For the enthusiast on the hunt for a classic car ready to be driven and enjoyed, vehicles like this 1980 Camaro Berlinetta have to be worth serious consideration. This car has no pressing needs, and it has a genuine 33,000 miles showing on its odometer. The buyer could slip behind the wheel of this beauty and make the open road their own. The Camaro is located in Carver, Massachusetts, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $11,900 off the back of some fairly strong interest. However, the reserve hasn’t been met.
For the 1980 model year, Chevrolet had some great colors on its palette for the Camaro. One of the most striking of these was Bright Blue Metallic, which graces this car’s panels. It is hard to find much to be critical of when it comes to the state of the paint. There are no apparent scrapes or scratches, while the shine is bright and consistent across the whole car. It isn’t clear whether the Camaro has been the subject of any repainting work, but if it is all original, then its condition is remarkable. The panels are straight, and the gaps are uniform. There are no signs of any rust problems, and the owner doesn’t mention any in his listing. The genuine Berlinetta wheel covers are something that will often disappear from these vehicles. Sometimes this is due to damage, while at other times, it is because an owner wants to swap over to something with a more aggressive appearance. That hasn’t been the case here, with the original covers present and in good condition. The original owner also chose to equip the Camaro with tinted glass, which appears to be free from defects.
It has taken some work to find anything much to be negative about with the Camaro, but the cover on the driver’s seat is one of the few things that I can find. This is wrinkled on the outer edge, and the foam beneath looks like it has started to collapse. However, I think that some new foam would address the worst of this problem, and I don’t believe that a new cover would be necessary. The rest of the trim and plastic looks flawless, and there are no significant issues with the carpet. The dash and pad are in good order, as is the console. There have been no aftermarket additions here, with the original AM/FM radio with rear speakers still intact. In addition to the radio, the interior is equipped with air conditioning, a tilt wheel, and a rear defogger.
I will admit that by 1980, the 2nd Generation Camaro was a shadow of its former self when it came to the question of engine performance. This was the height of the Malaise Era, which meant that low emissions trumped high horsepower every time. In this case, the numbers-matching 305ci V8 that we find under this Camaro’s hood produces 155hp. With the 3-speed automatic transmission bolted to the back, the result was a ¼ mile ET of 18.4 seconds. The performance figures from a decade earlier must have seemed like a distant memory to buyers in 1980. This is a car that is more about comfortable cruising than outright performance, and the inclusion of power steering and power brakes further reinforces this impression. On a positive note, the Camaro is in sound mechanical health, and it is ready to be driven and enjoyed. The owner claims that the 33,000 miles that show on the odometer are genuine, but he doesn’t indicate whether he holds verifying evidence. It is possible to wring a bit of additional performance out of these V8s without compromising originality or reliability, so that might be something that a potential buyer should keep in mind if the current figures are a bit on the asthmatic side.
This 1980 Camaro Berlinetta is not a car that is likely to leave a pair of long licorice-strips on the road if you bury your right foot. That doesn’t mean that it is a bad car. The opposite is true because its condition is above average for an example of this age. Before we decry its lack of straight-line performance, we need to reflect upon the early era of the pony car. The volume-selling examples were not the hairy-chested beasts with more muscle than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The majority of sales fell to entry-level vehicles. These were the cars that offered buyers a ticket to the lifestyle, but with the compromise of lower cost and performance levels. That is what this Camaro is. It is a ticket to that lifestyle in a package that could be lived with as a daily driver. That will always appeal to some people, and it helps to explain why the bidding has been spirited up to this point. It is also why I think that there might be plenty more bidding before this auction ends.
Even though the Berlinetta was the “upscale” model, this beauty looks naked (IMO) without the rear spoiler. Perhaps it’s due to the fact it was such a common accessory that we’ve grown to expect it every Camaro. At any rate, this is a very nice specimen and the new owner should be very happy! GLWTA!! :-)
I don’t recall seeing too many of the Berlinetta model with the rear spoiler. The Sport Coupe, yes, I made sure to order one on my ’81.
This is a car with all the excitement of a Chevette, though honestly the Chevette would be more fun to throw around. This car defines the word boring.
It is fine. Like unflavored oatmeal. Edible, just not enjoyable.
