1979 Chevrolet Camaro

Description

This 1979 Chevrolet Camaro is just the kind of car we love to see. One owner has taken care of it from new, and that kind of love translates into a high-quality car with a lot of recent upgrades, including a fresh crate motor. Remarkably affordable, this is a great way to own a well-maintained Camaro without spending your kids' college fund.

This car was special ordered in 1979 and as a result, it looks very clean and subtle without the usual graphics, decals, and other add-ons that plagued cars of the era. It was repainted in the 1990s, duplicating the original dark blue paint and the combination of good base stock and careful workmanship has resulted in a car that looks great today. Sure, it's got a few signs of use, because this car has been properly exercised throughout its life, but at this price you're not expecting perfection anyway. There's an aftermarket sunroof, but otherwise it wears all its factory equipment, including the ducktail spoiler out back, and it's all in excellent shape. This car has always lived indoors, and there's evidence of that in the bright trim, which still looks great, and there's no evidence of accident damage or rust in this car's past.

The interior is completely original, which tells you a lot about how well-loved this car was. The cloth inserts on the high-back bucket seats give it a slightly upscale look and it's in remarkably good shape all things considered. The carpets might be showing their age, but if it bugs you replacements are cheap and easy and would remedy the only notable demerit in this very clean interior. A center console, remarkably, wasn't standard on the Camaro but it's nice to see one here and the gauges are in very good condition too. And yes, that special order means that a 4-speed was original equipment, and it's now topped with a Hurst cue ball shifter. An AM/FM radio provides entertainment and aside from some light fading on the seat back, the rear seat area is excellent. The trunk is tidy and as with many one-owner cars, it carries what very well might be the original spare tire.

After 35 years, the original 350 cubic inch V8 was getting tired, so a GM dealership was tapped to install a brand new 350 crate motor and dress it up like a stocker. There's proper corporate blue paint on the engine itself, and the original air cleaner housing was retained, albeit slightly modified to support a little more horsepower. The work was done in 2004, but that was only about 1500 miles ago, so everything is still quite fresh and in excellent condition. Turn the key and it lights off easily and runs superbly with crisp shifts from the 4-speed behind it. It now uses a dual exhaust system that ditches the restrictive stock setup, so it sounds appropriately powerful and the suspension was rebuilt when the engine was installed, so it handles well. Color-matched wheels with trim rings and 235/60/14 white-letter radials round out the look, making a car that looks very authentic indeed.

You've undoubtedly noticed that prices are inching up on second-gen Camaros and we think this one represents one heck of a deal, especially with all the upgrades. Give us a call today!