Investigating the First Generation of the Classic Chevy Camaro
One of the exciting classic car models we are working on at our shop of Customs & Hot Rods of Andice is a gorgeous '68 Camaro. Last month, crew member Greg finished up some fantastic engine compartment work on this car that's gonna make it possible for this model to enjoy an incredible 600 horsepower LS3. In honor of this gorgeous classic Chevy, we figured we should do a run-down of what makes that first-generation so keen and why, if you have a model needing work, you should bring it to our team at Customs & Hot Rods of Andice:
The Special Sauce in the First Generation Chevy Camaro
The idea of the Chevy Camaro came thanks to another iconic '60s hot rod: The Ford Mustang. When the Ford Mustang first hit the streets, most automotive manufacturers stepped back to see how such a consumer-oriented hot rod would be received by the general public. Well, with over 100,000 models sold within six months, it was obvious that this body style was built for success. Thus, the GM higher-ups called in the designers and in just two years they had a rebuttal: The Chevy Camaro.
The Chevy Camaro featured a semi-unitized chassis with a front sub-frame and nothing in the rear. This resulted in a nicely balanced out layout that offered two great things for car buyers. First, the front sub-frame enabled designers to position the rubber bushings in such a way to give the new Chevy hot rod a stable ride quality akin to larger cars, but still allow the performance capabilities desired out of a hot rod-like vehicle. Additionally, as the rear had no such thing, the rear layout could be more effectively built for price and space (both top considerations for the hot rod buyer market). But perhaps most notably for buyers of this classic Chevy, the Camaro came with six engine displacement options. There were a lot of power choices for this era vehicle.
A fun fact about the Chevy Camaro is that that wasn't originally supposed to be its name. Early plans for this car had it paired with the name "Panther". But that name was eventually scrapped as Chevy opted to keep with its tradition of "C"-fronted names (think Corvette and Corvair) and instead named the vehicle the Camaro. Automotive reporters of the day were told that the name meant "a small and vicious animal that ate Mustangs." The Chevy Camaro certainly lived up to that term, selling an incredible 220,906 models in its first year and thereby keeping step with Ford's beloved Mustang.
Have a Classic Chevy in Need of Work? Contact Our Team at Customs & Hot Rods of Andice
If you have a first-generation Chevy Camaro, or other classic Chevy model in need of some repairs and interior updates, then our team is here for you! At Customs & Hot Rods of Andice, our team is experienced with working on classic Chevy models of all eras, including the Camaro. Contact us today to learn more and to set up a consultation.