Frame Off Restored Camaro Rally Sport Convertible 327

Wow.

You really only need one word to sum up this gorgeous '67 Camaro RS convertible: Wow.

The crew here is in universal agreement this is one hell of a nice car, and for the money, I'd say it's more like akin to one of “Crazy Eddies” too-good-to-be-true bargains. I'm not prone to hyperbole, but this Camaro is exactly the kind of car all of us here aspire to own clean, drivable, well-sorted, with a stout powerplant under the hood, and enough originality to make it welcome at any show in the country. If this car lasts more than a week on the showroom floor, I'll be astounded. Look at the pictures, and then look at the price again. That's no April fool's joke.

Yes, it is a real RS (one of only 10,675 built in ’67), and a real 327 car, repainted in its original code NN Madiera Maroon, with a black vinyl interior and a black top. OK, the original top was white, but black looks about 1000% better, don't you think? Hailing from down south, this car still carries all of its original sheet metal, including the floors and fenders, and it is in remarkable condition. The rear fender lips were replaced in 2004 when the car was repainted, and get this the work was done by a retired GM engineer who worked on these cars when they were new! The workmanship is first rate and if I didn't just tell you about the repairs, you'd probably never know they were done (and yes, we have photos of the work being done on a bare-metal body).

With the new steel properly stitched in, the car was blocked and sanded thoroughly before a drop of the 2-stage paint was applied. Looking at the photos of the car during this process, it's clear to see that the job was done right. The car was fully disassembled, the jambs and underside were painted first, then the body once everything was assembled and aligned. The end result is a heartbreakingly gorgeous ragtop RS. Gaps are excellent, and the only non-OEM piece on the car is the SS hood that was added to dress it up a little bit (RS cars got plain flat hoods). All the proper emblems were replaced with either perfect originals or quality reproductions, and they all look great today. Where necessary the chrome was restored, and the stainless has been extremely well maintained since new and looks great today. Since it was finished 6 years ago, it has been driven less than 500 miles a year and stored year-round in a heated garage. This paint does not look 6 years old, not by a long shot.

Mechanically, this car also received a 2-stage restoration. It was an extremely clean southern car when the current owner bought it in 1998, but his first project was to restore the driveline. It is not a matching-numbers piece, but it is a real 327 and a real 327 was installed in the engine bay sometime in the past. When it was rebuilt in 1998, it received an .030 inch overbore and a relatively stock rebuild on the long block, and for the first few years after it was done, it was dressed up as a stock piece, from the air cleaner to the valve covers to the exhaust. Of course, while it was apart, it was fully detailed top to bottom, with Chevy Orange paint on the engine, satin black on the engine compartment, and correct hoses and clamps throughout for a pure factory look. The owner was even careful to point out that the hood hinges and latch hardware has been properly phosphate coated as original. Sometime later, the owner dressed it up and wanted a little more power, so long tube headers were added, along with an Edelbrock intake and carburetor on top, along with some shiny dress-up items. New Harland-Sharp roller rockers were installed under the aluminum valve covers, then it was all buttoned up again. Today it's a tasteful blend of stock and shiny which will make it an attention-getter at any show when you pop the hood.

While all this was going on, the owner wasn't done with his plans for the car. The chassis was upgraded with factory power front disc brakes, the TH350 automatic was fully rebuilt, and the original 10-bolt rear was stuffed full of 3.73 gears on a PosiTraction limited slip. Everything was fully detailed and cleaned for show duty, and yes, those floors are original, not repainted or refinished. The suspension was detailed at the same time, but the floors were merely cleaned up. The exhaust is from Dynomax for a great sound, and the gas tank is new. The steering linkage has been repainted in the correct colors and finishes, too. Heck, this car is so clean and rust-free that the brake and fuel lines running front to rear are original! It rolls on a set of correct Rallye wheels with 225/70/14 Goodyear Eagle ST radials all around. Have you said, “Wow! “ yourself yet?

The interior was restored sometime before the owner purchased it in 1998, and it is holding up extremely well, especially considering the limited use the car has seen in the past decade. I would almost believe that it was a well-preserved original, since it has just the right amount of patina to it. There are no rips or tears, of course, the carpet is excellent, and the original dash is very nice. An aftermarket tach has been secreted away under the dash, along with a trio of gauges above the center console for monitoring temperature, voltage, and oil pressure. Entertainment is enhanced by an AM/FM/cassette stereo system in the original hole in the dash, and no, it hasn't been cut up to make it fit, so you can go back to the boring old AM radio if that's what you prefer. “Camaro” logo floor mats have been installed, and there are seat belts front and rear. The black vinyl top is in outstanding condition, including the crystal clear plastic rear window, and features a new-looking vinyl top boot to cover it when it's folded.

The trunk features correct spatter finish paint on the original sheet metal (heck, it might be the original paint, it's hard to tell), and we just installed a new trunk mat and spare tire cover.

Documentation is very thorough. In addition to restoration photos and other information (two albums' worth of photographs including all the restoration work), we have owner information and copies of titles for all 6 previous owners. We have awards that this car has won, and original owner's manuals. There is also some extra paint that goes with the car just in case it ever needs some touch-up. Cars at this price level NEVER have this kind of stuff, but it's all here for the lucky new owner.

These cars sell fast, no two ways about it. If you're the kind who isn't sure what he wants, or needs to talk it over with someone, or just puts things off until tomorrow, well, I'm sorry, but this RS probably won't end up in your garage; you're just too slow. I've seen a lot of cars come and go (heck, we sold 432 in 2011), so I know what I'm talking about when I see a hot one. This Camaro is the total package, a spectacular show and go piece that will bring a smile to your face just by looking at it, with an excellent pedigree as icing on the cake. Get behind the wheel, drop the top, and listen to that built small block burble happily. In terms of bang for the buck, this one is off the charts. Hesitate on this one and you'll miss it. Call NOW!