It’s time to pay some minutes of attention to Camaros as they were back in their early days. Not that all of these are in stock condition; as known, these vehicles were ideal for many a person’s plaything. So if you’re a fan of the model, there should be enough here to choose from; starting from the basic to the Street Machines of the era.
As in other galleries, the images are mixed between fans, owners, and some just on their own. As the images will show, the Camaro did find favor from all kinds of folks; from boy racers to couples and even retirees.
–very interesting pics!! The Camaro did good for the Chevy-aficionados grudging over the success of the Mustang…. +Just wondering: is that a “396” emblem on the black car..? //Jan in Sweden
In the early 1980’s my idiot brother in law gave me his 1967 Camaro RS to sell for $350 ~ it was bone stock, a small V* (? 327 ?) and the headlight doors didn’t work .
It ran terribly, I tuned it as best I could but no one wanted it, after a month or so of driving it to work and parking on a busy street in ‘automotive row’ I gave up and took it back to him .
Now I imagine it’s worth big bucks even as a tired survivor .
-Nate
Now we understand the discovery of Bumblebee
We all know that story had to be more than meets the eye. 😉
The most overexposed domestic car of the 1970’s, in the US, and Canada. Wished more grade and high school classmates regularly talked about, and/or dreamed bigger. Reflecting more unique/interesting cars, they aspired to own. Would get bored mighty fast, talking about this one. I was pleased, when I saw the earliest artist renderings of the new for ’82 F-Bodies. I must be one of the few here, that was more attracted to the ’80’s Camaro, in a limited way. However erratic their build quality, with cheap interiors. I somewhat liked their modern exteriors.
The picture of the 76 gas station is definitely a Chevy centric photo.
Not only do we have all those Camaros lined up out front, but there are two ’62 full size Chevys coming down the street.
The little orange convertible hiding behind all the Camaros, may even be an early Corvette, although I can’t tell for sure. Maybe Patrick Bell can chime in and identify it…
I say a C1. Windshield is the clue.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking… it wraps around more than on a C2, which really doesn’t wrap around much at all.
I think y’all have nailed it.
I think I found the location of that photo. It’s an Illinois license plate on the front Camaro – looks like the setting is in Aurora, IL.
The Union 76 gas station is now a 7-Eleven, the house in the background is demolished, and the elementary school across the street in the background is also demolished. HOWEVER… the background structures still appear in older StreetView imagery. The below then-and-now shot uses 2012 imagery (the more current StreetView isn’t quite as interesting).
Google StreetView link here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Ao9eSw8K7ChPDWK7
Your research is much appreciated! Always adds another wonderful ‘before’ and ‘after’ layer, to these discussions. Wow, look at that private home to the left. It has hardly changed! I find private single family homes the most consistent, in remaining close to their earlier versions. Love (or sometimes hate) how roads and neighbourhoods grow and mature, adding traffic lights, additional lanes, and sidewalks. Do miss the simpler times, the vintage pics evoke.
Even in the ‘modern’ view from 2012. Do not recall, the last time I saw a Windstar or Freestar. lol
Amusing that the vintage shot is full of Chevys and the more modern one full of Fords. There’s an ovoid Taurus in the parking lot, the Freestar, and the Ranger and Van. Probably coincidence, but still…
Great observation, and so ironic. Most impressed, it remains a domestic brand, doing the saturation!
I’m curious as to why that house was demolished when all the other houses that surround it are still there. Very poor condition/condemned? Fire? Flood? The neighbor just wanted a better view so bought the property and knocked it down? The area looks nice enough in the Google photos. I supposed being across the street from a 7-11 isn’t a selling point for a home, with all the loitering it brings. Still, it costs serious money to knock down a big house and replace it with a nice lawn – who did it?
The elementary school was ditched which implies not many kids live there anymore, though that doesn’t necessarily drive house prices down; it’s a frequent occurrence in 50-ish year old developments where all the families that move in when new are now empty-nesters.
I looked these up. Looks like the house was demolished in 2019. Not quite sure why – although the owner used a grant from the local government to pay for part of the demolition, so maybe the locality wanted buildings that were in poor shape torn down. The same owner still owns the site, but has not rebuilt anything.
The old school building was constructed in the 1930s, and used as a school until 1968. After that it was used as a community center until about 10 years ago. The village demolished it because it needed extensive maintenance. Too bad, because these types of buildings serve as great cultural heritage when preserved.
