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Raffle Prize: 1968 Chevrolet Camaro

prize-1968-camaro

This 1968 Camaro was supposedly won by a lady as a raffle prize. She drove it for a while before handing it down to her daughter who used it through high school and college. The 327/3-speed is not the most desirable combination, but if it really is as original as the seller claims, this is one heck of a find. It was in storage for about 20 years before the last owner pulled it out and got it running again. There is some rust in the fenders and wheels shown are not included. Find it here on eBay out of Guthrie Center, Iowa with a BIN of $9,000.

chevrolet-327

Like we said, there were better engine options available in 1968. With 210 horsepower the 327 Turbo Fire was not all bad though. The fact that this one is currently running is a bonus too. A compression test could help determine if it needs a rebuild or you could just slip a crate motor in place if need be. Just be sure to hold onto the original in case you ever want to sell it on.

prize-1968-camaro-interior

The interior looks suspiciously good. The seller lists the mileage at 101k so it is hard to believe that those seat covers are original. The vinyl used back then was tough though so you never know. We would want to inspect this one in person or at least pay someone else to take a look to verify that it hasn’t undergone a restoration at some point.

prize-1968-camaro-front

Nine grand isn’t an insignificant amount of money, but according to the price guides, it doesn’t seem totally unrealistic for this one. We hope all the claims are true here, but even if they are not this Camaro is one cool driver. If it does turn out to be less than stated, it might be a good excuse to install a 350 and a four on the floor for some stoplight fun. We are all for preserving survivor cars, but could it hurt to have a little fun with this one?

Comments

  1. Avatar rick

    i would love to have it that could be a nice 68 camaro next to my 2010 ss rs

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Graham Line

    Is the state of the restorer’s art so poor now that no one can freshen up a 327? We’re not talking rocket science. Co-worker had a similar model with a bit more carb, head work and some headers. Am I right that it would have drum brakes front and rear?

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    • Avatar geomechs Member

      I was thinking that same thing. Why does everyone start screaming, ‘crate motor?’ That 327 will light up the tires and when driven properly deliver upwards of 20 mpg. Freshen the engine, put in hardened valve seats and drive it.

      To answer your question about the brakes: I would think it’s got drum brakes all around.

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    • Avatar Jim-Bob

      Exactly. Plus, the 327 is technically superior to the 350 in a few ways. Most notably, it has a better rod/stroke ratio which means that it revs more freely and has slower piston speeds relative to RPM. Also, with less swept volume, it has the potential to deliver a little better fuel mileage at part throttle than a larger SBC. If it were my car, I’d just build the original engine with an eye towards reliability and economical operation. However, I would also break out the calculator to find a more optimized gearing setup with a 6 speed manual transmission and a top gear cruising RPM of around 1500 @ 70 mph. I’d prefer a Richmond 6 speed to a Tremec T-56 though as it only has one overdrive and is a stronger setup than the double overdrive used in the factory T-56. I’d also use EFI, but with a throttle body injector instead of a multi port setup so that it would fit under some form of stock air filter housing. I’d probably set my target numbers as low 13’s to high 12’s in the quarter while delivering 25+ mpg highway (@70mph) and 17mpg city- do-able numbers with a properly engineered setup. Why no carburator? Well, I usually would use a Quadrajet, but the ethanol in modern E10 gasoline does not like the zinc in the float bowl and destroys it quickly. The EFI therefore offers a better solution as there really isn’t a carburator made today that offers the part throttle torque/throttle blade opening ratio of a Q-jet with ethanol resistance that I would want to see in a street build.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar ThisOneGoesToEleven

    $9,000= the new $1500!

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Richard V

    Are those A/C vents I see toward the outside of the dash? Also the extra groove in the water pump pulley indicates that maybe this car was equipped with air conditioning at one time.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Dirty Dingus McGee

      The vents you are seeing are the Astro Ventilation that GM came up with when they eliminated the vent windows. I don’t see any evidence this car was equipped with A/C, no evaporator on the firewall, no brackets.

