[HighGs]

I think Netflix had a documentary on the latest Mustang called A Faster Horse. In it, they talked to project leads, one saying to another, "The best thing about working on the Mustang is that everyone knows what a Mustang is; and the worst thing about the Mustang, is that everyone has an idea about what a Mustang is." One engineer commented, "Everyone has a Mustang story, whether it was yours, or someone you knew." It's true.

I think the same can be said for the Camaro.

I haven't yet owned a Camaro, but the hyper blue brings me back to my childhood friend's Camaro. His dad had a Chevy dealer in Los Angeles as a client, and they had one of the very first Camaros around. It was blue metallic SS convertible with a black top and black interior. It also had a thick stripe that ran across the front of the hood, above the hideaway headlights. I remember seeing his older sister pull it into the driveway. I was in awe. It is etched into my brain.

Ten years later, in high school, this car was passed down to my friend. I was shocked when he traded it in on a used 914. I mean 914s were cool, but I couldn't believe that he didn't regard that Camaro SS as something sacred and special. I thought he was out of his mind. (I still think it was a b-i-g mistake.)

During high school, I had a variety of jobs to buy my first car. One job was gardening at this lawyer's house. His wife had a '71 green metallic LT. It was the first year of the new body, and I thought it was a 10. I still think it is one of GM's better designs. Whenever they went out together, they'd leave the Lincoln and take the Camaro.

In college, my friend Lee had a silver Z28 t-top with a four speed. While the 70's were the dark ages for performance, it still had a lot of guttural pull, and the comparative lack of refinement was part of it's appeal.

Over the years, I've known a couple of other people with a Camaro, but none that I rode in, and none are as technicolor clear in my memory as my friend's sister pulling up in that blue SS and saying, "Want a ride boys?"

So, ... what's your first Camaro story?

[JeffMorse]

We're going back a bit on this one, but not as far back as you did. I finally did learn how to dress myself, but it was after this pic was taken... Here is my favorite of Dad's cars:

[HighGs]

I liked the third generation too, with the wrap around glass on the coupe. This is still a good looking car. Very clean. I can't remember when they offered a convertible again.

Shorts and a tee was my uniform when I lived in socal. I forgot how short the shorts were.

[RollaMo]

First Camaro was a 1969 SS
Bought that car in 1973.

After I got married, we traded it in on a brand new 1975 Camaro Type LT

Of course looking back now, sure wish we still had that '69

Not the best pictures, but digital cameras didn't exist back then. LOL

[ckahsen]

Man, I really hope this thread takes off! I love this stuff, so cool to see how everyone got started. Their story.

Mine is much further down the line. I sadly did not own one of those beautiful Gen1s, but I'll still share! I was out of college and working my first real bag boy job after spending 2 years playing baseball in Texas. I was always into performance cars but could never really afford anything too new because of baseball. I was looking for a new car and pretty much had my heart set on a Genesis coupe. A friend suggested that I test drive a Camaro, and that's all it took. At the time all I could afford was the V6, but when I first started that car and it shook on startup I knew it was for me.

As my first new vehicle I kept that thing in pristine condition. I was only in apartment living at the time and I managed to daily drive it plugged apartment parking for 4 years and it didn't have a door ding on it!




Fast forward to now, I have moved half way across the country (Michigan to Virginia) and now have a 1 year old son, and a new Camaro 1LE. I can't wait for the day I can teach him how to throw a baseball, and how to change the oil on that ss Camaro.




Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[BamBam2SS]

Not a Camaro but a very close relative to.

I'm 29 years old now, But when I was about 5 or 6 (1992-1993) my dad saved up enough money and that he needed another car so he traded in his Cavalier wagon in for a 1988 Pontiac Trans Am.

I remember it was a dark metallic red, almost maroon with black mesh wheels, black leather interior and a V8... I remember he was really proud of the car when he first pulled up in the driveway with it.

The problem with that was it was around October or November and he didn't consult with the wife (my mom)... So while me, my brothers and neighbor friends (around our age too) were blown away. She didn't share the same sentiment...

My parents did a very good job at hiding things from us, So almost as sudden as that Trans Am showed up in our driveway it was gone in a week or 2.

I was told that my dad sold it and he bought another cheaper vehicle (i think it was a little Mistubishi pick up truck)... It wasn't until I was older that I asked whatever happened to that car, Apparently they sold it to buy christmas presents for us (5 kids).

My dad didn't make really good money until we were all almost adults so when were kids they made just enough to get by without any assistance.

