67 Camaro SS Project Car

Finding a good first gen RS/SS big block 4 speed with numbers matching is like finding a virgin hooker-- extremely improbable. I study Camaro prices obsessively, and I can tell you that a numbers matching Camaro RS/SS 396 in ANY condition will cost you a premium price. You can pay over $25K for one that needs complete restoration if it is all numbers matching. So, it depends on how deep your pockets are, and how long your intend to keep the car. Another factor is what you plan to do with it-- it can be almost too risky to use a highly optioned car for a daily driver, kind of takes the fun out of cruising if you are always worried about someone scratching your car at the supermarket. I owned a '67 Camaro RS/SS a few years back but sold it and purchased a '68 Camaro sport coupe to restore, and it was a good move. I didn't want to modify anything because it might hurt the value of the car. This '68 is almost completely restored, I've had a hell of a lot of fun with it during the past couple years, now I'm thinking about selling it and doing another Camaro restoration.

The stakes are so high nowadays with the RS SS or Z/28 Camaros that you really have to stick to stock and/or original parts. But with a 'plain jane' Camaro you can build it to your ideal vision of a Camaro. Originality is a plus, but your car won't go down in value if you decide to go with a custom paint job, or mag wheels, or a high-performance engine, or a 5 or 6 speed transmission, etc. There are still some sport coupes around in relatively good shape for under 10K...

BTW I once owned a '64 Mercury Comet convertible, sure wish I had kept it and restored it!

Terry M.

Terry,

Thanks for the info. I kinda figured finding a 67 SS might be hard to do. I guess if I have to I could pickup a 67 SS350. I would rather a

396 but I guess whatever will work. Or, I might just do as you suggested, pickup a sport coupe and build a 454 for it with a 6spd tranny and make it how I want it and badge it as an SS just for looks.

I plan on driving mine quite a bit during the summer months so a matching numbers restore may not be for me. But, the thought of doing it sounds like fun!

Hmmm, back to the think tank!

Curtis

If you plan on your car being a daily driver, going with a sport coupe really sounds like the best way to go...There are a few RS/SS/Z/28's around my town, but you never see them on the street, except maybe for a car show, I know the owners and they say they are just too afraid of taking the chance of ruining their investment.

I drive my '68 nearly every day spring, summer, and fall (when it's running, lol!) Even a trip to the grocery store can be an adventure with all the attention these cars get. Recently I was getting gas, a woman got out of her car with a baby in her arm, started running toward me yelling into a cell phone something about seeing a Camaro...she forgot about her kid and almost dropped him!

Another thing, if you were to restore a 396SS, you'd always be thinking about putting in a larger, high performance engine if you have the 'need for speed.' Might as well build the car you want and spend some good years driving it instead of just storing it in the garage. Just my 2cents.

Terry M.

Badging a car a SS when it's not is stupid. Just like putting Z/28 badges on cars they don't belong on. So called "Clone" cars are nothing more then a Joke to real car people. Charles

And yet they are getting stupid money for them at auctions and in car trader magazines. I don't understand it myself, it must be something in the water.

...Ron

--

68' Camaro RS 88' Firebird Formula 00' Mustang GT Vert

"BADGES? We don't need no stinkin' badges" Sorry guys, just couldn't resist. My '88 GTA:

It's Easy to understand. 70% of the auction going public does not understand the differances. Nor do they know how to verify. To them if it has a Z/28 badge or a SS badge that's what it is.

Yet you take something really rough like my 68 Elky SS. It's the Real Deal, 396, was a 3 speed manuial converted to a automatic (TH400), it even has a 12 bolt rear end. Im asking $1,500 because it's rough & the engine needs to be rebuilt. Most people think it's worth $500!

Just think what it woudl be worth if I had the funds & the time to restore it and find a date correct 3 speed?

Charles

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 06:33:55 GMT, Charles Bendig puked:

Barrett/Jackson is auctioning these cars clearly denoted as clones and people are still throwing crazy money at them. One of the magazines had a section on clones and went into what makes a quality clone.

They were featuring a GT 350 and showed the effort the guy took to make the car as authentic as possible in every detail, and it was an impressive car.