Thanks Eric! Your mad visual research skills are as keen as ever.
What amazes me the most about those comparison photos is the change in trees between the old and new. Clearly the old trees were replaced with something newer. I notice the deforestation of urban areas regularly, and sometimes I wonder if the older photo trees were of some variety – e.g., elm or ash – that has suffered some sort of plague and needed to be replaced. Or if it’s just that some notion of modern development decided in the past 30 years or so that old trees were unsightly/inconvenient and needed to be replaced. Maybe someone can identify those older trees and comment.
It’s a shame (if this is the case) that contemporary tastes in arboriculture would dictate taking out something that would take well beyond the contemporary to replace. I think about this every time I see a homeowner cut down a 75+ year old tree. The amount of long term damage we inflict upon the natural world for short term goals is sometimes rather astonishing.
In some ways, I feel like urban arboriculture is making a comeback. A lot of cities and counties have urban forestry staff (or something similar), and it’s not unusual to see localities that give free young trees to residents to plant.
But on the other hand, big new commercial development tends to be almost completely lacking in landscaping. So many new apartment buildings or retail areas have buildings right up against the sidewalk with not even a row of grass for visual relief. Developers love it, since it gives more profit, city planners think it creates exciting “urbanism,” but really it’s just brutal looking and unwelcoming. And as these developments age, and the new wears off, it’ll look even worse.
In some respects, I feel that landscape architecture is more important as far as livability goes than building architecture. I came to that realization years ago when I was visiting the University of Miami – I thought the campus was beautiful to walk around… but then it occurred to me that the buildings were actually ugly. It was the atmosphere that was great, thanks to the ample open space and mature trees. Ideally we’d have both, but I’d rather have nice landscaping if forced to choose. Of course around where I live, we get neither.
Well, off my landscaping soapbox now. And I too am curious what species those old trees were.
These old trees look to have been in the city right of way. Eugene, and I’m sure other municipalities, are of course very risk adverse, and tend to take down old trees on their rights of way if any signs of structural decay appear, as a sudden falling branch or limb can kill. This happens quite a lot here, as many of the old trees are maples that are particularly prone to that. We do have a handful of splendid giant old elms that have survived the disease.
Eugene has an urban forestry department, and they do replant with species that are proven to be sturdy in urban locations. And we have programs that subsidize planting trees. It’s very beneficial for summer cooling, among other things.
That home was fairly close to an intersection, of two busy appearing roads. Near impossible to enjoy the back yard, without a tall fence. Noise would penetrate into the house, as well. As the home windows, would likely remain closed all the time. As street noise would remain an issue, day and night. There could have been issues with the house itself, as you suggested. I wouldn’t want to live there. The owner might be hoping to speculate the property, in case a new development wants to locate there. Encompassing other lots as well, with new structures farther from the intersection.
As for mature trees disappearing. Some are vulnerable to disease. Road salt kills trees. Some large trees are a risk of falling on houses. And roots can damage foundations. Freezing rain breaking branches disfigured many large trees here in Ottawa, during the massive 1998 Ice Storm. Many had to be removed.
Had forgotten all about those “76” signs! Think I remember seeing on from the “PA trnpike”, in “Bedford PA”.
Couldn’t say last year I recall seeing it. Next trip, I’ll be gawking.
Mentioned before. Unfortunately in a strange juxtaposition of style, some of the most creative and dynamic styling of this era, was marketed/sold at times, with some of the most drab, muted colours, and cheap/chintzy-looking wheel covers. Or fake wire wheels. Always nice to see pony and muscle cars in brighter colours, and more flattering wheels.
Love the yellow and black color-coordinated pair.
Something about her is reminiscent of Lesley Gore.
“It’s my party….
Watched some of the Barrett-Jackson auction, 700hp, shiny paint, 6 figure prices but none of those Camaros are that much nicer than these.
To RetroStang Rick’s comment above, it’s remarkable to me how so many of the non-main-subject cars in these photos are ALSO Chevrolets. I see 1 Ranchero, 1 VW, a Dodge van and some kind of motorcycle, and pretty much everything else is Chevy.
The Heartbeat of America indeed.
