The Chevrolet Camaro: A Brief Overview Desired by American car enthusiasts for over three decades, the Chevrolet Camaro will likely be remembered as the coolest ride a young driver could ever hope to own. With its dramatic racing achievements, both on and off the track, the Camaro has met numerous challenges over the course of its lifetime -- beginning with a muscle-car bout with the Ford Mustang to be the ride-of-choice among America's sports-car aficionados. With Ford's introduction of the Mustang in 1964 (figure A), it quickly became evident to the General Motors Company that four-seat sports cars were destined for great popularity. Once the "ponycar" era became firmly established, the competition to create better-looking and more powerful cars in smaller stature had motor companies off and running. That competition would, in fact, continue for decades. GM's contribution to muscle-car mania took shape with the introduction of the Camaro in 1967. Once referred to as the "Panther" by the media, the Camaro's name actually came from the French word for companion. By the end of that initial production year, 220,906 people had made the Chevy Camaro their own companion. The numbers continued to soar for the all of the first generation Camaros -- 1967 through '69 -- still the most desirable model years among collectors and enthusiasts today. One big factor contriubting to the popularity of the Camaro was its variety. Even the first Camaro in 1967 was available in hardtop and convertible body styles, and could be ordered with nearly 80 factory options and as many as 40 dealer accessories. There were three main option packages: RS or Rally Sport, SS or Super Sport, and the perennially-popular and ultra-cool Z-28 package (figure B). The options for an RS style were mainly cosmetic and included characteristics such as hidden headlights in the grill, improved parking and taillights and it's own RS emblem. A Super Sport, or SS (figure C) also had a few cosmetic traits including the simulated air-intakes on the hood. More important to enthusiasts, the SS gave you a choice of a bigger and more powerful engine (figure D). The third main configuration available was the Z-28. Created for the purpose of racing, Chevrolet had to release this model so it could be qualified, but they didn't market the Z-28 because they wanted to keep their secret weapon hush-hush. Ironically -- and because of its racing successes -- the Z-28 ultimately grew to be the most popular version of the Camaro. Sales increased for all three Camaro models in 1968, which further encouraged Chevy and their race for the best muscle car. For the 1968 models, changes were slim, but did include a more horizontal styling of the grill along with the addition of flow-through ventilation. This model year also received side marker lights, improved chrome inserts on the hood, and eliminated the vent windows. And, the Z-28 finally received some recognition with its very own emblem (figure E). The second generation began with a doubtful fate of the pony car era. Chevrolet sensed that the public was losing interest and knew it was time pull out all the stops. To keep the Camaro nose-to-nose with its competition and the public's changing tastes, the Camaro was given a new body style (figure F). Chevy also improved the new Camaro's creature comforts by installing better noise insulation (figure G). Several other changes were made cosmetically and under the hood throughout this term making this generation so popular it lasted from 1970 to 1981. Beginning in 1982 Chevy created the third generation of the Camaro with a drastically different body style (figure H), which resulted in a lighter and more fuel-efficient model. The changes broadened Camaro's range of appeal and rekindled the Camaro spirit. In 1993, even more drastic changes were made to the Camaro, creating the final generation of body styles (figure I). By keeping up with demands from the public and the muscle car era, the Camaro was able to adapt while still remaining popular. Chevrolet helped its companion to achieve other honors that also contributed to its popularity. To assist in the publicity of the first Camaro in 1967, its sporty looks and rhythmic ride went the extra mile to achieve the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car crown (figure J). This prestigious, high-visibility variation continued with editions in 1969, 1982 and 1993, helping to further ensure the Camaro's timeless popularity. The Camaro has always been an ideal choice for anyone wanting a high-performance American car with aggressive styling and sleek, sporty good looks. Today, the early Camaro is one of the most popular restoration cars among enthusiasts -- in part because so many of the original components are still readily available. While there may never again be an era of the muscle car like there was in the 1960s and 70s, there will always be plenty of people who own this uniquely American classic -- or aspire to -- and plenty of room on the roads. In the segment that follows, some general advice and tips are presented for beginning an auto-restoration project.
RESOURCES :
Classic Car Restorer's Handbook: Restoration Tips and Techniques for Owners ...
Model: 1557881944
Author: Jim Richardson
Order this book from Amazon.com
H.P. Books
Classic Car Restoration Guide: The Complete Illustrated Step-By-Step Manual
Model: 1850108900
Author: Lindsay Porter
Order this book from Amazon.com
Haynes Publishing
Camaro Restoration Handbook: Ground-Up or Sectional Restoration Tips and Techniques
Model: 0895863758
Author: Tom Currao
Full title: Camaro Restoration Handbook: Ground-Up or Sectional Restoration Tips and Techniques for 1967 to 1981 Camaros
H.P. Books
Camaro Restoration Guide: 1967-1969 (Authentic Restoration Guides)
Model: 0760301603
Author: Jason Scott
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Original Camaro: 1967-1969 (Bay View Original Series)
Model: 0760309256
Author: Jason Scott, Andy Kraushaar
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Camaro Exposed: 1967-1969 - Designs, Decisions and the Inside View
Model: 0837608767
Author: Paul Zazarine
Bentley Publishers
Special thanks for DIY's Classic Car Restoration -- 1968 Camaro RS
East Tennessee Camaro Club
President: Harold Pena
3710 Washington Pike, Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: 865-633-8340
E-mail: jalpeno@worldnet.att.net
Smokey Mountain F-Bodies
Website: www.smokeymountainf-bodies.cz28.com
Coker Tires
Website: www.coker.com
Photos provided by:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Website: www.brickyard.com
Year One
Website: www.yearone.com
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