(first posted 8/21/2016) Spring was in full swing when I came across this second-year Chevy Camaro convertible while taking a Saturday afternoon walk through the adjacent neighborhood community of Andersonville. It was probably around this point in late April that Chicagoans collectively sighed in relief (optimistic hope?) that we were finally done with snow until fall or winter. This particular weekend was full of car spottings, including our featured car, a ’65 Ford Thunderbird Landau, and an N-body Pontiac Grand Am that might have been an ’89. This Camaro was the prettiest of that lot.
My other half (who doesn’t embarrass easily) stealthily ducked into a nearby storefront while I went ape with my camera, gliding around this car and snapping photos like a paparazzo. It’s true that these Camaros certainly aren’t rare, as older cars go. They’re not particularly unique, distinctly styled, or remotely exotic. However, I do find them attractive in an innocuous, all-American, Wonder Bread kind of way, and this one was in gorgeous shape. As much as I had waxed poetic about the Ford Mustang several weeks ago, I share my own birthplace with General Motors (Flint, Michigan) and have come to better appreciate many of The General’s products that had resonated with buyers over the years.
From the temporary plate out back, this car appeared to be a new purchase. Blue happens to be my favorite color, and this car’s finish positively gleamed in the Saturday afternoon sun, not unlike the luminous glow of a blueberry candy stick. Its white trim and chrome Rally Wheels and emblems sparkled. It wasn’t until I got a closer look at these frames on my computer screen at home that I made a discovery: this lovely specimen was sporting a six. The badge on the front fender didn’t say “350”, which is what I had assumed.
This optional 250-c.i. inline-six was a bored-out version of the Camaro’s standard 230-six. Pontiac’s powerful 215-hp, 250-c.i. Sprint Six it was not, but the extra fifteen horsepower (rated at 155) would be welcome in helping propel this car’s 3,100-lb. starting weight. With this Camaro convertible looking as dressy as it did, but having an engine only one step up from the standard mill, it seemed to me to be even more of the very embodiment of the ponycar spirit…a car likely custom-tailored to be exactly what the original owner had wanted, powerplant and all. A larger engine wasn’t skipped because of pricing concerns. This Camaro was dressed to impress from the factory. There are no six-cylinder “tributes” running around as such, and I’m 99% convinced the choice of powerplant was deliberate.
Do you remember those Burger King ads of the 1970’s, where they encouraged you to “have it your way”? “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce…♪♫”, hold the 327-V8, hold the acceleration, hold the speeding tickets and ensuing insurance premiums once the 70’s hit, but double-up on the extra pizzazz, please. I’d like the chrome Chevy Rally Wheels and rocker-panel moldings and a nice, tasteful stripe package to complement the white top. And please…make the vinyl interior of as vibrant a hue as the exterior.
When I think about it, the first-generation Camaro seems very much to have been the “Burger King” of the early ponycars against the McDonald’s-like juggernaut that was the Ford Mustang. If you grew up primarily in the 80’s like me, McDonald’s was likely your first choice of fast food restaurants on family road trips. Burger King (my adult preference) was what you ate if there was no McDonald’s around and you didn’t feel like something “exotic” like Taco Bell. I’d also say that in terms of popularity, the Plymouth Barracuda was probably the Wendy’s of the group, and the AMC Javelin was more like Burger Chef, with its parent company absorbed into another (Chrysler and Hardee’s, respectively) and ultimately gone too soon.
The first Mustangs were just so much more interesting to look at, and they possessed a brand and identity the Camaro seemed to lack. All the same, our featured ’68 represents a very tasty feast in my eyes, even with (and perhaps because of) the six under the hood. It was an automotive time capsule from GM’s golden era that will cost less, because of its engine, to purchase, insure, fuel, and perhaps most importantly, to drive and enjoy. Who’s trying to win a drag race in a convertible, anyway? All that wind buffeting in your face might make you lose control and crash. I’m just saying.
I’m convinced that if one had access to a heated garage, this Camaro would be the perfect, collectible classic to own in a city like Chicago. This Grotto Blue (thank you, Dupont!) beauty was made for cruising up and down Lake Shore Drive in warm weather months. Dressed to kill and with a leisurely, confident gait, this sporty drop-top doesn’t need an overabundance of muscle to prove itself or attract attention. There are plenty of other less-attractive, go-fast machines or trailer queens to fulfill those other purposes. This Camaro proved itself to be unique, after all – the economical-yet-sporty looking result of deliberation and the careful checking of boxes on an order form. On a warm Saturday afternoon this past April, was I ever glad that someone had chosen to have this Camaro exactly their way.
