Barn and garage finds are still out there, hiding under tarps or covered with discarded items. It’s an inglorious fate for these classic cars, but eventually they end up being rediscovered and brought back into the sunlight.
So, How Do You Discover a Barn or Garage find?
Well, the best way to come across a forgotten or squirreled-away classic car or truck is to keep your eyes and ears open. It also helps to have friends who might know of one or who have heard rumors about some “cool car” stuffed away. Such is the case of this 1967 RS Camaro that was saved by Lewis Roberts. If his name sounds familiar it’s because we recently did a feature on his turbocharged Coyote-powered 1990 Mustang. Well, it turns out he likes Camaros as well.
As he told us: “I was contacted by my childhood neighbor Phil about the Camaro. He said his uncle was going into an assisted living home and had to sell the car as well as his house to pay for it. The Camaro was bought new in 1967 by his uncle’s parents, who started the first vending machine service in Putnam County, Tennessee, after World War II. The name of the company was H L Qualls. They never sold any vehicles; when one wore out they would just park it behind the vending business and buy another. The Camaro sat in the vending machine building until they sold the building and Phil’s uncle brought the car to his one-car garage at home. While taking off the carb he broke two bolts off in the manifold. That was in 1997. After that he lost interest, and it sat until we pulled the car out.” So that’s 25 years the RS Camaro hid under a tarp in the garage.
The Camaro was in excellent shape. “First time we went down and looked at it to make an offer, it was like going back in time and walking into a Chevy dealership in 1967. It’s rare to see one that’s all original and has never been messed with,” Lewis explained. The interior was dirty, but it’s all there and they’re going to try and clean up and salvage as many of the original parts as possible. The car is an RS, but it didn’t have very many other options, as evidenced by the standard door panels.
The engine looks just as it did in 1997 when the owner broke off the carb studs and gave up on the Camaro. The carb was found inside the car and one broken stud is still patiently waiting to be removed from the factory intake. Again, you can see how low-option the car was; manual brakes, no power steering, and no A/C. We’re not sure what happened to the passenger-side fender brace, but it was most likely left off after the fender was replaced from a small accident. It’s pretty cool to see an engine bay in this original condition.
But Wait, There’s More—as in MOPAR parts!
Along with the Camaro there were a lot of old Mopar parts including two Barracuda hoods, three doors, two sets of front and rear seats, four transmissions, and one complete 383 engine. There were also lots of other trim and interior pieces, some new in the box. Lewis and his friends spent the whole day digging through and discovering bins of vintage parts. They even found the original front fender for the Camaro that was removed after a small fender-bender at some point in its past. For a few grand more they were able to scoop all the Mopar bits and a couple of Ford parts as part of the deal! As for the Camaro, it turns out Lewis already has a 1969 Camaro project and his wife, Molly, is rocking a ’67 RS Camaro of her own, so this one will be going to his buddy Gerald who is going to the get the survivor 1967 RS Camaro back on the road where it belongs. -Photos By: Lewis Roberts
Watch: Like Camaros? Check out this Pro Street 1967 Gallery Video
Keyword: Found! Survivor 1967 RS Camaro Hidden Under a Tarp for 25 Years