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In The Barn Since ’91: 1975 Chevrolet Camaro

After sitting in this barn since 1991, this 1975 Camaro was a pretty sad looking sight. However, it turns out that it was anything but a lost cause, and this is a chance for someone to grab this car that has been revived, and to transform it into the Camaro of their dreams. It is located in Lexington, North Carolina, and is listed for sale here on eBay. At the time of writing, bidding has reached $2,000. The reserve hasn’t been met at this point, but a BIN option of $3,975 is also available.

Looks a bit better now, doesn’t it? The owner is pretty candid about the fact that the car isn’t even close to perfect, but that it is at least solid. There are a few rust issues to be addressed, but considering how unfavorable the storage conditions appear to have been for the past 28-years, these are surprisingly minimal. The first thing that he suggests is that there is enough rust in the passenger side door to warrant replacement. In fact, it appears that the worst of the rust is all confined to the passenger side, with some in the lower quarter panel, and some appearing around the edge trim for the vinyl top. He is confident that there is no rust under the vinyl, and the only rust that isn’t visible in these photos is a small hole in the trunk pan. Otherwise, the floors and cowl are all said to be nice and solid. The car has received a repaint at some point prior to 1991, and the paint is starting to show its age. The Camaro was originally finished in Light Saddle Metallic, which is a far more attractive shade than the current color. Still, that should be easy enough to fix.

The owner has focussed his efforts on getting the Camaro back into sound mechanical health and has not done anything to address the cosmetic issues on the car. Having said that, there is no reason why the car couldn’t be driven and enjoyed as the restoration process proceeds step by step. The interior will need some work, but I would be interested to see how it would respond to a good clean. This won’t address the issues with the sagging headliner, which I suspect will require replacement. There may be some further trim items that will require replacement, but it is hard to tell given how generally dirty the interior currently is. While the interior might not be loaded with luxury items, it does at least score factory air conditioning. There is no word on whether this functions, but it is possible that it may at least need recharging.

As I said, the owner has been focussing on getting the Camaro fit for the road again, and he has succeeded quite nicely on this front. After fitting a new gas tank and sender unit, a new master cylinder (although it looks old in the photo) and brake lines, new tires, new plugs, a thermostat, and a full fluid change, that 350ci V8 has kicked back into life quite nicely. With a 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes, the Camaro should be quite an easy and pleasant car to drive. The owner says that the engine now feels strong, the car runs and drives nicely, and the transmission shifts cleanly.

The 1975 Camaro was no fire-breathing monster, but it is still possible today to wring some reasonable performance out of them using modern components and technology. That Chevrolet chose to drop the Z28 from the range for the 1975 and 1976 model years is a reflection of just how deeply new emission laws were biting. It appears that this particular car needs little more than a cosmetic restoration, and if it is as rust-free as the owner claims, then it is a great candidate for this. I actually think that it wouldn’t make a bad first project vehicle for someone who wanted to dip their toe into the classic car scene. What do you think?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Mike

    I had one back in the late eighties. Bought it for $1. Drove it two winters, which was way better than driving my Mach 1, in the winter.

    Like 6
  2. Avatar photo David Ulrey

    Idk, I kind of like it’s current color.

    Like 6
  3. Avatar photo Bakyrdhero

    I nearly bought a 78 base Camaro back in the 90’s that was this same color. Seems to me Camaro’s look pretty good painted brown.

    Like 4
  4. Avatar photo 408interceptor

    Cars like this are usually infested with vermin and it’s really difficult to make them leave. I had a 79 Trans Am shipped across the country from Arizona to New York and the little bastards made the trip in comfort. The drivers side rocker panel, all four feet of it was one giant mouse nest. I wasn’t concerned about the interior because it was being replaced but inner body cavities can be difficult to access without cutting holes to remove the occupants.

    Like 6
  5. Avatar photo Paul

    I have a 1977z28 4spd car that a tree fell on was wondering if putting a factory t top roof on it if in would hurt the value of it since t tops wasn’t available yet for the z28

    Like 3

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