No question. As a kid in the late ’70’s’ and early ’80’s’, there were still many extended families, that were married to one domestic carmaker or brand. Consistently visible here in Canada, and when we visited the US, driving in rural and suburban areas. Just looked in many driveways, or parked on the road, to confirm. Multiples of the same brands. Later switched to Volkswagen, Toyota, and Honda.
I find it strange to see Camaro SS’s with white wall tires and deluxe wheel covers, but this recent post showed Phelps Chevrolet had plenty of them.
A shipmate in the Navy in 1969 had a 1967 Camaro, plain as could be but still nice. Guys on our ship all talked about used Novas. They were much cheaper to buy and lent themselves to all sorts of unsafe horsepower upgrades.
Every time I see a picture of a 1967 Camaro, I think of Paula. It was Sept. 1967, Paula’s parents gave her a new 1967 Camaro, SS, yellow with a black vinyl top. It was her 16th birthday present.
As young teenagers do, we drove out of town without parents permission. On a four lane highway, a drunk driver came from a side road. T-Boned at 55 mph, no time to hit the breaks. Paula broke her neck, JoAnn in the passage seat went into the windshield, I was trapped in the back seat. It took about 45 mins. to cut us out of the wreck.
So ever I see a yellow 1967 Camaro, I think of Paula.
There was a bunch of Camaros who got a sad fate in tv vand movies like this one in an episode of CHiPs.
Although shorter, this chase scene reminds me of the sad fate of a certain mustard yellow* Mustang named Elanor.
* Silver, if you prefer your movies newer and your pony cars older. 😉
I liked the first picture of the lady, the dog, and the Camaro. It’s posed like an ad or a car brochure picture.
I also liked the picture of the convertible with the three older ladies in it. I can just imagine one of the ladies thinking 💭 “Oh hurry up and take the picture! We’ll be late for Euchre with the Johnsons!”
A few quick notes…
Photos #1 (black over yellow ’67) and #5 are the same car (and dog).
The same with photos #2 (gold ’68) and #3, except there is no dog.
Photo #7 (white ’69 convertible) has ’68 Chevrolet full size wheel covers. It likely came with the standard hub caps since the wheels are body color.
Photos #8 (black ’69) and #9 are the same car.
Photo #10 (yellow ’69) has ’68 Chevelle SS wheel covers and also likely came with the standard caps.
Photo #11 (orange ’69) obviously has some custom touches but the engine call out is what throws me. According to the sales brochure the 327 was not available on the ’69’s, and the SS’s came standard with a 350. So apparently a motor change, and maybe a change from a RS to SS as well.
My guess is that this started out as a base 327 and has been modified in a number of ways, including a pretty wild side exhaust and SS badges. Pretty common back then.
Good eye on the ’68 Chevy wheel covers on the white ’69 convertible, Patrick. A ’68 Impala was the family car from when I was about 8 until close to 13, and those were the wheel covers our Impala Custom had. I spotted that too when this was first posted, but didn’t pay it no mind, as I figured that maybe that particular Chevy dealer at the time just swapped them out for a look, or maybe at the customer’s request.
The woman with the dog appears to be clapping her hands to get the dog excited. It’s a really cute pic, and yes, that does appear to be the same dog and Camaro a little further down. Good eye as usual!
Or ’68 Chevy looked just like this one, sans vinyl top…
Love the redline tires and wheel combination in the fourth pic, Hot Wheels !
It was so, so long ago, but I seem to recall that the 2bbl 327 was replaced by a 350 version in mid-model year 1969, possibly for all Chevrolets. Or not.
’69 got the lowly 307, had a red base Camaro with one, very briefly. No comparison to a 327 powerwise, The 350 was the smart choice.
Love the photo of the 1967 SS 350. when I purchased one back in the seventy it was identical to this car but was Ermine White with a 4 speed . What caught my attention were the factory spoke hubcap, great memories of that car I currently own a 67 SS/RS 396 car in original condition
I was just a couple years old when my parents took a photo of me sitting on the trunk & hood of my dad’s brother’s ’67 Camaro it was Gold and probably a base model..but, growing up..I’ve riden in it and really adored that Camaro. It was the only car around family that was..the
Special Car, it was always clean & good looking(hidden headlights, chrome trim)
Anyways, sadly my Uncle totalled it, I’ve
always wondered that if he didn’t,(I wish he didn’t)..I would’ve loved to have that ’67 Camaro as a first car!!! 😉 Thanks.