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Classic Muscle Car History
Chevrolet Camaro
History
First Generation
1967-1969
Introduction: After two years of watching the Ford Mustang enjoy
tremendous success, General Motors finally launched its entry into the
pony car segment, the Chevrolet Camaro. Although available with a
mediocre six cylinder for volume sales, the Camaro could be equipped with
several V8s and a myriad of performance options. Then, of course, was
the famous Regular Production Code, Z/28, that would change the industry's
view of pony cars.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro
Comments: Inspired by the success of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet launched its
own pony car, the Camaro. Chevrolet stated that the "Camaro" was named after
the French word for "comrade," although some linguists argued that it was
actually Spanish for a type of shrimp. Not exactly an awe aspiring name for
a new pony car. Luckily, the Camaro had the muscle to back up its case.
The Camaro was based on the upcomming 1968 Chevy Nova platform, and
featured a unibody structure from the windshield and firewall back,
with a separate steel rail subframe for everything up front. The Camaro was
available from the start in hardtop coupe and covertible body styles,
and could be order with nearly 80 factory options and 40 dealer
accessories, including three main option packages and a choice of four
different engines. The RS package included numerous cosmetic changes
including a blacked out grill with hidden headlights, revised parking
and tail lights, upgraded interior trim, and RS badging. Of greater
interest to enthusiasts was the SS package which included as standard
equipment a modified 350 cid V8 (the first 350 engine Chevy ever offered)
with an available 396 cid big block producing 325bhp (L35) and later a
375bhp version, along with simulated air-intakes on the hood, special
bumble bee striping, and a blacked out grill. It was possible to order
both the RS and SS packages, and get a RS/SS Camaro, in which case the
RS badging took precedence. Camaro popularity soared when a RS/SS
Convertible with the 396 paced the 1967 Indianapolis 500 race.
In December 1966, Chevrolet then quietly released one of the most famous
options codes of all time, option Z-28. Unpublicized and unknown by most
of the buying public (and most Chevrolet sales people for that matter)
and not mentioned in any sales literature, the only way someone could
order the Z-28 package was to order a base Camaro with the Z-28 option,
mandatory front disc brakes with power assist, and the Muncie 4-speed
transmission. You could not order the SS package, automatic transmission,
air conditioning, or the convertible. What you got was a unique 302 cid
small block (Non-California emission cars were labeled MO while California
emission engines were labeled MP) that was created by taking the 327 block
and installing the short-stroke 283 crank. Specifically designed to compete
in the Club of America Trans Am racing series which placed a 305 cid limit
on its entries, the Z-28 was available to the public solely to qualify the
car for racing. Advertised horsepower was listed at just 290bhp, which
was not very impressive until one hooked it up to a dyno and got actual
readings of 360-400 bhp. The Z-28 also came with a competition suspension,
broad racing stripes on the hood and trunklid and could be combined with
the RS option package. There was no Z-28 badging at all, lest it attract
to much attention. The Z-28 proved to be difficult to launch on the street
because its high reving engine was lethargic under 4000rpm and worked
best when it was shifted at 7500rpm (!). Once it got going, the Z28
was tough to beat and boosted a 140mph top speed and numerous racing victories.
Only 602 Z-28s were sold in 1967, making it a truly desirable collectable.
Production:
RS: 64,842
SS: 34,411
Z-28: 609
Engines:
230 I6 140bhp.
250 I6 155bhp @ 4200rpm, 235lb-ft @ 1600rpm.
(Z-28) 302 V8 290bhp @ 5800rpm, 290lb-ft @ 4200rpm.
327 V8 210bhp.
327 V8 275bhp.
350 V8 255bhp.
(SS350) 350 V8 295bhp @ 4800rpm, 380lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 325bhp @ 4800rpm, 410lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 375bhp @ 5600rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3600rpm.
Performance:
(Z-28) 302/290bhp: 0-60 in 6.9 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.85 sec @ 101mph.
(SS350) 350/295: 1/4 mile in 15.4 seconds @ 90 mph.
(SS396) 396/325bhp: 0-60 in 6.0 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.5 sec @ 99mph.
1968 Chevrolet Camaro
Comments: The 1968 received minor changes for its second year. The
grill took on a more horizontal look while the vent windows were dropped
and "Astro Ventilation" (i.e. flow-through ventilation) was added.
Side marker lights were added while the SS396 received revised chromed hood
inserts (the SS350s stayed with the 1967 styling). Underneath, the 1967 Camaros
pesky axle tramp was cured by the addition of multi-leaf rear springs
to replace the single-leaf units and rear shock absorbers were now staggered.
A new 350bhp 396cid option for the SS was added, while the Z-28 option (now
just labeled MO) actually received some publicity and sold 7,199 units. The
Z-28s were now easier to spot as they sported Z-28 or 302 badges.
Production:
RS: 40,977
SS: 27,884
Z-28: 7,199
Engines:
230 I6 140bhp.
250 I6 155bhp @ 4200rpm, 235lb-ft @ 1600rpm.
327 V8 210bhp.
327 V8 275bhp.
350 V8 255bhp.
(SS350) 350 V8 295bhp @ 4800rpm, 380lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 325bhp @ 4800rpm, 410lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 350bhp @ 5200rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 375bhp @ 5600rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3600rpm.
