I know very little about older cars. The one i am looking at is an original 69SS with 115K miles. He only wants $6500 for it. What do I need to look for when purchasing something like this?

 

The biggest piece of advice is, make sure you do not get ripped off. Check the cowl tag for any numbers that can be deciphered. Then check the engine and run the numbers on the engine to see if they match what is suppose to be in the car. Check for rust see how much bondo is in the car. There are several first generation camaro sites on the web that can give you all the information you will need.

 

big thing with such a rare car is - is it actually a SS?

look for the cowl tag - should be under the hood, right by the windshield by the drivers side. Copy down all the numbers and letters there and post them - we can tell you what the car left from the factory with, and if it's actually what the seller says it is.

Also, look on the engine block, at the back, drivers side bank. Behind the valve cover, right where the bellhousing bolts on there is a series of numbers cast into the block. copy those down too - see if the engine is original, or if it's been changed sometime...

Also, throughly check the rocker panels, and around the rear window/in the trunk for rust. Crawl under the car and make sure the floor hasn't rusted through under the carpet.

 

Yeah, don't do anything until you get the numbers to verify it's real. There are a ton of fake "SS" Camaros out there. Get the VIN and the trim tag information and post it.

 

Those things cost upwards of 25k and above in good to excellent condition.

It's either not an SS or you're looking at a rust bucket. If you want a long term project that's a good deal.