PRA4SNW found this bone stock 1978 Chevrolet Camaro Sport Coupe residing in Barrington, Illinois. The listing was prepared by the nephew or niece of the original owner of the Camaro who has had this car since college. It is hard to believe that someone would part with a car they have had so long but to each his own. The 1978 Camaro is listed here on Craigslist. The seller is asking $20,000 which seems steep for the condition of the car but, after a peek inside, you can see that it is a 4 speed. The car has only been listed for 2 days.
The interior is green with white seats and door panels. The seats appear to be soiled or turning brown with age. The listing states that the car has been garaged. The ad states that the car starts and runs smoothly. There is no mention on the age of the whitewall tires but the seller suggests trailering the car home. The listing also states that only 15,000 Camaros were built in this color in 1978. The car does not have a lot of options but does have an aftermarket AM/FM cassette radio.
The engine compartment is dirty but these is no visible rust. This is the first year for the full body colored urethane bumpers on the Camaro. The Pontiac Firebird had front urethane bumpers since 1970 and rear urethane bumpers since 1974. This is the base Sport Coupe. A buyer in 1978 could option up to an LT or Z28 package for more money. Over 272,000 Camaros were built in 1978. I believe the base engine was a 305 cubic inch V8 and so this car probably has the optional LM1 350 cubic inch V8. With a 4 barrel carburetor, it was rated at 185 horsepower.
The car is painted Code 45 which called dark green metallic. There is no mention in the ad if it is the original paint. However, the car does have a rear spoiler, rally wheels and mud flaps. Green is a tough sell on many cars but the nice lines of the Camaro make this an attractive car. Maybe this Camaro will find a new home soon.
VIN listed in the ad does indeed decode out as a 350 4bbl; and a standard Camaro, so the tach and guages were optional, as well as that ‘compaticolor’ green with white seat interior.
Thanks for the Compaticolor reference. I haven’t heard that in a long time.
Only 15000 built in this color, that’s gotta be a real collectors item!
The paint is actually Code 48 Dark Blue Green. I had a 1978 Z28 in this color. I’m not sure what the reference to blue was as it doesn’t look blue at all. It looks dark green. Code 45 Dark Green was lighter and was not offered on the Camaro in 1978.
FWIW, the 350 was rare in regular Camaros. There were 92,539 Camaros built with the LM1 350 in ’78. 54,907 of those were Z28s. So that left only 38,000 350s distributed over the 218,000 Sport Coupes, Rally Sports, and Type-LTs. The vast majority of those had the LG3 305 (143k built). A smaller number, about 37,000, had the old 250 inline six.
Being nearer Detroit there was always someone around who owned some kind of regular coupe with the V8/4-spd combo. Camaros and Novas mostly as the others had moved on from availability. There was a couple dealers in the area who stocked 6-cyl with 3-on-the-floor in Novas and later Malibu sedans and wagons.
I looked at many of these back in high school and had friends with them. It was rare to see the 350 in the non-Z28s, and when you did, it was in a Type-LT or Berlinetta (or RS). Otherwise, they almost always had the 305. So a 350, with a 4 speed no less, in a Camaro. Sport Coupe must be very rare indeed. Not saying that makes it worth a lot more, but it is very unusual.
I bought this very same Camaro in 1978. The only difference it was all green inside. Never gave a problem. I traded it for a 2door Ford Granada triple black, buckets, console and black vinyl top. If I had my choice to have either back it would be the Granada.
Hey, you bought a Granada you got a free bowl of soup! Probably looked good on you though!
What?
Frank, Ted Knight appreciates the humor.
This one reminds me of my first new car – an ’81 Camaro Sport Coupe.
Pretty sweet, love the mud flaps (no, really love them, my mom got them on her 91 CRX) Hey, I ordered an engine block heater and I lived in Florida! (should have got the Engine Oil Cooler)
What?
Frank, I still remember buying the mud flaps from the dealership and installing them.
I also liked having the body side and roof drip molding – I ordered it that way.
Car looks like it is good shape. Paint looks good and no damage either. But $20,000 seems a bit high. Good luck in selling it at that price.
Wisconsin plates
Probably quicker than a Z28 of the same year, without all the extra crap. Looks better to.
No, because the Z28 came with 3.73 gears with a close ratio 4 speed. This had 3.08s with a wide ratio 4-speed. Tbe Z28 also had a dusl resonator exhaust and, of course, a special suspension. That’s why the vast majority of people interested in the 350 just bought a Z28.
Was the spoiler a factory option, on all models? Beauty Camaro.
Yes, I believe so. You didn’t see many of them on the Berlinetta, though, but that one was more of a “luxury” model.
Could you get seats, side panels, & headliner in that green too?
Interesting there’s no engine air pump.
Lack of a/c, p/w, & cruise control would turn today’s younger drivers away. Not to mention the 4 speed.
A nice enough car to clean up…if it runs well. It could be built/”tuned” (or maybe a new crate motor) up but probelly its best use is simply as a cleaned-up weekend cruiser. I agree that if not tuned, the missing A/C and other fancy stuff (in the day) would make it less desirable for that. Not so sure what a good / fair price would be…a close up look (to see what is OK/salvageable) and details are needed. Having owned two similar Camaros, I say “maybe”…
I remember seeing a new one like this with a six, was that rare in those days?