It’s easy to judge a book by its cover, and sometimes doing so can lead a person to an incorrect conclusion. That is the case with this 1967 Camaro because while it is looking tired and baked, below the surface is a solid car that should represent a pretty decent sort of project. It also features some interesting optional extras and this should make it a real eye-catcher once it has been restored. It is located in Swisher, Iowa, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. With bidding now sitting at $13,500, the reserve on the Camaro has been met.
The exterior of the Camaro seems to be finished in a 50:50 mix of the original Tahoe Turquoise, coupled with wide expanses of surface corrosion. However, actual penetrating rust is quite minimal. It looks like there are some relatively small spots in the bottoms of both front fenders, along with some in the lower sections of both rear quarter panels. It’s hard to get a really good look at the rockers, but they seem to be okay. What is okay is the trunk pan. It has a good coating of surface corrosion, but it and the drop-offs look really good. The same would appear to be true of the floors, and while areas such as the cowl will require careful inspection, with the seller stating that the dash is solid, what can be seen to this point is pretty encouraging. The factory tinted glass appears to be free of any significant damage, and while all of the external trim and chrome is present, some of it will require either restoration or replacement.
Lifting the hood on the Camaro reveals the original 327ci V8, while the vehicle also features a 2-speed Powerglide transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The engine bay is untouched and original, but it is starting to show its age quite markedly. It would appear that the Camaro might be in pretty respectable mechanical health because the owner does state that it runs and drives. However, it does have an exhaust leak that will need to be attended to. The odometer shows 53,128 miles, and while the owner believes this to be accurate and original, he holds no documentation to confirm this. In this case, it is probably better to essentially take this particular claim with a grain of salt, unless evidence does actually come to light.
It’s when we start looking around inside the Camaro that we find that the original owner chose an interesting mix of optional extras. As well as air conditioning, the Camaro is fitted with a driver’s side remote exterior mirror. Add to this a console with the clock mounted on it, and that is where things begin to look distinctive. Of the total production run of 220,906 Camaros built during 1967, only 13,185 buyers chose this option. In addition, the Camaro comes with the AM radio, along with a folding rear seat. The owner mentions the rarity of this particular option, but with it having been fitted to 17,993 cars, the folding seat actually isn’t as rare as the clock. There are some obvious tasks ahead of the new owner if they want the interior to look its best once again. The dash pad will certainly require replacement because while it is conceivable for it to be repaired, a top-quality replacement can be found for around $280. The wheel has a couple of cracks, while there are some minor defects in the driver’s seat. Honestly, before I made a shopping list of parts that would be required for a restoration, I would get in and give the entire interior a thorough clean. It’s all looking pretty grotty, and a deep clean might yield a surprise or two. If it does, then hopefully, these surprises will be pleasant. Of course, the complete opposite might also be true, so there are some options available. A basic trim kit can be found for around $620. When you add that to the cost of the dash pad, then you are looking at around $900. I also located a complete kit which includes absolutely everything, including the pad. This runs out at around $1,400, but the entire interior would look brand new.
When someone decides to take on their first restoration project, choosing the correct candidate for their hard work can be difficult. On the information that the owner has provided, this Camaro looks like it could represent an interesting option. It appears to be essentially solid, and it would seem that any rust issues could be addressed with patches, rather than with the wholesale replacement of panels. It has an interesting list of optional equipment fitted and once restored, it could be a really eye-catching classic. I tend to think that this is why bidding on the Camaro has been so strong.
This would be Good Insurance to keep a kid on the Straight & Narrow. A small investment towards a Great Future!
AMEN
Could not agree more
My dad was a Gunnery Sgt and his words of wisdom ….and there were many
He said he would rather have us running our hands all over an old car or truck than a cheerleader 📣 never understood why then ….I do now. My buddy had to get married his senior year 😳
Start a kid on a lifetime of appreciation for old iron ….Priceless… like saying Yes Sir or Ma’am… holding doors… please and thank you… shaking hands
Skill sets not many have….
Semper 🔥 Fire
You don’t need an old crusty car to keep a kid interested in the hobby. I have certainly been around cars all my life and have had almost everything.
As my handle suggests I am fond of AMC. So what do I do when my kid wants a car? Buy him what I would have wanted? Buy him a car that I had when I was young? What I think is best? Not on your life. I asked him what HE wanted. He said Honda Civic.
It in car years qualifies as an old car. It’s 25 years old. My first car was an old car at 7. You can get a kid anything and will be involved as long as YOU TAKE AN INTEREST.
Together we hit the junkyards once a month. It is more of a bonus for me. Hell AMC’s dried up in the bone yards before he was born. I never quit liking the bone yards in fact enjoy it more than him. We scour looking for import parts. Yards haven’t changed. Only the vehicles.
Life was good pulling the wheels in a two seat AMX. It’s better now hanging out with my son doing the import scene. To my dismay his Honda will smoke the poor AMX!
Now it’s his time. I had mine. He respects vintage iron and I don’t push it on him. Life is good for us.
