TJ does it again, this time finding us an ad here on craigslist for a pristine 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. This one’s not particularly a muscle car, but rather a V8-equipped cruiser that’s low-miles and on only its second owner. You can grab it up from near Prince Frederick, MD. If you want it, you’ll part with somewhere near $26,000, if the seller gets the asking price. You can then tootle it down the street and put $562 worth of tires on it and drive it home (very precise seller, this fellow), or put in on a trailer and preserve its low-mile status.
The car is one of those, “I probably wouldn’t have chosen this color originally, but it’s grown on me” kind of situations. The white exterior, with white faux brake scoops on the front fenders and white wheels, is complemented by a cloth fawn interior with glencheck-accented seat inserts. Graphics include accent color on the hood stinger and a wide stripe that goes along the chin spoiler, is picked up on the rockers, and graces the panel just on top of the tail lights—very ‘70s-looking. The tail stripe, by the way, has a large Z28 call-out in the center, just so there’s no doubt about what you’re driving. If you’re inclined to show the car, there’s a nice little collection of paperwork including what appears to be a build sheet, the window sticker, and some sales material.
The current owner apparently bought the car this past summer with the intent to do a full restoration on it. Full restoration? Now why would anyone do that, especially to a 12,000 mile gem and a car that is not, say, a special package unit or a factory muscle car? He says he can’t now do the work because his federal job is forcing him into an 800-mile move. I say good and lucky thing for the hobby, which would have lost one of probably a handful of super-low-mileage Camaros left original had he followed through.
Whether you buy to show or drive, there are some needs, namely a headliner, the aforementioned tires, a clock repair (none of those ever worked for very long, did they?), and a repair to the fan clutch which will then put the AC back in working order. So you’ll put another couple of thousand bucks in. But you’ll still be ahead of what he’s got in the car. He says he has the eBay ad which shows the price at $34,000 when he picked it up in July. That he’s willing to take the loss now will be a favor to the next owner, hopefully a caretaker who realizes the provenance that comes with only 11,909 miles having slipped beneath the original Goodyears.
Did I miss the link?
Here you go.
https://smd.craigslist.org/cto/d/barstow-mint-79-camaro-z2812k-org-mi1/7538296212.html
I agree with you, Brian. Leave it alone. Original survivors are becoming more rare and valuable than “full concours restorations” – at least from a total $$ invested standpoint. Seems like a deal for someone looking for this kind of car and doesn’t mind never driving it. You’d be less likely to drive it after sinking another stack of bills into “restoring” it, so why go down that path?
Pop in the Van Halen II tape, and hit the highway.
The color is what I like. Very few of these.
White was the #1 selling color on the 1979 Z28 with 35,516 out of 84,000+ Z28’s made in 1979.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High Style!
What’s the definiton of “survivor” as it relates to old cars?
In my book a “survivor” is a low mileage car in good original condition with original paint and under hood parts – i.e. never been restored but too nice to bother doing that.
The owner ad says he bought the car only a couple months ago for $34 but he’s only asking $26k now??? Else, looks like a nice specimen.
Gone.
I recall seeing many white ones when these were roaming the street. White with light blue sticker stripes is what I recall being very popular.
Survivor is an overused term and until a few years ago, it was illegal to call your car a survivor. You are scratching your head, but Dave Burroughs, the founder of Bloomington Gold, actually had the term “survivor” trademarked, so it could not be used. I was the editor of Hemmings Muscle Machines in the mid-2000s. I used “survivor” to describe a Corvette and Burroughs called me to give me the story. I am now retired, but see that Chrysler products now have that term attached to them. Whether Burroughs let them do it is unknown. A survivor has many different meanings. Most have original paint, interior, driveline and very little if any, restoration work done. I would pay much more for an original car than some restored, over done, glossy restoration, which by the way, nobody drives. So what’s the point.
Some publications toss the “Survivor” term around with wreckless abandon. It is as meaningless a term as “clone” or “tribute”. My neighbor down the street has a 1963 SWC Bloomington “Survivor” in his garage. It is crystal-clear why it has that designation the minute you see it.
Great comment. I remember when survivor was TM’d, and I thought that was complete lunacy. I hope the guy spent a lot of money getting the tm and lost it all when a word in the dictionary suddenly became property of the rest of us again.
One more thing: I’m with you on the definition. I love it when ads say, “All-original survivor with one repaint.” Uh, no, that’s not all-original, nor, if we agree on the def’n, it it purely speaking a survivor.