Bloomington Gold adding Camaro's for 2019

[BULLITT65]

Since the white 69 is what is in my garage at the house, I routinely take it to Costco for groceries. For a family of 6 I am able to get 6 gallons of milk (about every 10 days), along with all our groceries. I usually fill up the white Z with fuel there as well, since they have the best prices around here.
I also pick up my 4 kids in it from school, but I have had 2 adults in the back seat. At first I was a bit nervous to use it as a daily driver, I thought it may get stolen, or flat bedded, ( I contemplated removing the emblems), but Cook told me " its just a 69 Z", you can drive it.
I guess it's just the 68 Camaros that are the sought after ones...

[69Z28-RS]

Austin,

Do us a favor and get someone to take a pix with your four children and groceries loaded in the Camaro... 

[BULLITT65]

Actually around 1998-99 my friend had a 69Z we brought to Hot August nights in Reno. There were 4 of us, and then we picked up 3 girls to ride with us. Granted one sat on the console, but oh what fun. I was kinda glad there wasn't more room in the car at the time, it was open season for our hands to go anywhere...and they did!

(I may be able to dig up a pic of the 4 of us in it)

[X33RS]

Well, I'm 70..  and getting into the back seat of my Camaro would be an exercise, to say the least..    I was around 30 the last time I went out in my Camaro wtih 4 adults in it...  Of course, it's been 38 yrs since I drove it at all!

Anyway, how many of you fellas can even REMEMBER getting into the back seat of your Camaro??  and how long since you actually had to carry anything in the trunk?   Hey, I love my Camaro and most first gen Camaros, but 'functionality' it AIN'T...  (I need my Silverado crew cab for my functional needs these days!)..
and I BET you fellas do as well...

I can remember, was just today    My wife and I are beyond middle aged, and my parents who ride in the back of the Camaro frequently are in their middle 70's.   We really have no issue with it at all, and find it much better than my 70 Formula, which is my daily driver.  Family doesn't care to ride in the back of that one, it's like a dungeon.   The 69 Z however, you sit up higher in the back, you have your own window, and visibility from the back seat is way better than a 2nd gen.
  We actually stopped at Costco on the way home from Texas Road House and filled the trunk with stuff.  I really don't see what the big deal is.  These cars were used in this manor 50 years ago and we survived fine.  I think society is getting soft.   We don't even own a new car anymore.  Don't plan to buy one either.   I have to run back out tomorrow with a couple of 5 gallon jugs to get some diesel fuel for the heater.  Just toss them in the Camaro and go "shrug"

[BULLITT65]

exactly.
Whats funny is the people who see you loading up the stuff. Some of them have given me looks, like "how could you do that to such a nice car", well it is twice as nice to a have a multi-functional muscle car. (although with your paint skills, your green Z has to be way nicer than my white one)
My kids like that we use the cars as much as we do. My daughter is 13 and says she wants a 67 Chevelle as her daily driver, so guess what I am shopping for now...

[69Z28-RS]

Well, I'm very glad some of you are still using your 1st gen Camaros!      40 yrs ago (at 30), I weighed quite a bit less than I do now... around 180 compared to 230 now..  OK ..  new years' resolution...  lose weight! 

[X33RS]

exactly.
Whats funny is the people who see you loading up the stuff. Some of them have given me looks, like "how could you do that to such a nice car", well it is twice as nice to a have a multi-functional muscle car. (although with your paint skills, your green Z has to be way nicer than my white one)
My kids like that we use the cars as much as we do. My daughter is 13 and says she wants a 67 Chevelle as her daily driver, so guess what I am shopping for now...

Yes I have noticed that on occasion, people are either just admiring the car, or like you said, maybe they just think we're nuts for grocery shopping in a classic.   I doubt mine is nicer than yours.  Even though I paint here, my wife specifically told me she didn't want this one painted as long as we are using it.  So I simply put it in primer, reapplied the stripes, satin clear over it to seal it, reinstalled all the emblems.  So the car is presentable, not a show car, but all the details are correct, I also left all the original Frost green paint in the jambs).  Still has it's original carpet that is well worn, and I didn't bother recovering or replacing the seats and door panels yet either, headliner is torn etc...  Just did a thorough cleaning.  But the purpose was that we just don't want to worry about rock chips, or an occasional door dent, or not worry about interior wear and tear.  So this car was done in such a way that it can be enjoyed.    The comments are funny though.  I've had people ask me what the color is.  When I say primer I get a pause and a look, lol.   From a distance it sort of looks like cortez silver.  I even overheard one guy telling another that this was a very rare color for 69 and seldom seen.  LOL  I just think they couldn't figure out what it was
  I have several thousand dollars worth of everything new sitting here for a cosmetic restoration at some point in the future, but at this point I would assume that is going to be years down the road.  My wife shows no intention of ever stopping from driving this thing.

