What to look for in a 68 Camaro

Dan, I don't write a lot of replies on this newsgroup, but this is a topic I could go on about for hours, if not days!

I can make a few observations-- first, it seems that EVERYONE is looking for a 67-68 Camaro, and prices reflect that, especially if you are looking for one that doesn't need a lot of work. You can expect to spend at least 10K and up for a good one, I'm talking about a plain-jane base model, and it might take a long time to find one. This spring I bought a 67 RS/SS for 12K, after looking for 2 years! (I ended up reselling it, that's another story). So, in general, first generation Camaro prices are very expensive.

What should you look out for when buying one? The list is very long. The camaro was altered and hot-rodded like no other car except maybe the VW Bug, so it's really hard to find one that has not been molested in some way, or spent many, many years in storage in a barn and now needs complete restoration. There are many pitfalls, some obvious, others are not.

As far as 67 of 68, each year is awesome in its own way. My favorite is the

68 but I like things about 67s, like the fold-out wing windows. In fact, I'm looking to buy a good 68 right now, I have cash in hand and have not been able to find a good one in my area (MN/WI).

Finally, with regard to AC, I have seen Camaros with working AC, but almost always the units have been removed, you might be able to find one and get it working, but it will almost always be a big $$ investment. You can always roll down the windows and use nature's air conditioning.

I could go on, but that's a start-- I'd be happy to give my 2 cents worth on any other questions you might have. In general, I think the 67-68 are great cars to invest in, but you'd better have deep pockets if you want to do it right-- Terry M. in Wisconsin

My brother bought a 68'Camaro RS/SS convertible for $45,000(can.) .It's a beautiful car so be prepared to pay a pretty penny .There so many things to consider when buying a older camaro RS,SS,RS/SS,conv,etc..And when u got one watch it like a hawk some bitch at a football game smacked it with hand and said "Nice Car !".When we got home we noticed a chip of paint missing where she slapped it. Some people are @#@&ed.I'm guessing but I think its worth

I had a 67 RS/SS Convt 327 2bbl rochester, powerglide, am radio, manual top, deluxe interior, no ps,pb, mellow yellow black interior, with hubcabs. Discovered it had the double hump heads, which was a surprise because it didnt have a posi, or a turbohydramatic, or a 4 bbl. The 327 had the toilet paper filter, and the only belt was for the alternator. I sold it as a rust heap in 1980. The guy rebuilt it into a showcar, painted it black and added a spoiler. It looked good and was more driveable, but not original.

Before you buy a first gen, you need to become an expert on the cowl tag.

1968 was a weird model year to decode, because the trim tag didn't distinguish between RS/SS Z28..

Here is a 1st gen cowl tag decoder link, good for 67-69. (just change the

67 to 68 or 69)

here is a fun link for pictures and clubs

Not to rain on your parade but one or the other options weren't correct for your car. The SS models started at 350 ci.

...Ron

--

68' RS Camaro 88' Formula Bird

Some are wise and some are otherwise

yep it was an RS not RS/SS my bad .

What to look out for???...Rust, Rot, damage, and crappy repairs!

1.RUST/ROT: Sheetmetal can be replaced(not cheap), frames are a bitch to replace. Get under it and check those framerails, shockmounts, and subframe mounts. Floorpans rust out but are replaceable. 2.DAMAGE: Does the car look straight? Eyeball the bodylines, seams, and sheetmetal for buckling, waves, and twisting. Cars that have alot of bodywork seem to be painted light colors to hide the imperfections. Seems like all the cars full of body filler are painted yellow! ??? 3.Crappy Repairs: This is a big one, it's much easier to fix something someone else did not fix first. Ever try to strip 6 coats of paint? Or start grinding into a fender and finding 3 inches of filler, chicken wire, or newspaper? I've owned 3 68's and have seen alot of silly shit. Alot of sins hide beneath a coat of paint and they eventually come out so be careful! Bottom line is it all depends on how much work(and money) you want to put into one. Pay me now or pay me later apples here. Nice ones you can hop in and drive start around $8000 to $10000 and climb from there. For less you can get your hands dirty and build it yourself. I picked up a 68 RS(my favorite) project for $5000 that someone gave up on. I looked all over and every one I found was not for sale! Finally I put a few ads in local papers and found what I wanted. Most of the good deals are hidden so you have to be aggressive. Sometimes you want one so bad you take one you don't really want and pay too much. Don't do it!, there's alot of them out there so be patient and particular.

As far as A/C goes, a car with it may fetch more if it's all original but it does not seem to be a popular option that would inflate the price.IMHO An aftermarket installation seems like a pain in the ass!

Good Luck TIGER~

toast wrote: