I think that most of us love a good mystery. Whether it’s on the screen or in a book, there is something pretty satisfying about unraveling one before that story reaches its conclusion. That is what is on offer with this 1973 Chevrolet Camaro. The owner supplies limited information and only three photos. However, it is enough to whet the appetite of many classic enthusiasts who will want to pursue this one further. If you are one of those people, you will find the Camaro located in Yukon, Oklahoma, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. This project could be yours for $8,000. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for spotting yet another great project for us.
It seems that the Camaro has been sitting for quite a few years, and the owner only supplies two exterior photos. The Dark Blue Metallic paint is pretty sad, with the clearcoat peeling away in numerous locations. The panels look straight, but in any car from this era, the big question will revolve around rust…or the lack of it. The owner doesn’t mention any issues, and while we can’t see the lower extremities, some of the known trouble spots look quite promising. There’s nothing visible around the back window, and the cowl seems pretty clean. The lack of visible surface corrosion across the vehicle suggests that the storage environment has been pretty favorable. The bumpers might want a trip to the platers to present at their best, but the remaining trim and glass look good. The air cleaner poking through the hood indicates that things may not be 100% original in the engine bay.
The owner indicates that this Camaro features a 350ci V8, while it is also equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. It isn’t clear whether it is numbers-matching, but plenty of visual clues indicate that it has received a few performance upgrades. I can spot an Edelbrock High Rise intake, a set of headers, and what I believe is an electronic ignition system. Whether the motor has received any internal enhancements is unclear because the owner isn’t particularly forthcoming. He says that the V8 turns but that the car doesn’t run. Coaxing it back to life will fall to the buyer, but that could be a rewarding process. He also doesn’t supply any information on the interior, so we are flying pretty blind on that front. I can see that the rear seat appears to be missing, as are the door trims and parcel tray. These could be present but not installed, adding to the long list of questions that the buyer will undoubtedly accumulate.
This 1973 Camaro poses more questions than it answers. I don’t believe that the owner has done himself any favors with his listing and photos, so potential buyers need to hope that he is approachable and willing to answer questions. If the car has minimal or no rust issues, it could represent an affordable project build. With those thoughts in mind, is it one that you would be tempted to pursue further?
The hood is disappointing, but a replacement shouldn’t be too hard to find.
…and those cheap flex fans are awful.
Saw one of those flex fans break free on a 79 buick regal w 350 at speed, cut a slit through the hood and shot up into space never to be seen again…dammest thing i ever saw…
I see here what i believe is a flexalite fan & is not cheap – it’s a full flex steel fan with stainless steel blades. My friend has had one on his ’68 nova with 250 6 cyl for like 30 yrs – no issues. They do flatten out when you get to speed & you can feel the difference. & cool better too than the 4 blade fixed steel GM fan.
http://www.flex-a-lite.com/belt-driven-fans/16-inch-silver-flex-fan.html
Ray, could the flex fan that broke have been a cheaper one with partial flex blades? & possibly not a flexalite?
Lost me when they used a turnbuckle for an alternator mount. Redneck engineering at its finest.
That “redneck” engineering turnbuckle is from March, which makes high end billet accessory bracket and pulley kits.
As for the feature, unless the car is a Z28, matching numbers doesn’t add anything to the cars resale value.
Steve R
I still have a place in my heart for my 70 Camaro, it had a 427 (an L-68 out of a 69 Corvette), a four-gear, and 4:10’s. It was literally the fastest car I’ve ever owned, it scared quite a few ppl over the years of my ownership. This looks nice, but check the rear frame rails, mine were “repaired” and it always was in the back of my mind while driving.
The rear spoiler looks like it came from a Firebird.
Is that a cage, and missing back seat and shelf trim?
Those are part of the shoulder harness. They were attached to the roof structure just behind the driver and passengers outside shoulder. If they weren’t secured they hung down, like on this car. If that was part of a roll bar it would be angled outward towards, then down.
Steve R
It’s a funny line/angle, which is why I wondered. Cage follows the roofline and then you have door bars – but things were more lax in the 70s, and also safety rules differed from country to country.
Oh, oh, Cletus,( scratching head) after a puttin the air cleaner on, I can’t shut the hood. No problem, reaching for sawzall,,( lower, flatter air cleaner, maybe?) Watching too many Red Green shows. I kid, not all folks in Oklahoma are slack jawed yokels, as depicted over and over. They happen to live in dangerous part of the country, but are great, resilient folks, my heart goes out to them everytime a twister spreads their belongings over 3 counties.
We, or at least I take for granted seeing vintage Camaros come through here in this condition. Truth be known, they were super rusters, on par with any Asian car, and you simply won’t find one north of I-70. The only thing with this, is if they cut a hole in the hood, makes you wonder what else is cobbled. Still a good find.
Reminds me of a car owned by a girl I was dating back in the seventies. She was the parts manager at a Chevrolet dealer in Rutland, Vt. and had recently purchased a 64 C2 convertible, grey primer and with a nice round hole in the hood like on this one. The guys at the dealership donated their time and removed whatever was sticking out of the hood, replacing it with a stock air cleaner, etc. even “removing” that God-awful hole on the hood. No idea of what ever became of her or the C2.
The ad is still up but I saw this notice: “SOLD, deal pending”.
Always nice to see one of these in “as used” condition, running or not. Just the site of this Camaro reminded me of several from well over thirty years ago. Thank you.