In life, less is sometimes more. For those in 1976 wanting the look of speed without the entry fee or high insurance costs, GM still offered pony cars without the pizazz. This base model sport coupe looks pretty sporty with its color-keyed styled steel wheels and vinyl roof, but underhood its a miser’s dream. Find it here on craigslist in Olympia, Washington for $4,500.
Without all the spoilers and decals, the second generation Camaros had a clean, European look. You can see Ferrari influences in the profile and rear end. Though a vinyl roof isn’t the best option for a state that rains nine months of the year, the black top and wrap over chrome trim mixes well with the red paint. The chrome bumpers might not be the prettiest of this era, but thankfully they don’t have bumper guards and aren’t Checkers sized. If you are looking for a Z28, best to look in a different year as that model didn’t make its comeback until 1977.
Overall, the exterior looks clean and rust free. Glass isn’t cracked, egg crate grill has all its boxes, the whitewalls and trim rings go with the sedate performance, and all badges are accounted for. Car could use a good polishing, but that’s about it. The chrome driver’s side mirror tells you not many options were checked.
Inside, the base model interior with its red and black complements the exterior perfectly. The driver’s side bucket is a bit faded and dingy but still retains its nice striping with no visible tears. Steering wheel is chunky and no A/C, cruise, or power gadgets means less to go wrong. Not shown is the 250 I-6, known for reliable if unexciting performance. Matched to the three speed stick, this pony car should be a steady cruiser. Upgrades are a click away, but this one should be left alone; there are enough tire smoking Camaros in the world. An elderly lady named Ruby at the church I grew up in drove a similar Camaro for thirty years. With her sunglasses on, she looked like a hot rod, but I knew better.
You could push 4″ trees over with those magnesium bumpers. Lol
The bumpers are aluminum
It is a Camaro not a Bumper car.
A nd reason this one is in fine shape is that too many bubble gunners drove them like BUMPER cars..
And this Camsro was l ikely owned by a pink haired lesbian that thought it would bone cool when cruising on Girls Night Out.
Agreed, leave the six in it. Like 225 Challengers, these are an endangered species. Someone has to preserve the type of car most of us drove. Though I fear this will get a build small block and be ruined forever.
Put six banger headers and a four barrel conversion on the manifold along with swapping out to electronic ignition by Petronics if needed!
Then beef up the clutch and
shorten the shift distance between gears !
I’d leave as is except a nice set of Keystone Classics!!!!
Car looks like it was well maintained! Always like it when there is one sentence in the posting and the pictures show the hose on the ground still wet from its ad photo shoot.. LOL! $4500 seems like a reasonable asking price. You will see that powertrain picture you wanted after the new buyer gets it home…. in a new listing seen taken from the floor of a garage…
I have had several of these inline with clutches. All were fun.
I have been attending large Camaro shows for a number of years, one of the least seen cars is a six cylinder powered second generation (1970-1981). Nice find.
My wife (fiancee at the time) had one like this except auto trans, PS, and AM radio. Great cruiser while it lasted, but the tin worm got it.
Hell its s 3 speed on the floor ….even with a six banger it’s a lot more fun as a grocery getter than ANY modern toaster on Wheels. Jess sayin
Please leave it as is!! As ,even for me-as I’m looking for Camaro like this to 350/4spd it up., It is to nice and rare to find even though its a 6cyl..
I had a 73 ,I think it was a Biscayne,or impala back in the 80s . It was grey with a 6cyl,3 on the tree,4 door. We called it the grey ghost. It was just a fun plain car that was so fun to cruise. $75 car then.
This Camaro would get my attn. at a car show as a favorite.
Look up tba 6 bangerl torque curve, now find same for 305 and 350, note how little difference there is.
Around town torque is more than adequate for zipping lane changes or beating yellow lights.
With easy freeway 70 mph and a top speed approaching 90″s, more than enough to get ya a reckless driving ticket.
Using the manuel shifter, do not let engine or drive with foot resting on clutch pedal or slipping clutch results.There are adjustable clutch levers.
Wanna have more fun, and not change original looks. Find a Chevy 4 speed and plunk it in.
4speed 1st gear lower than a three as are 2nd and 3rd for more grunt off of green light, while top same ratio as old 3 speed.
Burn low grade gas, easy self tune, fairly quiet interior and fair ride quality.
Handling with more equal front back at ratio is fine.
If you never heard a headered exhaust note or rode in a hopped up six BANGER you are really missing out on a grand feeling.
6500 tops if no rust better than decent body, and yet at 3500 t0 7k come 5 years from now no depreciation
Years ago I had a Chevy II shoebox same 6 inline with a two speed glide. Speed wasn’t an option…BUT…it was totally reliable
The chev6 banger went through a few modifications.