Any pics? I'm not really in the market, I just like Elkys...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Too bad, I just happen to be in the market for another 68' car. I was trying to buy my managers 68'SS 350 ChevelleCamino that he's had since new but he doesn't seem to want to sell. I even have a big block core just itchin'-- that's just itchin' to be rebuilt and dropped in. I also wish I had the extra funds to buy yours but most of my play money seems to be dissapearing into my 68' RS. It's like a vacuum.

It seems that I'm spending alot of money on my Mustang as well, replacing the axles this weekend. I bent one when I wiped out taking a right turn with the factory Good Year Z rated junk that it came with. I put Fuzion ZRI tires on and that stopped most sliding, and the tires don't break free hardly at all now.

...Ron

--

68' Camaro RS 88' Firebird Formula 00' Mustang GT Vert

lab~rat wrote: > Any pics? I'm not really in the market, I just like Elkys...

Not at current. There will be when It gets it's turn on Ebay. Charles

Ill take payments. I just keep the Elky till it's paid for, plus a small payment fee.

This puppy is rough as they get. Some Inbred put quarters on over the old ones. Cancer thru out the body. Currently has a 69 307 dog house on it. I am trading the 69 front bumper and brackets for a correct 68 bumper. I do have a pair of repairible 68 fenders and a correct 68-69 style SS hood that go with it.

The 396 has sat with out one valve cover & minus the intake for probably 6 years. So it would need to see a compitent rebuilder (your not going to toss out a savible 396 these days).

The interior needs to predy much be replaced. You could save the SS wood rim steering wheel.

To the right person the thing is worth saving. If I was rich, it would be me. Since Im poor, it will be someone else. Charles

Ron are you looking for a project car or restored car? I have a '68 Camaro

383 that is almsot completely restored, I might be interested in trading for another first gen Camaro--

Terry

Thanks for the offer Terry, but my car is like hens teeth or it is to me anyway. It's just an RS but came with Deluxe Houndstooth, A/C, power windows, speed warning, California emmisions, etc. I'd never find another or be able to pay for it if I let it go. When I'm done I'll be wanting another project to keep me busy. I really want a 68' Bird but I won't be surprised with myself if I don't actively seek either a Elky or an AMX.

...Ron

--

68' Camaro RS 88' Firebird Formula 00' Mustang GT Vert

Ron, any of those would be good projects...I just went with my son to the Car Craft Nationals this weekend, really got me thinking about trying an offbeat project, for me it's been mostly camaros for 25 years. I've always wanted to make a v-8 Vega, I saw a few of those too this weekend-- Terry

Years ago a buddy had a Vega wagon. He did the V8 drop in but that wasn't good enough. He then cut down the back and made it into a little pickup. Turned out pretty nice. In hot weather he pulled the door pins, removed the doors and got some air into the dang thing. I do remember it got hotter than the hinges of Hades in that thing during the summer.

I had a 76' wagon when I was a teenager. Teal blue with a tan naugahide interior and auto. I never got around to stuffing a V8 into it but I did rebuild the steel sleeved, aluminum blocked, iron headed

4 cylinder engine. I had absolutely no power but did look pretty good IMO (for what it was). The site below has a pic of what it looked like except for the color. I always liked the vents in the rear and the tilt foward hood.

...Ron

--

68' Camaro RS 88' Firebird Formula 00' Mustang GT Vert

Yeah I also liked both the hatchback look and the wagon (Kamback?) I never owned a Vega, but back in the '70s when I was a teenager I lived in Phoenix, the street scene back then was incredible, a lot of people in Southern California were offering v-8 conversion kits. I really wanted to buy one, but then I decided to go the camaro route for the next 30 years. I'd really like to do a conversion now that I know so much more about cars (although apparently not enough to stop me from stuffing a v8 in an economy car...) Even a stock

350 would be a great power to weight ratio in a vega, and you don't have to worry about hacking up a classic car to do it--

There have been a couple v8 vegas on Ebay lately, I inquired about this one (Ebay #4558600101), what do you guys think about this car? Any red flags? This car is located in my state.

Terry M.

It looks good to me, the price looks sound also if the owner isn't pulling anyones leg about the condition of the car.

...Ron

--

68' Camaro RS 88' Firebird Formula 00' Mustang GT Vert

I thought that vega looked like a sound car too, but with a Vega I'd definitely want to see and drive before buying--

T.