We just bought a 67 Camaro. It is a bit rough but it was a one owner car and is all original. It is 8 cyl with 3 on the tree. My husband wants to change it to 4 in the floor. Is it rare to have a 3 on the tree? I never heard of it in a Camaro. Should we convert it or leave the 3? Looking for advice from the pros here who know how rare this might be and if it will lower the value of what we have.
3 on the tree or 4 in the floor.
Missskamaro
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We just bought a 67 Camaro. It is a bit rough but it was a one owner car and is all original. It is 8 cyl with 3 on the tree. My husband wants to change it to 4 in the floor. Is it rare to have a 3 on the tree? I never heard of it in a Camaro. Should we convert it or leave the 3? Looking for advice from the pros here who know how rare this might be and if it will lower the value of what we have.
Welcome Katy. I would keep the 3 on the tree, but thats me. I have a column shift with a turbo 400 connected to it. I kinda like my grocery getter with a column shift.
I can't say if it would lower the value or not. Lot of factors there when it does come time when you want to sell. it.
Just how rough is rough? Anyway, lets see some pics of the car.
I can't say if it would lower the value or not. Lot of factors there when it does come time when you want to sell. it.
Just how rough is rough? Anyway, lets see some pics of the car.
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Katy, a 3-on-the-tree was the standard manual transmission set-up for base Camaros (either with a V8 or a 6 cylinder). If you paid about 50 bucks you could get a console which moved the shift to the floor. Camaros like yours are now nearly impossible to find because so many have been converted into more desirable Super Sports, Z28s, or hot rodded. Many people are now looking at early Camaros as investments or something to drive to shows on weekends, and original examples will keep their value (and may increase faster than ones that have been modified). I think you should keep the car as original as possible and sell it if it's not what you and your husband want...then go and buy one that's already been modified. Cars like yours seldom show up on the market because there are very few of them left to sell.
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No question...go with the two suggestions already made.
The three on the tree makes it orig, unique as it was back then. After seeing a 427 with this application I decided to leave mine alone. People are always making positive comments on the "tree".
capt
The three on the tree makes it orig, unique as it was back then. After seeing a 427 with this application I decided to leave mine alone. People are always making positive comments on the "tree".
capt
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Personally I would stay with the 3 on the tree configuration. That in itself is something we'll never see again in our lifetime. When I was a teen a friend of mine and I where in his 67 Camaro 327 3 on the column and always had loads of fun in that car. One night it started to rain and we hydroplaned into a telephone pole at 45 mph and in the end the car was totaled. Whenever we get together to this day we talk about how unique it was and how much we miss it.
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X6 3 on the tree.....
Jeff G.
68 Camaro Convertible RS 4-Speed
Jeff G.
68 Camaro Convertible RS 4-Speed
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Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful of telling my hubby that we need to leave this original as an original... he is determined. I have talked him into keeping the parts when the time comes if we decide to sell ( We are hoping to give our camaro to our son when he comes of age) ... unless we can find someone to trade us for a 67' -69 with a 4 on the floor, sadly this one owner all original 67' will be no longer be original come this next summer.
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I agree with your husband. While it's probably interesting to see a 3 on the tree, do you really want to drive it? Floor shift 4 or 5 speed would be way more fun to drive. Keep the parts. Someone can always restore it in the future.
Ditto. It might be rare, but in my opinion in this case rare does not equate to desirable. Have fun on the project.
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I'm with the husband too. My car originally had a 327 2 barrel with a power glide column shift.... Am I driving a camaro or a station wagon???
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I beg to differ with you Kelly. Explain to me how "on the floor" adds "more fun"?
Having driven both systems, neither had, to my way of thinking added pleasure to the operation of the vehicle if it was a floor application for changing the gears.
I can see going with a more efficient tranny that offers a lower first gear and an overdrive...but why get swept up with the mass thinking when you can have something original and unique, setting your car off from the rest of the herd? IMHO
capt
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X3. And so far as I'm concerned it's not worth saving the old parts. Maybe sell them to one of the guys here that thinks a 3 on the tree is so much fun.
Yes it's interesting to see.....in somebody else's car.
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I'm with Vega$. It's novel, I would be interested to see one, never have, but don't want to own one. Just because something is rare doesn't mean it's desireable. I would go so far as to say you would likely have an easier time selling the car (should you ever decide to) with the 4 or 5 speed on the floor because the majority of buyers would look at the car and think "what will it cost me to convert to floor shift?" 
I'd keep it "as is" for a while, then swap it over. Save the parts. A 5 speed would be a fantastic upgrade in many ways.
I'd keep it "as is" for a while, then swap it over. Save the parts. A 5 speed would be a fantastic upgrade in many ways.
We must drive our Camaro's completely different then.
The floor shift is just far superior for power shifting and jamming gears.
Sometimes I like to shift underhanded, but mostly overhanded.
I also like to rest my hand on the ball while cruising.
The column shifter is just in a bad position for all that. And all the extra linkage makes it a bit sloppy.
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If the column shift is in nice shape I would gladly take it off your hands...PM me. I drove a column shift Nova for a couple of years and it was a blast.
I would keep it the column shift. I have owned alot of Camaro's over the years but have never driven one like that. I bet I haven't laid eyes on more than maybe 5 total. Probably a great anti theft device as none of todays car thief's will know how to use it.
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X2... Probably a great anti theft device as none of todays car thief's will know how to use it. I had a good chuckle on this one Charley, that's thinking out of the box. Just think of the reaction when the shift linkage gets locked up. Seen that a lot.
The first bad accident I was in was in a 67 327 Camaro 3 on the tree, hit a telephone pole in the rain in 72. I owned a 64 Valiant with 3 on the tree and it was a blast to drive and shift too. Heck, on occasion, after an all nighter as a teen I would shift back up to 2 gear thinking I was in a 4 speed car. Not sure why I did that, I'm think it had something to do with how the engine sounded like I need to shift into a lower gear.
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