1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 350 V8 Black Manual Transmission LOW MiLES

[alsancle]

I mentioned in the wayfarer thread that my urge to buy one of those has gone away.   20 years ago I had 50 "want to have" cars on my list.   I think I've whittled it down to about 1/2 a dozen and a 1980 Z28 350/four speed is still on the list.   That is what I drove my senior year of college.     With 19k miles and looking unmolested this would be a good one,  but believe it or not, black is not on my buy list for this car.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Chevrolet-Camaro-Z-28-racing-stripes-/175223780156

 

1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 350 V8 Black Manual Transmission LOW MiLES

 

[63RedBrier]

As long as you keep it clean and polished, the black/red color combination is really beautiful!  Go for it AJ!

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Love it!  

[alsancle]

Does the under hood really look like 19k miles?

[alsancle]

So when it rains it pours.   Same car, but with different stripes,  optional wheels (which is what I had) and a bigger price 45k.   I prefer the colors and wheels on this one and the price of the other one.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Chevrolet-Camaro-1980-Chevrolet-Camaro-Z28-LOW-Miles-4-Speed-350-T-Tops-/394011684280

 

 

[John Bloom]

Nothing says "high school car that I dreamed about but was beyond my reach" more than these beauties.........  I still love them.  

 

These always remind me of Jefferson's car in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High".    I may need to pick up a six pack of Hamms for the weekend.  

 

Apologies to all for not staying on topic......

 

 

[BobinVirginia]

8 minutes ago, John Bloom said:

Nothing says "high school car that I dreamed about but was beyond my reach" more than these beauties.........  I still love them.  

 

These always remind me of Jefferson's car in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High".    I may need to pick up a six pack of Hamms for the weekend.  

 

Apologies to all for not staying on topic......

 

 

I can fix it! Lol

[Greacore]

I’d like to have the interior and doors and subframe from that car, might as well throw in the fenders and body. 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

I know I posted before, but black Z instantly takes me back to my pal Keith, who had that car, we are double parked so he can see one of the dozen girls he used to date, older gent pulls up, " young man, can you please move your 228?"  😁😁😁

[F&J]

3 hours ago, alsancle said:

Does the under hood really look like 19k miles?

AJ, What you are seeing is a car that definitely was parked outside for some extended portion of it's life. It's not one that was garaged since new.

 

Use a PC or laptop so that you can use the ebay "hover to zoom" feature on the inside of the open trunk pic.  Hover/zoom over to the passenger side trunk lid hinge area.  That sure looks like very extreme surface rusting from water sitting for a very long time. I doubt it is just a huge dirt buildup? Also hover/zoom on the spare tire rim, rust.   Look at the windshield VIN tag, light rust from damp climate/ or water in car.

 

Then compare the hinge areas and spare wheel on the 45k car.

 

"You cannot relive youth", sorry for long post on my own experience below:

 

Only once in my life (30 years ago) have I purchased just one of the several cars I had in my teens.   It was a 56 BelAir 2dr ht.   My first 56 B/A 2dr ht was in 1967, it was a $10 (no lie) rusty CT junker that I eventually swapped from 6cyl-3spd to a free$ but tired oil smoking 283, then a cheap rebuilt 348 W motor with tripower...but in all reality, the car was just a junker that I filled with bondo and painted it the new 68 mustang medium blue metallic.   Back then I dreamed of a brand new 66-67 SS396 Chevelle but with no money at all, a low buck hot-rodded tri-5 seemed like it would be sort of cool to drive to school..

 

Fast Forward a few decades:

 

When my only child was born late in my life, I was so happy that I bought myself a mint black 56 B/A 2dr ht shipped from Kansas with ralley wheels, 327 4 speed, tripower.  I think it's the only vintage car I ever bought (for my own use) in finished condition!  It's just not the same feeling, sadly.  Our old memories are sometimes not as honest as what we thought.   The black one was sweet, ran strong, but handled and braked just like any 56 Chevy did with manual steering/manual brakes!   I guess I forgot what a 56 drives like after decades of more modern cars/trucks I had later. But now, Duh, there are no teenage feelings, no high school life, no cruising to McDonalds every night.... "it ain't the same" (Also I do recall it was actually fun as a learning teenager to do the 348 swap and painting.)   