Andersonville, Chicago, Illinois.
Saturday, April 23, 2016.
Wow wee – a 6 – a true survivor that shouldn’t have
This is a great find!!! A great start to a Saturday afternoon walk!!
Depending on the transmission choice, could be anywhere from a nice to a dismal ride.
Four Speed Manual would be great fun.
Two Speed Powerglide would a pure cruiser (and, apart from the attention, not even interesting to drive).
Agree!
Pity no interior pictures, what was there had me wondering whether or not the car had the (optional at extra cost) console and floor shift if it was an automatic (99% chance). That hood stripe was probably part of some spring package deal, along with a few other options.
The 250 on the fender has me wondering, though. I remember that in ’67 only 350’s and 396’s got their engine displacement bragged. I seriously doubt that it came from the factory screaming from the high heavens that it had the base engine in it. That wasn’t GM’s style. And J.C. Whitney did offer numbers identical in font to the GM originals, in any combination you wanted.
I think that 250 emblem is a 1969 piece. I also doubt that the rally wheels and striping is original. Very attractive, nonetheless.
I looked online, and the striping was an extra cost option that started in January of ’68. I remember seeing an old Camaro commercial where there was a “spring special,” or something like that, and part of the package was an engine displacement badge on the front of the fender. The car in the commercial (which was for a ’67 or a ’68) actually had a “250” badge right where the feature car does, so I’m going to say it’s part of a factory “special” trim package and original.
That’s just awesome, Aaron – thanks for that extra bit of research.
My father bought a new 68 hardtop in the same color blue with the white stripe that continued down to the bumper instead of turning and running back to the doors. If I remember correctly, the stripe was a $13 option. His car was a 250 3 speed manual. The 250 engine call out emblems were on the car. The striping had a gap at the center point of the headlights and the engine size emblems were attached in that gap.
The larger cars with optional engines displayed the engine size with the side marker lights. The cars with base engines used a plain marker light, the same one used on all 68 Camaros.
In addition to the Camaro, we also had 68 Bel Air wagon, 327 with a power glide.
Bill, I had completely forgotten about the side marker lights with the engine displacement on them. Thanks for reminding me.
I also liked the Camaro stripe package you described. $13 in 2016 dollars translates to about $89, which (I think) would have been money well-spent for an inexpensive dress-up option.
I photographed a ’68 Impala Custom earlier this year, and now thanks to you and if I write it up, I’m going to see if I have any halfway-decent shots that show those side marker lights with the numbers on them.
Bless the J.C. Whitney catalogue… if I had a current one (it’s probably online), I might be tempted to buy some of that stick-on crap to put on some of my own household appliances. “I actually DO have a V8-powered refrigerator, thank you very much.”
😎
The “V6” emblems are on closeout.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/pilot-custom-chrome-vehicle-emblems/p2021366.jcwx?filterid=u0j1
Hmm…maybe that’s just the right thing for the “beer fridge” in the mudroom.
Nice find Joseph. Like Syke, I too find the 250 call out unusual. But being a six could be why the car is in original condition and not trashed (or completely restored).
But… those look like beefy tires and wheels (love the chrome rings and dog dishes). Putting 250 on a big block Camaro would be a neat way to “understate” your “overstated” ride. Not quite a sleeper, not quite a power showboat. The rear view shot seems to show the shadow of almost hidden downward pointing dual exhausts. Interesting car.
I noticed some time ago that late model car’s steel wheels do not have the detents (or notches) to take dog dish hubcaps. When did they go away?
Love the City Bikes in photo number 3.
nice find. nice car. nice eye candy.
i too would have liked to see some interior shots – standard or delux interior? console or no console? heck, white, black or blue interior? power top or no? (frankly it would be hard to see the power top switch or electric engine from the outside unless the convertible top canvas ‘sling’ is missing – doubtful in a car this nice.)
does anyone else think the spacing on the front wheel a little odd? it seems out of place with the quarter opening.
“does anyone else think the spacing on the front wheel a little odd? it seems out of place with the quarter opening.”
I think shadows are playing tricks in the side profile shot. If you look at the closeup of the tire, it looks pretty centered.
