Looking for Muscle? Forget the Mustang & Check Out Chevy

There's no denying that when it comes to name recognition, the Ford Mustang reigns supreme in the era of '60s classic car rebuilds. Within just the first five years of production, Ford sold over 2.5 million models, an unprecedented feat of the time. That popularity continued to modern day and, as such, almost every component on it is still being manufactured and is readily available. This makes the Ford Mustang an easy and cost-efficient model to take on for those looking for a custom vintage car project that won't break the bank.

The Camaro: Chevy's Answer to the Pony Car Market

But while the Ford Mustang might get the most attention, there's another make and model that more than holds its own: the Chevy Camaro. The first Chevy Camaro was introduced to the general public in the fall of 1966 as a pony car response to the Ford Mustang. The Chevy Camaro boasted the sleek pony car profile based on the Chevy II Nova platform, which enabled the vehicle to accommodate any number of Chevy's powerful V8 engines. This inaugural year model, as well as the 1968 and 1969 production models, had three primary packages owners could opt for on top of the basic trim:

1. Camaro RS. The RS offered upgraded appearance features like hidden headlights, revised taillights, and RS badging.
2. Camaro SS. This is where things got interesting. The Camaro 'Super Sport" package came with an exciting engine menu that included a new small-block RPO L48 V8 with 350 cubic inches and incredible 295 horsepower. Opting for the SS 350 package got you this engine, raised hood with finned louvers, crowd-pleasing nose stripe, matching red-stripe tires, and a stiff suspension for just $211. The Camaro SS's low cost and stellar looks and performance made this the most popular pick of the lot.
3. Camaro Z/28. The Z/28 performance package listed for nearly double the price as the SS but had the benefit of being the package also used in competitive road racing. In fact, the quote used at Chevy dealerships across the country at the time was "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday".

Here at CHRA, we've done recent custom vintage car work on two Chevy Camaros of this era. One is a '67 Camaro that required a complete disassembly. We stripped it of a red paint color and blasted it instead with a gorgeous light blue coloring. Our in-house designer did the rendering and we're currently working on some custom metal work and interior upholstery.

One of our favorite custom vintage car projects to come through the door was this 1969 Camaro built in-house with an LS motor with Eaton supercharger. It received an all custom interior outfitting and was a top contender for the Goodguys Street Machine of the Year Award.

Get Started with Your Custom Vintage Car Project

The first generation Chevy Camaros are outstanding choices as project cars thanks to their pretty packing of performance, looks, and the ability to customize to personal specs. Contact us to learn more!