They’re disappearing

[1967 4K]

Good pic of the gold 69 Jeff thanks for posting that. My point is these base non performance, non SS, plain Jane, whatever you want to call them Camaros are becoming a thing of the past. I understand exactly what ARC is wanting to do with a base car and that’s fine n dandy with me.
These cars are the bread n butter, the bones of our hobby we all enjoy them and you hardly ever see one out at the cruise in or shows in my area. Last year at the Somernite Cruise In I saw a base 67 Camaro coupe with a small block automatic column shift. I spent a half hour looking at small things that were untouched, understanding things I need to correct on my car.
I know of a 67 and 69 long time family owned base cars around me. I’ll try n get a few pics of them and post them up for everyone to see.

Later

[Too Many Projects]

My first Camaro was a 1967, base 327, column shift, powerglide car. I bought it from my supervisor at my first full time job, right out of HS, in 1970. Being we lived in the St Paul area of MN, we deal with snow and he was a ski patrol officer at a ski resort in Lutsen MN, so he ordered it with a positraction axle with the standard 3.08 ratio. It had an AM radio, but I don't recall if it was push button or manual, since as an 18 yr old, I HAD to put a better aftermarket radio in. At only 3.5 yrs old it had 100,000 miles and needed a new exhaust. No teenager was going to replace the single exhaust with original....so it got a dual exhaust and it just HAD to have one of those super cool rear spoilers...right ??!!

[big gear head]

That '66 Fairlane GT looks like it's got a lot of potential.

[1967 4K]

Yes and it appears to be a GT. I like the 66, 67 Fairlanes especially with a R Code 427 in them.

[Formula455SD]

I'd take an untouched base model over a cloned SS/Z28 any day.

[SupremeDeluxe]

Yes, those Camaros seem to be nearly extinct. I remember in high school (1993-1997), there were still a lot of first-gen basic cars in the weekly Auto Trader and Tradin' Times. Going rate for a drivable car was $4-5K. I was poor and had a max of $2500 to work with on my best days. I wasted any money I could make on engineering school at Northwestern. Of course, all those cars had rust or rust repairs in the quarters and fenders by then (unkind Chicago climate), but they were drivable. Still never achieved 69 Camaro ownership 27 years later!

Who remembers the eager anticipation of going to 7-11 early on Thursday morning to get the new issue of Auto Trader??

[ACR]

Speaking for the last two years of my search - I can definitely say these base model cars are incredibly difficult to find in an original state. I've tracked a few ideal cars down but the owners aren't willing to sell and really, who can blame them. I look across multiple sources, multiple times a day, and they seldom come up for sale. When they do, they fall into a few categories:

- Genuinely nice original cars which usually sell quick (very rare - maybe two a year that I've spotted)
- Fluffed cars
- Scary body work from an older resto
- Too many changes from original (colour change, engine swaps, etc)

Unfortunately, because I've been looking for an extended period of time, I'm now at the point where I've seen cars that were nice and original however sold quickly at the start of my search come back up for sale in a totally modified state; think nice original 6 cylinder car with LS/6 speed conversion and ran through the auctions countless times, etc.

To add some numbers to this discussion, speaking for 69 only which is what my search is focused on and is probably the hardest to find a base car of (lots turned into COPO clones, pro-touring builds, or simply used as a daily driver and rotted into the ground/junked/totalled, etc)... If we consider what engine option makes a car a base model (non-SS, non-Z28, non-COPO):

L26: 230ci
L22: 250ci
L14: 307ci
LF7: 327ci
L65: 350ci
LM1: 350ci

In total, there were 186,785 base models produced. Total 69 Camaro production was 243,085. This means ~77% of all 69 Camaros were base models - effectively 3 out of 4 cars. I bet you will not see this reflected in the market today with the flood of near everything being a 'genuine' SS, Z28, etc.

Nevertheless, my search continues. Friends have started calling me a base model connoisseur as they think I might be the only person who has spent this long looking for a base model of any car LOL.

[Mr70]

There's an original owner 1968 327 Camaro down the block from me.Nice car with tons of paperwork.He brought the car home the day MLK was shot,and no it's not for sale.

[Pro Stock John]

Yes, those Camaros seem to be nearly extinct. I remember in high school (1993-1997), there were still a lot of first-gen basic cars in the weekly Auto Trader and Tradin' Times. Going rate for a drivable car was $4-5K. I was poor and had a max of $2500 to work with on my best days. I wasted any money I could make on engineering school at Northwestern. Of course, all those cars had rust or rust repairs in the quarters and fenders by then (unkind Chicago climate), but they were drivable. Still never achieved 69 Camaro ownership 27 years later!

Who remembers the eager anticipation of going to 7-11 early on Thursday morning to get the new issue of Auto Trader??

I bought / sold a bunch of cars through the Tradin' Times and I used to look at Autotrader all the time. The cheapest car I ever bought was a '68 Chevelle 300 deluxe, I think I paid $400 for it. Six cylinder power glide 2 door. My buddy still has it he's of course put a small block in there.

Those days are gone because the cars got fixed up or just plain rusted out. I picked up a '69 Nova SS former drag car for about $600, the gas tank was held in by the straps that went over some conduit lol. This was in 1991 and already the car was very rusty. Good times.

[60sStuff]

I bought / sold a bunch of cars through the Tradin' Times and I used to look at Autotrader all the time. The cheapest car I ever bought was a '68 Chevelle 300 deluxe, I think I paid $400 for it. Six cylinder power glide 2 door. My buddy still has it he's of course put a small block in there.

Those days are gone because the cars got fixed up or just plain rusted out. I picked up a '69 Nova SS former drag car for about $600, the gas tank was held in by the straps that went over some conduit lol. This was in 1991 and already the car was very rusty. Good times.