The wheel is turned slightly and the fact that it has the wide wheels that have some offset cause the wheel to look like it isn’t centered. Straighten the wheel out and it will be centered, or put on a wheel with no offset and it won’t look as out of center when the wheels are turned.
It did cross my mind to try for some interior shots, but this car was parked across from a busy restaurant (Reza) with a row of windows facing this car. Seeing that it was a new purchase, and also knowing my own skittishness and tendency to distrust where my prized possessions are concerned, I chose not to risk it and perhaps interrupt someone’s meal.
If this car was parked in a lot somewhere or away from a lot of businesses, I might have attempted it. I think I might have to print out and laminate some kind of fake CC press badge to have on me at all times.
At any rate, sorry to disappoint, folks, but I hope you liked this one. Perhaps next time. :). And please, please, PLEASE let this car not have the 2-speed Powerglide! Not that it really matters, I guess. I still wouldn’t kick it out of my building’s garage.
No disappontment. This car is simply right. It’s not overdressed or a phony Z28 “tribute” (those actually being caricatures). It’s not an underdressed El Strippo like my Dad’s 1967, later mine…dull gold paint, dog dish hubcaps, plain black vinyl interior…a bench seat, base 327, Powerglide, AM radio and bumper guards being the only options. The degree of dress-up simply works, as do most well-thought out options packages from carmakers.
Nobody is going to put “250” badges on a V8 Camaro, either. I agree with those who say it’s genuine, and exceptionally well-kept or very faithfully restored.
The 1967-1968 Camaro looked clean, chaste. The 1969 got more aggressive but to me, in a too-loud, shouting, “LOOK AT ME” kind of way. Perhaps The General, tired of being Number Two in the ponycar market, was trying too hard? Or the ’69 was done on the cheap, while the real effort was going into the next year’s Camaro and Firebird, undisputedly winners.
A fascinating car, an odd combination of performance and thrift. That 250 cid engine was a hole in Mustang’s lineup, where you jumped 100 cubes from the 200 cid six to the 302 V8.
I have used the early Camaro as an example of vanilla styling, but it was undeniably attractive.
Quite the interesting chariot, primarily due to the six. That last picture clearly gives an indication about the blue color of its gut.
Wonderful analogy about fast-food restaurants. It might also explain my preference for Wendy’s and Chrysler muscle-cars, although I did once work at Burger Chef.
Use your CC connection. Doing so two days ago worked out very much in my favor and I’m now going to recommend it to all who write here.
My 6th Grade teacher had 1969 Camaro convertible that was blue with a 6. Nice car. I wonder how long she had it. She’s about 70 now.
Awesome story! I’ve always liked the 1967 and 68 Camaro. I have a cousin who had one when I was a boy. It’s a shame he sold it when he did.
Nice. Grandmother’s last car was a metallic pea green ’68 Camaro convertible with white top, though hers had a 350 and Powerslide, along with AC, power steering and pale green (yuck) interior.
Maybe the owner has a hopped up 250 Pontiac OHC 4 barrel and 4 speed transmission in this beauty. One can dream, anyway. Great find.
I don’t get to any of the “Cars and Coffee” type impromptu car shows in my area, but I’m going to guess that a Camaro AND Firebird from the 1st and 2nd generation are VERY rare cars in most of Florida. The ones I have seen have mostly been in museums.
HOWEVER, about a year ago I saw a 68 Firebird convertible at a tire/alignment shop while driving through the small city of Palatka. The ‘bird was triple black and had an overhead cam 6. I have seen the same car 1 or 2 more times in the last few months. Car is not a trailer queen or museum display, but is a nice, cared for, almost daily driver.
For me, the attraction of the 67/68 Camaro is the 2 different headlight “treatments” (hidden or exposed) and 2 different tail light treatments, not to mention the different striping “packages”.
The taxi cab whine of that lackluster, sluggish six cylinder engine and the klunk-klunk-klunk /”ooooooooooooah” sound of the PowerGlide automatic transmission when shoved into “Park” would totally ruin the top down, “sporty car” persona of this article’s car for me.
It would make me think of my Grandpa’s fastback ’51 Chebby.