Freshen the drivetrain. Restore interior. Drive. OMG. Are we excited about a clock? Really, a clock? I love this car though.
I would guess the tilt column is the more unique and rare option chosen for this car. I know of only a space percentage of 67 Chevys that had this.
So it IS a tilt column! I thought my eyes were playing tricks since it wasn’t mentioned in the right up. The 1967 model F-bodies were also the only ones that had wing windows. A feature that I miss in modern vehicles.
The dash pad is cracked…
Im out.
Seriously this is a great car, and with Chillywind!
Huh, interesting. I wonder how the left front fender right above the headlight got dented. In the closeup of the front end and grill there is no damage. But the other pics showing the front end show a minor crease/dent.
Maybe the current owner picked out some bondo between when the close up was taken and the long shot was taken? Rather significant difference. Odd location for damage.
Ah, the good ole days. Remember when you were out with your girl and placed a $100 bill on the dash and tell her when you count to three she can have it? At the yell of “three” you stomp the gas to the floor and her back slams back into the seat and that easy $100 is now out of reach.
Heard that same story tons of times from tons of people but don’t remember ever seeing it or any of my friends having $100’s to throw around back then!
I’m with the Fireman. Save this car. It’s optioned enough in an interesting way and would be a great driver. I’m concerned,too, about the dent over the headlight.
I had a ’68 with a 327, a/c and Powerglide on the column; no console. (My buddies called it a “girl’s car”.) It was in similar shape, and had been passed around through four of my friends until it came to me, in similar condition. I set to work fixing and had some really great times with my Dad working on her. My father passed suddenly on June 1st, 1980. I was a 19 year old college student. He had driven the car just an hour before he died. I got in it to go pick up my sister, and I could still smell him, still feel his presence in there. It gave me a small measure of comfort. The car was stolen from in front of my parents house on August 6th, 1980. It was the worst time of my life. I have explicit instructions to be buried with the keys to that car in my hand. I know if there is a Heaven, i’ll see her and my father again. I so wish I could afford this car….
There’s also a special place in Hell…..for Dream Thieves and Soul Killers that take from the hard working class…Sorry bout your Camaro…..and your old man😢
This has got some great truck worthy patina.
Grotty? Hmmm, new lingo.
An interior for $1400 would have been made in China. Quality OE matching interiors are not cheap. Plus new seat foam is an absolute must and count on broken springs, many broken springs, then there’s the burlap and paper coated wire for running through the seat upholstery bottoms, hog rings, hog ring pliers, seat knobs, refinishing the seat frames, new chromed plastic arm rests, door sills, rear package tray, rear package tray insulation, shipping costs, and on and on. And labor? Even if done by yourself, you’ll rack up more than $1400 in invoices.
Trust me on this. My 70 GTO interior “estimate” that I made, went wildly up from what was anticipated. Just plan on expenses going up an average of 35-40% over what you can “see” that you based your costs on.
Then add in the repairs, rebuilds, replacements to the drivetrain, the a/c, suspension, brakes, exhaust, tires, weatherstripping, gas tank, electrical, and of course the body rust, dents, the chrome, and the $urprises that pop up. Just sayin…been there, done that. These classic cars drain the checking account very fast, so pick a rare car to restore so that you might break even.
It seems like most comments talk about “breaking even” after a restoration. We need to get over the idea of making a profit on an old car after we decide to sell it.
Pick a car you like, enjoy restoring it, don’t go crazy with making it perfect & enjoy it when it’s done.
When we buy a new car we don’t worry about “breaking even”
Tom, We buy a new car to use everyday. We buy safety and security to help us perform through thick and thin. When it’s done we trade it and get another.
The car hobby is a hobby. It is the time you have left at the end of the day/week/month. If one has money and smart he will buy a nice car and enjoy. For others it’s the satisfaction of building. Much like a puzzle. For everyone else it’s budget
Well said Art, I too like to estimate and no matter how close at getting it right I end up way off. It does have to be as perfect mechanical as one can make. That isn’t going to be cheap. Engine/trans/brakes/fuel system/wheels/tires/paint.
The aspect of you (or your family when you are gone) breaking even and or making a profit is a reality. We all don’t have Steve McQueens Mustang in our garage. Spending more money on a car then it’s worth just for satisfaction is plain selfish in my opinion.
A friend has a Camaro like this. It was found looking like this. It ended up in pieces for 15 years in his garage. He finally got it done a few years ago. Spent $10,000 in body and paint. When it was done it won trophies. Sits in a controlled temp. After two years the paint is bubbling in 4 places now. Needs done again. He has over $27,000 invested. Not a cheap half baked indeaver. Pretty sure his has the China made interior
Some great comments! I like this car and Iam not a big Camaro fan, but it seems to me that it would be a great project for a beginner or a seasoned restorer. If I had more room on my plate ,I would love to do this car.
This would be a great project!! The rust seems to be mostly on top of all the sheet metal!!