The good old Autotrader, was good times buying and selling.

[Rsconv68]

ACR, I like your thoughts on this. That’s why I kept my 68 a 6 cylinder (Avatar). However, the L22 250 cube was not the base engine, only the 230. And it would be base as well if it has a 3 on the tree. I’ve seen 1 in 38 years and a friend owned it. The sales sheet is a photo of the copy, and the car had 3 factory options. It’s about a base as I’ve ever seen.

[RPOLS3]

Who remembers the eager anticipation of going to 7-11 early on Thursday morning to get the new issue of Auto Trader??

This ^^^ .......except I was so broke I usually picked them up second hand at someone's shop after someone else rifled through them.

[Chuck_Burg]

My 67 is still trimmed as it was when new, other than the stinger hood... just a nice little 327 under the hood :laugh::haha: All kidding aside, it was important to me to retain the Granada Gold, gold interior, and base model emblems. No SS clone here even though it does have a big block under the hood...

[CamaroNOS]

It was like yesterday that I would sit in the parking lot of the local corner store waiting for the Auto Trader magazine delivery to show up and another great buy and sell newspaper here in Ontario called the Tri-Ad.

These would supply me with a good hour of entertainment with a hot cup of coffee from Tim Hortons.

Boy I miss those days.....

Paul

[Lynn]

Most haven't disappeared; they have been transformed into "numbers matching" Z/28, COPO or L78 cars.

[Ralph Spears]

,,,,,,,,,

[67rs/ss]

Thanks alot guys, you may have just talked me out of LS swapping this little gem I picked up Feb of 23. A 69 camaro convertible dover white dark blue top and Interior 3 speed in the floor. I believe it has it's original engine. I do not see the vin stamp on the pad but l forgot that later built cars the stamp is by the bell housing. I will have to check next time I have it on the lift. Some one informed me Chevy only made 1707 in this configuration. Is that correct?

[Too Many Projects]

Beautiful little car, love the Blue/Blue on White. Rare combination.
6 cylinder may not have a vin stamp ??

[L89DRMR]

Yes, only 1,707 made.

I owned a glacier blue one with a white top.

Only options were PO1 wheel covers and an AM radio.

Dave

[Kurt S]

It originally was white with a black top. I can't see the engine code in that picture, may be a May built engine?

Dave,
So column shift?

[L89DRMR]

Kurt,

Yes, column shift.

Torque-drive Powerglide.

Dave

[67rs/ss]

The engine code is 0523 AM. 230 6 cylinder 3 speed.The top is fairly new so probably changed to the dark blue.

[Too Many Projects]

It originally was white with a black top. I can't see the engine code in that picture, may be a May built engine?

Dave,
So column shift?
I thought none of the '69 3 speed manuals came with column shift, due to the key lock change. I had a '69 250/3 speed and it was factory floor shift without a console.

[Pro Stock John]

Yes, those Camaros seem to be nearly extinct. I remember in high school (1993-1997), there were still a lot of first-gen basic cars in the weekly Auto Trader and Tradin' Times. Going rate for a drivable car was $4-5K. I was poor and had a max of $2500 to work with on my best days. I wasted any money I could make on engineering school at Northwestern. Of course, all those cars had rust or rust repairs in the quarters and fenders by then (unkind Chicago climate), but they were drivable. Still never achieved 69 Camaro ownership 27 years later!

Who remembers the eager anticipation of going to 7-11 early on Thursday morning to get the new issue of Auto Trader??

Did you ever buy anything from Steve @ Torrance Auto Wreckers? Back in the day he used to come across interesting cars. I saw a '68 Chevelle SS vert (black, black roof, red interior) needed resto I turned Roland S onto it and I'm sure he still has it.

[Mr70]

TorrEnce Auto Wreckers,I used to drive out there routinely..I knew people from out of state who would call me ahead of time to make sure we'd meet up there.Always some great easter egg finds in that yard.

[Pro Stock John]

Steve @ Torrance bought/sold a lot of cool stuff, I first came across him in the Tradin' Times when I was looking for rally wheels for my '68 Chevelle SS. One time he was selling a Heavy Chevy.

[Rsconv68]

I’m liking the 6, and yes the VIN is supposed to be stamped on the pad at the distributor.

[SPEEDYB]

About 18 years ago at a local Pick a Part wrecking yard,
there was a base 69 Camaro with a factory installed chevy 2 four cyl
engine, paperwork in the glove box indicated that it was some kind of fleet
vehicle for the Government.
Ill never forget the fan shroud spacer between the rad support and the shroud,
about 5 inches!!

[1967 4K]

I’ve heard about the 4 cylinders in a Nova but never a Camaro. Hmmm 👍

[iluv69s]

I know they made a few export 283 Camaros, but a four banger in an early camaro would be a first for me.

[Kurt S]

No question that's the original engine for the 50-B car. Should have had a VIN stamp, but was missed. Someone added the 1/4 gills, btw. :)

Yes, the default trans in 69 was column shift. Had to order M11 floor shift or a console to get it on the floor.

I'm a doubter on the 4 cyl Camaro. No engine code, no rpo, no mention anywhere in any factory documentation.

[fsc66]

Then a couple more export motors:
L90 6 Cyl
L92 V8

Paul

[L72copocamaro]

As far as I know, there is no engine or body designation for a 4 cyl. Camaro engine. I don't know everything or claim to, but I seriously doubt the reality.

[sixt9rsx33]

First Camaro was a 68 327/210 Blue/Blue white top, column shift powerglide, PS, PB, AC factory wheel covers. It had 68K miles, and had a bent push rod that torqued the rocker. The rocker put a small hole in valve cover. Was leaking oil so I put a dab of JB Weld on the hole LOL. Was 15 and had no idea what the problem was. Just kept riding. Circa 1978.