If you’ve got champagne taste, a beer budget and a thing for fast cars, then you probably know the drill when it comes to hunting down cars on Craigslist: imagine the best and wind up with the worst. If your heart is set on a classically cool ride, what you will find is more than likely going to disappoint you, need at least double the initial cost just to get it worthy, or has something funky going on that you should probably run from, like a missing title. But sometimes, if luck decides to throw you a bone, you can find a killer score. Chevrolet fans, Camaro fans…today is your day.

I’ve often been critical of the “rubber bumper” late second generation Camaros, and it’s mostly due to personal dislike more than any other reason. That being said, I’ve spent enough time searching through the classifieds that I can tell you that this might be the best dollar-to-car Camaro I’ve seen in years. It’s not going to be perfect, but I’m not seeing anything that is really wrong here…the paint looks more-or-less fresh, the interior looks surprisingly clean and the scene under the hood actually looks pretty good. Even the odd sight of a 1970-78 Camaro dash filled with Auto Meter gauges isn’t throwing me off…everything looks good and organized.

It’s not everyday I make this recommendation to anyone over any car, but here I will make an exception: if you have the funds and are capable of getting this car, you should. Whatever minor issues you have with it can be remedied, and you should only walk away if the title or transmission is missing. Hell, we might even consider taking the car without the transmission! It’s a Chevrolet…how hard is it to find a decent TH350? You might blow all five grand of the Rough Start budget, but look at what you’re walking away with. What part of this wouldn’t work for you?

Craigslist Link: 1981 Chevrolet Camaro

(Thanks to Ron Ward for the tip!)