I’m sure lots of us have a childhood car that we would see around town and dreamt of owning. Well for reader Greg W, his dream car was this 1973 Camaro optioned with both the RS and Z/28 packages. He’s known about it for most of his life and was thrilled when he actually had the chance to buy it! After getting it home, he went through some of the problem areas, researched its history and made it a nice driver that he could enjoy. Well, sadly he is having to let it go to help pay for a very special gift for his step father. He has listed his dream car here on eBay in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a current bid just over $15k.
Before we go any further, if you know Greg, this car or his parents, don’t let them know about his plans to buy his step father a car for Christmas. It’s a special surprise, as his step father just went through lung cancer treatment. Greg recently found out what his father’s dream car is and so he has already found and purchased it, but needs the money from his dream car to help offset the cost. Now with that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at this Camaro!
The story goes that this car was special ordered by a Mr. MacGregor, who was quite the Camaro fanatic. Each year he would visit Waconda Motor Company in Coker City Kansas to buy a new Camaro. He was an avid autocrosser, so he optioned his cars to be parking lot ready! When it arrived to the dealer, they brought it up to Jim Conna specs with new headers, new intake, Holley Carb, B&M Shift kit, flipped over way bars and a Hone Overdrive Unit. The next year he returned it to the dealer and traded it in on a brand new car!
The next owner, Mark, bought it and drove it everyday to and from work. It went straight into the garage when he got home and he apparently documented every tune up, repair, and fill up for the next 22 years. One day though, he got a little to happy with the throttle and slide it into a stop sign pole. His insurance paid to fix it and at his insistence, a whole new quarter panel was installed. You can see where the paint doesn’t quite match up perfectly, but if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t pay it any attention. A few years later, Mark decided to buy a Citation as his daily driver and the Camaro was left in the garage.
Greg eventually was offered the chance to buy it, so he snapped it up. He quickly went through it to make sure it was safe to drive. New brakes were installed, a new radiator went in, all new interior was installed with new window felts, new tires were installed, the carb was gone through and the A/C system was checked out. Greg claims the A/C even works, but admits it needs a recharge of R12 or to be converted to R134a. Outside of the repair to the quarter panels, this Camaro is otherwise wearing original paint and it actually still looks good! To be a real show car, Greg admits it will need new paint, but personally, I’d leave it alone and just enjoy it as is!
It might have a few flaws, but this is a running and driving car that you can enjoy right now! If you’ve been looking for the perfect holiday gift for a loved one or yourself, you might want to give this Z/28 a closer look! I want to thank Greg for sharing with us and I wish him and his family the best this holiday season! So do you have a dream car that you’ve wanted since you were a kid?
First, I hope Greg succeeds and I admire what he’s doing. Secondly, I fell in love with my dream cars (there are two) when I was 14 & 15 respectively. I’ve been blessed enough to be able to purchase the first one at 23 (still have it, getting ready to restore it for the second time) and the second one at 48 (it’s next in line). I won’t tell you what they are because I’m preparing a what’s in my barn post, but you’ll see then!
I should note that I have been also blessed by having been married to two wonderful women (my first wife died way too early) who wholeheartedly embraced my love for automobiles and helped make the ownership happen in both cases!
Damn it’s dusty in this barn!
First off, can this be a 73 with those bumpers?
Secondly, and more important, a question for Jamie regarding your post above. Where/how did you find not one but TWO women who are happy for you to indulge your hobby. They are scarce from my experience. I may be looking in the wrong places. (cue country song)
I thought that too. I was under the impression that the split bumpers were 1970 only.
Looks nice otherwise.
The bumpers are legitimate. I found the wiki page.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Camaro_(second_generation)
Yes the bumpers are correct for a 1973 RS. You could get any 1970-1973 Camaro with a split bumper but only in the RS package.
I have a 72 Z28 split bumper. ..aka…RS package. Available 70 through 73
Yes, the RS appearance option was avail on all 70-73 cars
Externally they looked identical save for the 70 (note: there is NO such thing as a 70 1/2) upper balance emblem
Again, the RS appearance option was avail on all 70-73 cars, 6 cyl – big block – Z28, it made no difference, the RS option was an APPEARANCE option only
stupid autocorrect
Upper valance
not balance
@z1rider — Believe it or not, I’ve married my best friend…twice. The first one lasted for 24 years together and was cut off way too short. Figured I was done, and certainly wasn’t looking!
Who’d have guessed I’d find another wonderful lady, very different from my first wife but very special in her own way. I guess I’m diverging from the topic of Barn Finds, but I have no complaints sharing my collection (she currently refers to three of them as “hers” and is fighting me over a fourth one).
As a side note, both have served as officers in our local Triumph club (Triumph Club of the Carolinas), and there are a lot of special people in that club that have gone the extra mile to make both of them feel welcome. I think the whole club experience, especially when “family” events are planned, enhances the love for the hobby for the whole clan. :-) Thanks for asking!
I guess I’m one of those rare ‘barnfind’ women too! If my ‘he’ came across a 73 split bumper and didn’t buy it, I believe that’s grounds for an immediate divorce.
Love the Camaro as a driver and I respect this man for his love of his stepfather as most kids dislike stepparents and I wish him luck in selling it. z1rider I was very lucky 37 years ago to meet my second wife who loves cars not like my first wife and she lived right next door to me and worked where I did at the time. We have owned 4 Mustangs / 4 GTOs / 73 Bronco and a 68 Chevy K10 4×4. If I buy another it will be a late 50’s Ford Panel Truck for a special project for my family.
The bumpers are correct for 70-73 RS Camaros. Nice car but I couldn’t live with those gold stripes, those are NOT original.
I like the gold stripes, who cares if they are original. How many people bought these cars in the 70s and 80s and kept them stock? While I like to see some restored to 100% original it is boring seeing a bunch of stock cars,
I have a 1973 Z/28 with the RS package that is painted silver with orange stripes. Far from original but I like it and that is all that matters.
Ditto !!!
No autocrosser would have purpose ordered ac and an automatic to have the “best” autox car possible
I call bs on that
Stripes were optional in 73 from the factory and gold was not an avail stripe color
The dealer may have added the stripes in gold, but they didn’t come on the car from the assembly line
He states in his ad that the dealer added the gold stripes.
Does it really matter about the stripes, gold on black always looks good.
one sharp Camaro, I have seen the car around town here, and it flat out scoots! Greg, good luck on getting all you can for a worthy venture, and I just might run you out on Memorial some Friday night.
Asking price is too high. Close look at the paint shows spider webbing with orange peel is evident..
It’s worth the asking price with a new two stage paint job..
IMHO
64bonneville, flag me down next time you see me driving the 55 very or a gray GTS Viper. Always love to put a face w a screen name.
Piper, it’s original paint except for the left rear quarter. I’m not sure what it will bring but based off the interest I assume it will go past the reserve. The paint is not perfect but in my opinion, that’s the beauty of the car. Auction is updated w several questions that have been asked.
Thanks guys!
This has always been my favorite Camaro body style, by far the best looking in my opinion. The gold stripes were an available option…as far as the automatic, some guys just dont like to shift. The price is fair, it will sell for the ask or close to it. worth every penny even though it isnt 100% perfect …somebody will get a great looking and fun car
By “Jim Conna”, do you mean gymkhana?
Yeah I was wondering what who that was TOO LOL! I never would have made that connection.
Jim Conna, very funny! Maybe he was a mini bike racer….I think this was a good buy IMHO.