Original 2 Tone Paint: 1978 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport

Twelve years is a long time for any car to remain in the same generation of production, but when you’ve got a winner on your hands like the Camaro, I guess Chevrolet decided it would be best not to mess with a proven seller, at least not for a while.  However, the Camaro got a refresh outside in 1978, eliminating the chrome front and rear bumpers, which were replaced with urethane panels the same shade as the body.  Choosing the Rally Sport also got you a two-tone finish outside as part of the package, and this 1978 model here on Craigslist is said to still retain its original paint.  This one is priced at $16,000 and is located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.  Tony Primo, we appreciate your cool bowtie tip here!

There are both positives and negatives to the exterior, but the fact that this one hasn’t gotten a respray is a plus in some ways.  The patina and wear show bystanders that this one has been enjoyed as intended and not treated like a show queen, plus there isn’t a fresh coat of paint that would hide any corrosion or backyard bodywork that could have been performed.  Unfortunately, there’s also a minor dent in the driver’s door that probably can’t be repaired by PDR, so if you want to take things up a notch, it may be time to grab some PBR and smooth out this area and any other imperfections, then apply fresh paint and decals.

Some new components are said to be present inside, and the interior seems to be one of this Camaro’s strong points.  One of the nice features here is the leather seats, which the owner reports were hand-made in the Philippines, and they blend well with everything else.  It’s not revealed which other parts in here are original versus replaced, but the condition appears more than acceptable for a fun driver.  It’s good to see that the package tray has the optional rear window defogger, plus a set of aftermarket speakers installed nearby.

Although a 350 was one of the engines available here in ’78, this one is equipped with a 305.  We get very few details about it, other than the seller mentioning that the small block has received lots of brand new parts, but the bay presents nicely and appears to be in good order.  If the damage on the driver’s side wasn’t there, I’d strongly consider letting this one stay as-is for a while, and try to talk myself into learning to live with it.  On the other hand, I can also understand the urge to immediately want to make this Camaro Rally Sport look like new again.  What would you do here?