Jalopnik
There's just something right about a primer second-gen Camaro, isn't there? Add the obligatory GM rust around the rear window, hang a pair of handcuffs from the rear-view, stop by the 7-11 to grab a pack of Marlboro Reds and a sixer of Mickey's Big Mouths and you're set! Now, we don't know for sure whether the owner of this '77 fits the Ideal Camaro Demographic- hey, maybe this car is owned by a 68-year-old veterinarian who favors those three-dimensional sequined sweaters- but it's more fun for us to assume we're looking at an ICD car here.
In 1977, the standard engine in the Camaro... well, you don't want to know. Let's just say that the super high-performance optional 350 put out 170 horsepower and leave it at that. Not only that, the F-body's weight had crept up to 3,500 pounds by '77, about the same as the '65 Impala 4-door and a good 400 pounds more than the '70-1/2 Camaro. Still, I've driven quite a few of these cars and they're actually fairly enjoyable on the street (and lots of fun with Hoon Grade™ engine upgrades).
Ah, the standard rear-window rust. Even in California, GM cars tend to get this problem. Just paint over it!
The huge Malaise 5MPH crash bumper is blended in fairly well with the vast plastic snout on this car; compare this treatment with, say, the Spitfire of the same era and you can see that GM did a pretty good job of bumper camouflage here.
Comments
God I LOVE the styling of this Camaro. Seriously.
All it needs is an FM Converter, and under-dash 8-track player and a faded bicentennial bumper sticker.
Lovin' this.
Paint over the rust? More like caulk over it. I've sealed bathtubs with that stuff.
Yeah, I guess that sounds about right.
Is it just me, or does that scoop in the hood look like a vagina? Maybe they should have painted it pink.
Or maybe it's the stink.
I'm thinking the "ideal demographic" would have a mullet and missing at least one front tooth. The handcuffs on the mirror are a nice toucn.
The word "Bitchin'" seems to sum this up quite nicely.
man, i miss my 'maro.
So how long is it going to take before these will start to go for ridiculous amounts of money at B-J?
@TurboBrick: my 79 went for 800 back in 96. a few people considered that ridiculous.
Doughnuts on your lawn indeed.
I would so drive this car.
Throw in a Realistic cassette deck, backed by a Spark-O-Matic equalizer, running to those parcel shelf 6x9's, but with another set of 6x9's just sitting back there, pigtailed parallel to the existing speakers, and held in place by, well they will only fly as far as the slack in the speaker wire, right?
Crank up the Montrose, it's time to go cruising.
I had a '70 or '69 (there was some confusion over the first year of this body style) painted Bumblebee. What was I thinking? The styling is awful. Crush 'em all and let Nucor sort them out! What Drek !
The problem with this one being a '77 is that many "Hoon Grade" engine upgrades wouldn't be allowed, at least in the eyes of the California Air Resources Board. (Yes, a 1977 is still subject to bi-annual smog checks.)
Also, this is one of the cars that could only be had with an automatic in California when new. (The others being pretty much any domestic with a V8: Corvette, Firebird, Monza, Mustang.) Something about the engine burping up hydrocarbons during the throttle lift between shifts.
Crafty people were always trying to figure out how to buy them in Oregon or Nevada and sneak them past the DMV back in the day.
As a kid, I promised myself I'd get a Camaro of this generation some day. And a Jeep Scrambler. Then my life would have been worth living.
Hell yeah!
\m/
They allow this Creeper rig to park in front of a schoolyard? Hide the kids!
@mechimike: I don't want to know the kind of vaginas you've been around.
In the 80's we chased after the Gen1s and Gen2s, seems only fitting the millennium generation embrace these heaps.
I keeeeep getting older aaaaand these Camaros stay exactly the same... USED and BEAT.
But never one to ruin a party, PBR my ASAP! FREE BIRD!!
This is probably the most Camaroey Camaro ever.
I like that the rear window rust isn't just painted-- it has a big, unsanded booger of Bondo (and what looks like clear caulk/silicone) that was painted real half-assed.
Whooooop I meant a Cold Refreshing Coors Light!
Was there a "RATT" Cassette tape on the passenger seat????
@SpeedWagon: Hey, at least the marketing department finally figured we weren't classy enough for Acura's Connectivity Index! SILVER BULLET!
AAAAAAAH! I know its cold and refreshing - it tells me so.
Because its an ancient demon, and issues irresistible commands that I must kill people.
All the legitimate body, interior and no doubt mechanical issues to deal with, and this guy goes for a stupid plastic hoodscoop- that doesn't even fit! Yuh, a typical Camaro owner, alright.