IN 40-50 it was 216 or 218 until auto tranny it became 235 with bearing inserts over Babbitt on crank.
Later into 230 with improved head design.
Best configuration ever was when Pontiac made an overhead cam for it.
The 4 barrel with its own profile cam was a screamer and could push a La Mans or Firebird to 92-96 mph 1/4 mile.
Later disappeared except as to truck and stationary PowerPoint motor.
Then wee bit in small Chey blazer 4×4.
Still a lot of em but disappearing fast.
Full rebuild kits, some with higher compression pistols available.
The overhead cams are darn rare and impossible to find the 4 bel cams.
Why people look with disdain upon 6 is beyond me.
Old 60’s SS nova could be got with a 6.
Perhaps the only upgrade I’d do is install a 5 or 6 speed manual with overdrive. It would keep those rpm’s down on the highway.
The six and 3speed is what makes this car so freaking cool. I’d bet more often than not you’d be the only one at cruise night with that drivetrain in a third gen. Sucks I’m poor.
Tim , I agree with your idea of a five speed would utilize the torque of the straight six low end. Upgrade the carb to a nice efi system and we’re good to go. Wish the seller had engine pics
Sparkster, if you are going to the expense of putting EFI on it, then you may as well upgrade the exhaust system to a header.
In high school in the late ’70s/early ’80s, a friend of mine had a ’76 Firebird with the 6 cylinder and 3 speed manual. Though it was not what I consider fast, it had no problem keeping up with the rest of us crazy teenage males.
I like the idea of a slight hop up of the 6 cylinder combined with an upgrade to a 4 speed or 5 speed transmission.
Look up Clifford engine parts; 4=6; 6=8.
Even mild cargo and exhaust an easy 20-25 hp gain.
6 had one bad port where a head bolt was dead center in port.
We curedthis by grinding casting cutting bolt down and filling in head hole, but that is too drastic.Large strong so no whip crank journals, with mild cam stock heads and exhaust .
The torque of inlines is straight back, but these are not high revers.
Torque moves autos but the power curve ends at relatively low revs,.
Yes a 5 speed sounds perfect, and overdrive lowers rev but the torque of a streight 6 compared to v6 would mean less incident where steep hills demand down to 4 shift.
These six’s were very durable and reliable, leave it a six, it may be worth more money in the long term if you keep the six in it.
This looks to be a very good original car,although it seems to me there’s very well no mention of ownership 1,2,3,4 owners who knows, there for is the millage correct, and accurate .Probably a woman drove this car most of its life,and she did not want ,and or order a fast car.This was considered a economy car back in the day.Also this is low optioned,no a/c air conditioning 3/speed ,6 cylinder, may not sale to just anyone. 4500.00 way to high. 500.00 -1500.00 maybe on a good day to the right person. I think this car could use a Z28 clone, and or Type Lt. Clone.Think about it red on red buckets, and console, all you need is a good doner car.Although a doner car may be hard to find ,it might be out there.
Where’s that ‘thumbs down’ button when you need it. I’ll take all of these I can get for $500 – $1,500!
If the car is as nice as it appears and the drivetrain is solid I think the asking price is very fair!
I had a 77 LT, bought it cheap in 1990, Responds well to upgrades, handling there was tons of sway bar and shock kits as well as tons of articles on how to make them handle, Adams, Global west, Hotchkiss all were featured. While the stock V8s were anemic, almost everyone hopped them up.
The problem was, and still is, is the sound of a I6, Just sounds lame. Everyone wanted the rumble of a V8. So, yes few of these left. Keep in mind also these were heavy cars and kind of a tank. People are totally nostalgic for them but as they age they sound like the tank in Fury or saving private ryan. Doors weigh a ton, and typically sag. As a stock car you could pull off a LOT of weight stripping these down.
Bought a number of GM cars with the poverty combo of manual stick and straight 6 cylinder under the hood. Without the power accessories these cars got out of their own way even if they didn’t scald the tires doing so. I had a 1971 Firebird with straight 6 and automatic on the column and black vinyl roof. Also had a 1976 Firebird with straight 6 with shifter and console. I even owned a 1969 Buick Special with the inline 6 borrowed from Chevy. Basic economic transportation.
While a bunch of other guys has Z/28s that we couldn’t afford, myself and a coworker went with the stock Camaro.
His was an ’80 6 cyl manual with non-power brakes.
Mine was an ’81 6 cyl auto, PS, PB, radio delete, rear spoiler, rally wheels.
A brand new car for less than 7K, and still had an attractive look.
Use engine as a boat MOTOR, not a boat ANCHOR. Many great uses for a gently-used stovebolt 6.