About “Rare Beauty”

(Since this is a model car, I will only accept challenges from other models, toys, and "Non-Car" cars!)

The 1970-73 Camaro is one of my all-time favorite car designs, and easily the best looking car ever to carry the Camaro name, at least to me. This is one incredibly rare model that I had wanted to add to my collection for a long time. The opportunity came up about a decade ago when I answered an ad in the local "Penny Pincher" from a guy who was getting out of the hobby and wanted to sell roughly 120 models - semi-built, started, just opened, or unopened in the plastic wrap. He also included various paints, tools, and modeling supplies. All of this for $350 o.b.o. I was the first response he'd had after the ad had been runningfor nearly three months, so he jumped at my lowball offer of $250 cash. This AMT 1970 Camaro SS396 was included in the lot. Since this is such a rare model (It was the only time a 2nd-generation Camaro was kitted with a standard front end, and also the only time with a vinyl top molded in) I figured this would be my only opportunity to build one! It was started, and the body, chassis, and interior were already painted... badly! I dunked the whole lot in my stripping bath for a couple of days and it all came out like new. I decided to build it as a stock appearing car, so I went with the factory optional wheel covers and RWL tires. It was finished in triple black for a "sporty-but-mean" look.