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Luxury Liner: 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta

081516 Barn Finds - 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta - 1

This medium-green 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta is in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. It’s posted on Craigslist for $7,995 – a heck of a deal, as they say in Minnesota, or was that Fargo.. (disclaimer, I live in Minnesota and I say that all the time)

081516 Barn Finds - 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta - 2

You probably know by now that I tend to gravitate towards unusual (some would say, oddball) vehicles more so than the popular ones, so it may be surprising to see me posting a Camaro here. But, this isn’t just any Camaro, it’s a Berlinetta edition which replaced the Type LT for 1979 and was the model’s luxury offering. In 1979, Chevrolet sold 282,571 Camaros, the most ever for the Camaro, either before or since then. Chevy sold 67,236 Berlinetta models, the lowest number other than the RS of which they sold only 19,101 for 1979. This is the Camaro that I would have wanted if I were ordering one at my local Chevy dealer back then. But, I was in the 11th grade in 1979 so that wasn’t going to happen. It would have been so much better than taking the school bus, though.

081516 Barn Finds - 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta - 3

The seller says that this beautiful, original-paint car has “less than 50,000 original miles”, which for a Minnesota car means that it was never, ever driven in the winter or it would never look this perfect. Although, beauty is skin deep because they also say that they “had a new floor pan welded in with the addition to Dei Boom mats.” The rest of the car sure looks rust-free to me. I love this color and the vinyl top, too! The only thing I would do to this car would be to sell the wheels that are on it now and get some factory OEM wheels/rims.

081516 Barn Finds - 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta - 4

Being Camaro’s luxury offering, I’m not surprised to see an automatic here, so I guess there are two things I’d do: sell the wheels and get some OEM rims, and at least think about adding a factory 4-speed manual. The seller had new carpeting put in after fixing the floor pans. This isn’t a car that you’ll take if you’ll be hauling around the basketball team, which is why I’ve never been a huge fan of this generation Camaro or Firebird: my head touches the headliner. But, if I were going to get one, I would want a car almost exactly like this one but with a 4-speed manual and factory wheels. I guess I’ve mentioned that one too many times, eh?

There are no engine photos but this car has the standard engine for the Berlinetta, a 5.0L 305 V8 with a two-barrel carburetor and it has around 135 hp and 245 lb-ft of torque. Are any of you fans of the more luxury-oriented Berlinetta edition Camaro, or are you a staunch Z28 Camaro lover?

Comments

  1. Avatar Roselandpete

    I would love a Berlinetta but new floor pans make me wonder.

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  2. Avatar Don E

    “Oh ya, don’tcha know” what the heck do ya mean there, those floor pans are tricky now. This one’s nick name is Kermit.

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  3. Avatar PJ

    wow. that vinyl top is odd. not the best look for that car. the green is kinda cool

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  4. Avatar mike

    You must be a very big man if your head hits the headliner i am 6-1 and i am not even close.

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    • Avatar mike

      These were great looking cars in a time when they just did not make good looking cars. the performance was lacking but again in a time when all cars were lacking!

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  5. Avatar Dave Member

    “It’s got new floor pans, Ok then” “Ok then”
    It comes with the factory wheels, however I like what’s on it, I’d find a rear spoiler and have it painted the factory color and take it to the local cruise night. It’s a nice car in a rare colors. I like it! Ok then

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  6. Avatar rmward194 Member

    Too bad it doesn’t have AC, a must here in AZ. The first thing I would do is get rid of the Christmas tree air freshener. Otherwise an interesting find.

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  7. Avatar Dave at OldSchool Restorations

    How can you say this without me laughing ?

    ” “less than 50,000 original miles”, ….”which for a Minnesota car means that it was never, ever driven in the winter ”

    Minnesota cars are the worst in the USA for rust… with Michigan close behind. Winter salt stays on the roads for months after the snows are gone.

    The low mileage is simply because at 50,ooo miles the drivers seat fell through the floor, and the car was stored……

    Anyone who knows ANYTHING about Camaros, will pass on this one.

    Cars like this need to be sent to your local dry-cleaner once a month,

    ……………..because they surely have plenty of areas that will begin to self destruct after the each wash job, or light rain.

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  8. Avatar Blueprint

    I like the fact that it doesn’t have the rear factory spoiler – makes it even more oddball! Don’t remember if vynil roofs were still a factory option that year… Can’t remember ever seeing a ’78+ Camaro with one.

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  9. Avatar Keith

    Neat color combo, but the drivetrain choices – and unknown integrity of the body (seen my share of F-bodies up here with “ventilated floors” and “Flintstone brakes”) – makes it total CP in my book. Knock off $3K and it would be worth a shot.

    That said, keep them Minnesoda finds comin’ (yahshureyoubetchadontchaknow). Nice to see local stuff getting some attention!

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  10. Avatar Bingo

    The only thing you can put in that backseat is a hot dish that you’re takin to the family reunion out there on White Bear Lake on Sunday after church don’t ya know…ya u betcha.

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  11. Avatar VR LIVES

    Floor pans were replaced because they forgot the”True Coat” don’t cha know how, dat dere Berlinetta is a beaut fer sure.The green really jumps out like a frog and grabs ya!

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  12. Avatar 68 custom

    love the color, wonder about the replaced floor pans..

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  13. Avatar TC

    Switch the wheels. Now.

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  14. Avatar j.boyd

    A very strange piece of info, The rear spoilers on Camaro’s of this vintage create lift at speeds above 100 mph.(Per Car Craft magazine and a wind tunnel)

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  15. Avatar brian crowe

    I had a Berlinetta that was a dark brown metalic with the tan interior. It was a great car but it had a V6 in it so was that and option? It also did not have a rear spoiler no vynle roof either.

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    • Avatar Roselandpete

      If that dark brown metallic was the same dark brown as I had on my 80 Toro, it must have been fantastic.

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  16. Avatar brian crowe

    It was beautiful because I got the car pretty cheap because the paint was really oxidized and looked really bad. I spent a few hours with this stuff called Colour Back and it removed the oxidation awesome. The brown came back so rich and deep and the metalic just sparkled.

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    • Avatar Roselandpete

      Yup, sounds like my 80 Toro color alright.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Sherri

    I think it’s absolutely gorgeous….my favorite color….I almost got a Berlinetta for my first car. Passed on it because it looked so wide and I was a first time driver…it is my dream car….

    Like 0

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