I’ll vote for the “250” emblems being original since I remember a few Camaros and Novas having them, and that the striping is probably part of a spring special. But the Rallyes – probably not. I can see this car originally having the full wheelcovers and white stripe tires offered then, right along with the Powerglide. After years of driving automatics that are constantly doing something at the slightest incline or throttle change, I think it would be refreshing to drive something with a transmission that does almost nothing once you reach 20mph. At least until I want to get around some clueless boob focused on their cell phone.
Since there would be only one gear change (low to high) to feel; the PowerGlide could be textbook considered as one of the smoothest automatic trannys made (a Buick Dynaflow being the textbook definition of smooth, since there is NO gear change).
Until, as you said, you want to get around some clueless boob focused on their cell phone.
Those 250 emblems are for real. Back in the ’70s I would help out at the service station my dads friend owned. Did lots of oil changes, etc on these. And believe me, the sixes were the norm, not the exception. All the V8 swaps came later in their life cycle, when they ended up in the hands of high school students. Even saw a ’69 Nova 2 door with a 153 4 banger and 3 on the tree.Never will forget that one, as myself and even the shop owner didn’t know it had to be in reverse to get the key out. He had never seen one of them newfangled locking steering columns with a tree shift manual trans yet! I would bet there are far more early Camaros with V8’s now than was ever manufactured. What a killer find!
Speaking of Chicago Camaros, the guy who runs Malört’s marketing campaign has one with 396 badges and MALORT plates. You can see it in this video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4YbE0N-B7aU
It’s at about the 1:45 mark.
** Malört. ** It must be tasted to be believed. I happen to like it, so I won’t say that the two-speed Powerglide would be the “Malört” of transmissions in a car like this.
Now, if only that ’69 Camaro was the same color as Malört instead of orange. Brilliant marketing move.
I wonder if anyone has thrown up in their mouth just a little bit when spotting that license plate. 😉
Joseph,
Your point about a six being perhaps the better powerplant for cruising down Lake Shore Drive in a Camaro convertible is right on the mark. I had an almost identical thought a couple of days ago while riding in a friend’s 1967 Imperial convertible. For several blocks, we were in slow-moving city nightlife area traffic next to a new Camaro RS convertible, and the Camaro’s driver was constantly revving his engine angrily, either to shout “look at me!” or to vent his frustration at being stuck in traffic. We were just floating along with the engine barely above idle, fielding “Cool car! Is that a 67 or 68?” questions from one person after another. We were having a much better time, and were impressing people instead of annoying them. The Imperial had a big block V8, but if it had had a small block or even a six, it would have done fine in that situation.
Well, to be fair, Lake Shore Drive is posted at 45 mph, but you will absolutely get run down if you try and follow it. 60 mph+ is the norm there. Michigan Avenue would be a better comparison here, but your point still stands 😉
I miss doing 100mph+ runs down LSD. Let’s just say I wasn’t very prudent in my early 20s.
I do like the clean looks of the first two years of the Camaro. For me, this particular car just so happens to tick all the wrong option boxes on styling. I have never liked the looks of the rally wheels; literally any other choice that year would be preferred by me. I don’t think this style of stripe works well with the lines. I am not a fan of white convertible tops either. But all that is of no matter; this car clearly makes it’s owner happy. Quite astonishing that, at 48 years old, it’s still around and in such good shape.
My high school friend had a 70 Rally Nova with the 250 six and emblems in the mid 70s. It had similar striping to this Camaro, four on the floor, Cragars. It was bright red and I thought it was a very nice ride. He traded a 67 Cougar with a 289 for the Nova. I never thought the Nova was slow. It even sounded good in a six cylinder kind of way. I think there would be a smile on my face driving around in the Camaro. I have it’s poor little cousin in my garage (63 Monza Corvair Vert).
My brother-in-law had a 6 cylinder Camaro pretty much the same colour as this without stripes, a real plain Jane power glide trans iirc. He managed to find a Pontiac OHC 6 cylinder that he was going to swap in after a engine rebuild. The car was a daily driver that spring and summer and it was fun cruising in it. But new baby and building a new house took precedence so it was sold to help finance. Too bad I’d like to know how that OHC would have worked out.
In ’67, Chevrolet was promoting it’s “Camaro Pacesetter Sale” With the headline, Try Camaro “The Hugger”. That ad pretty much explains it. A convertible with a 6 banger is shown.
Awesome! Thanks for posting these, CAW3. I had no idea Chevrolet was using “The Hugger” tagline as early as the first cars. I’ve seen ads from the late-70’s advertising Camaro as “The Hugger”, but what I’m not sure of is if this tagline was used continuously or if Chevy had brought it back after an absence.
