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X11 Project: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro

At first glance, it would seem that the glory days are well behind this 1969 Camaro. Its original paint has made way for a coating of surface corrosion, while its engine bay houses nothing but fresh air. However, things might not be as bad as they first seem. Below all of the gloom and doom are the occasional bright sparks that suggest that there still might be a future for this classic. That means that someone has the opportunity to create the Camaro of their dreams. If you think that person could be you, the Chevy can be found located in York, Pennsylvania, and listed for sale here on Facebook. Hand the owner $7,500, and you can tow this classic away.

The owner lists the Camaro as an SS, but this is by no means conclusive. The Tag carries an “X11” designation, which means that it is plausible. However, it would take a closer inspection to be able to shed some light on this. It is hard to believe that this Camaro once wore attractive Garnet Red paint. This is a distant memory because most of the car now sports a heavy coating of surface corrosion. There is also rust for the buyer to contend with, and it has afflicted all of the usual areas that we have come to know and love with these 1st Generation Camaros. That means that it can be found in the rockers, lower quarter panels, and floors. On the positive side of the equation, the owner does believe that the car is structurally sound. This photo would seem to support that claim, with the frame looking pretty good. Looking around the engine bay reveals some possible evidence of rust in the cowl on the driver’s side, so this will need to be checked carefully to confirm whether or not all is well. Some trim pieces look okay, but the shopping list for chrome and other items is sure to be pretty long. Most of the tinted glass is present, and this looks to be in good condition.

The blank canvas theme continues when we look inside the Camaro because there are quite a few items that will need to be replaced for one reason or another. This photo also shows the extent of the rust in the floors and gives potential buyers an insight into how much work will be required to whip the body into shape. The interior was originally trimmed in Black vinyl, and some of this remains in evidence. If a faithful restoration is the goal, a trim kit would be the most obvious starting point. These are readily available, and the quality of some is so good that it is virtually impossible to tell them from factory trim. Being a blank canvas, the buyer might opt for a restomod build. That means that the choice of interior trim will suit their tastes, so Black vinyl might not be the end result.

There’s a lot of fresh air inside the engine bay, but if this is a real SS, what would have occupied this space would have been a 350ci V8. There is still an automatic transmission in situ, but it isn’t clear whether this is original. That combination would have given the driver 300hp at their disposal and would have meant that the Camaro would have been easily able to cut a sub-16-second ¼-mile pass. Once again, the Camaro leaves plenty of options on the table. There is no reason why a date-correct drivetrain couldn’t be sourced. That means that a faithful restoration could be performed. It wouldn’t be numbers-matching, but it would still be desirable. I tend to think that anyone who tackles this Camaro will probably wander down a different path. I wouldn’t be surprised if something more modern and potent eventually occupies this space. If so, then I believe that the suspension and brakes will be upgraded to cope with the potential performance improvements that this could bring.

There’s no denying that the person who tackles this 1969 Camaro project will require grim determination and a fat wallet. There is not one aspect of the car that will escape their attention if the vehicle is to be returned to a roadworthy state. That begs the question of which path our readers might choose to follow, and it will be interesting to read the responses on that score. We might also have readers who believe that this is one classic that is beyond salvation, so if you do, I will be interested in reading why you feel that way. That’s one of the things that makes the classic scene so fascinating. Not only do people have widely varying tastes, but they also have varied opinions that they are willing to back with sound reasoning. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have what it would take to return this classic to our roads, but would you?

Comments

  1. Avatar Fahrvergnugen Member

    Much vision required to get this reactivated, but I’ve got cataracts and just don’t see it.

    Like 7
  2. Avatar Steve R

    The front subframe doesn’t matter, it simply needs to be unbolted and replaced if it’s bad. What really matters is the structural parts of the unibody, such as the rear frame rails and lower portion of the cowl. With the availability of brand new aftermarket body’s I’m not sure why anyone would waste their time on this car, especially if they were going to build a restomod.

    Steve R

    Like 5
    • Avatar Ben

      The aftermarket body is like wearing a fake Rolex, if you are a purist you want to save and enjoy a car that is an Icon such as 69 Camaro.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Marc

    I’m shocked over the list price being only $7,500. Instead of the normal gouging prices that are usually listed… It’s a fair price I must say… The right owner, time, dedication and money could turn this beauty into a very nice ride… I live in the East end of York I wonder what part of the city this is located…

    Like 0
  4. Avatar stillrunners

    They do make those new bodies………

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Arthur

    Somebody is going to need the products of Dynacorn or AMD real soon.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar timothy herrod

    This may get me banned from here but I never liked camaros or mustangs, never owned one and have ridden in very few

    Like 3
    • Avatar Desert Rat

      As the owner of a 69 Camaro and having owned several Mustangs through out the years let me be the first to say, yep your banned.

      Like 10
      • Avatar timothy herrod

        Would I earn any points if I admit to taking my drivers test in my brother-in-laws 74 mustang II, tho I am not sure that car counts as a mustang

        Like 2
    • Avatar stu

      timothy herrod…..
      Are you a dodge person?

      Like 0
      • Avatar timothy herrod

        Sorta kinda, but back in late 70’s early 80’s just about everyone and his brother had a camaro or mustang or they were wanting to get one. I never really was one to do something because everyone else was doing it. I drove a lotta GM stuff back then but never got into camaros and mustangs. I also didn’t like Freebird back then either, everyone just became idiots when it came on the radio with screaming freebird and the tunes cranked up to earbleed level, just couldn’t enjoy it then, love the song today but still notsomuch the camaros and mustangs

        Like 1
  7. Avatar Greg Goodwin

    69 Camaros are one of my favorites. That amount for basically a roller, even camaro, just hits me as further hitting these cars up where the average, work 6 days a week, wife and 2 k7ds with a mortgage will never have one. When sold it’ll be destined to either under go an extensive renovation that will have it st barrett jackson every 2 or 3 years looking for its next owner or put into a shop or storage building until the price of a builder like this doubles or more.
    Sadly, it’ll probably see little, if any, street use.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Daniel Gavin

    I must be living in a different world……….$7 large for this POS?!!!!
    My daily driver is a 2016 Lexus RX 330 with only 52,000 miles…..I can put you in that for only $60,000.00………….how does that sound?

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Tort Member

    Here’s a chance for someone to build the next COPO clone.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar T-bone

    Tim, I am with you as far as Camaros and Mustangs being overrated, just never got the hype. That being said admitting to actually being in a Mustang 2 is just sad and may be what gets you banned.

    Like 2
    • Avatar timothy herrod

      I was 16 and wanting to get my drivers license, I didn’t know any better, heck none of us did back then for that matter.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Tim W

    I would bet nobody would consider restoring a 52 year old Lexus…… IMHO, it might be a better option to buy one of the new 69 Camaro bodies and start there. If this was a real COPO, or L88 car, then by all means restore it.

    Like 3
  12. Avatar George Mattar

    Another dreamer. What a heap. You can buy a perfect one for about $40,000. Some people have more money than brains.

    Like 2
  13. Avatar James Bishop

    This car has alot of potential, the price is off a bit , no cowl tag to verify but if it checks out then I think 5k-6k is more like it . All sellers wanting to sell their camaro should always include a picture of the cowl tag ,it’s the starting point to evaluating a camaro. Then a protect-o-plate under the front seat of the car.Then you have what you need to tell you what it came with from the factory ,to what you see in front of you . The less you have , the less the car is worth.Some people just don’t get it , and want more than it’s real value . Compare camaro’s with basic good values /basic going prices before paying some pie in the sky price and be sorry you didn’t do your homework .

    Like 0

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