Some brave enthusiasts will look at almost any classic and see the potential hidden beneath a tired and rusty exterior. This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro is looking for such an individual because it has been beset by significant rust issues. Tackling this build won’t be for the faint-hearted, requiring deep commitment and an extremely healthy wallet. If you feel up for the challenge, you will find the Camaro listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Columbus, Ohio. The seller has set their price at $9,900, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Ted for spotting this sad and sorry classic.
The Camaro formed part of General Motors’ two-pronged attack on the pony car market. It and the Pontiac Firebird were envisaged as genuine competitors to the Ford Mustang juggernaut, and sales figures suggest that both drew customers away from Ford dealerships. The First Generation Camaro enjoyed a relatively short three-year production run but firmly established itself within the market to attract a dedicated following. The original owner ordered this classic in Code 67 Burgundy, and much water has passed under the bridge since its glory days. The tired paint is a reasonable indication that the car requires a complete restoration, and the further we dig, the more apparent it becomes that the new owner would need to employ a nut-and-bolt approach. The visible exterior rust will require plenty of cutting and welding, but there is more below the surface. The trunk pan is pretty bad, and the front floors are beyond salvation. Replacement steel to return those areas to a rust-free state is available and affordable. However, there may be more significant issues that could place the project in jeopardy. I am concerned that the left rear corner appears to be “drooping.” It may be nothing, but it might also indicate that the rear rails have succumbed to rust. Only an in-person inspection will confirm the truth, but potential buyers may face structural challenges that would be beyond the capabilities of many. That would mean employing a professional, significantly increasing the project’s cost.
The Camaro’s interior is essentially complete, although it is another aspect of this classic requiring major attention. The dash pad, passenger seat, and a few small pieces are missing, but locating replacement shouldn’t be challenging. A retrim would be pretty straightforward, courtesy of the availability of kits in the correct materials and colors. It isn’t loaded with luxuries like air conditioning, but it is safe to say that returning the interior to its former glory would be the most affordable aspect of this build.
The “heroes” of the 1969 Camaro range were undoubtedly the SS and Z28, but this car offered its original owner pretty competent performance. They ordered the car with the legendary 350ci V8, producing 250hp and 345 ft/lbs of torque. They teamed the small-block with a three-speed automatic transmission, adding power assistance for the steering and brakes to guarantee a relaxed and effortless driving experience. The SS and Z28 would show this classic a clean set of heals, but its ability to cover the ¼-mile in 16.2 seconds and its top speed of 127mph would have satisfied most buyers in 1969. I think it is fair to assume that this classic doesn’t run or drive and hasn’t done either for many years. The accumulated debris on the intake suggests that it has suffered rodent infestation, and whether the engine turns is unclear. However, the 350 enjoys a well-earned reputation for toughness, meaning revival might be possible for anyone considering returning this Camaro to its numbers-matching former glory.
Seeing a classic like this 1969 Camaro reduced to its current state makes my heart ache, and I would love to think that someone will return it to its former glory. I acknowledge that such an undertaking will be beyond the ability of many readers and that employing a professional to address its rust issues will significantly increase the project’s costs. That raises the question of whether this is financially viable. The harsh reality is that even if the new owner achieves perfection in a numbers-matching restoration, the fact that it isn’t a Z28 or an SS will limit its potential value to around $50,000. A higher figure is plausible, but conditions would need to be favorable for that to occur. Throwing caution to the wind could be an option for someone with a big-block hidden away in a corner of their workshop because modified cars can sometimes command a higher potential value. What do you think? Is this 1969 Camaro worth restoring, or have its days come and gone?
SCRAPS!!! not worth it
If it runs, enter it in a Demolition Duty.
The value is not in the car itself. The value is with it having a legit cowl tag, VIN tag, clear title. No one in their right mind would restore that body. Rather they transfer the firewall and cowl to a Dyncorn body. It appears the subframe, rear axle, inner fenders and much more are salvageable. Realistically, you can have a good solid body/chassis ready for paint for under $30K. Convert it into a Pro-Touring ride with and LS or Big Block, and you’ll have yourself a nice $100K car+.
Hey! Can’t you read!? The seller says, “(he) doesn’t need your expert opinion.” LOL. My guess is that he’s already gotten a ton of flack from his asking price.
Rare color.
I sent in this “find” and I was amazed at how bad this car looked and how the seller thought that it had so much value. But, who knows… beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!
Stick a fork in it…. it’s done!
Dude this would barely be a parts car close to being crushed
Sure, I’ll pay $9,900 for this, provided I find $10,900 in what’s left of the glove box.
As the one-time owner of a 1969 Z28, mine was already showing signs of rust-through in the quarters by 1979 when I sold it. And mine was garaged most of the time. And because mine was tracked and had street slicks, it never saw wet or snow covered roads. It was the salt air of Long Island that was the culprit.
The unibody/sub-frame design was never that sturdy and we needed to reinforce the structure just to get it to go straight down the quarter mile. Did I mention that the 302 was heavily worked by Motion Performance? I should have kept the engine when I was done with it.
This one will disintegrate if acid dipped or an air hammer is used anywhere. Kiss it goodby.
Looks like it was chewed up and spit out.
Needs to go directly to the junk yard…
Looks like another one pulled from a field or old junkyard. Done,say goodbye and give a good burial.
This old boy is in sad shape. Pull off what ever good parts are left on it (if any) and call it a day. It sure had a rough life.
What is that bracket on the driver side exhaust manifold? It’s not ringing any bells.
Melton Mooney, Thats a kit that G.M. conjured up to restrain the motor if the motor mount broke on that side. They had one for most of what they sold, body wise, engine wise. The motor mounts back then would separate at the point the rubber was supposed to be bonded to the metal portion.
