QuestionMy father and I are restoring a 76 camaro together. We are on the fence of weather we will sell it or keep it. The car is originally the firethorne red with red interior. It has an updated cam manifold carb and exhaust but left on the cherry bombs. a three inch cowl hood and ss crager rims. I had to tear out the rusted floors and weld in new ones. The interior is in shambles and I am having vynyl seats molded for it and the interior freshened up. The car is also going to be repainted due to bad paint. We are looking for good colors for that camaro that show they sell well in this declining market. My father thinks black is a good option where I think red should be maintained so no Jams have to be painted. Do keep in mind it will probably get a cheap paint job done to it as well(unforchantly) and buffed out after a new clear coat is put on. We have the option of the interior being 2 tones or one and were thinking to go black or black and white. or if it is a black car red or red and white with the interior. In regards to the idea that we want a popular look, whaqt would you suggest we do. Also, We need to get a door repaired due to rust handle and upset window. What would you suggest be the most cost effective way of fixing this properly? Thank you for your time. Your opinions and answers are greatly appreciated.
AnswerHave you heard the expression, "it's a nice 20-footer?" The car looks great from 20 feet back, but once you get close you realize it's no cream puff. From what you're describing here, it sounds like you'll have that 20-footer when you're done. As you said, it will get "a cheap paint job."
Let's look at some other factors: you've had to replace floors and the interior, and the car's not bone-stock original because of the rims and performance equipment. All of this reduces the value of the car. Add in that it's a '76 (not one of the best years for Camaro; in this body style, you want an original '70 or '71), and this is never going to be worth a lot of money. I'd spend the least cash possible getting it into shape, sell it and move on. UNLESS this is a car your father or someone else in the family has owned since new, in which case you can't put a price on the sentimental value. Is that the case, or did you recently purchase the car?
As for color, I do like black on ANY vehicle, but I'd stick with the red. That's the original color, and like you said, you won't have to repaint door jambs (not to mention under the hood or in the trunk). Besides, we in the industry don't call it "Resale Red" for nothing! If it's got the red interior (also called Firethorn, BTW), and you're not hung up on originality, I'd seriously consider changing the seats and door panels to white, leaving the rest of the interior in red. Although not available on the Camaro in '76, this was a treatment used by GM on a number of other cars at the time (Cutlass, Century/ Regal, De Ville, to name a few), and I always thought it looked great. VERY sharp, and I thought it looked a heck of a lot better than the black dash and carpets you got when you ordered the standard white interior. Maybe even add a thin stripe of Firethorn down the center of the seat backs and cushions.
Anyway, good luck with the car, don't hesitate to ask more questions, and let me know how the project turns out!
