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Lovesick Show Car: 1973 Chevy Camaro

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Bear with me on the post title: you’ve got to see the detail of this crazy paint job up close to understand! This 1973 Chevy Camaro has quite a story to tell, and the seller has done a great job documenting and preserving its history, while also making some subtle improvements to make the car a better driver. You’ll find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $49,950 and only 28,650 original miles! 

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See what I mean above lovesick? These images populate the paint throughout, of a man and a woman locked in a romantic embrace with an impressive landscape in the background. That’s sweet and all, and I suppose indicative of the era in which this car was made. I’d love to understand the motivations behind 70s paint jobs like these, and I’d also like to know why the original owner bought a Camaro instead of a porthole’d Dodge or Chevy van!

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The current owner tells us quite a tale about the original owner decking out his newly purchased Camaro, and then hitting the skids shortly thereafter. He went to his pastor for a loan to keep making payments, and the pastor agreed – provided he held title and rights to the car. The owner couldn’t pay his bills, so the pastor took ownership of the Camaro and it sat in his garage until his passing. Wouldn’t you like to know if the original owner has seen his pride and joy for sale?

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Though the Camaro still wears its low mileage proudly, the seller did make some enhancements, including boring out the 350 to make a true 383. He also installed vintage factory air conditioning and supposedly made a host of other improvements, but that information has yet to be posted. Interestingly, he is up front about the $23,222 price he bought the car for on eBay a few years ago, so the question is whether his improvements justify the $50K asking price. What do you think?

Comments

  1. Avatar chris lawrence

    Big dose of NOOOOO. I do have fond memories of my dad’s van after he came back from Vietnam with the same…. images on his doors.. but then again, I had a sister there I never met. I like it sooo much, but without the personal touch.. na.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar leiniedude Member

    When I was an Alter boy in grade school our Priest drove an early Roadrunner. Beautiful blue color. We lived close to the Rectory and every now and then I would see him pulling a blue speedboat. Kind of the reason I never think twice when I see a hitch on an old muscle car.

    Like 0
    • Avatar SSPBill

      A priest at my grade school growing up drove a ’77-’78 Trans Am. Full-on Bandit. I recall thinking how cool the fake, machine turned dash was. I still see him often. To this day he insists he borrowed the car from his brother even though it was parked outside the rectory every day for 4 or 5 years. Loophole around the vow of poverty I suppose.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar dirtyharry

    They outlawed “LSD” in 1968, but the original painter didn’t get the memo. And that stance, wheels that don’t fit, traction bars and 15 inch rims. I don’t want a car I need to sneak up in the dark to drive. Still worth the 20k or so this seller gave, but I don’t reward my dog, when it uses the carpet as a bathroom either.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rando

      The stance and wheels, etc were all part of the period look. These were all in HotRod back in the day. I would go through muy uncle’s old Hot Rod Magazines he would give me and cut the pages out and put them on my bedroon wall. This is a period piece and should be left as is. Preferably in a museum where people can look at it and enjoy it for the era it came from. It would be tough to find a museum that could display and gather the appreciation for what it is. A slice of automotive history still in beautiful shape. More likely an ART museum or auto art kinda place. Even the chroe has been etched or scrimshawed. Details.

      I would hope there is some velvet inserts in the seats. Blue velvet with black vinyl. Chrome Grant steering wheel, etc. One of those goofy foot gas pedals. This was THE rage back then. Pics through windshield look pretty stock though? I love it for what it is, not what it was or could be. It should NOT be restored, just preserved. Yeah, not many people can or will afford this.

      I can’t but if I could, I wouldn’t do anything but keep it and drive it to cruise ins and car shows.

      I am amazed at the folks that can only see cars like this as worthless unless they are original Cars have been made to fit the owners’ personalities probably since day 2. This is a beautiful tribute to its time. Thumb it any way you want.

      Like 1
      • Avatar terry

        Ayep. That’s how we did it sonny.

        Like 0
  4. Avatar Rock On

    If this car had a 6-71 blower sticking out of the hood and chrome side pipes it would really complete the look. But then again, it would still not be worth the asking price.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar ruxvette

    I, for one, am astonished by how astonishing the car looks and the astonishment on the face of astonished people looking at this astonishing car. Further astonishment re the astonishingly low miles…and the astonishingly high price.
    Color me astonished.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Dallas

    Must be 40 pics in the auction and not one of the interior?!?!?

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    • Avatar Steve H

      Love the car! Wouldn’t change a thing. But I have wonder why no pics of the interior when there are so many of the exterior. From what you can see of the seat-tops in some of the pics, however, they do look like they’re in great shape. Very odd though, when you consider the asking price, that the seller decided not to show the inside.

      Like 0
  7. Avatar Anthony

    50k for a low mileage 73 Camaro LT that needs a paint job hmm. I don’t think so…….

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Flmikey

    …Picasso could have painted this and it’s still not worth 50 large…

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Fred W.

    I agree with Rando. Even though this is not to everyone’s taste these days, it is very representative of the period and due to condition belongs in a museum. Just as iconic as a woody surf wagon , lead sled or hot rodded ’32 Ford, in it’s own way. Not enough time has passed to make it appeal to those who lived through the time period (that may never happen!).

