We feel your pain when it comes to getting into a musclecar these days. The older they get, the less affordable they seem. But that's not to say that a few deals can't still be had if you're in the right place at the right time.
When we were looking for something to get into, our criteria were pretty simple: Parts availability was a major concern, as was staying out of trouble with the Smog Patrol. More importantly, it needed to be sexy, and this'73 Camaro out of Boise, Idaho, is just that. Truth be told, the previous owner is someone we've interacted with through the Internet for several years. Long story short, the opportunity presented itself and the deal was done.
If you haven't already figured it out, the popularity of second-gens has started to explode, and if you're remotely interested in getting one, then you better do it soon because they're not getting any cheaper. As for pricing, we've seen a roller go for as little as $1,500, while an example like ours can be had for around $6,500 in complete, running order. The body features minimal problems (at least for now): mostly the faded paint and a hint of rust underneath the fender on the passenger side. The trim is in fantastic condition, the interior is complete, and it came with a V-8! Granted, it's not perfect, but it had everything we were looking for and it's a solid foundation.
For now, we only made minor changes; some were out of necessity while others were aesthetic. The steering wheel looked decent enough, and we were pretty excited to see its condition after removing the fuzzy cover, only we quickly learned that it had a not-so-fresh feel with its tree-sap-like texture. Yep, the first grip was fun, especially peeling our fingers from it. Suffice to say, that was the first thing to go. We swapped it out for a Grant steering wheel with the optional billet installation kit. From there we added a set of Corbeau CR1s for comfort and for the sheer ability to keep us in place for the corner-carving antics we're anticipating. And lastly, while the old-school rollers were decent enough, we wanted to do away with the big and skinny look, so we opted for a set of 15x7 and 15x8 silver Rally wheels with the chrome ring and a set of '67 disc brake caps from Classic Industries. We then shrouded them in BFGoodrich rubber.
As I alluded to in the July '08 editorial, this Camaro is going to be built as a driver, but we're still deciding on the look we're after. This is where your input comes into play. To give you an idea of what we're thinking, we enlisted Jason Rushforth, who did the killer renderings seen here. Keep in mind, nothing is set in stone just yet; however, we want to know if you would go with any of the following color schemes-or maybe you have something else in mind. Either way, we're all ears, so be sure to log on to our message board at chevyhiperformance.com, or you can always e-mail us directly at chevyhi@sourceinterlink.com to share your thoughts. By the way, we're still looking to lock down a project name, so if you want a chance to win a Chevy High jacket, send in your suggestions today.
Quick Notes
What It IsA cherry '73 Camaro
The Plan
To build one kick-ass street machine
Cost (Approx)
$6,500 for the car and $1,900 for the new accessories
The Look
Admittedly, there's one thing we do know: You can expect to see a complete five-speed conversion from Classic Motorsports Group (formerly known as Classic Chevy 5-Speed), a set of Rushforth Wheels, and a rather robust set of binders behind them... | 
...Without a doubt, we'll hit the dragstrip once in a while, but we're really looking forward to hitting up open-track events and ripping through cones... | 
...And more importantly, you can expect to see our ride at several events all over the country. |