Ryan Brutt’s Auto Archeology YouTube channel covers remarkable classic car finds and his latest video is no exception. It’s a presentation that introduces viewers to Todd, an avid General Motors enthusiast who has saved more than one muscle car from the crusher. We’re in the dark about this collection’s location. However, it’s a safe bet the gathering of rusted treasures is somewhere in the midwest, Brutt’s usual stomping grounds.
Waiting For Rescue: 1969 Chevy Camaro SS
Opening the video is a rusted 1969 Camaro SS. Its deteriorating rocker and quarter panels may dissuade some Camaro fans, but other characteristics make this car a standout. To begin with, the original orange paint and black vinyl top were a highly sought-after color combination during the heydays of muscle cars. Inside are a bench seat, sport steering wheel, and a factory AM/FM radio—all less-common options in the day.
Mechanically, this Chevy boasts a 350 cubic-inch V8 that Todd claims ran as recently as two years ago. It’s paired with a column-mounted three-speed automatic transmission, a rarity when most automatics of the day came as two-speed units.
A 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS With Possibilities
Sitting behind the Camaro is an equally orange 1968 Chevelle SS, but it’s a classic that hasn’t seen a road in decades. Todd retells how the original school-age owner blew the factory 396 cubic engine. A considerable feat as these powerplants offered 325 to 375 hp during this model year.
Along the way, the dead engine got replaced with a 400 cubic-inch truck powerplant, but the project never reached a conclusion. With a 12-bolt rear-end and factory power steering, this Chevy has never since achieved its potential.
Sad Times For A Legendary 1970 Buick GS Stage 1
Perhaps the saddest car of the bunch is a 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 with a rusting shell that’s likely beyond saving. This legendary muscle car came about after GM lifted its previous ban on restricting non-Corvette engine displacement to 400 cubic inches or less. Seizing the opportunity, Buick immediately went to work stuffing a big-block 455 under the hood of a Gran Sport.
Reportedly offering 360 horsepower (with some publications of the day claiming more) and 510 lb-ft of torque, a Stage 1 GS regularly stomped just about everything else on the road. Of the 2,465 GS Stage 1 hardtops built in 1970, only 1,785 came with a three-speed automatic like the one in the video
