OCTOBER 2019II CHEVY HIGH PERFORMANCE 45
◆One’s emergence into the automotive hobby can happen in many ways. For some, the catalyst
was the first turn of an ignition key, freshly minted driver’s license in-hand. For others, it was a trip
to the racetrack. But the most commonly derived path to the love of cars is familial. Parent to child, or
in this case older brother to younger brother, the love of muscle cars and thumpin’ V-8s arose.
For Ryan Lowe, the primer was his brother’s 1973 Camaro. A project during his childhood, the car had an impact and
the seed was firmly planted.
“I grew to love the round taillights and front end on the
early second-gens more than any other style/generation,”
said Lowe. “When I turned 15, my brother sold me the car.
I swapped the three-speed transmission for a four speed
and had the car painted. A few years later, after joining the
Army, I sold it and regretted it ever since.”
A story told the world over; the one that got away. But
rather than solemnly reminisce of days gone by, Lowe took
up the hunt for another ’73 Camaro. Surprisingly, he ended
up buying one off a Chevy dealer’s showroom floor, an
unusual feat for a car purchased decades after it rolled off
the assembly line.
“Someone had traded it in on a newer Camaro and the
dealership had it in the middle of the showroom,” said
Lowe. “I got a reasonable deal on it, and had it shipped to
Texas, where I was stationed at the time.”