57% of answered in the negative when asked whether third-gen Camaros belong in this series, which means that it's been well over half a year since our most recent DOTSworthy Camaro (though if I can find the right '82 I'll go ahead and shoot it). Second-gen F-bodies are fairly plentiful on Alameda's streets, so it was no sweat finding a good example of an Early Malaise machine for today's post. I ran across this '74 in the vicinity of the '50 Dodge pickup and at least a half-dozen other DOTS vehicles; truly, this car's neighborhood is a rich vein of street-parked classic iron.

The Camaro for '74 hadn't quite reached the overwhelming level of Malaise tape-stripe/plastic-snout overdecoration it would achieve a few years later, but you could see it coming. The 5MPH crash bumpers weren't quite as tragic on this car as on many of its peers, but the 145-horse 350 engine (185 horses if you went for the optional dual-exhaust powerplant) moved the car's 3,500 pounds with somewhat Camry-esque authority.


This car looks pretty good and serves its owner in daily-driver capacity. However, the inevitable GM rear-window rust has a toehold, which means the trunk floor probably has a few holes as well. Plenty of time to solve this problem, given that it's taken 34 years to reach its current state.


I'll try to remember not to let such a long time go by before our next Camaro, lest I become the victim of donuts on my lawn.

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