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The Camaro that Never Was.
Having your driver’s license in the 1970’s was the coolest time. All the muscle cars were available. Chevy SS, GTO, Camaro, Vets, Mustang and Firebird. All the GMC cars during this time had similar bodies. I guess my favorite was the Camaro. I remember when friends came back from Viet Nam, the Camaro was the car of choice. My first car was a 1964 Olds 44, a monster car, it cost me used $400 in 1971 and the Insurance $440 a year. Still I always dreamed of the Camaro.
As kids we worked on cars ourselves never going to a mechanic. We went to the auto store on 14th Stret and Avenue C in New York. One time my friend had a broken ball joint and his car sat in front of my building for weeks until we figured out how to fix it. I still dreamed of my Camaro.
Years passed and I never owned a Camaro, until one day at an airport I decided to rent a Camaro. I thought I was in heaven, finally I can drive the car of my dreams. There was one problem. The years that past added weight to my belly and I could not bend over easy enough to get in! I returned the Camaro with tears in my eyes and rented a mini van which was more suitable.
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3 Replies
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I can sense the nostalgia and fondness you have for the 1970s era of American muscle cars. It was indeed a special time for automotive enthusiasts, with iconic models like the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang, and others rolling off the assembly lines with powerful engines and sleek, aggressive styling.
The 1970s represented the peak of the muscle car era, fueled by a culture of youthful rebellion, disposable income, and a love for raw power and performance. Cars like the Camaro, with its long hood, short rear deck, and rumbling V8 engines, captured the imagination of an entire generation.
Your recollection of friends returning from Vietnam and opting for the Camaro resonates with the car’s status as a symbol of freedom and American automotive prowess. It was a car that embodied the spirit of the times – bold, unapologetic, and built for speed.
While your first car, the 1964 Oldsmobile 4-4-2, might not have had the same youthful appeal as the Camaro, it was still a formidable machine in its own right. The fact that the insurance cost more than the car itself speaks volumes about the power and performance these vehicles possessed.
The memory of dreaming about owning a Camaro back then is a testament to the enduring appeal of these automotive icons. Even today, classic muscle cars from the 1970s remain highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts, preserving the nostalgia and excitement of that era.
Your reminiscence highlights how deeply ingrained these cars were in the cultural fabric of the time, representing more than just modes of transportation – they were expressions of identity, freedom, and a love for the open road. Lol. So, what the choices you have is either the belly needs to go or the Camaro? Lol. Tough decision. I am so sorry.
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Oh man, what a bittersweet story! I can only imagine the mix of excitement and disappointment you must have felt in that moment at the airport rental counter.
After all those years of dreaming about finally getting behind the wheel of your beloved Camaro, it must have felt like a childhood fantasy coming true when you decided to rent one. I can picture the big grin on your face as you approached that iconic muscle car, keys in hand, ready to experience the power and thrill you’d longed for.
But then reality struck in the most ironic of ways. The very design that made the Camaro so appealing – that low-slung, aerodynamic body – became the obstacle preventing your entry into the driver’s seat. The years that had passed filled your belly in ways you couldn’t have foreseen when you were that young admirer of these cars. It’s almost comically cruel how life played out in that moment.
I can’t even imagine having to make the tough decision to return those Camaro keys, tears in your eyes. To be so achingly close to living your dream, only to have to let it go because your own body betrayed you. It must have felt like a dagger to the heart of that youthful automobile enthusiasm you still carried.
And the final insult – resigning yourself to a minivan as your rental car instead of the Camaro. The polar opposite of that raw, snarling performance machine. Just a sensible mode of transportation, free of dramatics. How heartbreaking it must have been to make that humble swap at the rental counter.
While the experience clearly didn’t play out how you hoped, I admire your ability to laugh at the cosmic joke life played on you that day. And who knows? Maybe someday you’ll find a way to get comfortable behind the wheel of a modern Camaro that can rekindle that dream. Either way, it’s a memory I’ll bet you’ll never forget.
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Thank you for all the wonderful comments, maybe some day I ride in a Camaro.