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One Owner Survivor: 1973 Chevrolet Camaro

The second generation of the Chevy Camaro would arrive a little late to the party in 1970 – and stick around through 1981. Thought by many to be the best-looking of all the Camaro’s built since 1967, they had few physical changes over the 12-year run. This 1973 Camaro (which may or may not be a Type LT) hails from near Cornwall, Ontario and the seller might be a dealer. The car is available here on Kijiji for $24,995 (which may be stated in Canadian currency).

The 1970 Camaro’s got a slow start rolling out due to some delays in production, so they didn’t get to buyers before February (the related Pontiac Firebird suffered the same trouble). They sold well, but not as well as the first generation (the pony car market was beginning to reach maturity). For 1973, the new body’s fourth year, Chevy sold nearly 100,000 of the autos, with only four percent being equipped with a six-cylinder, so the rest were V-8s. From the trim on the seller’s car, we think that it may be the more upscale Type LT, but we can’t see if it’s marked accordingly and the listing doesn’t mention that. If so, one out of three Camaro’s built that year were Type LTs.

This ’73 Camaro is described as a “real survivor,” but it would be hard to expect a 47-year-old paint job to look this nice. It appears to be finished in Medium Orange (code 97) with a corresponding brown and black interior. The listing quotes 60,000 as the distance traveled, but we’re not sure if that’s in miles or kilometers as both are shown using those digits. We’re told the car has never seen winter, which is a good thing if it has lived in Canada all its life. The Camaro is said to be a one-owner, but we think a dealer placed the ad as financing is available with half down.

From the photos provided, it’s hard to find a flaw with the car, both inside and outside. The alloy wheels are not original and yet look very nice with this style of automobile. The Camaro is powered by a 350 V8 (two or four-barrel, we don’t’ know, but since it looks like the car has dual exhaust, we’ll go with the latter). It has a Turbo-Hydramatic for shifting along with power steering and brakes, but no factory air conditioning (after all, we’re talking Canada in the ‘70s). The only thing that seems to be missing is the jack.

According to Hagerty, a sweet 1973 Camaro is a $15-20,000 prospect and this car is at least of that quality. So, it looks as though the seller has priced the car outside its usual trading range. However, if the price is stated in Canadian dollars, at the present conversion rate that would work out to $19,305 USD which is right where it should be.

Comments

  1. Avatar Moparman Member

    I lusted after one of these terribly, but *SIGH* I never got one! This one’s a real beauty! GLWTS!! :-)

    Like 7
  2. Avatar Steve Clinton

    There are few American car designs that are perfect works of art. The 1971 through 1973 Camaros qualify.

    Like 16
  3. Avatar Vegaman Dan

    Sure looks like a Vega up front to me!

    (And that’s not a bad thing considering my name.)

    Like 4
    • Avatar JEFF S.

      You have it backwards Vega, The Vega looks like a Camaro up front, lol.

      Like 13
  4. Avatar Steve R

    It’s definitely been cleaned up and prepared for resale. They cut a few corners such as replacing the console lid/door, fixing the split in the console, replacing the rear leaf spring shackles with ones that don’t hang below the body line and replacing the rubber bumpers that have overspray on the inner front fenders. This is not likely an LT, it’s missing several pieces of trim that would have come standard when checking that option. It looks nice, but someone would be wise to check it out with a fine tooth comb before signing the paperwork.

    Steve R

    Like 17
    • Avatar bry593

      Correct. LT had LT on the B. Usually vinyl top. But most telling is a lack of hideaway wipers…

      This is a 2-barrel. I say that because those cars with air-inject in place are likely not too modified (nobody installed a 4). And, considering the lack of options, was an entry level 2-barrel.

      Like 1
  5. Avatar Mitchell Ross Member

    GM design during the Mitchell years was the best in the world. Really! Pininfarina? Not even close.

    Like 5
  6. Avatar gbvette62

    Nice car, but it’s not a Type LT. The LT had badges on the front, on both “B” pillars and on the tail lamp panel. They also had a blue “Type LT” emblem in the horn button, a (fake) wood grain gauge cluster and I believe different rocker panel trim.

    The ancient set of Appliance Wire Mags are a nice touch too, but then I’m partial to them, I had a set on my Trans Am in 74.

    Like 9
  7. Avatar ccrvtt

    “Medium orange” looks a bit more like light fecal dun to me – not a bad color but not as great as Goodwood green or midnight blue on these cars. I agree with the others that this is one of the finest designs of any car, including the Italians.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Ray

    That’s 4bbl carburetor the air cleaner bigger than a air cleaner on two barrel carburetor

    Like 1
    • Avatar bry593

      Sorry, but 2 and 4 lids are identical, not to mention it is a 2-barrel.

      Like 2
  9. Avatar Jared

    Nice enough car but not a Type LT. with no a/c and an automatic it’s worth $13-14k, assuming everything else checks out

    Like 3
  10. Avatar Mike Stephens

    I had a 1973 Oldsmobile which ran like crap because that was the first year of GM’s exhaust gas recirc to meet environmental regulations. I would opt for the 1972 version of this.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar martinsane

    Refreshing to see a non RS with the requisite full bumper.
    Intriguing to see that console, shifter and steering wheel as they are so much different from the 1970 RS i had. These 3 items look more in place in the 3rd generation models, at least in my minds eye.
    This is my favorite body style of the Camaro. Hard to fathom 20k as i bought mine in 1985 for a grand.

