1980 Camaro That Followed Us Home

Our Camaro demand. We didn’t genuinely demand this 1980 Camaro Sport Coupe. It demanded us. It did as well as it followed us abode too. The truth is, nosotros are the worst automobile negotiators inwards the world. We told the seller inwards no uncertain damage he would endure ameliorate off NOT selling us the car. It would endure worth something to someone, but non us. It withal wasn’t worth the fraction of the bespeak toll that nosotros paid 10 minutes later.

Road trip
   Junkyard Life has a lot of eyes working inwards our favor. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 friend inwards southward Alabama somehow constitute what he idea was a 1980 Camaro Z28 when he was looking specifically for a 1980 Camaro Z28. Only this 1 was located inwards extreme N Alabama. So, to salvage ix hours of driving the length of the state, he called on us (Ron Kidd, Keith Lively) to become cheque it out for him. We took a truck as well as a trailer but inwards example this was 1 that he shouldn’t overstep up. 
  No worry there, friend. Pass.
 

T-tops that rattle, busted tail lights as well as bad paint. What’s non to love?

Identity crisis
  First of all, it wasn’t a Z28. It was a Sport Coupe that had seen ameliorate days. The hateful solar daytime the basis ended would endure a ameliorate hateful solar daytime than the hateful solar daytime this automobile was having. We knew correct away our friend did non desire this car. This Z wannabe was having an identity crisis to endure sure. It was a victim of a butcher who wanted a street racer, despite existence a T-Top roof that would twist itself into a pretzel. It also would convey a weight disadvantage.


Spare parts
   At around signal a 1979 Z28 was involved inwards the assembled trounce of parts that sat earlier us, seeing every bit it had a “tear drop” Z28 hood. It also employed a 1979 “130 mph” speedometer. The 1980 model Camaros (even the Z28) had a mandated “85 MPH” speedometer. We tin sack imagine how good that went over alongside high surgical operation consumers. This street warrior had something nosotros convey non seen inwards a while... traction bars! For our younger readers who don’t know what those are, yous didn’t miss a thing. Big as well as gaudy bars hanging awkwardly from the parent wheels to eliminate bicycle hop as well as give yous ameliorate traction. In reality, around other matter to worry almost seeing every bit the automobile could larn caught on a speed bump, larn stuck or rip out the parent axle.

The bronze pigment on the 1980 Camaro olfactory organ is master copy resultant according to the "80" pigment code.

In rust nosotros trust
  We dear T-Tops, but these were inwards terrible shape as well as made the means for wet to abide by its means to eat on those flooring pans. Floor pans? They were there. Kind of. So... no. Pass. Thank yous for letting us hold back at it. We don’t desire it. 

Looked beyond the grunge. See the sweet, cherry Camaro.

You did what?

  We bought it anyway. To our credit, they were genuinely persuasive salesman as well as nosotros totally believed the “little one-time lady/church/grocery store” story. Why? Why would nosotros practise that? We genuinely didn’t desire it. Well, it so happens Junkyard Life staffer Keith Lively’s dad needs a forepart subframe for his 1957 Chevy truck projection as well as it did convey that. It also had 3 circa-1982 Z28 wheels. The quaternary wheel? It was a 14-inch Oldsmobile Rally wheel. I (Ron) may endure able to role a slice of it on our 15-inch SS3 wheels that nosotros love. Also, attached to the aforementioned traction bars was a corporate 10-bolt parent alongside a chrome cover. Well, it used to endure chrome.  “Maybe it has a posi unit!” nosotros said. It wasn’t.
  “Maybe it has a develop of desirable gears inwards it!” nosotros said. It didn’t. 

  My, nosotros Junkyard Life guys are optimistic. Is that why nosotros bought it? Yes, optimism as well as the parent window alongside a defroster nosotros may role on a hereafter Pontiac project. Really. to a greater extent than the drinking glass thing. Big sigh.

Ron Kidd

— Junkyard Life

Towing the Camaro dorsum to Keith Lively’s abode base. The Money Burner Jeep looks on disapprovingly.

Ron as well as Keith’s 1980 Camaro Fun Facts:

• We didn’t desire this car. That is a fact.
• In 1980 over one-half of all Camaros had the parent window defroster that Ron wanted. 51.3%, so making it non so rare after all.
• The 1980 Camaro was alone a petty to a greater extent than than one-half every bit pop every bit the 1979 model. According to John Gunnell’s Standard Catalog of Camaro book. In 1979 in that place were 203,904 novel Camaros registered inwards the U.S. of A. as well as alone 117,164 inwards 1980.
• This automobile was born alongside a unique color alone offered inwards 1980. Paint code 80: Bronze. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 beautiful 1 yr alone color that makes it fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of a criminal offence that the automobile roughshod into the incorrect hands alongside a renegade pigment gun.
• By 1980, the 2d generation Camaro had been inwards production for 10 years as well as withal had around other yr to go. 1982 marked the outset of the side past times side generation that would sell on for around other 10 years.
• The 1980 Camaro Z28 was offered alongside a existent Cowl Induction hood! This cool hood opened the parent of the hood scoop when the trammel was mashed. I would convey done that everywhere I went. How cool!
• 1980 was the foremost yr the Camaro received the authorities mandated “85 MPH” speedometer. It was non odd for people to swap out the novel 1 for whatever of the older units, similar mortal did on our car. It has a 1979 “130 MPH” human face upwardly on it. It made people experience better.
• We picked upwardly Ron’s immature adult woman from Huntsville’s real classy as well as affluent Bridge Street mall expanse alongside the Camaro inwards tow. She was less than impressed. That is a fact. We are rather for certain she ducked downwards inwards her topographic point earlier nosotros got out of there.
• 1980 Camaros that were non lucky plenty to larn an anemic 305 V8 or a slightly less anemic 350, could convey had a novel economical V8-the 267. Rated at 120HP – it does non bother us that nosotros convey never seen 1 inwards a Camaro.
• 1980 Camaros convey to a greater extent than of a next so nosotros thought. We are next the restoration of an 1980 Z28 as well as our friend inwards southward Alabama was looking specifically for a 1980.

The ’79 Z28 hood vanished earlier nosotros could charge upwardly the ’80 Camaro!

A bluish 14-inch Olds bicycle could non brand the Camaro hold back worse.

Chrome parent diff cover, well, it’s rust as well as chrome.

Loaded upwardly an cause to endure stripped. All inwards the scream of love. One Camaro gives, so around other Camaro lives.

Notice that the fender almost matched the pigment on residuum of the car? We didn’t either.

 

Do you convey a classic or musculus automobile barn find? Got a cool automobile story almost buying a automobile yous didn’t want? Send us details as well as we’re on the way!  Send emails to Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net & Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com

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