Then when my parents separated in 1997 (later divorced), My dad took the old dying family Mini Van (1989 Grand Caravan) and traded it in for a 1992 Pontiac Trans Am GTA... It was a really nice car, But I saw what was going on. While I thought it was a cool car, I complained about the lack of space... There were now 4 kids he would be cluttering in to that Trans Am every day, I had no space behind the driver seat and my sister would have to sit on the transmission hump.

I hated that car... But my dad loved it as he had his mid life crisis, It was bright red with tan leather interior and gold mesh wheels.

It ended up becoming my moms daily driver when he got himself a Cadillac Seville then it ended up being my older brothers first car.

He proceeded to put 18" wire wheels on it, horribly wired subwoofers and wrecked it twice... first time he side swiped a pole in a carport at his then girl friend/now wife's apartment complex then again when he was racing a mustang... he hit a parked Ford Fiesta and totaled that Fiesta but only messed up the bumper and fender on the Trans am. My dad restored it for my brother... New paint, new bumper and fender, re covered the front seats and replaced the falling headliner. My brother then started working as a electrician and it couldn't hold all of his stuff, so he bought a Ford Explorer and the Trans Am sat in the back yard untouched for 2 years until he sold it on Craigslist.

Had any of them knew that a 1992 Trans Am GTA was a pretty rare car, I think my dad would still have it.

[Miller79]

I have my brother to blame for my Camaro obsession. He had an awesome 1985 IROC-Z with an equally awesome stereo system in it. I'll never forget the looks on everyone's faces when he dropped me off at my 5th grade dance. I knew at that point I would buy one as soon as I could afford one!

[mcintyre1969]

Sure the original poster wasn't more into the sister? "You boys want a ride?".

[c4racer]

First Camaro was also my first new car puchashed when I graduated from college

1989 Iroc 5.0 TPI 5speed coupe G92 car - no sunroof. Red.
Owned it for ten years - started autox and migrated to HPDE in this car and ended up with full modified engine and drivetrain - tremec, 9", superram 355.

[AZCamaroFan]

for me Camaro's were a constant growing up. i have a great picture of my mom with her 67', though i won't post it. my first Hot Wheels that i can remember meaning something to me was a 1967. my parents owned three late-2nd gens when i was young. my brother and i were small enough i can remember laying down sideways with my feet up in the backseat. i have just about every article on the Camaro through the 80s and 90s. My first car of course was a 1968 Camaro... and then my second car was a Camaro, and my third, and my fourth, and ..

[HighGs]

Originally Posted by mcintyre1969

Sure the original poster wasn't more into the sister? "You boys want a ride?".

I was six.

She could see we were in awe of it. I'm not saying Marie wasn't beautiful, she was, but the Camaro was more jaw dropping at the time.

[HighGs]

Originally Posted by AZCamaroFan

my first Hot Wheels that i can remember meaning something to me was a 1967. my parents owned three late-2nd gens when i was young. my brother and i were small enough i can remember laying down sideways with my feet up in the backseat. ...

Nothing like early product placement!

In the 70s, the Camaro was one of the few decent looking cars. Its sales held up too, despite the downsizing trend and the Monza and Vega.

[myold88]

My first was actually my parents new 1969 coupe.. White, black interior, black vinyl top.
The car was an early build as it had the 327 V/8 engine- Was pretty quick considering.

[Max RS]

The first Camaro I purchased was a 1969 Z-28, 302 CID, 4 Speed in 1977.
I purchased it from original owner from an advertisement for a "Used Camaro" in Charleston SC.

I really did not know much about Camaro's back then, was in the Navy with 2 kids and a beautiful wife. I shipped over, extended my enlistment for those non-military, got some cash and treated myself to a new-to-me car for $1800.

I fell in love with it and wanted to repair every defect I could find, so off to the auto parts store I went asking about hoses and belts since they all looked like the originals. First question, what year and what engine? So for me it was 69 with a 302 and 4-speed.

I knew I had something special when the auto parts guy asked if he could see the engine as he had never seen a Chevy 302. The parts store emptied as all of the salesman came outside to see my 302. I proudly popped the hood and showed her off. I did that a lot when buying parts.

I miss that car! It was traded for 1967 Mustang Convertible that my wife wanted so very, very badly. She still apologizes today for me trading my first Camaro, but we did have a lot of fun in her Mustang. I've had a few others but nothing compares to my 16 2SS. I'm smiling thinking about driving her.

And that reminds me of when I scared the crap out of my brother showing the 69 off, but that is another chapter in my story.