same amount of work. I need some advice on which one to purchase.

The Camaro is a 68 with z28 emblems, but no proof it actually is.
The motor that comes with it is a 327, but is not original to the car, and is not currently in the car. Body seems pretty solid as far as I can tell.

Here is a pic (not a very good one)



The Chevelle is a 66 and as far as I can tell is a true SS, comes with a 396 but is not orriginal to the car. The body on this car is also pretty solid, but the trunk pan is kind of rotted as well as around the bottom of the back window. Like the Camaro the majority of the body is there.




What I need help on is deciding between the two. If it were you and the price of the cars were the same, and assuming the same amount of work for restoration, what would you choose? I know this is a camaro forum but I am looking for pros and cons for both situations.

I also posted this on chevelles.com forum and i am sure it will be interesting to hear the different opinions on the topic.
Also, any ideas as to what you think these cars would be worth as they sit?

Thanks for any advice, and this is going to be one tough decision..

Ron

 

I owned a Chevelle for 18 years, and I still have a special appreciation for all things Chevelle. A 1966 model would be a great car to fix up. The same goes for the '68 Camaro. And the fact that neither has the original motor gives you ample room to have fun with some sort of resto-mod build tailored to your tastes and budget.

With all that said, right now I would probably lean towards the Camaro, but it would be a VERY close decision. There are so many options available to you with either bodystyle, that both would make for great projects. What are you considering for a direction for either build? Are you thinking sleeper, restoration, street, race, etc...? I see tons of possibilities with either car. That might help you decide on which one to purchase.

 

well to see if that chevelle is to look at the trim tag on the firewall and on there should be a 138 code. that was for the ss. thats a tough decision both of those are my favorite chevys ever made. the chevelle looks like a better project though if it is a true ss car.

 

Both the VIN and trim tag designate this a SS i.e. the 38 code.

I still can't decide

 

My opinion would be the Camaro. Both are great cars but I am a Camaro guy all the way around! At this point if I were you I would sit back and ask myself what I want to do with the car. Show car, protouring with maybe some auto cross or just a daily driver. Both cars have plenty of aftermarket parts available and I would believe that the cost would be about the same to get them on the road. If you are wanting to restore the car to original then I would have to say go with the Chevelle as it is probably worth more if it is a true SS car. Make sure to let us know what you pick!

 

From a fun standpoint, once the cars are finished, the Chevelle with a 396 will have anedge over the Camaro. A 396 SS Chevelle will also have an edge in value, even if it's not a numbers matching engine, as long as the car is a true SS 396 car.
I don't buy most my cars from the viewpoint of what will they be worth, or is it numbers matching, so if both cars are equal condition, and equal price, I'd ask the seller if he'd toss in the 396 with the Camaro, and that's what I'd buy.
As for what they're worth, that's a tough one. Around here I don't see restoration cars for sale often, but when I do they aren't that expensive. Either of those would sell for under $5,000 around here.

 

That would not be a problem. I would have my choice of multiple engies for either car. 327, 396, 350, 350TPI, and probably a few others.

With the 66SS it would be a no brainer to take the 396, but you make a good point about the Camaro. Hell I would almost consider the 350tpi if I didn't have to deal with a computer and all the stuff that goes with it.

 

If the Camaro was really a Z/28, picking that would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing if it was, without having the original #s matching engine. You can only look at some things, and get a gut feeling at most.

 

There are more "Z28" and "RS" Camaros on the road today than Chevy built!

 

That's "inflation" for you!