For the person who is looking for an early pony car, especially one that has rolled out off the GM production lines, this 1968 Camaro would seem to tick a lot of the right boxes. It isn’t perfect, and I suspect that someone is going to have the overwhelming desire to restore it at some point in the future, but before they do, they need to consider just what it is that makes the car so special. Let’s start with the fact that it is a one-owner vehicle. There is more to consider beyond that, and we’ll tackle each attribute as we work our way through this article. Before I go any further I really have to thank Barn Finder Ikey H. As you have probably noticed, Ikey’s radar has been working overtime of late, so thank you for referring this and some other pretty special classics through to us Ikey. We always appreciate it. The Camaro is located in Seattle, Washington, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set the price for the vehicle at $30,000, so let’s take a look and see if the asking price is justified.
The Camaro is nowhere near perfect, with the panels sporting their fair share of minor dings and marks. The Ash Gold paint is faded and patchy, while the Black vinyl top has developed something of a matte look over the past 52-years. What the owner doesn’t mention is any issues with rust. The photos aren’t the greatest, but I’ve enlarged them as best that I can with their given resolution, and there are no obvious problems with the lower rear quarter panels, rockers, lower fenders, or the doors. I know that is hardly conclusive, but it isn’t a bad place to start. Having said that, the vinyl looks a bit odd in a couple of spots around the rear window, so there is the possibility that there is some rust hiding away in that area. We also have no information on the state of the cowl, which is another area that would be well worth investigating. One aspect of the listing that I find quite reassuring is the claim that the Camaro has always been garage-kept. Leaving these out in the weather for extended periods can sometimes cause rust problems to develop, so this might be why things are looking so promising. What the body appears to be is honest. The owner makes mention of the car’s originality, and to my way of thinking, that would seem to indicate that it has never been subjected to accident damage, rust repairs, or any repainting work. There is no doubt that the next owner would be mighty tempted to treat the Camaro to at least a cosmetic restoration, and if they did, I would fully understand and respect that decision. To me, if there are no rust issues that need addressing, I would be inclined to leave it pretty much as it is and to let it stand proud as an unmolested survivor.
It is refreshing to look around inside a Camaro of this vintage and to find that it is essentially how it was when it left the factory. No-one has fiddled about fitting an aftermarket stereo or additional gauges. It remains exactly as Chevrolet intended it to be. As with the exterior, the interior is looking slightly frayed around the edges, but there is nothing that needs immediate attention. The foam on the driver’s seat is looking compacted, while the cover on that seat is also looking stretched. The kick panels and the carpet are faded, and some of the piping on the seat edges is showing some understandable wear. Otherwise, the dash is close to perfect, as is the rear seat. Once again, it isn’t perfect, but it does wear its obvious age like a badge of honor.
The owner supplies no engine photos, but we do know that the Camaro comes equipped with a 327ci V8 and a 2-speed Powerglide transmission. Beyond that, we don’t know if it features power assistance for either the steering or the brakes. This is another area where the vehicle ticks a lot of boxes because it is said to be a full numbers-matching car. That’s always good news because it means that no-one has made any changes, and it is the originality that is of prime importance with cars like this. Another box ticked is the fact that it is claimed to have a genuine 54,000 miles showing on the odometer. It is hoped that given the fact that it is a one-owner vehicle, that the owner has documentation to verify this. It would also be nice if he holds service records for the Camaro because that would also make an enormous difference to its potential value. I will admit that the driveline combination in this car isn’t the most potent on the planet, but it was still good enough in its day to scoot through the ¼ mile in 16.6 seconds.
Okay, I happily acknowledge that this 1968 Camaro is not one of the more desirable variations like a Z28 or an SS. However, it has all of the hallmarks of a clean and original survivor. Its complete originality should stand it in good stead in the open market, but the question has to be whether this is enough to justify the asking price. I’ll be honest here and say that it is a hard call to make. It is a car with so many of the positive attributes that should potentially push its value up towards $40,000 if it was in pristine condition. It isn’t in that sort of condition, but it potentially could be. What I will say is this: If someone inspected the Camaro and could positively confirm its rust-free status, then it starts to tip the scales in its favor. I suspect that there will be a buyer for this car, and if they don’t hand over the full $30,000, I have this feeling that they won’t be far off the mark. It is that type of car.
rims are not original
The rims may not be original but they look excellent. Honestly if I owned the car I would consider those putting those wheels on anyway.
