Camaro Maintenance

Camaro maintenance is a very important facet of owning a Camaro. Why? Each Camaro represents the legacy of the American automotive industry in its heyday. Rare Camaros that have been taken care of over the years are worth big bucks.  If you have experience fixing cars or would like to get into it as a hobby, rare Camaros that haven't been taken care of can be fixed up.

For starters, a good buy would be the Camaro Owner's Handbook: Maintenance, Restoration and Repair for 1967-1981 Camaros by Ron Sessions. This book is only for first and second-generation Camaros, but there are Camaro maintenance books for the third and fourth-generations. Since they are newer and not quite as "timeless," more Camaro enthusiasts prefer the early models to the later ones (though I'm sure true enthusiasts own multiple years and some of them might be newer).

Camaro maintenance is something that should be done frequently. This includes:

• Changing the oil at regular intervals.
• Properly lubricating all ball-bearings and mechanical parts.
• Cleaning the interior and putting protectant on the cleaned inside.
• Washing the outside of the car to remove dust, grime, dirt, and salt that might cause rusting.

Make sure to check the most important parts of the car first. Camaro maintenance is worth nothing if your brakes fail or an engine blows. Check the brakes and take care of bad ones, fix a weak suspension, and make sure everything that is at least one or two degrees of separation from the road is in working order (this also means the tires). The next step would be to check the engine, particularly the starter, fuel pump and carburetor (as well as everything else). It is very important to start with making the mechanics reliable before moving on to work on cosmetics.

When moving on to the exterior, it is important to get rid of all of the rust on the body of the car. The best and most effective way to do this is to cut out the rusty areas and weld in new metal. Don't try chemicals that say they will stop the rusting process or get rid of rust. There have been instances of people attempting to paint over this chemical and it bubbles up through the new paint job.

A helpful website for Camaro maintenance is www.camaros.net/shop/. It has information that will help you think about what order to restore your car, what kinds of paint to use on the exterior, getting rid of all of the rust on the car, and detailing the engine and undercarriage. Another site that is helpful for Camaro maintenance is the DIY Network. It may only have information on the 1968 Camaro, but its information is detailed and gives help on everything from installing a new radio and sound system in the car to installing accessories on the engine to general restoration. It also contains a list of resources and books that will help you get along with your own Camaro maintenance.




Cain, Skip. "Restoration Part I: Not for the Politically Correct." Team Camaro. 19 Sept. 2006 http://www.camaros.net/shop/resto_1.html.

Camaro Maintenance - Carspace Automotive Forums. 2004. Edmunds.com, Inc. 19 Sept. 2006 http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef25 c13.

Chevy Camaro Auto Repair Questions and Answers and Car Parts. 2006. 2Carpros.com - Professional Mechanics Online. 19 Sept. 2006 http://www.2carpros.com/makes/chevy/camaro.htm.

DIY Network: Autos & Boats: 1968 Chevrolet Camaro. 2006. Scripps Networks, Inc. 19 Sept. 2006 http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/ar_1968_camaro/0,202 0,DIY_14536,00.html.

Welcome to Camarosouce.ca. Sept 2006. Camarosource.ca. 19 Sept. 2006 http://www.camarosource.ca/main_new_site.php?url=o pen_new_layout.htm.