1970 Camaro 6 Cylinder with a 3 Speed Manual

Thank you all for the kind words, and Checkmate...thanks for the tip for a good horn rebuilder.

I have owned several 1st Gen Camaros, but the '70 was always my favorite. My dad took me to Crescent Chevrolet in Des Moines, IA to see the new '70 in Feb or Mar...freezing cold when we walked into the warm showroom to see a red base coupe with a black interior. I had seen the new Camaro in magazine ads, but to see it in front of me was jaw dropping...a breathtakingly beautiful car for a 12 yr-old boy to lust after. It had a much greater visual impact than the pretty but softer 1st Gens (IMHO). I still get a thrill every time I go out in the garage and see "Froggy" sitting there, but visually moving even while it's sitting still. First Gens don't have that same effect on me. Two other cars had a similarly profound effect on me...seeing the first '63 Corvette (a silver roadster with a red interior) when I was 5 years-old, and the first '64 1/2 Mustang...a white coupe with a red interior at Henderson Ford in Springfield, IL on April 17, 1964...people waited in a long line in chilly rain to come into the showroom to see the roped-off coupe.

I really have no other choice but to keep Froggy as it is. When I am driving the car I am propelled back to similar cars I drove in high school...a couple of different GTOs, but the same basic GM corporate feel. Froggy handles and rides well, and nearly every driver stares at it as we go past. And if I painted the car, all of that wonderful patina would be lost. Froggy feels very much like a time machine with all of that patina and character, even more so when listening to a Doors or Aerosmith CD. And the knowledge that nothing on the car has ever been changed (other than a few minor items...and unfortunately the original engine) gives me a sense of driving a piece of history. I have toyed with the idea of dropping $35k on a restoration (it would probably be more), but then I'd have guys saying I had wasted my money on a 6 banger, and I think I'd regret having erased the patina. And Froggy is usually the only completely original Camaro at the few shows it's been to, and most guys appreciate it for what it is.

I'm posting a couple of pictures of the carburetor to give you an idea of the originality of this car...the wires to the temp sensor are still wrapped in their original tape and held in place by a small bracket that is bolted to the exhaust manifold. The carb's heat shield is still in place, as well as the TCS solenoid, and all of the parts still work. The original Delco-Remy coil still fires the plugs, and the engine runs like a top.

I will post a couple of pictures of its unusual Van Nuys jack tomorrow...completely different from a Norwood jack, and I can take the trunk mat out if anyone wants photos of that.