There is nothing quite like finding a one-owner classic for sale. When a single person has owned a vehicle for more than 40-years, there is a good chance that it has been treated with a decent level of respect. That appears to be the case with this 1979 Camaro Berlinetta. It isn’t perfect, but it is a tidy survivor that is ready to be driven and enjoyed immediately. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for referring the Camaro to us. You will find it located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and listed for sale here on craigslist. This bow-tie classic can be yours for $12,990.
This one-owner classic is finished in Dark Blue and presents quite well from a few feet away. Closer inspection reveals that the paint is beginning to look tired. There is no doubt that it would benefit from a repaint at some point, but this isn’t something that would be considered to be urgent. The panels appear to be straight, while the gaps are tight and consistent. The Camaro was optioned with a T-Top, which should make the most of the glorious California sunshine. The inclusion of spotless tinted glass should help to keep things cool. Life in sunny climes also means that this is a Camaro with no rust problems. The exterior trim seems to be in good condition, and the original wheels appear to be free from any form of damage.
There is a CD player in the dash, and the wheel wears a wrap. Beyond those two items, the interior of the Camaro is original. It also presents exceptionally well. This is no doubt due to the fact that the owner recently treated the interior to a full refurbishment. Not wishing to do things by halves, this work was completed using all genuine parts. About the only flaws that are worth mentioning are some discoloring of the wheel, along with wear to some of the chrome highlights. This is particularly noticeable around the center vents, but would hardly be classed as a deal-breaker. Helping the T-Top and tinted glass to keep life cool inside the Berlinetta, the car comes equipped with factory air conditioning.
I’m disappointed that the owner hasn’t included any photos of the Camaro’s engine. What we do know is that it is fitted with a 350ci V8, which is backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission. Being a California car, the 350 should be producing 165hp. This is a long way short of the sort of power that would have been available during the Camaro’s glory days. It also means that the vehicle will cover the ¼ mile in around 18.2 seconds. However, it isn’t all bad news by any stretch of the imagination. The engine was treated to a full rebuild in 2018. Since then, the Camaro has only accumulated 2,000 miles on the clock. That means that the 350 is barely broken in. The owner doesn’t mention how well the car runs or drives, but you would have to think that the answer would be “really well” on both counts.
The 1979 Camaro Berlinetta was by no means a rare vehicle, with a production total of 67,236 cars rolling off the line. However, the market today seems to be dominated by the Z/28. That makes finding a good Berlinetta a bit of a challenge. This particular car has a lot of positive attributes, including the fresh engine and interior. The T-Top and A/C offer the promise of some very comfortable cruising. This isn’t the cheapest ’79 Berlinetta on the market at present, but the asking price for this rust-free, one-owner classic would seem to be well justified.
My initial reaction was ‘meh,’ but after taking a look, this is a nice example. For their time, these were pretty good cars. Decent handling and comfortable, easy to work on and good looking. GM has done a lot worse than this. Not a crazy price and it would be an older car that would be easy to drive in traffic or take on a road trip.
And not so valuable that you would be afraid to take it on a road trip.
Ah, the luxury pony car. This segment must be completely puzzling to readers under the age of 50 but at one time it was very hot. It started with the Mustang Grande in 1969 and was embodied by gems like the Pierre Cardin Javelin, Challenger SE, Barracuda Gran Couoe, this car’s predecessor the Camaro Type LT, the Firebird Espirit and S/E and the later Mustang Ghia.
I would say at the first generation Toyota Supra falls into this category. And of course Toyota offered a luxury L-type on the second generation Supra, along side the standard P-type. Ditto for the 1978-83 280ZX.
Nowadays, such a vehicle would probably fail to sell a single unit. But from the mid-70s through the early-80s they were the bomb. The segment contracted rapidly after that though. I think the last one was the 1987 Camaro LT.
I think the 1967 Cougar XR7 ought to be at the top of your list.
Great point. That vehicle provided personal luxury for two humans which had not previously been seen before. And it was based on the Mustang. List amended.
