Classic Wheels Spotlight: 1967 Camaro

In September 1966, Steve Tischer was returning for his second year at William/Midwest Military Academy when one of his classmates was being dropped off by his mother, and it happened—he saw his very first 1967 Camaro Convertible. The topless Camaro was red, and he remembers thinking, ‘I have to have one of those.’

Fast-forward ahead to the Bicentennial summer of 1976, when Steve was working at a Chevy dealership, and he saw his Camaro for the very first time. He was in the showroom when a woman entered to trade in her 1967 Camaro Convertible. He immediately approached the salesman and told him he wanted to buy it. Too late, another salesman had already bought it.

Steve went to the other salesman and offered to buy it from him. While the salesman rejected the offer, Steve says the two became good friends. Five years later, that same salesman bought a house and discovered the roof was in bad shape and needed to be replaced. He told Steve he had put all of his money into the purchase of the house and could not afford a new roof, which needed to be fixed before things got worse.

Steve, who had done some roofing but didn’t consider himself a roofer, stepped in to help a friend. He told him not to worry about paying him, that he could owe him. The Military Academy had taught him to help a fellow in need. The materials were charged on a credit card, and Steve got to work. He was assured that when he finished the job, he could have the Camaro he had tried to buy five years earlier.

Originally, Steve’s Camaro featured a 230-cubic-inch 6-cylinder engine and a Powerglide 2-speed transmission. Steve was happy with that setup for a while, but then decided he wanted a V8 engine. He was looking for a 350 Chevy small block when someone he knew offered him a 305 V8 out of a 1977 Caprice that only had 3,000 miles on it. He jumped on it, figuring it was already set up for unleaded gas, so that was a plus.

The engine touted a 4-barrel carb, but Steve went with a 2-barrel carburetor and a marine engine intake manifold. Gas prices were a factor in that decision. Due to the mounting brackets, the pulley being set up further out from the block, and the timing mark being hidden beneath the alternator, he moved the alternator to the other side.

Steve wanted to keep his engine cool, so he went with a 4-core radiator and clutch fan from a 1969 Pontiac Firebird. The Powerglide 2-speed was replaced by a Turbo 350 transmission, though he left the factory differential set up. Steve says his Camaro is not fast off the line, but that doesn’t matter to him.

According to Steve, a few upgrades have been made: The disc brakes are from a 1969 Camaro, the rear leaf springs are from a 1969 Firebird, and the wheels are now Monte Carlo 15-inch Rally wheels with center caps. Steve admits that his wheels make the car.

Steve had a new top put on, for which he did some tile work for the installer. Roofs and bartering seem like a theme in this story. The paint is a 1982, Code 73 Spector Red, painted at Maaco. Steve says that the wiper arms are from a 1961 Corvair; they are chrome and had been discontinued due to the possibility of glare off them. There are a couple of other weird options on this car: chrome-trimmed gas and brake pedal covers, and rear bumper guards.

Steve has been taking his car to shows for the last 40 years. More so in the last four years, since the hood has been painted. He feels that the car should be enjoyed, and he lets kids sit in to have their pictures taken in the car. Steve tells the parents to ‘jump in too,’ and he takes all of their pictures. People always tell him how good his car looks, but Steve admits it has a personality of its own!”

If you have a car you would like to see featured in Classic Wheels, contact Rudy Host, Jr. at Classic.Wheels.Rudy@gmail.com.