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Worthwhile Project? 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS

The Ford Mustang would get its first serious pony car competitor with the 1967 Chevy Camaro. Ford had a 1.2-million-unit head start, but the Camaro (and Firebird and Cougar) would at least put a dent in Mustang sales. This Camaro is from that first year of the long-running car which is still in production today. It’s as rusty as they come, doesn’t have the original motor and the seller makes a passing reference to it being an SS. It’s in Charlotte, North Carolina and available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $6,100, but the reserve has not.

The first generation of the Chevy Camaro would run between 1967-69 and see total production of 842,000 units. That was assisted by a longer than usual 1969 model year because there were delays in bringing the new 1970 Camaro to market. First year production would top 285,000 cars which had to please the GM powers-that-be. 160,000 of those units were the standard coupe, which we believe the seller’s car to be. If it were a Super Sport, it would be one of 34,000. But the SS would have had badging galore and a 350 V-8, not the current 307 which is also not year correct. The 307 wouldn’t be introduced until 1968 as a replacement for the 283. Thanks, Nook and Tranny!

This car at least partially looks the part. It has a 10-bolt rear end, a steel cowl induction hood, hood and trunk stripes, and Centerline aftermarket wheels. But if you did an engine swap on a 350 SS, why would you go backwards with a 307? The seller says the car runs and drives but doesn’t elaborate on how well. It also has an automatic transmission, but we can’t tell from the shifter if it’s a Powerglide or Turbo-Hydramatic.

Setting all that aside, the big issue with the car is rust. It’s everywhere you can see and probably in places that you can’t, like the trunk and undercarriage. Fenders, doors, rocker panels, quarter panels. Even by the rear window where a vinyl top looks to have once lived. They’ll all either need replacing or some serious work done to rehab. The interior is only slightly better, but the driver’s seat is a mess, the carpeting has had it, the dash pad is cracked, the horn ring is missing and someone has cut holes in the door panels for speakers.

Obviously, this has project car written all over it. And even if it were an SS, by the time you broke open the piggybank to do a cosmetic restoration, you’d still have a 307 under the hood (not picking on that engine as it was a good one, but it just doesn’t make sense in an SS). A nice 1967 Camaro can go for $20-30,000 and an SS a bit more, but it’s going to take patience and money to bring this one up to speed. Hope the reserve is not too high.

Comments

  1. Avatar doug

    That’s not even a good parts car.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Gary Davis

      This would be a tough decision, unless you want to replace 80% of the car. The seller is going to be the only one that profits the most off this. It’s guess its ok, if you’re ready to spend 30 to 50k or have a spare body, or one of the Dynacorn reproduction bodies. I would think by the time salvaging this and going through all that, it would be better to get an origional car thats done, or one thats not this far gone to start. I won’t go through that again. Been there.

      Like 1
  2. Avatar William

    I used to own like this, pretty nice car, but of course it was brand new. Wouldn’t want this.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Steve R

    The 307 isn’t a big deal, it wasn’t uncommon when these cars were at the bottom of the depreciation curve to throw on whatever running V8 was available just to get a car on the road. Finding a generic 350 core or even a running engine is neither hard nor expensive. By comparison, finding an early Camaro 12 bolt rear end is much more difficult and costly.

    That’s besides the point since the trim tag does not indicate the car left the factory as an SS.

    Steve R

    Like 6
  4. Avatar Donald T Battista

    They didn’t put Quadro get on 307’s or 4 Barrels for that matter. Could be a 327 / 275 HP

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Turbo

    Not sure what you have to work with here. First call to dynacorn to get a new body and then you could put all the ‘good’ parts from this onto your new body shell…if there are any.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Gary Davis

    This would be a tough decision, unless you want to replace 80% of the car. The seller is going to be the only one that profits the most off this. I guess its ok, if you’re ready to spend 30 to 50k or have a spare body, or one of the Dynacorn reproduction bodies. I would think by the time salvaging this and going through all that, it would be better to get an origional car thats done, or one thats not this far gone to start. I won’t go through that again. Been there.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Jay

    Classic Industries on speed dial and a large piggy bank needed

    Like 4
  8. Avatar Larry cammon

    Not a s s backup lamps were in the valance panel not beside tail lamps had stronger suspension disc brakes not a real s s .

    Like 0
    • Avatar chuck

      The tail lights are correct for a non RS car.

      Like 3
  9. Avatar Heldonss

    Not true. Back up lights in the lower panel were included with the RS option. SS was a performance package and the RS was an appearance package. You could have either or both.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar William

    I bought a new one like this, great great car.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar david R

    Uh, save up for a nice one for 20 or 30k. You’d have to be an idiot to spend 6k on this thing, work on it for a year of your life, and 40 thousand dollars later you have a car worth 25k.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar PRA4SNW

    SOLD for $8,300.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar 19sixty5 Member

    Russ, just an FYI, the cowl hood was not available until 1969.

    Like 0

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