1967 Camaro

I thought it would be fun to have matching Camaros so in 1976 I purchased an orange 67 Camaro with a 327, 3 speed from a friend Velma. The car went through a barb wire fence and made several rips in the vinyl roof. It only needed a quart of oil per tank of gas.

I immediately started sanding and repairing the body. I put a Z28 hood and spoiler. I had most of the body ready to paint when Lance V. stopped by and said he would put in his shop and shoot the metallic brown paint for me. He did an incredible job and the stripes painting the metallic brown and black stripes. I received many compliments. The seats were aged and falling apart so I purchased a top of the line JC Whitney velour seat covers and the interior looked great. Never fixed the ripped roof. Now for the motor!!

The 327 had a thirst for oil but not forgiving. One day the wife walked home and said the the car made a strange sound and stopped. I checked and a rod was sticking out the side of the block and no oil on the dipstick. With the motor out and the wife needing a car she tried to drive my hot rod 67 Camaro but had so much power that it would spin on the ice. That was when we sold my hot rod and purchased a 77 Chevy 4X4.

The next spring I purchased another used 327 and put it in the car. This one also need lots of oil but it ran! The wife called one day and said the car wont start. She said it had oil. I questioned further and determined that she did not understand that when the red dash lights came on there was an issue that needed to be resolved. She told me that I had driven the car when the ALT light was on so she thought it was fine to drive when the TEMP light came on. She had driven it so hot that it seized the motor and cracked the head.

It was time. I rebuilt a 350 and placed in the car. It used no more oil. I placed a low oil pressure and high temperature cut off but no further problems came up.

In 1984 it was time to sell the car. There were several rust spots and by the battery there was a rusted hole. broken windshield, ripped vinyl roof and the seat covers were faded. I put it in the local trader for $1300 and the best offer I got was $300. That upset me enough that I put it in my garage and started with the body work. Removed the vinyl top, used flat black spray paint lightly dusted on the faded seats, sprayed the rusted chrome with aluminum spray paint, new windshield. I put fiberglass on the holes and bondo on any repairs. I painted factory yellow and black stripes with matching pin stripes. Other than my time I invested $250 in glass, paint, tape and supplies. I put the 67 Camaro back in the local trader for $2000 and 3 people were fighting to buy the car.

My father in-law Herb Sandon always said “Never sell without first painting and never buy if newly painted”