We live in a world where, unfortunately, not all old muscle cars can be saved. While the most desirable versions – usually examples with a V-8 and manual transmission – tend to stay on the road, less exciting versions with smaller engines and automatic bodies are forgotten. That’s exactly what happened to this third-generation Chevrolet Camaro.
Whoever last owned this Camaro probably didn’t think doing the work to get it back on the road was worth it. Although it looks great, the underpowered 3.1-liter V6 and four-speed automatic don’t make for a very attractive powertrain. Instead, they parked it in a field in Cincinnati and left it there, completely untouched, for the last 20 years.
As you can imagine, leaving a car outside next to trees for two decades doesn’t do much good. The car is covered in a thick layer of dirt and debris and buried several inches deep in the ground. Paint that is not coated in dirt is encrusted with green mold. WD Detailing on YouTube decided it was worth pulling the hopeless Camaro out of its muddy grave and giving it a second chance at life.
It doesn’t take long for the WD Detailing team to realize they have their work cut out for them. It takes a while to get all the dirt off the car, and a few passes to get all the gunk off the paint. Even then, the car isn’t perfect. Inside, the team finds a huge nest of rats occupying a spare steering wheel. There is also a ton of debris and dirt embedded in the carpet. While cleaning, the team finds a belt sander and, strangely, a coffee maker in the trunk. They also found that someone had opened the monocoque to access the fuel pump.
At the end of the process, this Camaro looks clean enough to be a candidate for an LS trade. Provided the underside isn’t too rusty, we suspect it will finally get the attention it deserves.
