[Byfield]

Yeah, I know there's the other site, but this one has more traffic (And I'm too lazy to click over)

If one were looking to buy a 1st gen Camaro, is there any reason to pick 1 of the 3 years over the other 2 (aside from cosmetic reasons)? ie: Were there any mechanical changes during those years to be aware of, or supension changes, etc?

This would be for daily driver, once a month racer type car.

Thanks, Kurt

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The 68 Chevelle info page. [last updated Nov. 30, 98]
http://www.geocities.com/~68_chevelle/Chevelle/Info.html
Email: [email protected]
T.C. Gold #6
A.C.E.S. #1352

 

[RussD]

Get a 68 to match the other perty lil' 68 in your Garage!

sorry, not exactly what you're lookin' for but I've always thought about how cool It'd be to have 2 or more Chevys of the same year!
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Steve
64SS-327-4spd-sold to Original owner!
In process of finding a 65
Team Chevelle Member #71



[This message has been edited by Steve D 64 SS (edited 08-10-99).]

 

[JWagner]

check mark Sielow's articles on the Camaro buildup he did. He addressed this question and I believe that he chose the his car year based on the width inside the rear wheel wells. Apparently it differs from year to year.

 

[ratchet]

Byfield,
My older brother had 2 different '69s.One was "plane jane" other was Z28 or SS cant remember.That Z28 with a 350 was bad to the bone.Chevy put some great motors in those cars!I would go for a 69 for looks alone.
Tony

 

[Harley]

68, Less total parts, least expensive parts.most interchangability. If you need more detail feel free to e-mail as we should try to keep the scantity of this board.
Harley

 

[Guest]

No Camaro expert, but i'd never heard of any major differences between the 3. The most significant differences I can think of are all cosmetic, like 67's have wing windows, and 69's have squared wheelwells. Still, there's a lot I don't know, like did the SS's for each come through with disc brakes?

Regarding the Camaro site...it doesn't seem to get anywhere near the traffic this place does.

 

[RagTop70]

I'm also no Camaro expert, but I do know that the early Zs came with 302s. If I were buying one, I'd buy the cheapest, but if they all cost the same, I'd buy a 67 because it was the first. Good luck finding a 67 Z28, though, because there were only 602 made (if I remember correctly). In the ad paper here (Indiana), 68s and 69s are plentiful and really aren't all that expensive, unless they're Zs.

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Mike
formerly known as gotapileof70Malibu (so add 80 to my number of posts)
'70 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible

 

[Cam]

I love the '67's, but Chevy fixed the bogus rear suspension with the '68s. If you like the original style, then the '68 is a great choice. The '69 has a more agressive style. I have loved the '69s since '69. They almost made me fall off my tricycle back then! The only drawback to the '69s is the ignition-steering-trans interlock. They also added door guard beams & headrests then. I get a laugh whenever I hear about these 'new' inventions on minivans, standard since '69 on most passenger cars!

 

[Gene Chas]

Kurt, my good buddy since high school has owned numerous 67/8/9 Camaros and he currently owns a 68 he's had for lots of years. Why? It had discs and the rear wells allow a decent tire. The 67 and 69's don't have much clearance in the rear wells. I'm partial to the look of 69's and they were the first COPO year ( and you know how I love 427s), but if I had to choose based on overall ease and fit, it'd be the 68. Take my friends 20+ years of experience toying with these. In fact I was blessed by another ride in his 68 tonight. Too bad we had a little drizzle and the 509 was just spinning the BFG's all over the place. This thing is awesome. Plus, Steve's right, having a matched set would be quite cool. Go with the '68 IMO. They're plentiful. I know my friends is a clone but it has front discs. He ran the 302 for a while and it was a typical finiky top-endy small block. OK but nothing compared to the L88 at least for the "street wars". In fact he swapped to my L88 because 5.0s were beating him on occasion. Can't have that now can we. There's a numb nut in a black '99 5.0 looking to race him now. Must be decieved by the 302 emblems on the cowl hood. Fool. Will he be surprised when 600+ ponies of fat rat kick in. But I digress.. ( as usual) Anyway, lots of 68's still around even here in the rust belt.

[This message has been edited by Gene Chas (edited 08-10-99).]

 

[Philip]

Kurt, I am just finishing up the mechanical restoration on my sisters 68 Camaro. I've been tinkering with it for 5 years and I hate the thoughts of having to give it back to her. I thought it was going to be a money pit but as it turned out after a rebuild on the engine and trans most everything else was ok. This car has 340k miles on it. It is # matching, original interior in good shape. I just replaced the original u-joints, they were still usable only showing early signs of wear. All original front end parts and all still good. Can't comment on the 7's or 9's but this 68 is one well built car.

