Inventory Listing

Is the Chevy Camaro the most consistently collectable car of all time? From day one, it seems they were highly prized by their owners, which certainly explains the remarkable survival rate. Today they’re always in demand and while there are a lot of neglected, sad, and abused specimens out there, the nice ones seem to have a long list of potential suitors always in the ready. When this snarling Triploi Turquoise 1968 Camaro RS/SS coupe showed up, for example, we had more than a few people stop in our parking lot just to admire it. We’ve had that happen before in exotic, high-end cars, but a $40,000 Camaro? Remarkable!

This car has good bones, having been in the same collection for more than 20 years. It’s not a pedigree car but it’s got laser-straight bodywork and as far as we can tell, it’s a real RS/SS car, although experts will be quick to point out that 1968s are notoriously difficult to document. Regardless, it has a fantastic look with the cojones to back it up, and with this unusual color combination, it really stands out in an already crowded field. Code KK Tripoli Turquoise is indeed this car’s original color, and it accounted for a scant 4% of Camaro production in 1968 making it a rather rare find all by itself.  That second K in the color code means it did not have a vinyl top originally, which is how it stands today and we agree that’s the right choice because it looks sleek without seeming too busy. Colors like this are difficult to capture in our photo studio for some reason, so it’s a little darker than it looks in photos, but it’s quite accurate when seen in the sunlight. It appears to be wearing all its original sheetmetal—no replacement quarters here—and someone spent a lot of time on the bodywork and it fits together better than most Camaros you’ve seen. You’d spend thousands getting a project car to this level before you even sprayed a drop of paint! The SS stripe around the nose is painted on and buried under the clear for a seamless look and a cowl induction hood was added for effect. You’ll also note a Z/28-style chin spoiler and the requisite ducktail spoiler out back, because no Camaro is complete without them. Bright chrome details like the wheel arch moldings and bumpers are in excellent condition and it carries the right single-element RS taillights and folding headlights that reinforce the belief that this is a real-deal RS.

The interior is basic black, and that’s how it was when it was new. Replacement seat covers look great, with deeper, better-defined pleats than most of the low-cost repros these days and fresh black carpets help with noise and heat control in the cockpit. The center console comes complete with the optional white-faced auxiliary gauges, all of which are functional, as well as a Hurst shifter for the Muncie 4-speed manual gearbox. A woodgrained steering wheel adds some warmth to the interior, matching the center console and stack better than most, so this Camaro feels a bit dressier inside than most of its siblings. Factory gauges include an optional tach and auxiliary gauges down on the console (which were actually two separate options) and they all work correctly. The original AM radio is still in the dash, but it’s no longer functional and an upgrade would really make this a great cruiser on weekends. Rubber floor mats protect the carpets and the trunk is outfitted with a full-sized spare tire with jack assembly.

I wish I could tell you this is a matching-numbers car, but when the engine was rebuilt, the deck surface was machined and the numbers are gone so there’s no way to be sure. But the good news is that this 350 cubic inch V8 cackles and snarls like nothing else that’s ever come out of the Norwood assembly plant. Topped by a pair of Edelbrock 4-barrel carbs, throttle response is instantaneous and it feels like it could pull to 10,000 RPM and never run out of breath. For those of you who think dual quads on a small block are going to kill low-end torque, guess again, because this car will gladly smoke the tires through at least the first two gears and unless you’re driving a late-model Z06, I’d recommend leaving this one alone at the stop light grand prix. Edelbrock aluminum heads and a matched intake manifold are surely part of that, as is the custom-grind camshaft that has a lopey idle that’s street-friendly but works with the deep-breathing induction system. It starts easily, idles reasonably well when it’s cold and very well when it’s warm, and it never gets cranky on the road. The engine is neatly dressed in Chevy Orange paint, with polished aluminum valve covers and a custom oval air cleaner that inhales through the cowl induction hood. A few polished dress-up items add some sparkle and the original engine-driven fan is gone, replaced by a giant electric fan that frees up some power and keeps the hot small block ice cold in the summer. Long-tube headers feed a cackling Flowmaster dual exhaust system that sounds great without being obnoxious.

The factory Muncie 4-speed slices through the gates with ease and clutch action is light, which combine with power steering and power front disc brakes to make this a car that’s at home in traffic as well as the open road. It’s extremely clean underneath with no issues and original sheetmetal throughout, so you know this car never lived in a snowy, salty climate. 4.11 gears in the 10-bolt rear end mean that it is shockingly quick off the line and the faster you go, the better the car seems to like it. The suspension and brakes are stock, so it rides well but feels lively on the road, and we’ll vouch for the fact that this Camaro is a lot of fun to drive. There’s a recent gas tank out back and it sits on fresh Rally wheels with fat 235/60/14 BFG radials that totally stuff the fenders.

Pedigreed Camaros are expensive and they’re hard to enjoy when you’re worrying about blowing up 20% of their value just by driving. Instead, cars like this gorgeous turquoise coupe offer big fun, an awesome look, and entry into one of the most popular segments of the old car hobby. Call now!