A two page ad for a ’67 with the first paragraph touting it’s 250 Six. V8’s aren’t mentioned till the final paragraphs.
Another Chevy ad promoting the entry level Camaro. Not sure if customers special ordered them or the dealer just had one for when they put out an ad stating, “Camaros starting at $XXXX!” just to get customers on the lot. I have a neighbor with a ’69 Camaro with a six. White with red stripes, 250 emblems, bucket seats with column shift (Powerglide). A couple I know drive a ’75 Camaro with a straight six, 3 on the floor, no console, no A/C, standard brakes and steering.
A nice, red 70.5 Camaro right here on Curbside Classics!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/car-show-classic/car-show-classic-1970-chevrolet-camaro-with-turbo-thrift-six-cylinder-power/
The 250 badges are real, but rare, and remember seeing them. But good to hear about the “Spring Special”, had not heard of that til now. 🙂
In 1968, 22% of all Camaros came with sixes. As the 250 was optional (230 std), it would have come with the call-out as was the case with all the optional engines.
Unlike the Mustang and Barracuda, the four speed manual was available with both sixes. I wonder what the take rate was on them.
Since the fully synchronized all helical gear Saginaw was the standard three speed, probably very low.
I loved the old days when engine callouts were the rage. It started back in the ’50’s, when Chevy’s, Plymouths and Fords would have a chrome “V” on the grill and/or trunk to signify the presence of a V-8. Optional V-8’s would feature crossed flags in the “V” (Chevy), “Thunderbird” designation for Ford and “Commando” for Plymouth. In the mid ’60’s CID numbers were added and I loved Dad’s LTD for the “390” callout. Whenever I saw a car the first thing I looked for was the callout. It was an awesome, and rare, sight when a 427, 409, 428, 454 or 455 was spotted.
At the local Friday night car show, I saw a beautifully restored ’66 Mustang coupe. What drew my attention to it was the color combination, white outside and turquoise inside. The hood was up and there it was, a blue 200ci “Sprint” six! It had a floor shifted Cruise-O-Matic. A four speed manual was available with the six back then, but the take rate had to be low. Forgot to take pictures.
The famous “Ford Blue” color on the engine block…love it. Sounds like a beautiful example. I get frustrated when I don’t have my actual camera with me and have to settle for “cell phone” shots (and I don’t have phone that takes pictures as well as with an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy). 🙂
Many, if not most, of the 6-cylinder Camaros were probably sold with 3-speed manual transmissions as buyers in this class looked first at economy both in price and in fuel economy – similar to Rambler American buyers – few six-cylinder customers loaded up on options aside from a radio, heater and maybe power steering. Also, the only automatic offered with the sixes was the 2-speed Powerglide, hardly Chevy’s greatest drivetrain and the 4-speed was only offered with V8s. At least three, if not more, extra-cost options were only offered on V8 Camaros. Those included air conditioning, cruise control and full instrumentation (the latter also required ordering the center console as the gages were down at the front of end due to lack of room for the gage pack in the dash itself).
Actually the four speed was available with the six. I suspect not many came that way, but if you check on an old brochure it shows it being available.
And I have seen plenty of PGs with the six. Some folks wanted convenience and were ok with the performance. The PG wasn’t all that much slower than the three speed manual.
I have a 1968 straight 6 power glide transmission shifter on steering wheel. All orginal!
“Camaro-The Hugger.!” In my sophomore year in college (1967) the Camaro had just been released and a lot of the advertising related to it were calling it the “hugger”-I suppose a reference to its supposed “handling.” The local Chevrolet dealer at the time was running ads in the student newspaper featuring Camaros with the 230 ci six and 3 spd transmission with floor shift as if it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The gal across the street had a 6 cylinder/Powerglide Camaro; my sister had a six cylinder/”Green Dot” automatic Mustang.
Of the two, the Mustang was noticeably more “Real World Peppy” than the across the street Camaro.
The Camaro did have a much better, in dash factory air conditioner than the Mustang’s below the dash, noisy “hang down” unit.
This has always been my favorite Camaro design. I never cared for the next generation and those that came after. I hoped the re-introduction would have the look of this car. It does, from the windows line down. But the chopped roof just ruins the design for me. And it’s awful to see out of. This is what the Camaro should be.