I honestly did not think that there was a way to do a first generation Camaro that had not already been done. We have seen them with every engine imaginable from Toyotas to flatheads, pro street, pro touring, and customized to the hilt for the show car circuit. All of those things cover such a wide swath of the automotive imagination it seemed unfathomable that there would be some alternative route no one else had ever taken with a first generation Camaro. I was wrong. Clearly and utterly, I was wrong. This is what’s listed as a “1964 Camero” on Craigslist and what you are looking at is a radically stretched, chopped Camaro with a Cadillac 429 mounted in the back. Go ahead and read that again without developing some sort of a twitch.
The engine has the FWD Cadillac TH425 transmission bolted to it so apparently it was going to stay rear wheel drive and the whole “power unit” would be self contained in the back. The extensive modifications done to the front and rear fenders appear to have been made in steel and not simply sculpted from bondo which is kind of amazing. Lots of time and effort went into it and we are guessing that the time frame of the build was early 1980s or late 1970s. It has lived unattended in a barn for a LONG time.
Is it wrong to openly say that we’d love to have a talented builder get this car and actually finish it on a professional level? Hell, they are asking $1,000 for it so we know guys have paid more than that for a single dash knob for some car that they are hell bent on building. With the right people on this thing, it could be finished and be something pretty radical.
The front three quarter view is far more flattering than the side view which reveals the back half of the car to be really long and gawky. How would you make it cool? Hey we’re not designers, we’re just telling someone who is to get this thing and build it. What do you think?
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If you gave a bright 11 year old some drugs then they might draw something like this…but they’d have to be good quality drugs.
Honestly, when these weird `custom’ jobbies get featured I try to think what I’d do to it to `save’ it but this is just too weird. Having said that for a grand I’d still buy it – theres more than that just in parts involved here….
Through all the body mods,i still see a Corvair body..not a Camaro..however..it should be brought to life..this is 70ies wild customs as it should be.
Even if they started with a Camaro, the end result sure looks like a Corvair to me.
Another in the “I may be crazy, but I would like to see it finished and running” camp.
Why is it that all the most hideous barf-mobiles are always based on Chevys?
Because Chevy owners ain’t got the brains to be idiots!
Keep on taking the drugs, lads….
Remove top – fix mechanical stuff, brakes, tires, etc – Drive!!
Let’s see… It is obviously a ’65-’69 Corvair. The engine is an Olds, not a Cadillac. That makes it a 425 or 455.
On the plus side, 3×2 intakes for BBO’s are rare and valuable. Also, the body work on the nose looks really good to me. Not so much on the tail.
Diffenitely not a Cadillac engine but for $1K, it would be an interesting project!
I like the concept, and the front end is pretty well-done. I especially like the AMX/3-like look to it. The rear needs some work, and a proper transaxle that moves the motor further forward would help with weight distribution.
B+ concept, C- execution.
What an abortion, you guy\’s don\’t know shit about cars, camaro didn\’t come out till 1967, corvair late model didn\’t come out till 1965. Looks like a piece of shit. Hope you didn\’t pay more than junk value for that, that\’s all it\’s worth.
Olds Tornado drive train, with three deuces, not bad. Camaro tail lights. I can see this finished out with metallic lace paint, just like was done back in the day. For a grand, I would take it on.
Probably a ’66 Olds 400 Tri-Power from a 442