When we were at the Pomona Swap Meet on Sunday, we found this 4th Gen Camaro sitting on a trailer with a sign that said $1000 obo on it, and it got our attention quick. With a 6 cylinder and an automatic, it’s not going to win any races as is, and we’re not sure what is wrong with it outside of the very mildly crunched, and therefore missing, front end, but it certainly got the wheels a turning in the old noggin. We’re 100% confident that we could have gotten this car for $750 or less, as there wasn’t very many people looking at it all day, and it never sold.
In about 15 seconds, the three of us spit out at least 5 different possible futures for this little beast, which included everything from NHRA Stock Eliminator racing to Pro Touring to X275 Drag Racing, and much much more. Sure it needs front fenders, and maybe a hood, but regardless of what kind of fun we planned with this thing it would be getting a lightweight hood, so a couple of fenders makes this 4th Gen Camaro whole again. The fact that it’s a convertible might make some folks nervous, but that just means it is WAY easier to cage should you decide to go that route.
We know that regardless of the intended use, it’s going to need an engine with 8 cylinders that makes real power. Whether that is naturally aspirated, boosted, or nitrous huffing would depend on budget and time, but body, suspension, and structure improvements are also a requirement. The good thing is you will have spent less that $1000 to get into this thing, and bolt-ons can make it handle stupid power on the autocross, road course, drag strip, and more.
So if you had $750 burning a hole in your pocket, and could walk up and buy this sucker right now, what would you do with it? Realizing that budget matters, lets say that you have $30,000 to spend after you purchase the car. What’s it going to be? Drag Car? Pro Touring? Street Bruiser? What?
Let us know. We want to hear from you!
Street/strip. Let’s go with the biggest-inch LS I can jam under the hood, stout automatic, keep the rear tires at about 275’s, and mark off stripes using the silver paint and shoot the rest of the car black. For a $1000 buy in, it’s time to make this thing freakin’ rowdy.
Pro-Touring Monster with every bolt on/in fourth gen suspension item thrown at it and a potent LS and automatic in it.
I’ve ridden in the cloth seats that are likely in this thing and they suck, so I’d be looking for a good cheap bolt in bucket to spruce up the interior – either factory leather from the junkyard or something like a Scat Elite.
As far as the body goes, I’d definitely put the SS hood on it, along with the 99 style front bumper and the 3 piece spoiler. I’ve always kind of liked these in that dark blue they did the Firebirds in, so I’d probably paint the lower portion – tops of the fenders down – dark blue on the cheap, but leave the hood and trunk lid silver.
Then I’d buy some cheap Vette/aluminium wheels on craigslist, wrap them in sticky rubber – unlike for us Mopar guys, Chevy wheels are a dime a dozen – and join Nutting at the AutoX in Ayer!
A pretty-nice 4th-gen V6/auto hardtop w/ 150K and what was said to be a bad trans sat abandoned in a local industrial parking lot for weeks, nobody wanted it even for free. Perfect body, interior glass…but finally the vandals got to it then it was hauled away. Weird/sad how with that drivetrain those are valued at zip.
CRUSH IT AND DO THE WORLD A FAVOR……have a great Monday
LMAO….
Now there’s a man with a great eye.
That’s exactly what I was going to say.
Turn it into a UTE. That seems to be the theme of the day!
Not hard to find an LT1-equipped Camaro or T/A for under $1000 where I live. The ads for them are all a variation on the same theme “I have to have the money by this weekend or I get evicted”.
Once went to go buy a $1000 2002 Trans Am. Seemed pretty decent except for the LS1’s rod knock. Checked the VIN and it came back to a 1994 V6. I ran away from that one.
I was going to say. I find these cars cheap all the time. I’d pull the drivetrain and stick in something useful. Like say a Mustang……
put the body on an old farm tractor .You know the one that is just used to plow the drive way do the garden small stuff . The rag top sun/ rain , heater / air seasonal . No need to register it and you could take a friend to do the chores .
Your ten year old son can drive a tractor legally when you’ve had a little too much doing your buddies drive or garden ?
Pass and wait for at least a non-T-top car.
offer as close to 500 bucks for it, and make it into a lemons racer. part out what you dont need until you are below 500.
wire up some headlamps, you dont even need to worry about front sheet metal then. race till the engine grenades then just throw a sbc into it and keep racing.
An easy sleeper. Nice LS motor, a little NOS,and you have fun streetable screamer, that you run the ac in