The seller offers an interesting combination of cars for sale. One is a 1969 Camaro, likely an SS350 and probably worth more. The other is 1970 Chevelle Malibu, but with a six-cylinder engine that was built in lower quantities. Both are convertibles and both need restoring. I’m assuming the seller bundled the cars because he thought the Malibu would be harder to sell by itself. At any rate, both ragtops appear to be living in an open-air barn in West Creek, New Jersey and are available here on eBay for the Buy It Now price of $33,000. You can also make an offer, but the seller doesn’t indicate a willingness to break up the pair.
Let’s explore each of the cars individually.
1969 Camaro
The first generation of the Camaro was in its third and last year of production before a complete redesign would debut. The car was a capable competitor to the Ford Mustang and one of two autos that General Motors had in the pony car wars (the other being the Pontiac Firebird). 1969’s production year would run a few months longer than usual due to delays in getting the new 1970 Camaro’s ready to go. Chevy sold 280,000 Camaro’s for 1969, with 36,000 of them being SS editions and 16,000 being convertibles. We aren’t able to determine how many were SS convertibles.
The seller tells us this SS has a 350 engine but does not mention if it’s the original motor. We’re told it has the X11 code which would be for the SS350 and would include a higher trim level and power front disc brakes. The seller tells us – and the photos supplied confirm it – that the car will need new fenders, quarter panels and doors. The floors will need some light patching, but the frame rails, rockers, trunk, and door jams seem to be good. The convertible top will need replacing and some interior work will be needed. We’re told the car starts and stops (which means just around the parking lot). There is bling under the hood that didn’t come from the factory which suggests work has been done on the engine for more power.
1970 Chevelle
The third generation of the Chevelle ran from 1968-72 and was the model’s most popular. A mild restyle for 1970 gave the car a squarer look than the ’68-69s had. I found them to be the most attractive of the five-year cycle, but that’s simply my personal preference. The Malibu saw greater production with V-8 engines, but the convertible with a 250 cubic inch six-banger was built in much smaller numbers. A little more than 6,000 of them were assembled by plants in both the U.S. and Canada.
This 1970 Malibu looks to have started life out painted black or dark blue, but someone changed it to red later on and that’s largely gone now. As is the case with the other car, it will need a lot of metal work, too. Floor pans, trunk pan and quarter panels will all need replacing, and the frame will require some spot work here and there. The rockers look to be next to get cancer without action and the convertible top is toast. This Malibu also starts and runs, but with help from starter fluid. Perhaps maybe just a carb rebuild is needed. The power top and all the lights are said to work and this could be a nice-looking car when brought back to original specs.
Value
The Camaro SS or the Chevelle (if it were a V-8) alone would be worth the seller’s asking price for the pair – if they were in excellent condition. But the inline-six would be a deduct on the Malibu. Why would you want both cars? There is nothing that one of them could really donate to the other and you’d have two projects to restore rather than one. But in their present condition, what are they worth individually? $20,000 for the Camaro and $13,000 for the Chevelle? It hasn’t been that many years that these cars would be only worth 20% of what they seem to fetch today.
The Camaro has potential to be a very nice car if it can be made stop and go without a huge investment as it seems to be mostly complete and intact. The Chevelle is probably a parts car. As always, check out everything before you buy but I think the pair are worth less than half the asking.
What’s your source for the Malibu production numbers? 381 6-cylinder Malibu convertibles seems to be the figure most sources agree on.
No a Chevelle convert especially 1970 will never be a parts car, but I’m not biting at that price, I will pass. Clone ss here we come.
The Camaro has potential but green/green? Barf! The Chevelle will be redone for reasons that I can’t fathom. $33K? Not by a long shot.
You could make both of these great cars. Just depends on how much money you want to spend. Take it to Kindig It Designs and you will find out….
A look at the engine photo shows the camaro does not have power brakes.
I have no idea what the authors perspective of time is but his last line ;
” It hasn’t been that many years that these cars would be only worth 20% of what they seem to fetch today” 2 decades seems to be a good number of years,or at least 15 minimum.
Having said that,these are both low spec cars,needing tons of work .
I have both a 69 Camaro SS convertible,and a 70 Chevelle convertible,and can assure everyone that the ask here is nearly double the market value.
$12-14k for the Camaro,8-10 for the Chevelle,with a discount then taken for the package.Don’t sweat the original specs though,both cars are bound to be restomods because that’s where the demand is.
Thirty-three large for two bundles of pure junk? The ss is not even a good parts car. Nearly all the cars presented here seem to be grossly overpriced. Many do seem to sell though. Good luck with them.
These are the kind of cars some builders use for trade up cars. They build them up make them safe, fast and attractive with a certain budget in mind, then either make a quick sale or trade up for a higher dollar resale car.most of the time it works well for them. They’ll have $50,000 to $60,000 invested and have two cars worth $35,000 to $50,000 each with custom touches to sell or trade hoping to eventually get a six figure car to build. It keeps them busy their doors open and some really nice cars for others to enjoy.
God bless America
I agree with JohnM. Kind of a Sophie’s choic opportunity. Get one cleaned and patched up enough to move it along, then dig in a little deeper on the other one for a week end touring car. One thing you cannot fix after buying them is the price you paid. So go with cash in hand and bargain hard. Be willing to walk but be open to him reaching out when reality sets in.
In 1983 I would pass a semi rural house with a ’70 Malibu convertible in about the same condition as this red one. After about 6 months I saw a fellow out in the yard so I stopped to investigate. He said it barely ran and wondered all over the road, so I offered $100.00. Ended up getting it for $135.00. I herded it 12 miles home with the engine missing badly. At home I was looking it over, had fresh RTV on the front cover, looked like a fresh timing chain job. I pulled the valve covers and found 4 bent push rods. Put some used push rods in and the 350 ran great. Next put a used steering gear and all the tie rods and relay rod I had just pulled out of a junked 72 Malibu coupe. Now it drove decent too. Used it for a beater for a few months until I discovered the frame was rusted almost in half above the rear axle. Don’t remember how we met but a guy who said he was restoring a 70 LS6 convertible gave me $750.00 for it for the decent chrome and stainless. At the time I thought I had scored big, seeing something like this asking for many thousands makes me wish I had had an additional 20 acres with big warehouses. Hindsight.
Neat cars? Sure, but how much will it cost in the end? Too much. With an unstable economy, smart money is waiting for the other shoe to drop…
The X11 code does not necessarily indicate an SS Camaro. It also applies to a base model with that trim level.