He FAILS, however, until he installs one (1) set of rusty Cragars on the back.
This is just too far from the awesomnitude of the 70-73 Camaro. Makes me think of high school and that is not good.
Hand me the title to a Prius, or hand me the title to this thing and the cash difference between it and the Toyota and I'll take the redneck chariot any day of the week.
This car, as it sits in Alameda, is a pile of crap. Spend $10,000 on body work, mechanical repairs and performance upgrades and it'll destroy a 350Z on the street or track.
Or, maybe we're looking at a future LeMons contender.
S'all good.
Murilee, what is an "ICD car"?
"but it's more fun for us to assume we're looking at an ICD car here."
Do I want do know what and ICD car is?
ICD = Ideal Camaro Demographic.
Geesh, don't you guys pay attention?
@mechimike:Wait, what? Looks like a what? Who you been hanging around with?
This Camaro could tell some stories. You can just smell the stale beer, weed residue (both kinds) and overheated vinyl. Great find!
@Novaload and bzr...: Its long, skinny, curved on the sides, and has a hole in the middle. How much imagination do you guys have?
Maybe I should put a little hair on it for ya.
This car reminds of this hoser in high school who was so excited his dad was going to get him a camaro with this bodystyle for his birthday. He got one alright...with the V6. So crestfallen.
I can't count the times I went to 7-11 for a sixer of Mickey's. Many of those trips were in a 72 El Camino. My brother had the Camaro.
Lemme tell ya, those satisfactions are permanent.
ack, it needs the ducktail 3pc spoiler, stat!
A very bad year for the Camaro, big ugly 5mph bumpers, ruined backglass, no power under the hood. But, at least it is better than the 75-76. Oh, and when I bought my '73 it had the SAME wheels as this car on it... with 14" tires. The first thing I changed.
Now that it's over 30 years old, it's not primered, it's got a custom paintjob. Custom faded.
I'd consider one of these, but decrepid empty shells sell for a few grand around here.
@west-coaster:
Actually, I test drove a new '78 Z28 that had a 4-speed manual in California. It was yellow and looked awesome... but it was slow.
@Maymar: Yeah, and the rationale behind that is, "it's a Camaro-- it's a classic."
My godmother had some manner of Malaiseamaro forever, and when it was finally getting to be horrifyingly expensive to fix, it took forever to sell because her husband was insistent that it be sold for about 10x what a sensible person would give for it. I believe they sold it to some poor sap of a high school kid, who probably bought an inspection sticker, took it to school, and parked across three parking spots every day.
A surrey pulled by Chihuahua's would have been faster.
Nice. Just needs JVC shoebox speakers on the back shelf and a Pantera bumpersticker to be sublime.
One night Frank was on his way home from work
He stopped at the liquor store
Picked up a couple of Mickey's Big Mouths
Drank 'em in the car around by the Shell station
He got a gallon of gas in a can
Drove home, doused everything in the house
Torched it
Parked across the street laughing
Watching it burn
All Halloween orange and chimney red
Then Frank put on a top forty station
Got on the Hollywood Freeway
and headed north
Never could stand that dog
Incidentally, I never could stand these Camaros.
@mechimike: Yeah, that was a little slow of me not to recognize the acronym.
Now, if Murilee had said "Jim Anchower (from The Onion) demographic"...
@Paul Y. is Going Dumb at the Sideshow: There's no such thing as a Camaro that is horrifyingly expensive to fix. Any single part of the car can be had for $500 or less in working condition.
"ANY WAY YOU WANT IT THATS THE WAY YOU NEED IT!" Thats all I could think of...
I wanna to rock your body (till the break of dawn)
@Gradall: or...
STROKE ME, STROKE ME
You got your number down
STROKE ME, STROKE ME
Say you're a winner but man... you're just a sinner now
If ever there was a vehicle that wanted the age of consent lowered, this is it. I feel like Kevin Bacon's character from "Sleepers" should be behind the wheel.
We didn't even want these turds in the 80's when you could still buy real muscle cars. Now that everything is totalled or over priced this shit is starting to look good. What a sad day in America....
Real muscle cars meaning 1964 to 1974 most under $3,000.00. These were still considered late models and in the $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 range.
@Gradall: Damn it all to hell ... now that song is stuck in my head!
@Dr.Danger's got it all: Well, I just put on Def Leppard's Rocket... in honor of this heap, because God damn, it wants to break some laws. Hell, its existence is probably sufficient.
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