 

I was flipping cars back when I bought the black 56, so I immediately bought for resale, a black 55 B/A 2dr ht Cal car, and a 57 B/A 2dr ht Okla car, both nice, both had 327 4 speeds. I resold those and sold the 56 a few years later as I did not use it much.

 

Quote from Emilio Estevez in the old "Repo Man" movie that really hits home hard for me at age 70 :  "That was then,... this is now"

 

Now? I was happy just to get to Rhode Island ocean to sit in a 50s style hotrod that I dreamed of as a child, but never could have built one then. Not sure if I can ever finish my 32 Nash conv or 34 LaS conv.  I just saw on CCCA page that the 34 might be a CCCA Classic?, not 100%sure, but no matter as I have so little interest in working now. It might help of it ever warms up here.  (PS should we be happy with what we already have?, ...but our genes are from the Hunter/Gatherer past)

 

 

 

 

[alsancle]

Frank,

 

I just told the story a few weeks ago about how my dad's first car was a 1936 Ford.  Back in the  80s he got the idea he wanted one and bought a 36 Phaeton which he restored to a very high level.  Finished the restoration, pull the car out of the garage and drove around the block.   Came back down the drive, got out of the car looked at me and said "Well that wasn't as much fun as I remembered it".   Traded the car towards a Packard not to long after.

 

Looking at these two cars, I agree with your assessment on the first one.  I think I like the second better, but don't like the speaker cutouts and don't like the fact it is at 2x normal market pricing for those cars.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

You cannot keep them all, and cannot relive youth. 

Maybe best to keep the first?? I have 2 HS pals who own their first car.

One restored his 39 Chevy and finished up a couple years after graduation. It has won at local shows, he did everything but chrome and upholstery himself, so a lot to be attached to.  He also has the 31 A he did with his dad before the Chevy.  I doubt he will ever sell either of them. 

The other just spent a not so small fortune getting his 68 Mustang GTA 390 restored, never got to it and finally had it done.  

That said, if I could go back, keep mine but not experience the other cars I have had over the years I don't think I would do that.

Frank, I love the 32.  Traditional but refreshing color.  Operating top, or Carson style? 

[BobinVirginia]

My best friend’s first car was a 79 Z28 White with blue interior along with the chin spoiler and light blue stripes. 
We made it substantially stronger than stock and had great times in it. Always quoting Spicole from Fast Times At Ridgmont High about being able to fix it! Lol

Cool cars

 

Never did find a Phoebe Cates lookalike in a red bikini to hang with us though

Edited April 3, 2022 by BobinVirginia (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

I have to say I prefer the black and gold, but I am a bit biased, LOL. For $30 you can relieve the rear package shelf of those hideous speakers.

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, TAKerry said:

I have to say I prefer the black and gold, but I am a bit biased, LOL. For $30 you can relieve the rear package shelf of those hideous speakers.

I noticed that on the second car, aftermarket stereo is the scourge of 70s and 80s collector cars.

[cjp69]

I also prefer the black and gold, other than the price, lol.  Knowing the GM paint quality at that point in time, not sure how nice an original paint black car would still look up close?  I bought a blue 79 in October that was on BAT, been happy with it so far. 

[TAKerry]

7 hours ago, alsancle said:

I noticed that on the second car, aftermarket stereo is the scourge of 70s and 80s collector cars.

Stock stereos were crap, First thing to come out when you bought a new car. Oddly enough when I restored my 77 one of the hardest things to find was a good stock stereo/radio. I looked for about 4 years before I found the right one. I found it on CL from a guy in NY. He bought a 76 trans am brand new. Took the radio out the day he took the car home and boxed it up. When it came to me it had the wiring harness and brackets, was practically brand new. And he gave me a good deal, did not cost a box load of gold or any of my children.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

17 hours ago, cjp69 said:

I also prefer the black and gold, other than the price, lol.  Knowing the GM paint quality at that point in time, not sure how nice an original paint black car would still look up close?  I bought a blue 79 in October that was on BAT, been happy with it so far. 

That would have been my first color choice!  Nice looking Z!!