    Like 3
    • Avatar bry593

      1973 was the only big mouth Camaro with the stalk shift. Others were horseshoe. The stalk and the ’73 seat belts are much better.

      Like 1
  12. Avatar ACZ

    I bought mine in 1973 for $4K. It’s definitely a Q87 not an S87. The VIN wasn’t printed so you can only guess at the validity of the “350”. Could easily be a 307. Can’t see the fuel line easily enough to determine if it is a two or four barrel. Has the inflatable spare but no jack and no inflator. Console and shifter are correct for a 73. They used the same ones as the Firebird starting then. Appears to be pretty clean but no bottom photos. The Canadians put some really nasty stuff on their roads in the Winter. Some of the cars built in Oshawa looked ten years old by the time they got to U.S. Dealers.

    Like 2
  13. Avatar K. R. V.

    Very nice Camaro! Funny the description mentioned only 4 percent of the LT’s built then were 6 cyl? Back in 73-76, when stationed at Ft. Carson CO, a good friend had a 73,Type LT, that was loaded with everything, from A/C, to power windows and locks, including bucket seat! In metallic green exterior and dark green interior, with nice silk like cloth seats. But powered by a totally gutless 250, 6cyl!! He said was due to his awful driving record back home, that he said would be over a grand a year with even just a 305 V8!! So he was forced to get the 6cyl! Oh the car ran great, handled very good, stopped great and was very comfortable, for only 3 big guys really, but two very comfortable! But was slow, especially with the AC on! It would barely get over 80 mph on any grade on the interstate in the mountains! Plus got only about 16-20 mpg?

    Like 1
    • Avatar ACZ

      The 6 cyl was never available in the LT. The 350 2bbl was standard. Only 221 73s were made with power windows (it was a late 73 intro) and none had power locks (even though some of the wiring for them was in the power window harness). The LT did not have “silk like cloth”. The cloth was more course and was in herringbone patterns. Mine happens to have the blue herringbone with blue carpets. That combination was available with a few colors for a two tone interior in 73.

      Like 2
      • Avatar Steve R

        Power windows and locks were available in the second generation Firebirds when they were introduced in 1970 which made it easy to add those options to the Camaro. I had a 1970 Formula Firebird that came with PW, power locks and remote trunk among other unusual options.

        Steve R

        Like 0
      • Avatar ACZ

        That’s true, but Camaros were not built that way. Windows came in late 73, locks later. Remote trunk was available from the factory or as a dealer over the counter accessory package.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Chuck Dickinson

        So the 72 RS Camaro I bought wasn’t available w/PW? Then, how did it have them? It had been ordered by a retired lady with about everything on it–AC, tilt, AM-FM, PW, rear def, etc. It was less than a year old when I got it, and it did have PW with the buttons on the console.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Alan Zak

        Either it wasn’t a 72 or someone got the parts from a Firebird and transferred them to the Camaro.

        Like 1
      • Avatar K. R. V.

        Ok after receiving your response I did a little homework to help my memories from 45 years ago! My friends Camaro was a 75, and I’m sure about everything I posted except for possibly the model designation, I remember the badge was on the center of the roof pillar just past the side windows, with red, white an blue like a small flag with two letters, LT or LE?

        Like 0
      • Avatar ACZ

        The 75 had the larger back glass with the narrower C pillars. That had more options available. PW, PDL, and you could get Cruise Control by then. I had to adapt an Impala Cruise Control unit for my 73. Not that big a deal but it wasn’t offered. The LT badges were in the location you describe. The LE designation was not used. By 75 you might have also been able to get a grid line rear defogger (not sure about that).

        Like 0
  14. Avatar Mike

    Back in the day, I bought one of these for a dollar. Drove it all winter, so I wouldn’t have to drive my Mustang. I ticked of the bowtie crowd. Gave it away for a couple cases of beer. A bowtie friend wanted the engine. easy come easy go…LOL

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Chuck Dickinson

    You can believe that if you like, but if I agreed with you, then we’d both be wrong. It was a Spring Green (I think that’s the name, a bright green metallic) RS, and it was a 72 (there was a strike at the Norwood plant where they were made, and she had to wait a long time for her order), and it had PW, which she did not add. I’m not arguing with your sources, but your sources didn’t own one, and I did!

    Like 0
    • Avatar ACZ

      My sources built them.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Chuck Dickinson

        Great! Doesn’t change a thing. Re-read the first line of my previous reply. Have a great day.

        Like 0
      • Avatar ACZ

        That’s correct. Your claims don’t change a thing.

        Like 0
  16. Avatar DanChester

    Not a Type LT. If it was it would have a fake burled walnut dash, knitted vinyl seat facings, LT emblems on C-pillars (I believe) as well as on the tail lamp panel and a narrower strip of bright rocker moulding mounted higher up on the sides with the area below painted black. Yeah, I had one. No vinyl top on mine. It also had the Z-28 package and because it was a Type LT, it had no Z-28 emblems or stripes. Of course it had the Z engine, wheels and chassis tuning, front and rear spoilers and a blacked out grille. It was an odd duck. It was my first new car. Then the oil embargo hit. Oops. 13 mpg was not an advantage when gas rationing came along.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar John R

    Steve R I bet you wish you still had that 70 Formula

    Like 0

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