Sorry, Veg, I completely disagree. This is no Chevette. And its only as boring as you choose to make it. It can’t be too terribly difficult to add some horsepower here with many possible options.
Add some suspension upgrades while you are at it and you have yourself a very nice driver.
And that aint outmeal.
Fair enough. With enough money and time you can take any plain Jane vehicle to become something special. But as it sits, this is a good example of a rental car Camaro of the time.
Not a bad thing, just not exciting.
These cars are usually a good buy because they have not been beat up on like a base model or a Z28. All you have to do is add more power and your good to go.
Indeed. I drove one once, even an 80 I believe. Not dissimilar to driving my Grandma’s 83 olds cutlass ciera.
This car was probably the lowest production model after the base model and the Z28. It was quite a bit more expensive than the base model and came with more standard features. Definitely looks like a repaint to me as it is missing the distinctive Berlinetta pinstripes.
Cragers, Air Shocks, and Ride.
The Berlinetta was a luxury coupe more than a performer or a powerhouse. With that being said I would LOVE to do some suspension work and put in a modern drivetrain for performance and fuel economy…..not restomod level but enough to make a real summer week’s vacation cruiser……even the color is perfect…..but I would put the rear spoiler on it, they do look strange to me without it. Seems to me that for 30 grand ( I personally would pay on the order of 15G’s for this quality but not a desirable model) so another 15 thou and this could be a great car insted of the current crop in the same price range!
I like your ideas. I had one at 16 for my 1st car. I always felt the car should have had the back spoiler but not enough to complain to my dad to put it on. My car was this same color and everything.
I had this same car in gunmetal grey, same year, in the early/mid eighties. Beat the hell out of it, sold it for $500.
I had this car, but a 79 in brown. In 1983 it was glorious. It lasted one year and 4 accidents – 19 year olds are not the best drivers. I wish I was in a position to buy it.
If you were a 48 year-old single Midwestern woman working looking to pick up unintelligent younger guys, you probably thought this was the answer.
Notice the dimple in each of the tire sidewalls …
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qS0AAOSwtDNfovge/s-l1600.jpg
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4yEAAOSwJt5fovge/s-l1600.jpg
I have the same thing on 4 sears guardsman 195-75-14’s that are 12 years old – the dimple showed up on each tire not long after they were installed.
Not an issue, IMO, just unsightly.
I’m guessing common in high profile replacement tires since 2010?
The narrower whitewalls on back look lot better than the wider ones on front.
Thought the plastic panel between the taillights was gray. Could be my vintage eyeballs failing me again.
I love cars like this. No sins. Clean. Upgrade the suspension, a nice 350hp small block, late OD trans and some 3:73’s in a better rear and you’d have a stealthy street terror with AC and not have to worry about hidden rot or bad repairs wrecking your efforts .
It’s a ‘survivor’. At least mostly it appears to be.
Please leave as is, thank you.
I had a 81 Camaro with a V6 and it was not fast by any stretch of the imagination but it was one of the nicest driving cars I have ever owned! It was a joy on the highway.
Here is my ’81 that I ordered new.
Picture is from when I was selling it in ’85.
What an idiot!
Yes, Karl, I had a ’78 with a straight 6 in it and it was the best balanced domestic I ever drove at that point. And by that time I had had a few.
This brings back memories. I traded my 6 cylinder, standard shift, no A/C, 76 Camaro for a beautiful charcoal grey ‘83 Berlinetta with gold pinstripes and wheels. Fully equipped. Not particularly sporty, but really felt luxurious after my bare bones first car. Not sure why I traded it in ‘87 for a T-Bird. I had no mechanical issues at all.
I had a 1976 Type LT. 350, 4 barrel and a 4 speed. It was a fun car. I now have a 1979 z/28 with the 350 and 4 speed. This is a lot of fun.
I’m sure who ever buys this one will have just as much as I do
This could be Shirley’s car – she died of Lupus – Craig had bought it for her shortly after they married out of our high school. They rode to work together for years and the Camero hardly was driven. Craig finally sold it a few years after her passing. But it’s a stretch – it would have been a Texas car.
Nobody noticed the dent in the drivers door. Nice how a closeup of the drivers door is not in any pictures.