      Some things I also don’t see are the smog/air pump, no power steering or power brakes. Looks like this was a base Camaro with the only upgrade being the 327 over the I-6 that was the base motor.

      That being said it would still be a blast to cruise in, not to mention the fun explaining to the new generation what a “3 on the tree” is.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Strict9Vox

    …or AC was an option that was never installed.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Bullitt3980

    Those outside vents are for the Astro Ventillation–the A/C vents are in the middle–there would be a large box on the firewall for the evaporator. Cool car.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar glenn billington

    i have never seen a Camaro with a column shift.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar mark

    I agree with Dirty McGee about the younger generation about the 3 one the tree. Younger kids don’t know what it is. Nice that this car has the original radio

    Like 0
  9. Avatar geomechs Member

    The first time I took my wife for a ride in our ’49 Chev, she asked me how the shift pattern worked. At 50+ she’d never experienced 3-on-the-tree.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Tom Member

    In addition to the other comments about the AC, if it had factory AC there would be a long narrow vent for it located above the heat/cool controls in the top center of the dash. No factory AC in this one.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Dolphin Member

    Looks like the raffle promoters saved a bit of ca$h by offering a stripper “Camaro 327 V8”, even down to the 3-on-a-tree standard transmission.

    I guess that would still bring in the ticket buyers. After all, who could complain about getting a V8 Camaro for the price of a raffle ticket, even if it was a stripper?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Yeah, I wouldn’t complain!

      Like 0
  12. Avatar David Reeves

    Well hey, a manual’s a manual!

    Like 0
  13. Avatar krash

    Not to be a buzz kill, but did anyone notice that the Ebay seller has a 50% rating……(lowest I’ve ever seen)….that can’t be good…

    Seller information
    chevyduallysb (301 ) About chevyduallysb
    50% Positive feedback

    Like 0
  14. Avatar jim s

    it sold. i hope the new owner keeps it stock and just drives it. would steal the show at a cruise in for sure. p/s, p/b, a/c and a 3 on the tree = no need to buy gym membership. great find

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Charles

    The lack of options makes it a rare find.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Charles

    As a collector of unmolested original Trans AM’s (the other F-Body), I frequent Camaro and Firebird events. I have never seen a column shift Maro before.

    The stock-nazi in me says freshen the car up, but keep it stock.

    There is still that little voice that says drop in an LS6, 6 speed stick, and build yet another resto-mod.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar scottski

    Why can’t an original 327 be fun?

    Like 0
  18. Avatar dj

    Several years back I painted a 69 that was a 307 car with a 3 speed on the column with vinyl top. A very nice car that no one had modded and turned into a Z car look a like.

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  19. Avatar Charles

    A 327 is a great engine to have fun with. That last line of my earlier post was sort of a joke… I am the original stock Nazi of the south eastern F-body fans. Anyone in any number of car clubs that we hang out with will tell you that Charlie, “Gramps” won’t modify anything.

    A stock 327 is loads of fun, and a three on the tree is rare enough to gain the car a lot of attention at the shows. With a car that original, I would keep it stock. It does need to be freshened up though. A little patina is cool, but when it gets to the point of making the car look like a junker it is time to freshen it up some.

    I have an all original 82 TA with 24K actual miles on it. The car is so original that it still wears the OEM Goodyear Eagle GT’s. It is a very nice number 2. Although the car looks cool with t-tops, bowling ball hubcaps, and the PMD seats, the car is a slug. With the corporate 305 small block 145 HP Chevy engine, a turbo 200 trans and a 10 bolt diff, the performance of this car is pitiful.

    I am the second owner, and the car is fully documented from the day it was built. Even though the car is a prime candidate for a really cool resto-mod, I will never be able to modify it from stock. It is too much of a time capsule. So, yeah a stock 327 can be fun and this car deserves to be kept as original as possible.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar jim s

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