Hey everyone- cool forum....

So, I am receiving about $4,000 from financial aid, and finally can get a car- (lost my last one).

Had in mind to get a well running, reliable car, was looking at Lexus or Legend, 1991-1996. Happened to see a nice looking 1975 Camaro yesterday for sale, (got a test drive, talked to the owner. Mileage is right below 100K (HOW DO I CONFIRM MILEAGE???), V6, he just redid the interior with new leather (whole car is black and orange combo), non-power windows, slight wear and tear on interior besides nice leather. Took it on the freeway- I am not an expert, but compared to the few Camaro's of similar year that I used to ride in, it felt very solid. It felt pretty smooth. Sorry, wish I had pics....New paint looks pretty nice-well done, solid body one minor scrape, ... Said he had it at 3,500 but will take no lower than 2,900 for time reasons....Will pay for a diagnostic before I buy...
SHOULD I BUY IT? My responsible fiance actually says she feels that I should buy it, in spite of it's age....She owns a new Pontiac Vibe for long drives....

ANY RESPONSE WOULD BE WONDERFUL- ANY RANDOM INPUT- WHATEVER-

THANKS!!!!!!!!!
Jesse

 

If it runs well, V6 or nota '75 for that price that's a good solid car is a good buy I'd say. If you're willing tp buy it and take care of it properly then go for it. As for the mileage, I don't believe you could reset the odometer on those old things very easily so I doubt it would be any more than 100,000 miles. It'd make a good candidate for a erbuild if you'd like but it will probably do just fine. A V8 swap would be fun too.Go for it, those old Camaros are great, you'll fall in love with it!

 

I think 75 came with L6 not V6 and they made something like 105hp. For the car that's over 3700lbs it is just barely enough to push it. Though you will probably get better mileage than V8s.

Not trying to discourage you but I have received the same opinions when I have inquired here about L6 Camaro. Swapping to V8 is easy but it does require a lot of new parts, bigger suspension, radiator, plus some other parts. So if you are on tight budget, it may not be an option.

Other than that, I do like second generation Camaro and if the one you found is as nice as you have described, than I would go for it. It would be for looks not performance though :-)

 

If it's as nice as you describe, then yes go for it. As far as the mileage, it's actually very easy to tamper with and alter the odometer, but odds are slim that someone messed with it. And if the car rides as nicely as you say, the mileage shown is likely to be correct unless the car has been rebuilt in the past. But for an old car that rides, looks, and sounds good and solid, mileage is much less of a factor to be concerned about. And the best part is, you don't need a master's degree in computer science to work on it. If something on the car stops working, you can practically point to what's wrong with your eyes closed!

 

Bought my 74 Camaro last October, pulled and rebuilt the engine with a friend and drive it daily now. Work on it daily now too. If it's in good condition and solid it's just as reliable as a lot of newer cars. Also easier to work on than a lot of newer cars and doesn't need a lot of fancy smanchy computer crap (though you can add that stuff if you want). The only downside is that it's not fuel injected and can't use those computers to keep the fuel consumption down but again, you can add that stuff if you want.

If you found a 2nd gen in that great of condition for that price then go for it. Just have someone you know and trust as a mechanic have it checked over. It's always good to be double sure about something that might cost you a lot in the end for repairs.