I bought my ’69 camaro in ’71. 327ci I paid $2000 for it in perfect condition. It sold new for $4200!!! I removed, stripped and after acid dip, built
up the engine into a nice running machine. But kept breaking motor mounts and traction bars. i was only 19/20 at the time. I didn’t know there was a fix for the motor mounts besides using cable straps to prevent the engine from moving too much if the mounts did brake/separate.
Factory recall installed like I should be. To much twist they put a cable and bracket to keep it down.
Thanks Gents. I suspected it was an engine restraint, but I haven’t seen that design before. Where/how does it connect to the frame?
The issue was that if the left motor mount broke under acceleration, the engine would lift on the left side, which caused the accelerator to be physically jammed open
Fun times! I used that as an excuse to get my dumba$$ out of a ticket.
Making a left in the rain once light turned green I nailed it going sideways to make my turn. I failed to notice 2nd car back on other side was a cop.
I told him it was the car and he must have been a GM guy because he knew what I meant in explaining and he told me to get it fixed ASAP!
The good old days…..
Crazy price form an owner that should have clearly sold it to someone that was going to do something with it years ago. People have to have a little more respect for the vehicle than to say “I own a ’69 Camaro.” Simply put, owners can’t let these cars sit outside until they get around to them. Either get indoor storage with a non leaking roof and preferably a concrete floor, start fixing them, or cut it loose for someone else to fix it and get some cash. This one is simply reduced to parts and that value is certainly not $9900.
My ZL1 Camaro looked about the same, I’m glad I just trashed it no need to restore
Obviously this is a plane Jane 1969 base Camaro with a 350, auto on the column, with PS and PB. Out of over 240,000 cars built and for the work needed and the selling price, definitely wise to move on to a better starting point. Perhaps if it was a Yenko, Baldwin Motion, or maybe a ZL1, or even a Pace car, the reward would be worth the investment. {a quick look reveals that just over 21,300 Z28’s were produced, but 38,000 are still on the road!} Condition, options, and price dictate the smart move…move on. Let the seller sit on his (all but) $10k heap…and he wants that in CASH!
From the hometown of Fred Gibb Chevrolet..I try to keep track of all of Fred’s 50 and other 19 ZL-1s.
You say “trashed it” does that mean driving or junked it?
I would be anxious to know which ZL-1 you had if you can recall
If it were free, it would be too expensive.
10k for a vin and paperwork seems a bit high, then you have to find a shipper willing to move something like this…. good luck
This is a joke, right?
I wonder if there are any fish skeletons inside it . The car appears to have spent some time underwater. It might be worth $9900.00 10 or 15 years in the future when the supply of better candidates dwindles.
You’re basically buying a VIN Tag, Cowl Tag and a few select salvable parts which can then be used in a complete rebody, using a Dynacorn ’69 Body, assuming you can cut the firewall/cowl out and install on the new body. Not a bad deal, as you’ll have a legit ’69 Camaro licensable as a ’69.
Ahhh…$9900 for this car, another $13,500 for a new aftermarket body, plus engine, trans, rear rebuild costs, interior, glass, paint, suspension, wiring, chrome, (oh, and the time to do all the work yourself or paying someone for any of the mentioned), etc…Yeah, it could be done…or buy a driving running car for starting at $40,000 and drive it today…Not even a good father son project candidate…Unless you wanna spend years in the garage for the love of the project and that is priceless.
Think Protouring – $100K Plus car registered as a legit ’69 (for us CA folks, means smog exempt). I’d rather see using this shell converted to a protouring build vs cutting up a clean nice original ’69.
For the amount of money it would take to bring this car back to life, Its just as well to spend it on one of the many that are already show and go ready.
If it was anything special Dynacorn will sell the entire body structure from taillights to firewall for $13,500.
I’d leave the finish alone and save the money for a warmed up LS and an overdrive. Brakes wheels and you’ve got a sweet rat rod muscle car.
Ridin dirty!!
69 is my favorite year Camaro and I hate seeing any one of these gone but I don’t see this one coming back from the abuse it has seen. Real shame.
At least they didn’t try to pass it off as an SS RS Z28 GT Yenko Shelby one of a kind with no documentation. 😂
I’d be embarrassed to ask that price. Although I have known people that think the value of an item skyrockets as soon as they take ownership. Everyone likes to make a little profit, come on let’s be some what reasonable.
The value is not in the car itself but the VIN tag, cowl tag, and title – which you can transfer to a Dynacorn body and thereafter have a legit ’69 Camaro, assuming you cut the cowl/firewall out and transfer the Dynacorn body.
What MikeF said. I was around when these cars were new as a teenager in the snow region of NE Pennsylvania. Even with owners washing the salt away, etc, these things were rotted to the windows by 1978. There were several factors among them, one, these were every day cars we drove to work, etc. Road crews throw down salt like it was going out of style and truth be told, the cars were built to be obsolete in a few years. I worked at a very busy Chevy Olds dealer in the mid 1970s. My boss told me then, all car makers planned for their products to fall apart. The seller’s price is unrealistic, but it’s the law of supply and demand and 69 Camaros will likely not go out of style for many years.
There is no way that Camaro is worth 9,900 the owner better think twice the whole body is shot the inside of the Camaro and the outside is a total restoration who knows what the chassis looks like I can bet you that the engine is in desperate need of replacing I would say a price of $500.00 and hopefully it can be brought back to it’s original looks and running like a charm
I think if it was free it would be too expensive. Maybe that firewall donor makes sense. In which case cut out and sell the firewall and scrap the rest.
Experience time an money in hand still not worth restoring and have more of a investment than its worth 200 dollar parts car at best