http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=103003

 

I wish the general would serve me up a low buck one!

 

I'm glad I already own mine

This is the latest, greatest collector car...

Must be fun to be rich.....but honestly, I'd rather build my own.....

 

One of my little guys got the PS2 game Midnight Club 3. He was bugging me for days to build a car on the game. Finally, he handed me the controller and a $70,000 budget.

I chose a '69 Z/28. It's in black primer, slammed to the ground with 18" torque thrusts in front and 19's in back. Honestly, far more badass looking than the high buck rendering here.

 

Are these guys all using the newly available (not from GM, but with GM's blessing, I believe) reproduction steel '69 Camaro bodies?

That could explain some of the resurgence. '69 Camaros are some of the hottest cars on the market right now, it seems. The availability of these bodies would make it easier for these builders to create some pretty wild customs, without having to tear into a "real" '69 Camaro to do it.

 

I once built a 1969 L78, 4 spd car all the way to the point of being in black primer....then traded it for a 1969 X77 (real rust free Z/28 ) that had been back-halved in the 1970's and used as a Pro Gas car...complete with 100 over 427 / TH400 / 9 inch combo...i totally went thru it and put it back in street condition.

Dumbest damned car I ever owned form a practicality standpoint....but damn it was fun.

I've owned a lot of 1969 Camaros, but my current RS/SS Pro Touring Car is my favorite.....

I need to buy a 2nd gen RS/SS or Z/28 soon...(of all the Camaros, I haven't owned a 2nd gen, yet)....their prices are going thru the roof

 

I think their using original bodies....there was a buying frenzie on E-bay a few months ago.....Foose , et. al. were buying up 1969's right and left....not finished #'s matching, but solid street machines....drove the street prices up even more.....

 

If any of these restoration companies could actually figure out how to build and sell one for a more reasonable amount of money, I am sure average middle class people would be more intrigued by this. Charging 6 figures for an old car that is pretty much just being sold on it's style is ludicrous to me.

I know these are old restores, and it takes time to build one right, and they can be hard to come by, but geez, I would much rather buy a Ferrari.

 

That late '60's styling is getting real hot again, especially since the New Mustang hit the street, could be saying something??
Now they rival New Cars in price around here...
I always wanted a '68 SS....'78-'81 Z28...Got my '90 IROC...and 2000-'02 SS.
I hope to have my 5th Gen before collecting the other three..

 

Which would point to a very successful retro 5th Gen Camaro, if that's the way it's going to go...ugh....

I do find it interesting how so many old Camaro projects are coming to the surface now...perhaps it is new Mustang mania dredging everything else from that era up.

 

I remember that article, about the new reproduction steel bodies.. They mentioned, that if you did most of the work yourself, building a solid 69 Camaro should be attainable for able $25k.. I forget that companies name, but they will even build you a turn key car too..

 

I think this trend has more to do with the TV shows like Barrett-Jackson, Overhaulin', Rides, etc... than anything else....look at Chopper sales after JJ & OCC went on TV.

Us baby boomers want toys

 

Lets face it, the 1969 Camaro and, to a lesser extent, the 1967 Mustang fastback, are the '32 Fords of their time. Those cars are now getting into the hands of people who have been waiting 30+ years to own one, and who, due to the rather good economy, have large amounts of money to spend on one.

This is no different from the check writing contests of the Hot-Rod set.

 

Still, there are some talented shops out there that can build some neat stuff.

Thing is, usually, if you have that much money, you also are pretty dedicated to your work, and don't have much free time.. (catch-22 of being rich. most rich people are rich because they are insanely dedicated to their work.. else they won't be rich!)

So in the little free time they have left, they want to drive a neat car they've always dreamed about.. by talking to a shop and cutting a very large check.

i hope we don't see $150k HOnda Civics in about 25 more years.. lol

 

Oooo... Bad trend...