At first glance, you would never think of Richard Young as a rebel. After all, he is a good student, works hard with his brothers in their yard care business and even bought a Camaro with his own money, a car that is a family tradition. Therein lies the rebelliousness. While his brothers and his father all own first-generation Camaros (1967-1969), Richard bought a second-generation 1972 Camaro. As the family computer whiz, Richard found it online on Craigs List about a year ago. It was a true SS model, with power steering and brakes, air conditioning, a 350 CID engine and Muncie M-21 four-speed trans. Although it was not the original engine and trans, the owner had them and included them with the sale. The interior was in great condition as well as the paint. The reason the owner was selling the Camaro was that he was only into Pontiacs, especially racing ones. He liked Richard’s enthusiasm for American iron and they have since become friends. The two of them agreed on a sale price and Richard’s Camaro was ready to drive away. The only problem was the fourteen-year old Richard could not legally drive, so his dad did it for him. Since buying it, Richard has done some minor work on the car, such as finding an original AM/FM radio and installing it, as well as replacing the wheels with a set of 1972 Z-28 Camaro wheels. He does get to pull it out of the garage onto the driveway and rides shotgun with his dad as he anxiously awaits his next birthday. His dad is glad that Richard’s rebellious streak has been confined to buying a second-generation Camaro. After all, he could have wanted a Mustang or even a Toyota.

By 1972, “Muscle Cars” were a dying breed and this was the last year for Camaro’s SS badging until 1996. 1972 is the newest year many car shows will admit.

The SS came with better instrumentation than the norm, however 1972 saw the top speedometer reading drop from 150 MPH to 130 MPH. A sign of the times.

The SS350 Camaro’s stock engine was a 200 HP L-48 350 CID with a four-barrel carb. This one is a replacement 350 engine with more power.

Story & photos by Ron C. © 2009