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Dusty Driveway Find: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro

Not every Camaro, Chevelle, or Nova must be a Super Sport to be worthy. Far more copies were built as non-SS cars, thus adding to the population of these cars that may still exist today. This 1969 Camaro is one such car and is still in possession of its original 327 V8 and TH-350 transmission. It’s been out of commission since 1987 but has only had two owners since then. The car needs a complete restoration and – as you might expect – there is some rust to contend with. Located in Creswell, Oregon, this Chevy is available here on eBay where the bidding now sits at $9,100.

First-generation Chevy Camaro’s were built between 1967-69 in response to the overwhelming popularity of the Ford Mustang. The ’69 models sold almost as well as the 1967-68 editions, but there was an expended production cycle for the ‘69s as the all-new ‘70s were delayed in getting ready for assembly. Out of 243,085 units that year, 225,512 were the 2-door sports coupe like the seller’s car. So, there was plenty of them running around back then, and hopefully, a decent supply is in barns and garages today.

The seller’s example may have had a popular pairing of engines and transmissions that year. It has the 327, which was in its last run at Chevy in ’69, and it’s combined with a TH-350 tranny of which 66,423 were installed in Camaro’s. This car originated in Van Nuys, California, and may have been off the road since the late 1980s. At which time it was parked in the driveway and sat there until the seller acquired it in 2012. We suppose he planned to eventually restore the car, but after nine years he’s decided it’s time to go. At least the Camaro has been stored indoors for the last nine years.

As has been stated, this is not an SS model, although someone did add emblems to that effect on the front and back. However, the drivetrain is numbers-matching which is a huge plus after more than 50 years. The car’s rust seems to be focused on the insides of the rear window area which likely led to the trunk sharing it later, so both will need replacing. While the car largely wears aging black paint today, it was likely white when it left the factory witness what you find when you pop open the trunk lid.

The interior is going to need attention as well. Someone took it upon themselves to put red plush carpeting on the floors that simply doesn’t look right even if it’s still any good. And some of the panels have been carved up to add speakers, so you may be sourcing those, too.  The dash pad looks to have weathered badly from the sun, as well. The claimed mileage reading is 26,447, which could be accurate since the car hasn’t run in 34 years, but it just as well could be 126,447. If rust isn’t any worse than what we can see, does a car like this fit into your project plans? I can already hear the wheels turning on making this into another SS tribute car.

Comments

  1. Avatar Troy s

    Dumb question but where are all the gauges at? All I see is a big tach to the left of the seventies style steering wheel.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Steve R

      It’s a speedometer. This car had that and a fuel gauge on the right, otherwise idiot lights were what the driver was left to depend upon.

      Steve R

      Like 5
  2. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    What’s with the 2 mirrors on the driver’s door? – in some of the pics.

    Like 0
    • Avatar robert semrad

      The mirror is broken. The metal housing is hanging down, while the glass mirror is outside it’s housing….there’s two parts to those mirrors.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar PetertheGreat

    Yowza! There’s alot of weather rot and rust… much of which may be on the undercarriage. Nothing wrong with a numbers matching 327! For someone with the time or a bottomless bank account this could be a worthwhile restoration.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar JC

    My dad bought me a ’69 Camaro for my first car when I was 15 in 1977… it was a rusted out mess in the rear quarters but the paint that was on it shined and it had the coolest stripe work on it with slotted mag wheels… it was a 327 with a powerglide. He had the quarters on it replaced and the body man couldn’t paint so it turned out pretty ugly in the end. But, it was my first car and I thought it was great… I promptly totaled it 4 months after getting my license and lived to tell about it. Slammed head first into a tree… Dang tree is still there… they had to cut the roof of the Camaro to get me out. To this day many wonder how I survived. Spent 6 weeks in the hospital. When I got out he took me around and we found a clean ’72 with a 307/4bbl/Headers… it was far and away a better car all around. I treated that one with respect and drove it until 1985. Sold it to a used car dealer for twice what we paid with 155k on it.

    Like 0

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