Almost 60 Years On, I’m Still Driving My Parents’ 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
This story first appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join the club to receive our award-winning magazine and enjoy insider access to automotive events, discounts, roadside assistance, and more.
In 1967, my father surprised my mother by coming home with a new Camaro. It was nothing extravagant, just a 327 with an automatic. I thought it was bold of my father to make such a purchase without my mother’s knowledge, but she was quite pleased with the new acquisition.
Since I was two years away from getting my driver’s license, I was excited that I might get to drive the Camaro. Indeed, this is the car on which I learned how to drive, change tires, and change my own oil. My father believed that everyone should know how to do these things regardless of gender, and these were the terms for me to take my driving test. I passed on the first try, and then I drove the Camaro to my grandparents’ house the same day.
My mom got a new Buick a few years later, so the Camaro served as the family’s spare car. This was great for me, as it was effectively my car throughout high school. I have many fond memories of sneaking out with it. One time, I went to San Francisco with a friend to go shopping. We only lived about 50 minutes from the city, but we weren’t allowed to go on our own. I accidentally left the car in a no-parking zone, and the Camaro got towed while we were gone. I was freaking out, but my friend had enough cash to get the car out of the tow lot. My mom didn’t know I went to San Francisco until about three weeks later when she got a parking ticket in the mail. She read me the riot act and made me pay the ticket.
In the late ’80s, my parents decided it was time to retire the Camaro. I didn’t want to see the car leave the family, so I bought it from them for $1. At this point, I was living in Michigan, and I had the car shipped out by rail to Chicago. I picked it up at the rail yard and drove it back to Ann Arbor. After the journey back home, I tried enjoying the Camaro, but I could never get anywhere without breaking down. I’m not a mechanic, so I parked it in a dirt-floor pole barn for about 20 years.
In 2014, the car was transported on a flatbed to my new home, where it sat again for a few more years. Eventually I found Dennis Murphy, a local mechanic, and he got it running again. When the car was ready for me to pick up, he called and said, “We’re 10 miles from 100,000. Do you want to turn it over?” Of course I did, so I hurried over to his shop. The Camaro wasn’t registered, so we went out on a dirt road to drive the last 10 miles.
After it was running again, I drove my Camaro for a couple of years, but it wasn’t in great condition. The paint was a cheap Earl Scheib job that had spent decades baking in the California sun. The body and bumpers had dings, and there were rips in the driver’s seat and the headliner. And even though Murphy did a great job getting the car running, it was obvious the engine was tired from 100,000 miles of service.
I wanted to honor my mother and father by preserving the Camaro, so I found Randy Russell, a local restorer who had a great reputation for quality workmanship. He worked on the car for about nine months. During the course of the restoration, I decided to make a few changes to the Camaro. I wanted disc brakes, but they wouldn’t fit with the original 14-inch wheels, so I had to go with 15-inch Torq Thrusts. I also had air conditioning and a Bluetooth radio added. The original 327-cubic-inch V-8 needed a full rebuild, but Russell had a 307 V-8 lying around with only 8000 miles on it. I was torn about keeping the original engine, but the 307 was cheaper, which freed up the budget for some underhood dress-up and a few performance parts.
Despite the changes, I still kept many of the original touches that remind me of my parents. I have the original keys and the original California plate on the front. My dad relabeled part of the speedometer back in the day because it wasn’t accurate. I made sure Russell kept those in place. The original AAA sticker couldn’t be saved when the bumper was reconditioned, but the one on there now is an exact replica.
I brought my freshly finished 1967 Camaro back home in the summer of 2021. Since then, I’ve been enjoying the car when the weather is nice. Each week, one of the little towns near me has a car show, and I meet up with the local club to socialize.
