The Coveted Camaro: 1967-1969

Of course, an authentic match-number SS will be worth a lot more at both purchase and resale time. But if you're looking to have fun on a budget, the imitation version might be the better deal.


Another path to Camaro ownership is to buy a modified car. Many Camaros have been customized by their owners. Special cams, manifolds, headers, wheels and trick paint jobs all conspire to make some Camaros stand out from the pack. Once again, many collectors spurn these "improved" cars, but one might be your idea of perfect, and a bargain as well.


Or you may decide to race your Camaro in the many musclecar series that have become popular in the last few years, or compete in amateur bracket racing at the drag strip. Some early Camaro Z-28s are even raced in vintage sports car events, where they duke it out with early Mustangs as in days of yore.


A recent variation on the modified musclecar theme is Pro Touring, an informal description for early musclecars that look original from the outside, but are heavily modified to perform like modern machinery. An early Camaro might be treated to a late-model fuel-injected Vortec engine, a six-speed gearbox, revised suspension, enlarged brakes and rack-and-pinion steering. They drive like a dream, but pro tourers are not inexpensive to build and the jury is still out on how well they will hold their value.

Family Tree
A little history lesson is in order before you start looking. The first Camaro was introduced in September 1966 as a 1967 model. It was based on technology borrowed from the Chevy II compact (just as the Mustang was based on the Falcon). Coupe and convertible body styles were offered, with the coupes easily the more popular.