The Camaro Club (UK)

Hi everyone new here so just getting used to this forum!! if i do anything wrong like posting in the wrong section or anything plz feel to help out!! it be much appreciated!!


Have anyone got a rough idea how much it would cost me (what kind of budgeti will need) to get running driving non- numbers matching 1st gen camaro imported?? would take a hit on rust as long as not a complete rust bucket!! as its something i would restore over time etc. or would i better off starting with a 2/3/4 gen camaro to restore and sell on to get the cash for the 1st gen camaro etc.any help and advise would be awesome and much appreciated!! thanks Si

Hi and welcome!
If you're looking to own a 1st gen, I would say go for it - taking the option of getting a 2/ 3/ 4 gen and restoring it means you'll have a lot of time and money invested for at least 1 year, likely more, in a car you don't really want and will end up losing money. 2nd gens are getting more expensive, but you're looking at around 10k on a good day for a very good example. After a year or so of resto, you will only be further away from the financial amount needed for a 1st gen. 3rd gens sit around the 3-6k mark so you definitely won't make money on restoring one. Similar with a 4th gen, except there will be less work to do - a 2nd gen and 3rd gen will high likely need a resto - ignore anything a seller says, even the "best" examples all need work. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can cover up.

Sometimes resto's can the worst thing to buy, as you pay the "drive away now" premium but end up having to undo and redo half the bits. I don't know if you've watched any of the now long in the tooth American car flip shows where they find a barn find and in 3 days turn it around and do donuts to prove how good of a car it is and sell it for 20k profit... that's about the exact opposite of what's reality is. Resto's are slow, painful, expensive (to do it right) so you really only want to do it if you're going to keep the car.

Sooo having said all that, it is of course your call what to do. If your goal is to get a 1st gen, my advice is go straight for the horns and get one. Anything else just puts time and financial hurdles in the way and makes your end goal more difficult to achieve. They are usually about 20k GBP over here, varying with condition. You can get them as low as 6k (USD) in the states, but it won't be a running show car. Something with engine and trans is closer to 10k usd needing tlc. Import transport costs are usually about 1.5k bgp, depending which port and location of car etc. e.g. a Cali car will need an extra 3k miles of transport so will be about 2k gbp. Then you have import taxes and duties, which very roughly are about 500 or so. Then delivery to home from docks, which can be about 250-500 depending on how far you are. Best thing is to bank on 3k gbp for getting it from A to B.

Main thing is to get a car with a solid chasis and underbelly. Minimal rot elsewhere, especially around windows (don't want to be replacing roofs or cowels - importing large sheet metal is not the cheapest or quickest, not to mention the work in fixing). Numbers matching is pointless unless you want to pay extra money to say "it's numbers matching" and even then, the engine or trans could be date coded correctly but from a different vehicle, so don't caught up in that trap. It's nice if it is, but don't worry if not. An engine and trans can be bought over here brand new with warranty, so bear that in mind too. There are few suppliers in the UK where you can get a crate engine for less than 2k gbp delivered and it's brand new with full 3 year warranty.

There's a guy on here that actually bought a 1st gen in Texas and has a bodyshop over there restoring it. That way when it comes over, he doesn't need to import all the parts to get it up and running. So that's worth a thought too.
Hope that helps give some food for thought...
Cheers,
Ray

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HI thanks and Thanks for your reply! yea to be honest i would prefer to go straight for a 1st gen not really fussed on the others. the car shows are just unrealistic and to be fair the ones that can do it in a month or few months got the budgets and manpower to it lol but normal people like our self's we got to work to fund our projects and not got the manpower lol so i just watch the shows lol but yea ive been looking at getting a non numbers matching running driving 1st gen for me to do up over time and to use to get to a and b.

done fair bit of research into importers found a few which as got good high reviews and few miles from me!! also found a engine/transmission suppler in the uk so have done my homework! just wanted some advice off some experts/experienced people on here especially with rough cost of getting a car/imported. il make sure i can get a car with a solid chassis and underbelly. im very mindful of rust/rot around window frames and floors etc. will make sure they are rust/rot free as possible really could not afford to replace/repair them that would blow my budget before i start. il try en find a car which as not been resto-mod. yea i agree think il just get a 1st gen car do it up over time (long term project) and enjoy a car i would much prefer.

thanks for your help and advice its much appreciated it as helped me out and it as given me something to think about as well!!