By 1980 the automotive landscape had changed markedly, and the muscular little pony cars that had been the staple of the late 1960s and early 1970s had all transformed into very different beasts. There were a number of reasons that this had occurred, from the imposition of new safety and emission requirements, through to a change in tastes for the people who were in a financial position to outlay their money on a new car. This 1980 Camaro Z28 is a perfect example of these changes, but this is a solid car that would make a rewarding restoration project. With a BIN price of $9,000 or the option to make an offer, there is certainly potential there. You will find the Camaro located in Indian Trail, North Carolina, and listed for sale here on eBay.

The Camaro underwent a repaint in 1994, but after 25-years, it is starting to look tired. There’s actually not a lot of bad news here though. The two of spots of rust that are visible below the rear window are said to be the only ones in the car, with the owner saying that the car is as clean as a whistle underneath. The T-Top also looks like it is in good condition, while all of the exterior trim and spoilers also look quite good.

Apart from what is going on under the hood, it is the interior of the pony cars from this era that best demonstrate how thing changed dramatically over the preceding 10-years. Pony cars had been all about extracting maximum performance from a given package, whereas, by 1980, they had all morphed into what would be better described as grand tourers. This Z28 is no exception, with it coming equipped with air conditioning, a tilt wheel, an AM/FM 8-track player, power windows, and cruise control. It is a bit hard to tell from the supplied photos, but while the dash pad has obvious cracking, the rest of the interior trim looks like it might be in quite reasonable condition. Once again, it might just be a case of rolling up the sleeves and taking to it with some good quality cleaning products to find out what lies beneath.

It wasn’t just inside the car that things changed markedly for the Z28. Huge horsepower was no longer a priority, as it became increasingly difficult for manufacturers to meet tighter emission regulations. As a result, this Z28 is fitted with a 305ci V8, which is hooked to a 3-speed automatic transmission. Also featured are power steering and power brakes. While horsepower may not have been in the same league as they were in days of old, performance for the Z28 in this guise was still okay, but not startling. This Z28 runs and drives well, with no leaks, smoke, or unwanted noises. You have to wonder whether things are necessarily stock in there because the owner says that the car does go pretty hard for a car that is supposed to be standard. Maybe someone has given it a bit of a tickle at some point. The owner also says that the car is nice and tight to drive. He also does say that the car has only covered 66,500 miles, but doesn’t mention whether he has any way of verifying this claim.

This Camaro Z28 is an interesting proposition because at first glance the price might seem to be a bit higher than you might expect. However, if you look below the surface and consider how original and solid the car is, it starts to look more attractive. This isn’t a car that is designed for someone who is seeking outright performance, but is a car that can eat up the miles fairly easily while providing the occupants with a good level of comfort. That makes it a grand tourer. With nice examples fetching up around the $25,000 mark, as a project car at the asking price, it just might be a pretty decent buy.