Retired Racer: 1980 Chevrolet Camaro
It is a sad fact that most dirt track race cars end their days at the scrapyard. It is easy to understand why because they live a hard life involving physical contact with other vehicles and unyielding concrete walls. This 1980 Chevrolet Camaro has survived the trauma, but it will take a new owner to determine its fate. It could return to active service, but it retains enough parts to make it an ideal donor for another project. The seller listed it here on eBay in Lewisburg, Tennessee. They set a BIN of $1,776, with seventy-eight people watching the listing.
The list of dirt track racing categories is long. While some, like 410 sprintcars, are internationally recognized, others will have local roots. That could be the case with this Camaro, although the seller may be able to provide the answers. It is unclear when it last competed, but it has a few issues requiring attention before it could return to the track. The seller indicates the roll cage is bent in a couple of spots and requires welding. The photos don’t reveal the extent of the issues, but performing high-quality repairs is essential on safety grounds. Most of the panels are non-original and fabricated from fiberglass or aluminum. That is common to reduce weight and repair costs. The exceptions are the driver’s door and inner roof structure. The Camaro retains its original cowl and floors that appear in good condition. There is other genuine Chevrolet steel within this car, making cannibalizing it for rust repairs on another project seem viable. This classic rolls on wide racing wheels, with those on the right featuring outer beadlocks. If the buyer chose to utilize this old racer as a donor for a road car build, they could sell the race components to recoup some of their original purchase costs. However, as a retired racer myself, I would love to see this classic gracing our tracks once again.
If you’re searching for salvageable interior trim for a road car restoration, this Camaro could supply a steering wheel. Otherwise, it is as bare as the Sahara Desert. As is standard practice, the upholstery, dash, carpets, and any flammable items are gone. The interior is purpose-built, featuring a sturdy roll cage, aftermarket gauges, an aluminum race seat, a window net, and a Racequip lever-lock harness. There are plenty of accumulated leaves, but the limited photos suggest the floors and cowl may be structurally solid for those considering its donor potential. Below the skin, there is little to report mechanically. The Camaro rolls and steers but no longer houses an engine or transmission. There are few other components included beyond an aluminum radiator. It probably competed equipped with a small-block V8, and the inclusion of a flex-plate confirms it featured an automatic transmission. Depending on the racing regulations, this lightweight classic could have been a potent performer in its prime.
The fate of this 1980 Camaro dirt track racer hangs in the balance. It needs work to resume its racing career, and the buyer must seek guidance from the appropriate category administrators to determine what is required for it to comply with existing safety regulations. Some vintage categories may offer a less costly avenue, and that option is worth investigating. For someone restoring a Second Generation Camaro road car, this beast contains some significant original steel that could serve as rust repair panels. What would be your plans for this racing classic if you were considering handing over the $1,776 quoted in the listing?
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Comments
Cool,,remember that ’40 Ford racer a while back? Well, this is what their grandchild drove. Racing usually stays in the family, and not competitive, really, just a family in the alley garage, Anywhere, USA,, cobbling a racer together, schleping it off to the track, rest of the family in the stands,, it’s what made America, ,America, dag nabit. Good ol’ fun, something to work all week for, trade paint, or fenders, blow the motor up, drag it home, back next week. My ex BIL, as mentioned, raced a ’65 Chevy at Hales Corners Speedway,,now a Menards( at least it’s called “Speedway Menards”) These were the next generation, before the end. I remember,as a kid, Hales Corners, like many race track towns, was this way out of town village, perfect for a race track. Well, like all those tracks, the city grew around it and the land was worth WAY more to Menards than a noisy, smoky racetrack, will hooligans barreling out to the local A&W at all hours.
Today? You know, there’s a person on my bike route with a Pinto dirt racer, not sure where they run it, but just not a lot of interest. A far cry from when gramps, dad, and “the kid”, cobbled this together, and mom bringing out the snacks and bandages. Who knows, maybe the last thing they did as a family. Just memories now, and not much use to anyone else.
Nowadays you’d be amazed at the amount of money guys
will spend running cars like this at a local race track just to win a trophy.
It gets even crazier when there’s money involved for winning!
This belongs to Derek Bieri from the YouTube channel Vice Grip Garage. He lives not far from me & is a really good guy.
It is a sad fact that BF would even consider putting this on BF. Thats like saying it is a sad fact that salt rusts cars.
I am surprised it hasn’t sold yet ….
As a kid growing in Glasgow, Ky in the 70’s, The Barren County Speedway was the place to be on Saturday night. 1/4 mile high banked track designed by Bobby Allison. The highlight of the track’s existence was when Bobby himself showed up one night in a specially prepared car and the locals dusted him! Great memories going there with my Dad and Uncles. But as someone mentioned above, when the big prize money started flowing in the late 80’s, the fights in the pits and on track got so bad they ended up closing it.
As a short track announcer for more than a decade, just a quick view of this gets my heart to thumping…but so much work to pass tech and safety since this one was built.
Like in some old cop movie move on folks there nothing to here