Performance:
(SS396) 396/325bhp: 0-60 in 6.6 sec, 1/4 mile in 15.0 sec @ 94mph.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Comments: 1969 saw several noteworthy changes to the Camaro. The
grill became deeper set, the taillamps were longer and thinner and
broken into three segments. A heavy "eye-brow" crease was added on
the both sides of the car extending from the front wheel well to the
rear wheel well. A matching crease went from the rear wheel well to
the rear quarter panel. The Camaro also received new fenders, door skins,
rear quarter-panels, grille and taillights which gave it a wider, lower
appearance. Inside, the Camaro received a redesigned dash and more
comfortable seats. Endura rubber bumpers were available on the
Camaro as well as two ram air induction systems for the SS. The
first was a new special hood with a rear facing inlet and cold-air
duct underneath the hood. The second was a dealer installed cowl
plenum kit that came with a special air cleaner and adapter. No
special hood was needed. 1969 saw an explosion in engine choices. On
the low-performance side, a new 307 V8 (a 327 crank in a 283 block) rated
at 200bhp was added and a new 350 V8 rated at 255 bhp replaced the more
powerful 327 engine. The Z28 continued with its seriously under-rated
302 (now called DZ) engine. The RS package was still popular, and
included a special grill with concealed headlights (of a ribbed design)
and washers, chrome wheel well moldings, drip rails, pinstripes, and
RS badging. The SS standard 350 received a slight power boost to 300 bhp
while the 396 engines continued in 325/350/375 bhp versions. Once again,
a white RS/SS convertible with the 396 engine paced the Indianapolis 500 race,
and Chevy offered replica versions as white convertibles with orange
stripes and orange houndstooth upholstery (though most replicas were
powered by 350 engines. Because of their collectibility, there are
many "fake" 1969 Pace Car replicas out in the collector market so be
careful if you are planning on buying one.
But real performance is more than special upholstery and the big news
for 1969 was the availability of special 427 cid V8 equipped
Camaros. The first were special dealer-installed units, most notably
the Yenko Camaro 427. Yenko Sports Cars, based in Pennsylvania, along
with other Chevy dealers such as Nickey in Chicago, Dana in California,
and Baldwin-Motion in New York, would install the L72 427 cid block,
rated at 425bhp by Chevrolet, ordered under the Central Office Production
Order System (COPO) code 9562 into a buyer's Camaro. The Yenko
Camaro 427 is a typical example: it came from the factory with no
ornamentation, badging, and the 427 engine in a crate. Yenko installed the
427 block, changed the rating to a more realistic 450bhp, and added
15-inch rally wheels, bigger front roll bar, and sYc (Yenko Sports Car)
badging. A full complement of racing add ons were available and sub
13 second quarter miles were possible with a few more dollars.
Overshadowing these dealer modified Camaros was the factory Camaro ZL1.
Specially designed to compete in the NHRA Super Stock drag classes,
Chevrolet made it an option under the COPO system (code 9560). The cars
began as SS396/375bhp Camaros with the F41 suspension. The SS trim
and engine were deleted, and the 427 engine, cowl-induction hood, front
disc brakes, a choice of heavy duty 4 speed transmissions or Turbo
Hydra-matic, and a 4:10 posi axle were added. But instead of the
regular iron-block and head L72 found in the dealer installed Camaros,
the ZL1 sported aluminum heads and the first aluminum block ever made
by Chevrolet. It shared the L88 aluminum head/iron block's engine rating
of 430 bhp but made closer to 500 bhp -- making it probably the
most powerful engine Chevrolet ever offered to the public. And the engine
weighed just 500 pounds, the same as Chevy's 327 small block. The car
was blessed with a 5 year/50,000 mile warranty and was fully street
legal. With factory exhausts and tires, it turned low 13s; with
headers and slicks, it could turn 11.6s @ 122mph. This was the fastest
car ever produced by Chevrolet. Performance had its price -- $4,160
for the ZL1 engine alone pushing the price of the Camaro ZL1 to an
unbelieveable $7,200 (about double the price for a SS396 Camaro).
Chevy needed to build 50 to qualify the car for racing, and in the end
built 69 Camaros and 2 Corvettes with the ZL-1 engine. Their high price
made them difficult to sell and at least 12 engines were removed and
about 30 cars were returned back to Chevrolet. It took until the
early 1970s to sell them all. One can only wonder what they are worth today.
Production of the 1969 Camaros continued into the beginning of 1970 as the all new
1970 Camaros were not released until mid 1970. To add to the confusion, some late
1969 cars were titled as 1970 models.
Production:
RS: 37,773
SS: 33,980
Z-28: 19,014
Engines:
250 I6 155bhp @ 4200rpm, 235lb-ft @ 1600rpm.
Z28: 302 V8 290bhp @ 5800rpm, 290lb-ft @ 4200rpm.
307 V8 200bhp @ 4600rpm, 300lb-ft @ 2400rpm.
327 V8 210bhp.
327 V8 275bhp.
350 LM1 V8 255bhp.
(SS350) 350 V8 300bhp @ 4800rpm, 380lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 325bhp @ 4800rpm, 410lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 350bhp @ 5200rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 375bhp @ 5600rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3600rpm.
(COPO 9561) 427 V8 425bhp @ 5600rpm, 460lb-ft @ 4000rpm.
(COPO 9560) 427 V8 430bhp @ 5200rpm, 450lb-ft @ 4400rpm.
Performance:
(Z-28) 302/290bhp: 0-60 in 7.4 sec, 1/4 mile in 15.12 sec @ 94.8mph.
(SS396) 396/375bhp: 0-60 in 6.8 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.7 sec @ 98.7mph.
(COPO 9561) 427/425bhp: 0-60 in 5.4 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.5 sec @ 102mph.
(COPO 9560) 427/430bhp: 0-60 in 5.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.16 sec @ 110 mph.
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