Published on 2022-06-12
Last updated on 2026-06-23
The car is a solid base!
Conclusion after the 1st year = September 2018
Around
The body is impeccable. No major holes, no major rust spots. 99.9 % of the sheet metal is fine. Only the trunk floor has a 5×8 cm hole by the spare wheel bracket and the end tip on the driver’s side is spackled.
The paint is from the Americans, which does not indicate high quality. Underneath the paint is a sufficiently thick filler layer (0.4 to about 1 mm), which unfortunately likes to chip off with the paint when bumped. On the whole, the Cooper is also complete, with no critical parts missing.
Interior
Inside, the seat covers, carpet and door panels are new. Unfortunately, the dash, trim, center console and glove box have been repainted from red to black by the previous owner.
Inevitable scratches then bring back the original red, which is detrimental to the appearance.
Heater adjustments and small items need to be overhauled or repaired.
About the engine
The non-original engine has been tuned. It has a sufficiently sized carburetor for tuning. However, it would be too big for stock. The sharp camshaft matches the carburetor and intake manifold. However, the cylinder heads will not be able to reach their potential in the combination.
Big problem was the not reasonably adjusted carburetor and ignition.
Conclusion after the 2nd year = September 2019
The Cooper is a really cool sock. It just gets better and better with time. The adjustments, tweaks and repairs make it a great car.
In the meantime, I have also said goodbye to the claim of keeping the car original. The last American has already changed the existing base so much that only the sheet metal, the chassis and the engine remained from the original. I also had the engine replaced by the Classic-Car-Ranch.
Furthermore the Cooper is a simple base. It is not an SS, Z/28 or COPO. It is just a housewife’s car that the modern woman used to pick up the kids from school (Fictitious). Optimizations do not reduce the value of the vehicle.
Conclusion after the 3rd year = September 2020
Nothing has changed in the observations made above. The Camaro is getting better and better. We continue to develop and improve the technology and so the car reaches a condition that some much younger cars do not have. Even existing annoying detail errors are now gradually eliminated.
Our development
In the meantime, we also dare to do work that I wanted to have done by the workshop just a year ago. For example, we had the engine opened and worked on the chassis. Electrically, a lot has also been done, so that the risk of cable defects is also minimized as far as possible. The body has only a few small weak points.
Unfortunately, I always find that you can’t rely on workshops, so we actually have to do more and more ourselves if it’s going to be reasonable.
Our „setbacks“
Since it goes partly to “deeper” assemblies, it happens now also more frequently that unsuitable parts are bought (e.g. rag join) or by changes of one of the previous owners the actual again ordered original parts do not fit (e.g. shock absorber). Unfortunately it also happens that parts do not fit despite all research. Cause is the English article descriptions, which leads to misunderstandings or the conversion from inch to metric system. So then also other parts accumulate (e.g. rim rings).
Conclusion after the 4th year = September 2021
Due to an unfortunate circumstance, we weren’t able to do much to the car itself or drive it much. However, I did take the opportunity to give the Camaro a major overhaul.
A slip in the ditch resulted in the fenders and doors needing to be painted. The part was taken care of by the insurance company. Now that it was in the shop once, I had it completely painted. Since the appraiser also wanted the front suspension and steering linkage replaced, there was a generous upgrade here as well, as well as 225 tires from Continental all around. Front and rear spoilers came off and the stripes disappeared. The major rust damage to the end tips of the rear fenders, which had been filled in by the last owner, was also expertly repaired with repair panels.
The bottom line is that we have a great car in great condition. However, with the handicap that it has already cost more than it is probably worth. Also, the originality has now moved even further away, although visually it has come closer to the original.
The list of changes from the “2nd year” is now joined by the even wider tires and improved front suspension. However, reduced by spoilers and stripes.
Supplement
After four years together with the Cooper, the general inspection was due again in December 2021. This time I went to the vehicle car inspection myself and had it done. The inspector was very taken with the car and called the task a “HighLight at the end of the year”. For the emissions test, he had to exhaust the measurement possibilities of the old car.
Finally: Test passed, without any noticeable defects.
Cost: 124 EUR + 10 EUR for the coffee fund and rest until December 2023.
Conclusion after the 5th year = September 2022
Since the Camaro is always in the shop to have any defects from the slip fixed, we don’t really get to work on the car or drive it. On top of that, the steering doesn’t work as it should, so I’m constantly touching up there as well.
On the car, we only do small things or touch up the shop work.
Unfortunately, because of Corona in the last 3 years almost all classic car meetings are cancelled. Meetings starting from the third quarter fall exactly into our vacation.
This is also reflected in the distances covered:
- 2018 = 1370 mi
- 2019 = 1500 mi
- 2020 = 1370 mi
- 2021 = 300 mi (3/4 year in the workshop)
- 2022 = 400 mi
Basically, I can only reiterate that the car is almost perfect in my eyes. Quirks are simply due to age. It’s fun to work on him and it’s fun to drive him.
As they say in Germany:
Whining at a high level
Conclusion after 6th years = September 2023
Even after six years, I remain convinced that the Camaro is a truly great car. Its overall condition is excellent. The body and interior are in impeccable condition, and the suspension is in good shape. Currently, only routine maintenance is needed.
Since we replaced the steering gear and the power steering pump and made further adjustments, the car drives much better. The adjustment to the power steering pump pressure is also worth mentioning.
The engine runs well overall, but has an issue with two or three cylinders. Most of the spark plugs look fine in terms of color. Number 7 is currently the biggest problem. The spark plug is heavily coated with oil.
I’m slowly running out of work to do. There are a few major issues left, such as the cylinders mentioned above. The interior could still use some sound-deadening mats. Unfortunately, this task is also quite expensive, which is why I’m still hesitant to tackle it.
We had to go in for the annual inspection again. As usual, I went back to my trusted inspector at TÜV Nord. He hadn’t seen the car before, so this was my first visit with the Cooper. In 2021, his colleague was on duty.
A very knowledgeable guy. He knew what he was doing and how to inspect classic cars. He even quickly adjusted the headlights, which were too low, and the carburetor idle screws. So far, so good.
Other than that, there were no other issues. It even passed the emissions test with flying colors.
Conclusion after 7th years = September 2024
After 7 years, I’m still very happy with my car. This is also reflected in the mileage, which totaled just over 1,500 km this year.
The only major work we’ve done is changing the coolant, touching up a few things, and taking care of other minor tasks. There were no major expenses or repairs. In the summer, I drove the car to work a few times.
Result: Absolutely suitable for everyday use. No overheating issues. No starting problems. Nothing. Ran like a charm.
However, we were also able to attend a few US car meets again—sometimes even with the Cooper.
The major issues from previous years remain:
- Engine overhaul, due to oil-soaked spark plugs
- Transmission overhaul, due to metal shavings in the oil
Conclusion after 8th years = September 2025
Well, what should I write as a conclusion after 8 years? The important thing is, the Cooper is still with us!
The bigger problems—see 2024—are still there. The transmission is running and shifting, so I’m not going to touch it for now. The engine is running well and isn’t using too much fuel; I check the oil regularly (about 1 liter per 2,000 km), the spark plugs are cleaned regularly, and given the low mileage—we’ve only clocked about 1,500 km in 2025—that’s not a big problem either.
Since I deep-discharged the battery again, I’ve now installed a deep-discharge protection device that cuts off everything when the onboard voltage drops. Along with that, I got a new battery (AGM type) over the summer because it failed to start twice.
The biggest repair was replacing the exhaust system because the old one was too loud for me.
We took the Camaro to US car meets twice, and I also drove it to the office a few times.
The Cooper got a new, cozy cover.
