Behold the metal version of that dirty calico cat in your neighborhood… up all hours of the night making a racket, knocking over trash cans, and generally up to no good. This calico-colored 1972 Chevrolet Camaro in Wellington, Colorado swallowed a 6.0L LS V8. The bumperless ’72 runs and drives, according to the listing here on eBay. More unfinished project than never-sorted basket case, this mean-looking pony car comes with a ton of upgrades and some completed engineering. Slapper bars give a nod to the 20th Century, and praise the seller for not calling this a “Pro Touring” car; it’s just an old Camaro with a newer style engine, the essence of hot-rodding for more than 100 years. At least four bidders have this street fighter’s market value above $3000 without cracking the seller’s Reserve.
A standalone LS wiring harness and stock ECU operate this nondescript 6.0L (364 cid) LS (there are several flavors), but a donor 6.0 can demand double the price of a similar 5.3, so either the builder had a 6.0 lying around or had some reason to spend the extra cash on this build. No performance claims populate the listing, but unless you slap a basketball-sized turbocharger onto this mill, and assuming it’s under 150,000 miles now, it should survive 100,000 miles of metered fun. It might even break 20 MPG at 55, though mileage clearly didn’t factor into the car’s 3.73 rear axle gears and archaic TH350 three-speed automatic.
Five-slot steel wheels with drag radials, a slight reverse rake, and what looks like incorrect offset up front suggest a budget build like you’d crank out after long weekends and nights just to get the car blasting down the road under its own power.
This original AC car sports an HVAC delete panel today but comes with the original. Some never-installed parts come with the sale as well. Missing components, the aluminum panel dash, and ratchet shifter suggest a drag-racing build, standing at odds with the decent looking carpet. How would you finish this LS-powered alley cat?
Neigh said the horse.
Or Nay…..something to that effect…
Ruff ruff ruff around the edges
Nah to much BO hacking to this car..Junk yard builder.HA HA
Big Hard Pass…
Put the full front bumper back on. You aren’t fooling anyone, it’s not a rally sport.
No wonder they put covers over modern engines.
Circular front parking lites under the chrome bumper on std camaros would have looked better, IMO.
Bid up to $10,300 now. Any second gen Camaro within 100 miles of me is priced a minimum of $5K, not running of course, and needing paint, body, interior, etc. This one runs, drives, and has a clean title, and it’s actually pretty tidy under the hood. Well, I guess complainers need to complain.
Yup they want a diamond for coal price. Good luck.
This is a 6.0 chev truck engine. You would have to be out of your mind unless you live near a dirt track. This thing looks like it came from a junk yard an I’m assuming it’s been ragged out.
How little you must know about LS engines and have probably never worked on one either…..
Amazing that it is not a rust bucket by now. Was still the best Camero of all — with bumpers.
Camaro
This is the predecessor to the modern day Rat-Rod. I like the idea of modern engines in older cars. The size and offset of those front tires does seem unusual, but maybe that was the look they were going for? It seems like a hybrid of drag & dirt track if that can exist. Someone commented that it was a truck engine… well that used to be a rather common practice in the 70’s. Mega torque for minimal dollars. Wrecked or rusted trucks, and pony cars that kept on rolling. One thing for sure, this thing will deliver the man/machine experience like no modern car can. (or woman/machine experience).
Just needs an interior,would leave the outside just the way it is,helps add to the “sleeper” look,tired and worn out look with a surprise under the hood.The LS engine ….6 bolt main,full roller valvetrain,very solid performer and hard to break.I should know have put a few LS powered vehicles through the ringer and they hold up great.word of advice though from first hand experience,if you plan on doing an LS swap use the first gen engines w/o the fuel management system,there are several problems with springs collapsing in the lifters and getting stuck often leading to mis -diagnosis for a bigger problems making noises like a bad rod bearing when it’s just the lifter collapsed.
If ya could pick it up right about where it’s at now which is $10,300. throw a cheep paint job on it finish the details on the interior and a few other issues you could have a really fun driver on a really badass Camaro, and that’s what I’d do to it drive the sh#@t outa it, it’s got a great look to it!!!
I’ve already finished it.
Says in the ad the bottom end has been rebuilt, heads freshened up, new valves, New 102 mm throttle body, sloppy stage 2 cam, new aluminum with slim electric fans. Freshly rebuilt turbo 350 with a 2800 RPM stall converter and posi rear end with new 373 gears. This thing sounds like quite the screamer to me. Sounds like it would be a blast to drive. Little bit of work clean it up paint it finish the interior and in my opinion you have a great little car to drive. Get some center caps and beauty rings for those Wheels maybe a little bit smaller Tire in the front end and drive it. Do something with that shifter I guess. I would go back to probably a horseshoe style 69 style shifter just because I like them. I know it doesn’t belong in there but I like the look. I had a 75 Camaro that I put a LS 5.3 in. It had 411 gears in the rear end and with the small block that the gentleman before me had in it it was nothing but a quarter mile car but after I put that LS motor in it with the way they’re built for high RPMs it was driven approximately 45 miles on the freeway to it’s new home without any problems at all. What’s all the work I did to that car it’s definitely the one I miss the most. And I have gone through a lot of cars as I’ve said in the past. This one would be amazing. If my circumstances were different I would definitely pick this one up.
2or3 coats clear and drive it..
You might be a Redneck if…