I had a 'Barrier Blue 66 GTO, 389-4bbl-4-speed with positrac, bought in 1971 for $1100. An idiot in a Camaro with no brakes totaled it by taking the front end off at an intersection in 1973; its value then was about $600.
My brother had a Forest Green '67 GTO with a cream vinyl roof and interior with the 400/tri-power setup. He was wailing down a country road with it in about 1974 when the engine blew and locked up; since it was a 4-speed, that locked up the rear wheels. Unfortunately the clutch linkage also twisted loose, so although he had time to stomp the clutch, it didn't disengage. He left the road, the front end hit, th car did an endo and the back end hit, and it landed on its wheels. The only usable body panels were the passenger door and the roof. He and his passenger both wore seat belts and walked away.
My sister had a nice Roman Red '62 Chevy Impala with gold interior; in the late 70's she was passing a bucket loader driving along the road and it turned left, catching the rear end of the car with the bucket. Flipped it into the ditch, and ruined it. My dad made a plywood mount for the rear seat and turned it into a sofa; it's still in the office of my brothers-in-law's farm shop.
So many memorable cars, so many untimely ends.
One brother in law still has his light blue metallic 1970 Camaro; the other has a '73 or '74 red Firebird with the 400 V8. Both are hanging onto them. The younger of the two has the family's 1967 Impala SS with bucket seats in his shed, although I'm pretty sure it has been thoroughly mouse-assaulted.
