Triple Blue Drop-Top: 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

 
Now that Labor Day has come and gone, the amount of time left to enjoy the beautiful weather driving around in a classic car is starting to wind down. For automotive enthusiasts, this transition also means that it's time for some to look for their next automotive project to work on over the winter. A great project car to work on is this 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, which is a rare factory triple blue convertible model. Find it here on eBay in Medford, New Jersey, with no bids and a little less than three days left to bid.

























After Ford shocked the American automotive market by setting sales records for three years in a row with its Mustang, Chevrolet decided to respond with its own pony car. In previous years, Chevrolet had tried to unsuccessfully market its compact Corvair as its Mustang fighter, but the lack of a factory V8, quirky styling and engineering, and the lack of enough oomph from the Corvair prompted Chevrolet to develop its own response to the proverbial pony car. Code-named "Panther", development of the Camaro began in early 1965, with reports from the automotive press revealing the secret project being revealed in April 1965. On June 28, 1966, General Motors held a press conference in Detroit's Statler-Hilton hotel; in that press conference, Pete Estes, Chevrolet's general manager at the time, announced the Camaro (then code-named as XP-836) as its new model for 1967. A few weeks later, the Camaro was officially shown to the press on September 12, 1966 in Detroit, Michigan, and on September 19in Los Angeles, California; the Camaro was officially shown to the public on September 26, and the Camaro hit dealerships beginning on September 29. 



























Though there were sportier and muscular versions of the Camaro, a first generation base-model Camaro convertible is a welcome sight today and can be a great car to own for a car enthusiast. According to the seller, this first-year Camaro convertible was originally ordered in triple blue, but at some point the top was changed to white. Additionally, there is rust on the lower parts of the car. The bumper and doors appear to be in good shape, however, and the rust on this Camaro is not as bad as other classic car projects residing in New Jersey. I would repair the rust, touch up and detail the paint, swap in a blue convertible top, and shelve the stock wheels and hubcaps for a set of Rally wheels and 1967 Camaro center caps shod in a set of Firestone Wide Oval white line tires.

























Though a 230 cubic inch inline-six was the standard motor in the Camaro, this Camaro convertible is powered by the base V8: a 327 cubic inch V8. Though the seller makes no mention of what version of the 327 V8 is in the car, there were two versions of the 327 V8 available: a two-barrel 327, and the four-barrel L30 327; my guess is that this car has the two-barrel 327 V8. Rated at 210 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, the 327 two-barrel is no barn-burner, but is perfect for top-down cruising. Backed by an automatic transmission (most likely the two-speed Powerglide automatic), the seller states that the engine "has not been started", but "should fire up easily". I would get the drivetrain in top operational condition, detail the drivetrain, and drive this Camaro until a mechanical restoration is necessary.



























Inside of this triple-blue Camaro, the car is optioned with blue bucket seats, column-shift automatic, AM radio, air conditioning and three-spoke steering wheel. Looking over the interior, the three-spoke steering wheel has some cracks, as does the dash pad. The back seat appears to be original and a bit worn as well. On the plus side, the floors are said to be fairly solid, and the front seats, door panels and carpeting appear to be in great shape. Overall, this Camaro convertible is going to need a restoration to get it back to the condition it deserves, but considering the options this car has and the value of one of these cars restored, this is a risk worth taking if everything checks out. I would restore this car to its factory colors, take this car to local shows and cruises, and cruise the back roads and highways of the continental United States. What are your thoughts on this first-year, desirably optioned Camaro convertible?

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