My mom never understood my attachment to the Camaro. She always asked, “Why in the world are you keeping this piece of junk?” To her, it was an old used car, but to me, it was a beautiful family heirloom. One time she came to visit after the car was running again, I took her for a ride to get ice cream. She was 96 at the time. Mom passed the same year the car was finished, but that day I took her for a ride, I told her I was restoring the Camaro. She was tickled pink.
Where is the like button ;).
What a great story
You are driving the dream! As a retired engineering GM employee, Camaros were always my number 1. From the convertibles, pace cars, loved all the icons. The second dream car of mine was the 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400 with the Hurst shifter. Those days are long gone, but the dream is still alive. Cherish your beauty and keep her pristine and she will never let you down! ❤️
Camaros are lovable but common. First Gen Firebird 400s (especially with a 4-speed) are quite rare. You can watch and entire day of Mecum or Barrett-Jackson and not see a single one.
Very cool story, and you made excellent choices.
Enjoy!
Thank you Chris for writing this article. Car people are one of the original ” if you know you know” groups. And you clearly Know! None of my cars are this old but none are anywhere near new either. Thanks for the inspiration.
It appears to have been written by Arlene. Chris seems to be the photog’.
Great story and good on you for keeping it in the family
I would have rebuilt the 327, more potential but otherwise a great read & ride.
I agree 100% but she is obvioulsy happy with th3 307 and that is all that matters.
What a beautiful car and what a beautiful story to go with it, if I’m correct, it’s not only about the car it’s about all the memories that you made each year of your life while driving your Camaro, at the end of the day, all we have are memories, thank you for sharing your memories with us.
Wow, I also had a 1967 Camero, 1964 Chevy PU and a 1963 Thunderbird. I wish I had them now. Good for you at keeping your car all those years.
What a great story! I wish I had the foresight that you had for your Camaro when I sold my ‘81 Firebird because we couldn’t get a child’s car seat in the back very well. Enjoy your car and all of the stories you can tell and the memories it keeps fresh.
That’s the same reason my parents sold my dad’s red 66 Mustang HiPo fastback in 1974 and bought a Volvo. My fault I guess. 🙂
Great job “Saving” a family car and history! I know Randy, he did a couple of my Jeeps. Great guy. I remember when my dad snuck a white 68 GTO convertible home in the middle of the night for moms birthday. Put a big red bow on it in the driveway. She walked out, took one look at it and said “Take it Back – I won’t drive a convertible”. DANG IT! So we ended up with a champagne colored hard top with a 2 barrel 400. Very few GTOs were equipped with a 2 barrel. I “solved” that problem without my dad knowing when I inherited the car as a driver. At first, I hated the body color front bumper as back in the day, all cars had chrome bumpers. Once I realized this would be my HS school car, my thoughts changed on that! Dad was a college professor who didn’t drive fast. Drove that thing til college – when I switched to a 68 Firebird 400. I knew how to keep them running – I was always broke!
Your comment on the choice of bumper helped me out. I was curious about a 1970 GTO I saw that had a chrome bumper. I didn’t believe it was from the factory. But I learned that it was available and you got about $20 back. The buyer had the same preference as you.
At 51 years on, I’m still driving my mom’s old 1970 Barracuda. (I used to drive it when I was 14 and she wasn’t looking in the east SF bay area). Currently undergoing restoration. Good story!
That car is a family member and you did right by the old girl by restoring her. I am envious of whoever in your family gets her next. Great story and a pretty car.
I bought my ’67 RS Camaro from my Mom, who got it new. Butternut yellow with a yellow custom interior, black vinyl top, black bumble bee stripe around the nose and black pinstriping. I sold it after getting a ’67 Corvette coupe, thinking I wouldn’t drive it much, but I sure wish I had kept it and would love to find that car and buy it back. Drove it to college for 4 years, hauled my drum set in it while I played in a band, lots of good memories.
I’m happy that you had the foresight to keep and restore the car, I still think the 67/68 Camaro is one of the nicest styled cars GM has ever done.
I love the color and the story. Nice to keep it in the family.