When an owner offers a classic car for sale, sometimes you only need to look at the bidding history to gain a clear insight into that vehicle’s desirability. That is the case with this 1969 Camaro. It has just emerged after thirty-three years in hiding and is an essentially solid classic that would make an excellent foundation for a project build. It has garnered its share of attention since the owner listed it for sale here on eBay, with thirty-eight bids already on the books. Located in Onawa, Iowa, the action has pushed the price to $14,100 in a No Reserve auction. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this gem for us.
The seller purchased this Fathom Green Camaro from a friend who used it as a daily driver for years. It seems that that individual may have planned a restoration themselves, which explains the evidence of Bondo, primer, and rubbed patches on the paint. As often happens, that project stalled, and the car sat for the next thirty-three years. The seller intended to follow his own path with this build, but another project is consuming his cash, so the Camaro has to go. It is missing a few items like the grille, inner front fenders, and the hood has been cut to fit an aftermarket scoop. Otherwise, the body is unmolested. When you’re dealing with a pony car of this vintage, the question of rust will always raise its head. In this case, the news appears to be largely positive. The owner admits that the Camaro will require new lower rear quarter panels and outer wheel wells. There are also issues with the lower front fenders, and the driver’s side front floor has a small but patchable hole. There are a few smaller holes in the trunk pan, but that seems to be the extent of the problem. The owner says that the rest of the floors are good, as are the frame rails and cowl. That last piece of news is significant because it is one area of these Camaros that is particularly prone to problems. The new owner will need to assess the state of the existing trim to determine whether it meets their standards as part of this project, and they will need to secure a replacement windshield. The remaining glass is good, and the aftermarket wheels that the car rolls on are included in the sale.
The interior shots supplied by the owner aren’t that great, but they reveal that this Camaro is missing its front seats and carpet. He has a set of later model front buckets that he is willing to include, so the buyer will need to make a choice on that front. It isn’t clear how healthy the upholstery is, nor do we get a look at the dash and pad. It may require a complete restoration, but this shouldn’t consume more than $2,000 on this project. One excellent score with this car is the factory 8000rpm tachometer. One glaring omission is the engine. It rolled off the line powered by a six-cylinder engine with a three-speed manual transmission. These components are long gone, but the owner includes a Saginaw four-speed transmission in the deal. That leaves this Camaro as a genuine blank canvas for the buyer. There are so many choices it could make a person’s head spin! It will come down to a matter of taste, but at least the buyer can attack this knowing that they won’t be destroying a numbers-matching classic.
Let’s talk hypotheticals for a moment. Imagine that you are the winning bidder, and you’ve now dragged this 1969 Camaro into your workshop. What would your intentions be? Would you consider a faithful restoration, or would a clone of some description be the next logical step? Would you slot a small-block under the hood, a big-block, or would you follow the restomod pathway? There are probably no right or wrong answers because the lack of original motor means that it will never be a numbers-matching vehicle. That leaves scope for the next owner to let their imagination run wild. Okay, let’s forget the hypotheticals. Are you tempted to throw your hat into the ring and see if you can park this classic in your workshop?
So what we have is a ROUGH non Z28 as the emblem on the rear represents, basic 69 Camaro. This could turn into a money pit quick. Buy one done and save yourself a bunch of headaches and money.
I have a Fathom Green 69 RS Camaro and can’t believe what people pay for garbage now a days.
One mans trash is another mans treasure, I guess.
A pic of the cowl tag would have been nice. Style trim with deluxe interior is nice, and I’d like to have a set of slots for some reason. It’s missing the 6AL box which should be mounted on the firewall above the heater core cover.
Thats just crazy i can buy right now a z28 that looks great and run’s better . you just need to know where to look.
Hi John, Share your secret! Where to look? I am a former owner of over 20 classics when I was younger from C-2’s to 69 Camaro’s. Raised 6 children and was out of the market for all those years. Retired now and can’t afford a retirement gift at these insane prices. And Yes, I can do bodywork and mechanical as I did on many of my former cars. Classic bikes have done the same with pricing , off the charts and not affordable any longer.
Excuse me! A 6 cyl, 3 speed car, missing drive train, needing an interior and all replacement sheet metal is bid to over 14K. I’ll just have another beer and keep looking,.
Bargain day … yep i play a body man on TV and what I see is a crazy over priced camaro.
Drive train guesstimate 8000
(LS and use the four speed)
Body 13-15 grand to repair and add new metal
Interior 2 grand
So were at 40 large for a six cylinder pedigree.
Buy one together..
I love the 1969 Camaros really a good looking car. But let’s get real by the the time you’re done your over your head and way over budget,for what. Save your money and buy one done. Let the other guy take the hit. A restored Camaro to day at a shop of any credit will hit you 50 to 90 grand and take a year or two to complete and that’s not counting the drive train.
Boy, the viewers here never disappoint, and that’s why this site is so great!!
Spot on everyone, I just wish I could sprinkle magic dust on the rest of the people out there and get them to stop driving the prices so high
Lol
Hey. At least it has the required rear bumper guards. Every 69 Z had them.
$2000 to complete? Seems unlikely. But then, again, I’m completely unfamiliar with I-6 engine values.
However, I would speculate that one might be able to sell the Z/28 emblem on the rear for $100 thereby reducing the outlay to $1900.
My buddy would call these cars “Driveway Cars”, because they travel from one person’s driveway to the next person’s. These cars seldom get restored, because they belong to dreamers. Anyone who restores this 6 cylinder car will always be buried in it, so if you build it, you’d better keep and enjoy it.
I really like ’69 Camaros, but this one is only a bad dream….
At least the Z/28 emblem is aligned correctly. And it is pretty much downhlll, in a hurry, after that.
All the rear badges, z28, ss, or bowtie used the same holes, so alignment is pretty goof proof there. It’s the front fenders that usually get messy when ‘upgrading’ identities.
Sorry But 2000.00 would not even get good body work and paint…
Insanity of today’s market shines brightly! Nothing about this is worth the current bidding. The buyer will be in deep on this and still, when done, non-matching numbers and a 6 w/three on the floor basic tin can. The bidders should re-examine their positions.
Boy in 1 year a 5k car goes up to 15k? Must be the stimulus $ and frustrated souls….
I hear the top bidder is from the UK so after the money exchange it costs them a little less but their is still shipping it across the pond expense. Keep American muscle here, some one out bid the bloke.
recreate the camaro from Eat My Dust