After a half-year of teasing, Chevrolet is finally ready to unveil the next-generation of the Camaro to a crowd of Camaro owners at a special event at Belle Island. It is difficult to see the automotive landscape without the GM pony car; brought about as a knee-jerk reaction to the Ford Mustang’s wild success in 1967, the Camaro has done many things for the enthusiast: it’s given Ford a rival, which begat competition, which creates improvements, which the consumer enjoys. The Camaro managed to survive several death threats before taking a hiatus between 2002-2010. Over the nearly fifty years that the car has been around, countless millions of them have been sold, from lowly four-banger Berlinettas to the absolutely unholy COPO cars, from the aftermarket tuners like Yenko, Nickey and Baldwin-Motion to the models that have become iconic with the success of the Camaro with the car: SS. RS. Z/28. ZL1. IROC-Z. 1LE.
It’s nigh-on impossible to find someone who doesn’t have a story involving a Camaro in their story catalog, and that’s where today’s Question of the Day came from. I sincerely blame my full involvement with cars as a hobby on a Camaro…specifically, a white 1976 Type LT with a red interior that belonged to my uncle, Benny, that I first saw when I was five. Prior to that, three cars mattered to me, ever: my mother’s 1982 Mustang LX, my grandfather’s 1984 Chrysler E-class, and my cousin Vance’s 1973 Chrysler Newport…the one with the “race motor” that had the ability to warp time and space. Benny and my stepfather had disappeared one afternoon, no mention of where they were going. But when they returned, the Camaro pulled into the driveway, the 350 thumping out of a pair of glass packs, sitting on American Racing turbine wheels and white-letter BFG T/A’s, looking evil. I fell in lust, and wanted that car more than anything. Within months, a second Camaro of similar vintage appeared in the form of the blue 1976 Camaro Type LT that belonged to my aunt’s boyfriend. He was a cool guy and his Camaro, which was dead-stock save for a set of Cragars and BFG’s, looked even better.
From that point on, I would not shut up about wanting a ’74-’77 Camaro. Even when I fell in lust with a neighbor’s 1974 Plymouth ‘Cuda, I didn’t know enough about the Mopar to cause me to change my mind…I wanted the Camaro. And when I was 12, I got my wish. It was a rot-box, but it had three pedals, all of the body was there, and it was mine. It was a 1975 base Camaro with the basic black interior. The carpet was a science project. the trunk had better ventilation than my bedroom did, and it took my entire body strength to lift the sagging door up enough for it to shut, but it was there.
Unfortunately for both me and the Camaro, handing a twelve-year-old tools and saying, “Have at it, kid” with no direction panned out horribly. I won’t admit to what happened, but the Camaro went to a junkyard within a couple of months and I’ve never owned one since. I did get stuck with a ’79 once due to my ex-wife, but I couldn’t get rid of that six-cylinder pig quick enough. Even now, though. I’d do a mid-second-gen Camaro if I could afford to swing another project car. So, there’s the story of how a Camaro managed to trigger this automotive sickness that we all are afflicted with in me. What’s your Camaro story?
Hmm, my experiences with Camaros are actually relatively short but I can think of two that really stand out.
A) Back at LSFest 2010 got to ride in Brian Finch’s ’70 Camaro (Back when it was still yellow but had received the LS swap) First Camaro I got to ride in and first real Pro Tourer I got to ride in. I had read so much about that car in various magazines, so getting to ride in it was a pretty big deal.
B) The first time I drove a ZL-1. Had driven a few regular 5th-gen SSs and wasn’t really blown away. Put tires and an alignment on a customer’s ZL-1 6-speed convertible and had to drive it afterwards. Got the car out on the road and it didn’t even try to be fast, it just was. On the way back to the shop I decided to punch it. I was doing 30mph and figured it was safe. Nope, it barbequed those 305-series Goodyears in an instant.
There you go again McTaggert ! Putting up posts [ now of that 70’s travesty posing as a Camaro ] that leaves my breakfast on the floor . Why the hell do I even bother [ just razzing you a bit there Bryan 😉 ]
So which Camaro did it for me ? The 69’s … especially the Z/28’s and SS’s . Much like in my opinion the C2 ,the 69 Camaro was the ultimate evolution of the breed . It all going downhill from there .
