The ’69 Camaro Rally Sport (RS) may be the coolest looking of the first-generation Chevy pony cars. The RS is the one that had the hideaway headlights AND a Tupperware front bumper. The seller’s car was produced early in the 1969 model run as it has a numbers-matching 327 V8 and those were phased out in January. It’s an RS convertible with a 327, so what’s not to love? Well, it does have plenty of rust and doesn’t run, but if you’re looking for a cool car to bring back from the brink, this might be it. Located in Manahawkin, New Jersey, it’s offered here on eBay where the starting bid will be $28,000, but you can jump the line and buy it now for $31,000. Hats off to Patrick S for finding this one for us!
1969 Camaro production figures were almost a record because the model year was extended by several months due to delays in getting the all-new 1970s ready to build. Nearly 281,000 copies of the Camaro were built for that year, just two percent shy of the 1967 introduction. Almost 38,000 Rally Sports were assembled and just over 15,000 convertibles were made, so the seller’s car lies somewhere in the middle. The seller describes his LeMans Blue original paint Camaro as a barn find, which is to say it was tucked away somewhere for a long time and no longer runs.
This car’s hibernation likely included some outdoor exposure given the extent of the rust on the body panels. Front fenders, rear quarters, and rocker panels have all blight and photos of the undercarriage show a fair amount of crust there, too. So, the next owner’s body man is likely going to make a down payment on putting in a swimming pool this season. The interior has its fair number of challenges which is going to require new upholstery and carpeting, at a minimum. We don’t the condition of the convertible top as it’s only shown in the down position.
The 327 cubic inch V8 was winding down in 1969, to be replaced mid-year by the 307, which many will lament was not a good change. However, the 350 would become available that year, too, so there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. The seller says he’s tried to turn the motor by hand, but it won’t budge, so further efforts were stopped. This Camaro came with a 2-barrel carburetor and it has an automatic transmission, but we don’t know if it’s a Powerglide or Turbo-Hydramatic.
Once the car is able to run again, a new set of keys will have to be sourced as the originals are long gone. However, the steering column is in the unlocked position. This car’s condition begs the question “is it worth restoring?”. Hagerty points to $36,000 as being top dollar, but that’s for a coupe. Add a 20 percent premium for the RS package and more on top of that for it being a drop top. The somewhat rarity of a 327 in that model year may also make it attractive to buyers. But if you’re going to have to sink $30,000 into it just to get it home, that doesn’t leave much room for all the work that’s going to have to be undertaken.
This is the same seller that’s listing the Mustang fastback remnants we’ve been making fun of for the last few days. While this Camaro looks a lot better—it’s at least recognizable as a CAR—it seems like there’s a ton of work here, and potentially a lot of horrors under the surface.
While a ’69 Camaro Rally Sport convertible will always be desirable, and pricy, $28k seems like a lot to risk on this. That’s.a shame, because if this car can be restored, it will be gorgeous.
At least this one can be rolled around on its own wheels attached to its own chassis. Still, seller seems to want to cash in on stuff that is beyond the means of the average restorer.
The ’69 dash tho is not as cool as the ’67 or ’68, IMO. I would not be surprised if the steel in the ’69 fenders is not as good or thick as in prior yrs – i’ve seen some older ones outside not rusting like that in front of the front wheels.
Seems like the numbers don’t ad up at a $30k asking price. Maybe low $20’s?
69 was not the last year that had the convertible option!
Did they get this when the tide went out?. Looks it.
Another guy selling a car that potentially could be restored, if the price was right. It should be restored, but hell, at this price, only an insane person would buy this and sink that kind of money into it! I fear, this one will sit, and rust away back to Mother Earth! Goodbye Camaro RS!
Seriously ? This car needs everything from bumper to bumper ,an expensive proposition these days,,,2500. max
Hagerty says $21,100 for a car in fair condition plus 20% for RS. That’s right around $26,000 which I find hard to believe.
You call this “fair” condition? This is “poor” to junk condition.
In-sane
This looks like one of those cars where every panel you pull off allows you to see the pile of things to fix/rebuild get bigger and bigger! It’s a shame but sometimes the reality does suck!
The RS front bumper is an Endura bumper not an Enduro.
