Johnsteph10

Hey All,

I'm looking at adding another car to my stable -- and I want it to be a late 1960s muscle car.

I've narrowed it down to:

1968-1969 Chev Camaro RS/SS
1969 Pontiac GTO
1967-1969 Chev Chevelle SS

Any ideas what I should go for? There seems to be a pretty good selection out there and it doesn't have to be perfect. You guys helped guide me to my CTS-V and I love it!

I can do basic car maintenance but anything beyond that I'll either have to have help or learn on my own.

Full authenticity isn't too important but I also don't want a monster, either.

Thanks!

pttl

For the GTO I'd do a 66 instead of the 69. Love the over under headlights...



The Chevelle SS would be a 67....so classic and not yet the "70s" look of the 68 -69.


Can I be you for a while?

CL6

If you don't know how to work on them have some $$. Owning an older car can be a lot of work. Just make sure you get the highest quality vehicle you can afford because a "bargain" car is anything but.

Take it from someone who owns a 40 year old car.

Sarlacc

Youre going to be looking to drop coin on any of those cars...whether they are numbers matching or clones. Anything in an "affordable" price range will need some serious work or restoration.

If you have the money to spend...buy an already restored model, less worry in the end.

Will Y.

I'd be inclined to go with a small-block (350 c.i.) Camaro because it'll probably handle the best out if your choices, and smaller (pony) cars are preferable to bigger (muscle) cars with big blocks.

Then again, I'd be tempted to build a Z28 replica out of the Camaro.

teranfon

Even though you have listed only three choices, the configurations for each model are very diverse. Depending on engine, transmission, and trim level, there are literally dozens of choices. You'll also find the values vary greatly from configuration to configuration.

Are you looking for a driver or something a little more special? Again, price varies greatly. Any of the choices you listed are desirable cars, and prices are finally much more in line to where they should be. Again, it's somewhat relative, as a 1969 DZ 302 camaro is worth around $70 000, while a 327 powerglide in the same year can be had for under $15 000. If the car is going to be a driver and enjoyed on a regular basis, I would go with a model of moderate performance with an automatic.

Finally, keep in mind that time has not been kind to these cars. They were not assembled well, and like most cars of the era they were not intended to last for decades. As such, some are very rough and are pretty much gone. Others, and much more frightening, were "restored". Restored to many people can have very different interpretations. Most are not done well. Most have poor bodywork, paint, an engine rebuild, and aftermarket interiors. Unfortunately, if you look closely enough you see a lot of bondo, aftermarket air cleaners emblazoned with "Edelbrock" across the top and the obligatory stickers in a few places. In my opinion, not nice. Not nice at all. For this reason I recommend anyone that wishes to purchase a muscle or supercar of the era spend a lot of time researching what appeals to them. Learn the facts, engine choices, and trim levels of each car. Become an expert. Learn to decode a car at a glance.

Once armed with this knowledge, look for a car that is unmodified. Something that has been maintained, but not entirely restored. There is nothing wrong with a car that has been properly restored, but true restorations are very expensive, often approaching six figures. As tough as they are to find, non-restored, maintained cars are out there. Buying a survivor allows you to purchase a car that will more or less be in it's original configuration from the factory. This allows you to know what you're getting, and allows a correct template if you ever plan on having it restored.

Be very careful of any bodywork. Most of these cars suffered severe rust, and many have been repaired very poorly. I once looked at a Boss 302 that had been "restored", and upon lifting the carpet, saw the corner of a Kellogg's cereal box that had been placed over a rust hole and bondo applied over. The same for mechanical. Learn to identify "numbers matching", and how to applies to model to model. Even manufacturers have their own interpretation of numbers matching.

Clones. Be very careful. An old adage in the collector car market goes something like this: Only 2500 of (insert car) were ever built, and only 3200 survive.

Support. Spend a few days looking for vendors which support the car you desire. There are many firms that produce aftermarket parts. Most bad. There are a few, however, that do produce proper items. Check out their online catalogues and see availability of parts and the prices for them. Also see what is available NOS (new old stock) and what parts are available secondhand. Buy a copy of Hemmings and spend an evening seeing which wreckers cater to specific cars. There are many that only specialize in particular cars.

Also check online clubs and local clubs. If you gravitate towards the Goat, check out PHS. An infinite source of information. Other models have their own services as well.

Hell.......... I could go on forever. Good luck in your search. If you need any information or someone to point you in a direction, give me a PM.






