In the late ’70s and early ’80s, first-gen Mustangs, Chargers, and Camaros roamed the streets and were still fairly inexpensive. For this reason, it wasn’t uncommon for a high school parking to be filled with muscle cars in all forms, ranging from stock to mild to wild. Our feature vehicle is the perfect example, purchased in 1978 by two teenage brothers and used as their daily transportation. The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro was later transformed and may have made its debut at the 1982 Car Craft Street Machine Nationals. It made such an impression at the event that it ended up on the cover of the Souvenir Program, exemplifying the definition of a street machine. It has spent the majority of the last 40 years in storage, being brought out only for occasional exercise in parades and local cruises. Remarkably, it hasn’t changed at all over those four decades and it now serves as an automotive time capsule of days gone by. Find it here on eBay, with an asking price of $47,500 and an excellent collection of both vintage and current photos.
The listing states that the car is an original X11 Camaro, which means it may have been an SS350 but it could also have been fitted with a six-cylinder. Regardless, the engine bay is now occupied by a 400ci small-block out of a 1972 Chevrolet Caprice. It reportedly has double-hump heads and has been upgraded with quality speed parts of the period, including a Holley Street Dominator high-rise aluminum intake and 650 CFM double-pumper carb, as well as an Accel distributor and electronic ignition. The headers send spent gases back to a pair of vintage Hush Thrush mufflers before terminating from turndowns in front of the rear axle. Encapsulating the powerplant are the fiberglass front clip and L88 hood, which help shave pounds off the car’s racing weight.
Looking at the interior is like stepping back in time, with velour accents throughout. The seats are from a ’73 Trans Am, and the inserts in them are removable. However, other listing pictures show some split seams in the vinyl underneath. The velour on the dash and door panels is said to be removable as well, but there is no indication of the condition underneath. This angle provides a great view of the Hurst short-throw shifter, which is linked to a Muncie M21 four-speed. The car also features a front brake line-lock, for the times when the driver may need to let a little smoke out of the tires.
Speaking of those rear tires, the Big Boss L60s look perfect on this car, filling the wheel well without protruding too much. They’re wrapped around original Keystone Klassic rims, and the combination helps contribute to the car’s full-size Hot Wheels image.
Even the rear end of this car looks like it means business. Not visible are the traction bars and subframe connectors that help it hook up under power. Included in the sale are vintage time slips, indicating that the Camaro was capable of running consistent 13.20s at Indiana’s U.S.30 dragstrip. Imagine what it could do with today’s knowledge and the application of modern technology to fine-tune those vintage parts? Another memento from the street machine’s past, the license plate frame from the ’82 Car Craft Nationals, is still attached to the car for the next owner as well. If you were to become the lucky buyer, would you put this classic machine back on the track?
Where’s the side pipes?
The under-body eBay pictures show the exhaust exits are under the car (just in front of the differential), not on the side or rear.
On a Corvette where they belong!
That’s old school funny right there especially it they were dummy pipes 🤣👍🏼
….and the air shocks? LOL
And the Grump lump?
1969 Car Culture captured in the lead image. Beauty!
You’re right Tony. In addition to side pipes, how about fuzzy dice and ladder bars. What else is it missing to finish off this retro look.
There are some things best left in the past. This paint style is certainly one of them
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
And opinions are the eye of the poster.
I guess it took 40 years for the beholder to realize it was time to unload it on another beholder. Maybe you can be that lucky fellow Bound4glory. Good luck to you buddy. Have fun and enjoy.
The paint colour scheme and interior style make this Camaro look awful…If your driving this on the road, you will get attention and alot of WTF was that!
Just an opinion…
This paint job is when you want everyone to see you…including the cops!
UPDATE: I noticed afterwards it does after all have homemade ladder bars. Amazing stuff. Love that steering wheel though. True vintage racing.
Good catch, very astute of you!
Its been a long-time, but don’t recall seeing this one at the Nats. I do recall a featured silver 69 with a similar paint scheme but it went from yellow to blue.
Regardless, this is a nice representation of the street machines of the era. I’d swap out most of the interior and paint it green.
GLWTS.
I think that the green interior would clash with the exterior colours.
Interiors are dyed, not painted. I’d have the paint scheme changed to green.
I sell tires and it has been years since I saw Big Boss model. They have to be dry cracked by now on this old boy. Not a bad car though.
Remember a pair of those on the back of my buddy’s ’69 RT Charger 440! Mounted on chrome reverse wheels! Fun street racing back then!
I think the paint is still cool, but that interior has got to go. Unload those Keystones, put some tubs in, plus shorten the axles, and then some nice wheels and tires that fit. Have to come down a lot on the price to make it worthwhile.
That interior belongs in a pimpmobile, not this Camaro.
I like it. Regardless of what anyone else here thinks.
The interior is pretty horrible. Get a set of door cards and dash top. Leave the paint, it’s pretty cool. Like an actual drivable ‘70s HotWheel.