The standard RS front bumper is chrome steel, not the VE3 Endura bumper pictured. The VE3 painted Endura front bumper option was available on any 1969 Camaro. Chevrolet never marketed it by its trade name “Endura” as Pontiac did. It was advertised as a “new resilient bumper”, a “color matched bumper” but I don’t think an actual trade name was ever settled on by Chevrolet. I believe it was called “Special Front Bumper” in the option list and in Canada was called the “Astro” bumper!
These look very cool, but in the rust belt were / are a bit problematic as the inner steel liner rusts and you can guess the rest…..
Too much money for a small block rust bucket. Could be a good project if the price were right. Also, the Endura front bumper was a separate option, not part of the RS package.
The only item not rusty is the cable tie still in place from the Chevrolet motor mount major re-call. It was a cleverly designed fix.
Just to clarify some of the numbers: Russ, you say that about 37,000 RS Camaros were built in 1969 and more than 15000 were convertibles. I would agree with you and I think that the actual number of convertibles was about 17,000. However this car, being a convertible and an RS would not fall between the two numbers as you say but would be far less than the convertible number as only a small percentage of the convertibles were built in RS trim form (probably around 3000). Then, as someone else mentioned there is the Endura bumper which was not part of the RS package but was a stand-alone option. This option was only ordered on 5% of all 69s. So actually this car, in this configuration, could likely be one of a few hundred at most. Still, in its current condition I find it to be ridiculously overpriced as does most every one else.
Yes it’s way to much for the condition it’s in . Not that good of pictures also , based on the facts that is known under $7k is the reality price . And 69 was the last year for the convertible and yes the Endura bumper was an option in 1969 only .The 327 ended in mid -year to be replaced by the sorry ass 307 and the better 350 . The only 2 -SB motors after mid-year 1969 . but due to the labor issue production went into February 1970 for the 1969 Camaro. The1970 Camaro or some call it the 1970 1/2 production didn’t start till March of 1970 .
So………….$1500 tops?
I really, really miss the days when cars were mostly sold for what they were worth in the condition they were in……..though some of you will say those days never existed. but pre internet…pre B-J, etcetera…..your hope of selling the car was through Auto Trader -lol, Hemmings etc…..nothing made your eyes move past the ad fater than a ridiculous price.
Theres way too much money sloshing around in the vintage tin business.
If you havent seen this from the seller.you have to………unfreakingbelievable
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-Ford-Mustang/114719298577?hash=item1ab5cd9411:g:4S4AAOSwM-Zf~iZi
Thx for the link
This guy is crazy, has he ever just thrown away something that was useless and worthless?
A very ambitious project for the asking price.
It rolls and steers – and has original paint! Take my money!!
$31k? C’mon man! Greed is taking the fun out of the hobby. Time to sell all my toys and buy more real estate.
Any vehicle from the tri-state NJ, NY, CN area will rust in ways you cannot imagine unless you’ve lived there and seen it first-hand. This is one of those, “jack-up the VIN and slide a new body underneath” restoration jobs… when coupled with an irrational seller it is a hard “pass.”
I agree with mountainwoodie,its an absolute joke the amount of money people want for rusty junk,and equally shocking is what some actually pay!…but pre-internet,using tradin times magazine, we actually had to go look at and touch a car,anyone remember “tradin times”
Yes. Mountainwoodie is correct. This seller is a total dreamer. 69 Camaros are a dime a dozen. And at this price, it will be some brain dead house wife’s new Kia. Way too much money. Hagerty is a joke with their pricing.
Is it our lust for nostalgia that is driving the asking prices of these old cars to new levels of insanity? A far cry from the near mint blue 69 Camaro that I bought in Calgary Alberta back in 1982 that was sitting in a back alley for $200. The only hole was on the bottom of the left front fender about 1″ in diameter, Car needed nothing else body wise. It was straight and had original paint with the white bumblebee stripe. It was a 6 but it only took a day to drop in a good 350 and have it running. Oh yeah, I bought a 75 Firebird the same week with a 350 chev in it for $750 that the kid said he knew was good but did not know why it would not run properly. When I pulled the motor I discovered that the headers were flat as a pancake . I installed that motor in 2 days, put on a new set of headers and had it running like a top Did a repaint and cloned it to a Z-28. AAHHHH! The good old days!!
A very ambitious project for the asking price.