Terry

SpiderX1016

Don't you have a childhood dream car? One that you've always wanted?

My choice would be a 70 Chevelle SS. 69 Camaro RS as an alternative.

MR1

I have limited talent, time, and money. I therefore like looking at old cars and owning and driving new ones. Reread Terry's post over and over. Best of luck in your decision.

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

I plan on doing the same thing in a couple of years, but for my father as a retirement present. Possibly a 68 Corvette, as that was the year he turned 21.

SouthernBoy

Just a few terminology items.

In the 1960's, the term "muscle car" was not used. The mid-sized big block A body GM cars (Chevelle SS, GTO, Skylark GS, and 442) and their Ford and Chrysler counterparts were called "supercars". Mustangs and Camaros were not supercars, even in their big block configurations. They were pony cars. And Corvettes were in a class by themselves.

Open your selection list up a bit to include a wider group of possibles.

1968-1969 Chev Camaro RS/SS. Make this 1967 to 1969.
1969 Pontiac GTO. Start your selection at '65 or '66 here.
1967-1969 Chev Chevelle SS. Start this one at '66 (I had a '66 SS396) and consider a '65 327 as well.

You might want to add Ford, Plymouth, and Dodge offerings at the time to this list as well. The GM supercars were the prime classics and the ones to have back then. Pontiac started it all with their 1964 Tempest LeMans and a certain option package (GTO's were not made until 1966 as a distinct and separate model).

Good luck in finding something worth owning at a good price. I have a nephew who bought a '69 SS396 Chevelle, because his dad (my brother) had one. It was restored to some degree. I don't recall what he paid for it but I think it was around $15,000.

And pay attention to what Terry wrote in his post above. He knows what he's talking about. PM him with your questions or post them here so we can all enjoy your quest.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

i have been looking at 68-69 vettes...

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

Rule #1: Fly Terry out to inspect the car before you buy

fsttyms1

I want a 68 Camaro with a LS9 engine in it

Brandon24pdx

67 Chevelle all the way. I agree the 1968+ Chevelle is a little too 70's looking for my tastes, even though 68-70's are the very desirable years.

67-69 Camaro...pricey. My coworker bought a 68 non-runner a couple years ago for a pretty good deal but he's dumped a ton on it building a 327 engine, new turbo 350 transmission, new interior/audio stuff, etc.

kobejunior

Not on the list but i would go with the 1969 pontiac trans am 455ci.
those things r beast or go with a 396 chevy camarro kind of expensive but great cars
imo.

cM3go

Johnsteph10

A nice wide variety of answers.

I guess the one thing I am struggling a lot with is this: Do I want all original or is it acceptable for mostly original with some updates (ie: new brakes, electrical, etc.)? I guess it is a question for the purists.

There sure are a lot of late 60's out there with crazy HP upgrades!

teranfon

I'm not trying to sound blunt or too forward, as that isn't my intention, but it doesn't matter what other collectors think. It's what you think. As long as you don't pretend it to be something that it isn't, I've always believed that any owner of any car can do what he/she pleases. Keep in mind that although modifying certain cars will detract from their value, it isn't necessarily a bad thing to make them more street worthy. Just do it correctly in manner that doesn't detract from the car. I've even been told my restorations aren't entire authentic, as they are performed to a calibre that often exceeds the quality how they were originally built. It's entirely up to you what you want to do, but if you are going to modify an older car with modern interpretations, it's often best to start with a particular model that doesn't have a strong collectibility or doesn't represent a high point during that particular model's production run.




Terry

Will Y.

It depends on what you want to do with the car-- is it for the track or just cruising along on weekends? If it's a track car, the sanctioning body/bodies will tell you how far you can go with updates/part replacements in each class.

If you just intend to cruise and drive casually, replacement of major systems aren't generally necessary as the cars had the basics covered-- most of your choices already have disc brakes in front rather than drums, for example. It's merely a question of which slightly-better aftermarket components (pads, rotors, brake lines, coils, spark plug wires, shocks, anti-sway bars, bushings, etc.) you want to install in place of OEM.

Adding audio, video, computer and hydraulic systems to an older car may require replacement of the most of the electrical system and mounting of multiple batteries in the trunk, if that's what floats your boat.

Please do not put 20s with flared fenders and lowered suspension along with diamond-tuck upholstery on an original Z28 or Judge GTO, but feel free to do that with a base or small-block automatic version.