I love it, I was gonna buy it, then I noticed the high beam pedal. Sorry, no deal!
Seriously cool car though.
The only thing my ’57 has in common is the high beam pedal! Well, I do have a small block and Muncie, too.
This Camaro is PROOF of how many of us are old enough to remember when Camaros, Mustangs, Cudas, etc were everywhere and to the point they were so affordable that you could not feel guilty doing the paint and other “cheesy” JC Whitney catalog “mods” to them. And I love that one of these survived to this day and now instead of looking cheesy I think it looks classic and it appears from other comments I am not alone. In this era of high prices for “projects” and “drivers” and even 6-figure priced “resto-mod” and “survivor” muscle cars all I can say is just like the old folks back then at the time of this car…boy I miss the good old days!
All the add-ons bring back memoies from the 60’s. I lived in Illinois during those times. Actually JC Whitney and Warshawsky & Co. were the same auto parts company, both in a warehouse on States St. in Chicago. You could buy used (Ford 390, 406, Chevy 348, 409, Chrysler 383, 413) engines and transmissions right at that location. They sold the AFB 409 carbs for 29.00 each. Yes the old days……………
Great comment. It is kind of a crappy, cold night here in Upstate New York. This would be a great time to fire up a pot of coffee and thumb through a JC Whitney catalog.
Your comment also brings another thought to mind (So the 1st thought doesn’t die of loneliness)- I feel sorry for folks growing up today in such a serious, gloomy times as these. I hope they get a time of some optimisim about the future like we had. I know nostaglia ain’t what it used to be, but I know we had more fun in the 60’s. And I have now officially turned into my Dad.
Yep, the good old days for sure. Grew up in the suburbs just north, we used to go to Nickey Chevrolet, Mr. Norm’s, Skip’s Fiesta Drive In, Motor Sport Research, etc. Graduated high school in 1970. Left the area in 1972 when Uncle Sam sent me a draft notice!
So many negative posts!? Coming from that era, it was cool as hell. Although it’s a little “louder” than anything parked at my high school at that time, it certainly would have fit right in. Great car from a great time!!
I’ll take 2!!!!
Well…………to each their own, raised white letters only on the rear?
We had little money back then, except to buy the widest blackwall tires and paint in with white paint the L60-15 M/T on the rears.
To get this car painted, like this now, an easy 15-20K done right. Stll looks good now…..I like it.
I like it too.
Yep, exactly. We bought what we could – part time grocery sackers don’t make much.
I had Cragar S/S copies, Gillette 60 RWL on the back. White walls and stock wheel covers on the front.
I thought I was stylin’.
I remember I think it was car craft street nats 81 or 83 in Indiana. This Camaro looks like the one I saw in the main area of the field. It was next to a 66 Nova big block with a blower nitrous and turbocharged. It was crazy back then . What these guys do to the cars. And the big blocks were called mountain motors or engines. It was a fun time and I miss it….it’s not like today that’s for sure. Good luck to the next owner They will have fun. 🇺🇸🐻🇺🇸
I graduated high school in 1974. Drove a bone stock 70 Road Runner bought from original owner for $1,200. Friends with modified cars like this were always on me to jack it up, throw on L60-15s and shag out the interior. I refused as I found that stuff gaudy. I am still a purist, but they were much better times than this horrible world we live in today. At least we still have our cars. For now.
Takes me back to CLASS OF “75” Many of nights cruising the circuit in cars like this. Friday and Saturday night flash back. Mustangs, Cuda’s and Camaros OH MY. My rides never fit the mold but I remember the ones like this very well.
Located in:
Mazomanie, Wisconsin
I would swap the Keystones for Cragar S/S wheels with blackwalls all around and cruise it. Awesome car! Takes me back to going to the Autorama in Detroit with my dad. Good times!
Wow, this is a flasback
I bought one with the same color scheme at an auction in the nineties, had been a race car and the owner passed and ended up at government auction
Wow, time flies, i will have to dig up those pictures out of the pile !
Calling a 400 a small block is redundant! Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet car!
What about calling a 396 Big Block a 402 ???
For the folks who don’t like it or want to change it, you obviously weren’t running around in the late ’60s or early ’70s when it was hard not to see a car like this, especially in the midwest or the west coast. Take it like it is… history.
Needs gold Super Trick wheels,if anybody out there knows what I’m talking about without a Google search.
I remember Super Tricks!
As car guys , we all know that this is our youth
Fashion comes and goes
Lets not ride the woke trend of eliminating our past , it is past and it must serve as memories not ridicule !
Although it looks ridiculous, it was once at the top
And i also once had a mullet
And quite a few cars !
The buyer can choose to do as he wishes
Looks like there may be drum brakes in the front which, if it’s the case, the car wasn’t an SS. Power front disk brakes was standard on SS models.
Looks like a Hot Wheel I owned when I was a kid in the 80s!