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve

      My ’72 Camaro screams the 70s and that’s why I love it! 27k original miles, AC/PS/PB. Identical to my first car which was a ’71.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar sir mike

    The 70’s called looking for their Camaro….now if this paint job was on a 73 van I could understand it.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Vin in NJ

    I like the effort the seller took to hide the rear plate. Flipping it backwards is something I haven’t seen, most likely because all you need is a mirror to see it.
    He would have been better off just leaving it off of the car.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar JW

    As a 16 year old getting his license in 1969 these are the cars I remember seeing cruising rte #31 in Aurora, Ill. on Friday and Saturday nights. I love it just as is and if the price wasn’t so steep I would own it and preserve it for the period of it origin.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar michael streuly

    Nice car. Crappy paint job. Not worth 50K.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Michael Rogers Member

    Nice to see some that can appreciate this icon of the 70’s, It’s well done and needs to be cared for and shown!

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  15. Avatar Car Guy

    Big and littles, nose down, Cragar SS’s, slapper bars, airbrushed panel paint job. Leave it as is. Someone has to show these young bucks what was cool back in the day! Not that I remember…….. ;-)

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Goodguytim

    Indeed the way we did ’em ‘back in the day’, albeit a little over the top with details even for the time such as the engraving. Pretty stinkin’ cool if ya ask me, right down to the wheels, stance and paint. Preserve it, for sure. Price point? We shall see – GLWTS we say, right? :-)

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Ck

    LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS? Everything about this car is awsome. This car needs to be preserved.Don’t change a thing!Nothing!!!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bobby

      Hey CK, I agree totally with you. I went to hit thumbs up but on my phone and hit thumbs down on accident. Tried hitting thumbs up to change but it wouldn’t let me.

      Like 0
  18. Avatar Mike

    I agree with CK above. I was a young boy in the 70’s, and saw cars with this stance, detail, paint, etc. frequently. It was the golden era of street rods. Awesome.

    Now everyone paints their cars/pickups flat back, trim; rims and all and lower them to the ground. You’re butt is 3″ from the pavement and you have to look around the engine to see the road. And they all look the same. Cool, but WAY too common, no longer original.

    Love this Golden and long forgotten type of paint; I still have hotrod magazines from 1970-73 FILLED with detailed photos of engine compartments. Love the color and flash!

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Jeffro

    I like this paint better than the pretty pastel colors of the 80’s

    Like 0
  20. Avatar rustylink

    all the things I hated about something like this in 73 – I still hate today. Ugly paint, traction bars….and a mural

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Mark S

    This car would be pretty ordinary without all the changes that have been done.i think this would be worth no more than 10 to 12K if it were factory original. But I also think that it is not worth more than 30K either. It is very retro cool but I wouldn’t want it to much effort needed to keep it in good shape. The paint is what makes the car special.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Paul R

    Its perfect!

    Like 0
  23. Avatar Rolf Poncho 455

    “RANDO” I agree keep it as is

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    Perhaps I have long been under a misconception:To make a 350 into a 383, I thought that a stroked crank is used, not simply overboring the cylinders.

    Interesting car, but then I’m old, so the paint job strikes a familiar chord.

    YMMV

    Like 0
    • Avatar Doug Towsley

      Alan you are correct, It is well documented how to do a SBC 383. You can buy a ready made kit nowdays, but it required a 400 crank and other parts back in the day to do these. Now SUMMITT and PAW and other catalog companies have ready to bolt in kits.

      As to the car itself?? I remember these well, very cool period piece and I bet would be the envy of many at any cruise in or car show. I personally did not care for the airbrushed murals and other period paint tricks but I totally appreciate what went into these. In the vintage bike scene millennials and hipsters are reviving these styles and pay BIG money for those who can do these paint jobs.

      This body style was not worth a nickel for a long time but now is very much in demand and early ones like this are rapidly climbing. I had a 1977 LT for a while and now the youngsters drool over them. Price??? Not sure,,,, but dont rule it out. Its possible someone will step up.

      As to the wheels and tires,,, I ran a lot of hot rods like this back in the day. Big Mickey Thompson M50x15 in the back, and a 70×14 in the front. Shackle kits on the leaf springs and Air shocks on my Nova, traction bars,,and dont forget the Pioneer 6x9s in the back window in speaker boxs blaring Ted Nugent Stranglehold or AC/DC and you were a cool kid back in the 70s and early 80s!

      Like 0
      • Avatar Jeffro

        Pioneer 6×9’s! Forgot about those.

        Like 0
  25. Avatar Doug Towsley

    BTW, Not sure what the story is with the interior but unless it has a magical aftermarket system it does NOT appear to have a functioning heater core. Me thinks this was an AC car and it was gutted as it does not look good for the engine bay. Dont see any hoses going to a heater core. Also note the Windshield squirters are inop with no hoses. I would guess someone lost interest or funds while upgrading the interior and creature comforts. Motor and exterior alone wont sell this car but it IS cool and being in LA some over compensated celebrity will buy it.

    Like 0
  26. Avatar Allan

    Needs a chromed 8-71 sticking through the hood, to really go over the top…

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Jubjub

    Leave it alone. Really is a pop culture time capsule. And I like it without side pipes or a blower spoiling the design. Could totally see some wannabe Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks cruising around in this. I’m with the fix some of the details crowd.

    Also needs to be parked in a life-size ’70s Hot Wheels blister pack with UV protection and good ventilation.

    Like 0
  28. Avatar erikj

    A friend in highschool Late 70s had a nice 71 rs Camaro. Backthan it had the same wheels and tires traction bars also. It was gone for a paint job for 6 months and when it came back it was this crazy blue with airbrush murals amazing work. Just as wild as the one here. It almost looks like steves car same blue. He went one more step-He had the guy that did the paint, cut the roof off and had a t-top roof put on. The car was so cool for the day. I could never se doing that to a nice rs to begin with nodays,but back then those Camaros where a dime a dozen.

    Like 0

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