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Philip Valentine
Team Chevelle Member #42 GOLD
[email protected]

 

[Kevin]

Sorry Gene but I have to disagree with you regarding '69 wheelwell size. The '69s are about 3" wider than the earlier models and will easily accept 275-60s on 15x8 Rallys.

Kurt, mechanically the cars are very similar and just about anything is interchangable. Body-wise '69s are one year only (therefore very unique) and only the roof and hood will work on the others.

 

[Byfield]

Thnaks guys. This is what I was looking for.

Basicly, I'm thinking of what to build next, and I've torn between a 66 Chevelle and a Camaro. I like both for various reasons, but haven't figured out what I like best.

Since this will be a build up car, not a resto, what was originally available for powertrains isn't important. I just wanted to be sure I didn't miss any important changes in the mechanics.

Kurt

------------------
The 68 Chevelle info page. [last updated Nov. 30, 98]
http://www.geocities.com/~68_chevelle/Chevelle/Info.html
Email: [email protected]
T.C. Gold #6
A.C.E.S. #1352

 

[Gene Chas]

Kev, its okay to disagree! Anyway my info was second hand. I know for a fact the 67 were different because I broke knuckles on his 67. I never saw the 69. He only had it a few months.

Oh and since I;m correcting, the 99 stang is a 4.7 or something like that. Hey I don't care if he's got a 200 hp NO2 on board. I told my friend Jack to race for title. He said he wouldn't even touch the paper of a F&%$ title! Huwah. Chevys rule.

[This message has been edited by Gene Chas (edited 08-11-99).]

 

[Joe Harrison]

I had 8 inch Vett rallys in the wheel wells my 68 I owned a 68 (R/S SS 325H/P 396) and always wished I had a 67. The rear suspension on the car changed in 68. In 67 the rear shock mounts where on the same sides of the axel in 68 they changed this and stagered the the mounts. They put one in front and one in the rear. You can change a 67 axels mounts to be like a 68's. I would recoment calling a place in florida called vett and camaro brakes. I had a suspension from them and it worked very well. They also make a fiberglass mono leaf rear springs. These springs work better than the multi-leaf rear springs that you can convert to, they are made to work like a traction bar and prevent axel wrap. I like all the years but in my opinion I like the 67. The vent windows are great, it's nice not having to roll the window down for a little breeze. I also like the R/S option but in 67 it was electric and it sucked, in 68 it went to vacume and is easy to work on and mine was always trouble free. If you want an R/S model think about the repairs you might have to do to get it working as it can get spendy. If you can buy the R/S conversion kit from D and R classics in Chicago for $900.00 for a 68 or 69 the 68 will bolt right into a 67 or convert it to vacume. The interior in the 67 (deluxe option) I think looks alot nicer than the 68 or 69 and the deluxe option also had crome piller and roof moldings inside the car with courtesy lights in the rear, it looks very good. One last ting about the 67 no side marker lights the body just looks a little cleaner with out them.

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Gold Member #164
sites.netscape.net/1969ss/homepage




[This message has been edited by Joe Harrison (edited 08-11-99).]

 

[Randy Mosier]

The 67s and 68s shared body panels. I just read someewhere that even though the 69 looks similar, few body panels interchange.

 

[260]

In my opinion the 69 RS/SS camaro with the cowl hood is the best looking Camaro ever made.The houndstooth interior is nice to.I would take mine with a L78,M21 tranny,chamber exhaust,deluxe interior with those neat console gauges,and paint it huggar orange!

 

[joe58]

Vent windows (67 only) are great if you're not running AC. The 67 will take most of the upgrades of the 69. Also in some states 67 and down does not have to be emission tested.

 

[Stan]

The '69 in my mind is probably the best body style ever made by GM - especially the Z/28. I bought one once (in fact it's featured as one of the '69's on that other site) but I couldn't get used to the lack of bottom-end torque with that DZ302. If I ever do it again, I'll look for a real clean '69 without the original motor and drop in a pavement-rattlin' big block!

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Stan Hanek
'70 SS - 396 4 sp.
[email protected]

 

[Wes V]

Byfield;

I like the simple style of the 67/68.

I'd chose the 68 due to it's not having the wind-wing on the door windows.

Everything else is changable.

If it had to remain "original", I'd look for a 69 Z28.



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Wes. Vann
Technical Reference & Wagons sections
Gold Member #5

 

[Cam]

You know what perplexes me? Why people aren't flocking to the showroom to pick up a new Camaro. These things are probably the best all-round combination of handling, economy, looks, comfort, power (I said combination), durability (rust resistance), ergonomics, maintenance freedom (ya, just replace it $$), fuel economy and ecology (there's an old term), and crash survivability. The factory stereos aren't the joke they used to be. Many have excelled in one or more areas, but I don't think any Camaro has had it all in one package like the current ones. As for the new Malibus? Slightly sacriligeous, but a good standard car (isn't that what the average Chevelle was envisioned to be?)