[camaroboy68ss]

Wow, after reading the comments I'm not surprised at how the vette guys reacted. While I understand why they are upset as I have noticed Special brand or model only shows are getting rare (there are maybe 1 or 2 Camaro only shows in the Pacific Northwest now) but the comments are just rude. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

As for the practicality of the old first gens, they are quite roomy in comparison to my 2017 Camaro SS. More trunk space, usable back seat, only down side is the mpg, lol. Though I don't daily drive the first gen. I had to buy a truck for winter use and Ive needed a pickup for things, so picked up a 68 C10 and love it even over driving the new camaro, lol.

[uscrichter]

Does this mean that Corvettes will be invited to the Camaro Nationals?? Maybe as a stepping stone for getting into the  Camaro hobby?

[BULLITT65]

Well the way I see it there are still a ton of first gen projects still out there for reasonable money, and in turn the following continues to grow.(can't really say that about early corvettes).  Even when you factor in the the 2nd, 3rd, 4th gen Camaros many of them were bought by young men (and young women), and many of those guys are going back and purchasing the car they had in high school. When you also consider that many of the 5th and 6th gens were purchased by Millennials and a younger crowd, and even still, many of those cars are reasonable as a used car. Just like many of us, they can fit their (skinny) friends and a bunch of stuff in them if need be.
The Corvette has always had a smaller market, and rightfully so. Since I can remember my uncle with an 80 4 speed Vette then into the late 80's and 90's with the Callaway, ZR-1, Corvette has represented Americas sports car. To be able to purchase a "super car" under a $100k, and keep up (and beat) cars that are priced at double or more is a great feat. But those that had the disposable income to do so, is always going to represent a smaller group, than those buying a Camaro for transportation and fun.
The Corvette guys with the "save the wave", and looking down on the Camaro guys is nothing new. You also have the motorcycle guys that look down on the car guys, or the one of the worst, the airplane guys who look down on anyone who is not a pilot with a plane. With any of these machines, you have the ego games.
I am sure we all have a story.

[camaroboy68ss]

very true on other gens. The whole premise on buying back you high school ride is why your seeing the spike in 70's and 80's cars. As mid to late 70's Z28s have really come up in value. The third gens are not there yet.

[camaronut]

On the same forum, Morgan said:

“Dec 31, 2018 at 3:28 pm
I was an active judge in the Ncrs and was a level 7 judge, the reason I got out and bought a Camaro is because of all of the responses above, you vette guys have ego’s and think you are better than others, your nothing but a bunch of pansies and do nothing but feather dust those plastic cars. I can count on one hand the normal vette drivers, and one of them is John Hinckly , oh yeah, he has a survivor z28 as well”


Gotta love that response!

[Mike S]

CRG needs to add like buttons like TC.
But.....here is my input to that last post.

[69Z28-RS]

Does this mean that Corvettes will be invited to the Camaro Nationals?? Maybe as a stepping stone for getting into the  Camaro hobby?

   While that comment/question is very humorous.. ..   Please NO..  Please DO NOT invite Corvettes to the Camaro Nats...       (PS.  My wife and I are in agreement about Corvettes.  While I do still own 5 corvettes (older ones), we agree that only about 10% at best of 'Corvette owners' are *real car guys*...the rest own them for 'other reasons!  .. and when I go to car shows, I strongly prefer to spend that time with REAL car guys! 

[R68GTO]

I know a guy that has been into cars for a long time and does his own restorations (very nice ones).  He wanted a mid-year Corvette because he liked the styling.  Found a '63 project in a barn in MI back in the 90's, when he went to pick it up, the owner told him he laid some parts for the car on the floor of the front seat.  When he looked in and saw a FI unit, he about crapped!.  It did turn out the be a legit fuelly so he restored it as such and started taking it to Corvette shows.  He told me that he literally had other car owners chew him out when they saw him dragging lawn chairs our from behind the seat - said he was "disrespecting the car".  He doesn't go to Corvette shows any more.