Posted on 07/29/2018 5:22:22 AM PDT by vannrox
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Weaver was a teenager in March 1968 when his dad offered to buy me something new. They lived in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and first visited Grabiak Chevrolet down the road, where the 19-year-old spotted a black 427 Corvette coupe that he was interested in getting. Except, My God, the insurance was over $1,000 a year, which was a fortune in those days.
So we went up to Yenko [Chevrolet] to see about getting a Camaro. They entered a candy land of at least 50 Z/28s, different colors, different gear ratios4.10s, 4.56s, 4.88s. Weaver recalled it like it was yesterday. I had a 1965 Chevelle with a 327/four-speed, and it was a pretty hot car for the day.
Yenko advertised 427 conversions in the local newspaper, but to Weavers dismay the salesman said they were not prepping them yet, referring to 1968 models. They tried to sell me a Z/28. I had my mind set on a big-block, so Don came out and showed me to the back lot.
There, parked under a tarp, was a leftover but brand-new 1967 Camaro SS396 that Yenko had not converted. He said, Ill do the conversion for you and Ill give you a good price.
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I am workinbg on restoring my 67 Camaro convertible right now. I pulled it out of a junkyard in 177 for $250. Has a bad torque converter now, but vrrrrrooooom!
I am workinbg on restoring my 67 Camaro convertible right now. I pulled it out of a junkyard in 1977 for $250. Has a bad torque converter now, but vrrrrrooooom!
My other car is a 1957 Bel Air. Built like a tank.
$1,000 in 1968 dollars is about $7,389.71 in 2018 dollars, per the BLS online inflation calculator.
I had a tricked- out 69 350 SS that I put 427 insignias on the front!
It’s American history.
If they can do a numbers matching restoration, of the class that Graveyard Cars does for MOPARs, that car will be worth crazy money at auction, well into the 6 figure range.
Mark
I’ve only had two cars that would be considered rare in my over forty years of car-guy ownership and collecting. The first was a 1970 Plymouth 440 Cuda Convertible originally equipped with air conditioning that I bought from my brother for one hundred and fifty dollars. This was in about 1982. I used the twin snorkle hood off of it on a ‘71 barracuda that I had and eventually sold. I had the ‘70 convertible up north in Walloon Lake Mi. where it sat outside of our barn for a few years. At the time, I was ony about twenty five years old and had my 1971 Dodge Charger SE that I was restoring. I needed the money and eventually sold the Cuda to a guy who specialized in Cuda and Challenger convertibles for five hundred dollars. Oh well, win some, lose some. My other rare car, to be brief, was a 1970 Plymouth 440 Six-Barrel 4 speed GTX that was a genuine barn-find that I tracked down in Charlevoix after many inquirees. I didn’t have room in my shop toproperly restore it, so I sold it to a guy from Detroit who sold it to a guy in South Dakota. Sorry if I’m being too verbose. best regards to you all. By the way, after some investigation, I found that there were only about 29 1970 440 Cuda Convertibles built.
Don't be too hard on the Mod, he likely rides a Vespa.....LOL!
I grew up in Detroit and have spent and driven hundreds of miles on Gratiot Avenue in over forty years.
“Is that Bel Air the one with the fab-U-luss fins?”
Yup. The filler gas cap is in one fin.
427?
Ya, eight years back then was an eternity.
I had a '73 Catalina 400. Loved it. Slow as molasses but had a HUUUUUUGE back seat.
as i recall, 1500 but maybe 1800
My cousin had a 1963 Stingray, the split window rarity. He got it new and drove it until about ‘94 when he traded it title-for-title for a close to new Lincoln. I think the thing had about 500k on it. He used the Lincoln as a family car and bought a new Viper for fun.
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