There may be more of us still under 50 who “get it” than you realize or credit. You’d certainly better hope so, if you care about the future of “the hobby” (VERY broadly defined–whether just fix n drive, restore, hot rod, etc.). I always wanted a Cougar rather than a Mustang, for instance, and have had friends who liked Tbirds, etc., but in my case, a ’63 Comet called (yeah, a “Falcon” in many ways but I think it beat the Falcon in style). Anyhow, don’t rip on those of us who aren’t Boomers. We’re all in this together!
I’d keep looking and try to find a Z28 for close to this cars asking price. The car was just washed, depending how wet it is, the dark blue paint could be much worse that it appears. It would also be nice to know if the AC works. It’s a nice car, but it’s too expensive for a generic Camaro from that year, somewhere around $7,500-8,000 and it might be a different story.
Steve R
It also appears to be a bit of a stripper. No Tilt Steering Wheel or Cruise Control, Power Windows or Door Locks. I’m with Steve R it’s worth about 8 grand to me.
and it looks like the lower grill under the bumper is missing. Something smells fishy here.
The seller is a very optimistic man
Its been a while since i saw one of these. The Berlinita was marketed to ladies by GM. I think the top speed was just 100.
I guess one could listen to a long version of a classic 🦅 song while getting there.
A paint job would do wonders and just be a driver unless someone wanted to add dual exhaust with 3” inch pipes and a performance intake and carb . Then one could take the 3300 pound car out get to 60 in less than one hour. 😮
I would add frame connectors to strengthen the sub frame up if one wanted to performance it up.
I remember in HS a late 79 or 80 TA making the local paper in a freak accident leaving the road to a ditch with T tops and being shown separated or almost torn in half shown in the picture. No worries this car has no power to probably do that 😉
350 Chevy the easiest in the world to make more power. True dual exhaust and removal of pollution gear will perk it up a lot. If that isn’t enough many speed parts are available. Register as antique and no smog inspection. Could be a reasonable price for a Camaro with no rust issues,
Your suggestions work if the car leaves California. If it stays here, it still needs all of its factory emissions equipment installed and operational.
Steve R
Some of you readers have to look at the bigger picture sometimes. Yeah, it is not a Z28. The rise in prices on Pontiac Trans Ams is starting to trickle down to Z28’s. I got a good deal on a 1980 Berlinetta, the same colour as this one. I added a rear spoiler and repainted it, without all of the pinstripes. All of the Berlinetta badges were removed. All of the exterior bright work was blacked out. The 14 inch wheels were replaced with 15 inch Z28 wheels. The money saved on buying a Z28 was put into buyer headers, intake, carb and camshaft. The car is low profile and faster than a stock Z28 now.
By the time you buy it, paint it, change the wheels, upgrade the suspension and modify the engine, why not start with a real Z28. The modifications make sense, but only if you buy this car at a much lower price point. Nobody is saying it’s junk, just that the seller wants too much money.
Steve R
To the new buyer replace all the rubber/weather stripping on the T tops right away if you lose a T top it’s going to be very expensive! I know people see themselves in a car like this with the tops off wind in your hair etc. On this car they were a HUGE mistake!!! And if you have any thoughts of adding any good HP to it forget it even with subframe connectors welded in the body is so weak you will twist it badly and damage will happen! Ask me how I know ALL this! Great cars WITHOUT the T tops!!!
I could not agree more. These cars when equipped with T Tops leaked and rattled from brand new. Although not as important in this model which will never be driven hard, they also had tons of body flex that could be down right dangerous in any kind of performance driving setting.
This brings back memories – I had a brown 1979, same wheels as here and yes with whitewalls. I thought I was the king of the world. But if I had the T-tops and 350 instead of the 305 then yes I would have been the actual king of the world.
All I can say about 1983 is THEM WERE THE DAYS
What’s up with that back bumper covering? How did it fade so bad compared to the front fascia and the rest of the car. That’s like a glaring zit on the rump of an otherwise beautiful lady. To your point, Jack M, I agree it would be cheaper to take this car and mimic the Z-28 appearance without paying the Z-28 up front cost!
I am very impressed that the original dark blue paint is still mostly there. They were repainting these when they were a year old due to bad paint.
I wanted to order my ’81 in this color but the dealership manager talked me out of it, claiming the paint doesn’t last very long.
There were a lot of Berlinettas back in the day, it’s great to see one now.