Saw my car yesterday

[Kingcreek]

The 1975 Camaro LT I bought new and sold in 1988.
I was driving into town past a guys where he has a little home based side business doing mechanical work on vehicles. I thought wow that sure looks like my old car and there can’t be too many of those still around. So I turned in and sort of recognized the guy I sold it to. He and the mechanic were outside. I said “Is that my old Camaro?” He smiled and said “sure is!”
He hadn’t had it on the street for over 20 years. He opened the hood and everything is chrome, wheels are black cragers with chrome rings. He added a rear spoiler and the interior is completely redone as original. Looks great. He has it cammed with a Holley 850 4bbl.  He said he has it valued at $75k.
He said he has every original part tagged on shelves and the engine and chrome and parts were purchased separately so he could put it back to factory original if he wanted. 70k original miles.
I paid $5105 in ‘75 and sold it for $2800 in ‘88.
It was pretty cool to see it.

[RocketMan]

That's really cool. One of those great nostalgic moments that come up once in a while.

[Kingcreek]

He offered to let me take it for a drive. I told him I didn’t have time and it would probably break my heart anyway. He has basically turned it into a z28 which is what I wanted but they had stopped making it that year.
The “radial tuned suspension” and beefed up sway bars debuted on the corvette a year earlier and was added to the Camaro in ‘75. The 350 4bbl was pretty fast then but he juiced it up considerably. I think it is great that he has every original part unmodified and stored.

[grampster]

That's a cool story.  My first car was a white top over baby blue 1953 Chevy that I bought in the fall of 1961.  Two years ago I was driving down a local road and saw a white top over baby blue 1953 Chevy in a guys driveway.  It looked inside and out just my my old Chev.  I had no way of telling if it was, but it was cool to day dream that maybe it was.

[Ben]

That's neat that they restored it and kept it running so many years later, Kingcreek!

My first car was a bright yellow (ticket magnet) 1971 Mustang Mach 1 with the 351 Cleveland. I got it my Junior year in High School with as I recall, 60ish thousand miles on it. I kept it until I was 22, at which point I was working in the oil patch and wanted a truck. I sold it to a buddy who had always wanted it, but he only kept it two years.

I remember seeing it driving around town restored nearly ten years later. I recognized the license plate, and they kept it the same color with the same black trim scheme. I recall looking up the value and being absolutely shocked. It was something like $30K. I had paid $1700 for it. I can only imagine what it would go for now in a restored condition. I kinda hope it's still out there somewhere cruising some Main Street on Friday night like I used to do with it. 

Edit: Ha! Just for kicks I took a look. Except for the engine, this is identical to what I had, down to the GT500 hood scoops and the rear spoiler. And going for $30K all these years later. The other one listed there is going for $110K. 

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1768358/1971-ford-mustang-mach-1-for-sale-in-palm-desert-california-92211

[230RN]

It's getting more rare (last time was 3 years ago) but whenever I see a Datsun 240 or 280 Z I'm reminded of the time my two sons and I each had one or the other.  (I think at one point we had four of them between we three.)

Good example of the craziness that runs in the 230RN family tree.

I found mine in a recovery yard and paid $201 for it; at the time the extra dollar was to keep it above the value for salvage vehicles.  Ran great once I got the carbs done but tended to overheat, probably because that thin little radiator was designed for sea level air density, not for mile high+ air.  It was surprisingly spunky. It had four on the floor if that means anything to anyone nowadays, but I always wished for the 5-speed version.  Heh.  That reminds me of  a bumper sticker I saw: "Real cars have three pedals."

[HankB]

I think I may have come across part of my first car the other day . . . it's been modified a bit from when I had it.

[HeroHog]

I think I may have come across part of my first car the other day . . . it's been modified a bit from when I had it.

Could have been the USN Ship I served on. They were decommissioning it when I was transferred off her. One reason I have a beard in case the bitch comes back as a razor blade and tries to cut my throat!

[JTHunter]

The 1975 Camaro LT I bought new and sold in 1988.
I was driving into town past a guys where he has a little home based side business doing mechanical work on vehicles. I thought wow that sure looks like my old car and there can’t be too many of those still around. So I turned in and sort of recognized the guy I sold it to. He and the mechanic were outside. I said “Is that my old Camaro?” He smiled and said “sure is!”
He hadn’t had it on the street for over 20 years. He opened the hood and everything is chrome, wheels are black cragers with chrome rings. He added a rear spoiler and the interior is completely redone as original. Looks great. He has it cammed with a Holley 850 4bbl.  He said he has it valued at $75k.
He said he has every original part tagged on shelves and the engine and chrome and parts were purchased separately so he could put it back to factory original if he wanted. 70k original miles.
I paid $5105 in ‘75 and sold it for $2800 in ‘88.
It was pretty cool to see it.

Pictures??

[Kingcreek]

Pictures??

I didn’t even think to take pics. If I see him again I will.
Any old pics I have would be 35mm