Hi Guys,

I have been looking and saving towards the purchase on a 1st gen Camaro for about 3 months now and am finally in the position to pull the trigger. I am in the Atlanta, GA area and have mainly been looking at cars posted on craigslist.

I believe I have narrowed it down to these two cars.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1949986533.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/2008731896.html

I have searched the site looking for advice on making the dicision on the purchase and was just hoping to get some input from you guys on these two cars in particular.

I am looking for a nice looking ride that has good power and is somewhat reliable. The matching numbers to me is not really important. I intend to make the car a "Sunday driver".

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as this will be my first classic car purchase.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

They both look nice, but that's in pictures. The only way to know how good they are, is by seeing and driving them. Get over and under the car and inspect everything you can see and feel for rust or repair. The one has a 454, and the other a 396. I would find out if the 396 is the original matching numbers engine, and if they both are true SS/RS models. It may not mean as much to you now, but as the cars get older and older, the genuine model, or original motor car will grow in value faster than the n.o.m. one will. You really want to look at both of them before making any kind of decision. The first one may look good and right to you, but the quality of the second one could blow the first one away (or the other way around).

 

That Camaro69 guys is like really really smart!

The 68 might take a little more leg-work to validate as a real SS/RS, but the 67 should have a 4P code and an S code in the #3 position on the firewall tag.

 

I like the first one. But like Camaro 69 said, "you need to see it in person". Piscture hide a LOT of problems.

 

Thanks for the input guys. So are these cars reflective of where the market is? If they are what they appear to be that is.

And one more question, how often should I plan on fixing mechanical stuff on this type car? If its a good car will it still be in need of work all the time?

Thanks

 

Just to prudent I think your questions fall in the "relative" category because there is not enough information. Is the 396 original, what mods have been done, when were they done, how many miles are on certain parts, are there existing issues, paint quality, body work quality, are there original parts, blah blah blah.

It looks like both cars have been extensively modified, this can be a plus or a minus depending on the buyer.

Let's say you had a Camaro now, would you build it out with mods that these cars already have? What model year do you prefer? For me, it would be a no-brainer as I am heavily biased towards 67 & 69's.

All things being even, the 67 is a better deal with the caveat that the 68 does not have the original motor. But then again, the only person that can really answer any of these questions is.......................you.

 

They both warrant taking a good look at. However, if the 67 isn't an original SS/RS car as it's being presented, then I wouldn't be paying anywhere near $28k for it.

 

Yep....I had it backwards I thought the 68 was 28K and the 67 was 21K. All things being even....the 68 is the better deal. The only things I can make out on the 68 is that the dash instruments have swapped....and unless I'm wrong is that R/S Grill Emblem along with Z28 emblem on the fender? hmmmmmmmmmm...so yeah...better check it with magnifying glass.

 

If you're going to drive it, go for the 454. A 396 might be a bit harder to get the power out of, and the wheels are wrong.

 

As far as fixing things that break. They are 42+ year old cars, and things will break. You have to ask yourself two questions.
1. Will I enjoy the car even when it breaks, or 2 have enough disposable cash to have someone else fix it right. Either way if you don't enjoy the car, even when it breaks, you probably won't keep it for long.