Whats up guys, I found this site recently and was hoping to get some insight from the Camaro guys. First off I am a proud owner of my fathers original owner 1970 Camaro that came with a 307 in white with black vinyl interior. The car has A/C and Turbohydramatic transmission and power sterring from the factory. This is where it ends. When I was 15 I restored her with a twist -the year was 1990 and I paointed the car with a new greenish blue that was the look of the new camaros coming out at that time,at paint time she looked pretty sweet and over the years I used her as a daily driver -I had a lot of funand memories with this car. I'm looking to fix her again and Im looking for advice and input for my future project. I dont have the 307 anymore I replaced it with some low hp 350 stock and i think the 350 had lees hp from the factory than my original 307 did -i beleive the original 307 had like 190 hp and the new 350 like 140 or something weak. anyhow moving along.
What kinda value would this car brought back to original showroom quality? I know its not a z28 rare bird . Knock off z28 and ss seem to be a dime a dozen. Any thoughts on this subject.Much appreciated. Like I said this was my fathers car so it has a lot of sentimental value. Moms wouldnt let him spend the xtra dough on the sport models back in the day or I would have been having the same dilemma except we would be talking about a vette anyhow I love my Camaro and could never part with her ever. What should I do? Give me some good ideas engine and interior and I know i want to go back to white for paint.

 

Welcome from another forum newb.
Cool that your car is one family owned,I have no idea on value,things are crazy out there right now but I'll just say a '70 is a Classic Z28/SS or not so it'll hold it's value well.
On the HP of the 307 VS 350,the #'s difference may be due to the fact that in 1972 they HP was measured at the rear wheel and before 1972 at the crank.
I would expect a 350 to make as much or more power than the 307 even if it's a mid to late '70's/'80's smog motor.
They never built a high performance 307 so they weren't a real power house.
You want to to romp with good power on the street and still be reliable have that 350 stroked to a mild built 383.

 

If it was an original Z28 or SS you might want to worry about keeping the car bone stock to preserve the value. But with a basic coupe the restored value will be pretty static. Since yours has sentimental value to you, I assume you are not building it to sell. Do what you want with it and have fun. Just build it solid and reliable so you can enjoy it when you are done. Like many cars that have been restored you may have more into it than the current value. Do not let that stop you, build it for yourself. The gratification comes when you roll it out for the first time, that makes the extra cash well worth it.

 

good advice guys -im still not sure which way i want to go. I did this once before and now im a litlle older and wiser -This project is in no rush so im going to fully research. I really just want the car to perform well - not looking to fool people and make it a z28 clone. Im not like that -It's going to be a alittle custom under the hood but look factory original. I think thats a classy way to go. I realy dont know much about making a fast engine -but i want to get my hands dirty with grease instead of making the car look good which is what i did the first time around.

 

Sounds to me like you have your ducks in a row! I like your approach to keeping a stock look to the car. I tried to do the same with mine with only minor changes to the exterior(shaved handles & flushed markers). If you are looking for good performance and drivability stroke the 350. It is an excellent engine for the Camaro platform with great low to mid torque. I think you have made a very good choice to not turn the car into a clone. There are way too many out there and it really does not mean anything to have badges on the car.