Ralley wheels do look good on anything! Just ditch the derby hat caps and use poverty caps.
What about the rest of the wheel ?
Strange question but they make a few different style center caps for the ralley wheels. I just don’t care for the derby hats style caps.
Not sure why those wheels can’t be original. I thought that style Rally wheel was available in ’68. I know I’ve seen a ’68 brochure showing those wheels as an option.
Larry, I believe 14×6 rally wheels were all that was available. Those aren’t 14×6’s.
Steve R
With so many missing details and photos for this car, how can you say” it ticks all the boxes”?
It’s a plain Jane car that’s really worth $7K to $10 K. Good canidate for a resto mod for sure.
First generation Camaro’s in this condition haven’t sold on the open market for $7,000-$10,000 for 15 to 20 years.
Steve R
One box he (or she) ticked wrong was for the power glide…
That was the only automatic transmission available with a small block.
It’s nice, but hard to see $30,000 worth of nice.
Steve R
Wow, if I squint enough I can see the next Barrett Jackson Z-28!
Thanks for the shout-out, Adam. My recently submitted tips are the result of having some OCD and, being locked down, having a lot of time on my hands. I enjoy your write-ups.
Why doesn’t GM bring back the rally rim??
That brake pedal tells me it has power brakes . I’d be sure they are in good working order . Add whatever HP I could to the current drivetrain and barring there is no rust / bondo and drive it like it is .
Looks like someone didn’t want their inheritance. Going to be a lot of cars like this coming up for sale in the next ten years, us Boomers are getting set to sail away to a different plane, and where we are going, “we don’t need roads”! I don’t really think younger generations are going to place the same monetary value on this stuff like we do. Oh, there will still be a market, but a much smaller one, and that means lower prices.
Yep, that’s what I have been saying, some day these cars will be available for cheap as the generations then won’t car much about them and the fact that they belonged to their grandfather.
I thought the same thing in the early 80’s when I was looking for a 40 ford coupe. I thought I would wait 5 or 10 years and after the old guys that had them passed away I would pick one up cheap. Guess what 40 years later still waiting to pick one up cheap.
@Arthe1164, perhaps your right. We will never know, we will be (hopefully) playing harp on a cloud. Difference between this and a 40, is that our generation hot rodded them, can’t see that happening here, unless it is some sort of electric motor conversion. In the short run, prices will fall, or at least i think so. (and many people consider me pretty bright)
Funny you should mention 40 Ford Coupe, I did buy one cheap in the 80’s. Had a blown up later model flat head in it, body was all original, it was a standard opera coupe (rare). I had a flathead rebuilt and put in with the stock trans and rear, only changes I made was 15 inch wheels and put on a modern tube shock adapter kit. Kept it for many years. Paid $800 for it.
Another base model car at $30,000!!! Seems slightly ambitious for a car that will need restoration sooner than later!! I think the car might be worth $25K if it was sporting a 4 speed manual transmission but not with a power glide!!!
Just my opinion!!!
It’s like something else everybody has, and just as valuable.
Please, please don’t use the phrase “ticks the boxes” anymore.
“Cheers”.
Power slide transmission, needs paint, solid car, 20 grand tops
Haven’t we seen this car before?
I thought I knew where the top picture was taken. Just 5 minutes on Google street view and I found it:
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6351305,-122.4044483,3a,75y,255.26h,75.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1su0kdcy51-wbI0g6_DjAFsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Just as is, this Camaro has everything many want in a classic car.
Can classics crash? Just ask any boomer who paid $6,000.00 for a
restored 1952 Seeburg M100C the Happy Days Model or $10,000 for a Wurlitzer Model 1015. Bubbler 20 years back. Ask any Millenial if they.d buy a beautiful electromechanical music machine that weighs 250 lbs..
No serious interest, probably the fate of all the classic cars we venerate. I.d rather see them electrified and on our roads than shipped to the Netherlands or Sweden. Just food for thought.
I had these rally wheels on a bone stock ‘67 so certainly they were available on a ‘68.
Mike-that location is about five miles from my brother’s home in Seattle. If I were interested and the asking was somewhat more reasonable; I would probably have him look at it for me.