Learn to drive with my dad’s 68 conv’t. It was a 6 cyl w/ 3 SPD manual. Only option it had WS a power top. It was in the family from 1969-1983. Finally sold it cause the body was more filler than metal!
I bet I built 5 or 6 ’69 Camaro Revell model kits growing up (still have some of them). I’d say the 67-69 Camaro’s were one of the cars that 1st gave me the automotive bug.
My dad’s ’01 V6 5-speed. What a turd! In the shop more than it’s on the road. I’ve always had a soft spot for the ’74-’77 big bumper Camaros.
At 19 I spent a thousand bucks on a ’67 RS/SS-350, funny color (turquoise) but with almost every option…drove it for six months, it could’ve told at-least all the typical stories of a kid that age. Not sure I wanna go back there, but wish I’d kept the car and left it alone. I had a beater ’68 RS/SS-396 at the same time too but it was just something to work on/play with.
I’ve had 5 f-bodys and 2 of them were Camaro’s, a gun-metal grey 83 and a teal 94′ z28 (hey, teal was cool in the 90s). But the Camaro that most inspired me was my dad’s friend Mr. Gerald’s 68′. It was green with white racing stripes, a 4 speed and a health 396. It had gold plated Keystone Klassics which were the coolest thing ever when I was a kid. I remember as a teen when he asked me if I wanted to drive it, and just tossed me the keys, total trust. My goal ever since then has been to save up enough money to persuade Mr. Gerald to let her come home with me. That or his black GS 455 stage 1.
1969 – best year ever for the Camaro. I have had three of them: an SS 396, an SS 350 convertible and a Z/28. Of the three, the Z/28 was the most fun to drive. Handled like a Corvette and had plenty of power for stoplight to stoplight street racing. The SS 396 I took to Englishtown to try to compete in Stock Eliminator – wasn’t too successful as I had to drive the car from Long Island so all I had was 4.10 gears. Needed 4.56 to be competitive. The SS 350 convertible I only owned for about 3 months – nice cruiser but it was stolen. From the proceeds I bought the Z/28.
I could write a book on my 78. I bought it in 1989 when I was 17 and I still have it after 26 years.
’91 RS, fake Z28 with a TBI 305. It was loud in a seriously mean way. That’s all it did well. What a pile of junk. Memories of being on a date when it started overheating… couldn’t get the hood release to work so we hammered over speedbumps in a Lowe’s parking lot until it popped up. Handling was never confidence inspiring, you could feel the whole car squirm about from the cheap stock suspension. Everything electrical on the car was crap. Cooling system was crap. Seals and construction were crap. Ugh. No good memories.
’99 Firebird vert, got for the wife who was the girlfriend in the previous story. Had a nice set of options making it essentially a Trans Am with a V6/auto. Handling was really good. That 3.8 would burn tires and move right along. Heaven forbid you ever had to work on it though, no room in the engine bay. Everything electrical failed or malfunctioned regularly. Same cooling problems as the ’91 Camaro. Cheaply built. The novelty wore off and my wife couldn’t enjoy it because she couldn’t trust it. Sold after a economy paint job turned out as well as you might expect. I don’t miss it.
I don’t think I ever want another Camaro, even though I love the looks of the 91/92 models.
What touched me the most!
Huge chunks of barf whilst looking at the pictures!
You didn’t catch this deal until comment #11? Yer off your game….lol…
I dated one girl who drove a blue Camaro and another girl who drove a gold Camaro. I married the one with the gold.
Screw the Camaro, thats looks to be a 70 Judge in the background of the lead photo!
I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but I have no Camaro experiences. There were a few at my Uncle’s shop when I was growing up, but they never caught my eye. My other Uncle rebuilt a CJ5, and that was where I realized I belonged.
So I guess to answer the question, the only Camaro I’ve payed attention to for any prolonged amount of time was The Crusher Camaro.