Camaro history part 1

[Maximus]

1st and 2nd generation camaro History
How it All Started Back In 1964, the Ford Motor Company revolutionized the automotive industry by stuffing a 289 cubic inch V8 in a small sports coupe. The 1964 1/2 Mustang was born, beginning the "Pony Car" small-car performance era that would grow to immense proportions well in to the 21st Century. When Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964 there was no immediate reaction from General Motors, but by August of 1964, just four months after the Mustang's introduction, General Motors realized the appeal of a four seat sports car. Ironically, the Mustang was created in response to the Chevrolet Corvair Monza!General Motors had actually begun preliminary work on such a car as early as 1958, according to Pontiac Designer Bob Porter. "I remember a four-passenger, sporty type car of the general size and weight class of the Mustang being worked on in an advanced studio. In the early '60s, similar cars were developed from time to time. Everyone wanted to do one, but at the time there was really no corporate interest."An Attempt to Win:. By 1965 the Ford Mustang had evolved into a serious performance car and was making record sales. General Motors was attempting to compete with the A-body Chevelles, and GTOs but needed something more in the "context" of Ford Motor Company's Pony Car, the Mustang. When the Mustang sold 100,000 units in the first six months, and almost half a million the first year, General Motors took an interest. The responsibility for GM's Mustang fighter was given to the General Motors Design Center's Chevrolet Studio under the direction of Henry C. Haga. Interior design was directed by George Angersbach, who had been heavily involved in the design of the Corvette, Corvair, and the Chevy II, which became the Nova in 1969.Building The F-Body: It has long been a misconception that the '67 Camaro was designed from Chevy II components when actually it was the other way around. The Chevy II was to be all new for 1968. The Chevy II shared many parts with the 1967 Camaro, but this did lead to compromises in the design, most notably the cowl height and hood.One unique feature was the decision to use a front sub frame isolated with rubber 'biscuits" in combination with the unit body construction of the rest of the car, a technique that had been used on several European cars, including many Mercedes-Benz models. This combined the best of both worlds-a larger interior and more luggage space than was possible with a traditional frame and at the same time a quieter, smoother ride than a full uni-body car delivered. The designers did mock-ups of many different models, including a two-seat roadster, a fastback, and a station wagon. GM was trying to keep the cost as low as possible, however, to compete with the Mustang, GM decided tostick with just two models, a coupe and a convertible. As the launch date neared, the car still had no name. It had been called various names by GM, including Nova, Panther, Chaparral, and Wildcat. Chevy also considered using the letters "GM" in the name, and came up with G-Mini, which evolved into GeMini, and finally Gemini. General Motors Headquarters killed that name, because they didn't want the letters "GM" used in case the car was a failure.On September 29th, 1966, General Motors, who was not so sure of the new product, unraveled a Pony Car of its own, the Chevrolet Camaro. Finally, the car was introduced to the press as the Camaro, considered to be a good name because nobody knew what it meant. Chevrolet produced an old French dictionary showing that the word meant "friend" or "companion", but Ford found an alternate meaning in an old Spanish dictionary-"a small, shrimp-like creature. "The automotive press had a good laugh over that, and an even bigger one when one journalist found yet another meaning-"loose bowels." It didn't take long for the laughter to stop after the introduction of the stunning 1967 Camaro.The Camaro was to be offered with a wide variety of power plants, ranging from a 230 cubic inch six cylinder to a 327 V8. In addition, a new engine displacement was created just for the Camaro, a 350 cubic inch V8 rated at 295 horsepower. Once General Motors believed the Chevrolet Camaro would be a success, they quickly began production on its counterpart, the Pontiac Firebird. The new F-body was the sister car to the X-body, the Nova or Chevy II. The original concept car shown a few years before, dubbed the "Super Nova", would quickly develop into a performance legacy.Part one the Camaro 67 to present:The 1967 Camaro revolutionized the pony car, with an excellent selection of both luxury and performance options. You could buy a Camaro as a coupe or convertible, in several different styling trims, with an inline 6 or a V8, in base model, RS or SS trim. In only its first year of production, the impact of the Camaro was obvious when it was chosen to pace the 1967 Indianapolis 500.Interior and luxury options included full Air Conditioning, power windows, tinted glass, power convertible top, center console, and Speed and cruise control.At its base, the '67 Camaro could be ordered with a 230 cube inline-6 producing 140 horsepower and 220 ft lbs. of torque. Other engine options included another I6, two 327 small blocks and the new 350 small block, and at the top of the list were two 396 big blocks offered in the Camaro SS (Super Sport), the latter being the L-78 396 producing 375 horsepower and 416 ft-lbs torque. Transmissions ranged from the 2-speed Power glide and 3-speed Turbo Hydromatic automatics, to 3-speed and 4-speed M20/M21 manual transmissions.Performance options included Power brakes, Power steering, F41 Special Suspension, dual exhaust w/deep-tone mufflers, and special gauges in the instrument panel for the V8 models. A variety of rear axle ratios could be had from 2.73:1 all the way to 3.73:1 with the optional Posi-trac rear end to get both those bias plys smoking.A record-breaking total of 220,906 Camaro's were sold in 1967, 195,765 coupes, 25,141 convertible, along with 34,411 Super Sports.The Camaro was such a success in 1967 that Chevrolet changed very little for the '68 model year. Two more SS396 engines were offered, among them the powerful L-89, which differed from the L-78 with aluminum heads and larger valves. This same 396 with curved distributor and tuned carburetor, in a '68 Nova SS recently raced to victory in the 1999 Pure Stock Muscle car Drags with 12.376 @ 111.92 mph...Some minor styling ques are really the only way to tell the difference between '67 and '68. The most obvious difference is the addition of front fender side-marker lights. In addition, the '67 used a side vent wing for the side window, whereas the '68 utilizes a single window. The '68 Camaro also had square parking lamps instead of round. An added interior option was hounds tooth seat trim inserts.The only external change for the Z/28 package was the addition of Z/28 badges (the '67 Camaro had only one external clue to tell it was a Z/28, being the twin stripes up the hood and rear deck lid.)214,707 coupes, 20,440 convertibles, for 235,147 total along with 30,695 SS models were sold for the 1968 model year.1969 saw major changes for Chevrolet's pony car and, as many believe, led the manufacturer to its greatest year ever. The car underwent a major styling change, and all but the hood, roof and deck lid was replaced with new components. The all new grille was recessed further into the nose and optional see-through louvered headlamp covers were available along with large marker lights mounted in the front valence. The back of the F-body was restyled with new taillights, and hid the gas cap under the license plate. Another small block was added to the line, the L-48 300 horsepower 350, and yet another 396 big block thrown into the mix... a very rare option that almost didn't exist, known as the ZL-1, was snatched up by a few lucky enthusiasts (this will be examined later on.) Gearing now varied from 2.56:1 granny gears all the way to 4.88:1.

The cowl induction hood is such a popular feature on 1st-gen Camaro's, that not many people know that 1969 was the first year they were offered as an O.E.M. component. If you see a '67-68 model with a cowl induction hood, it's aftermarket.

The Camaro was again invited to pace the Indy 500, and unlike in 1967, Chevrolet prepared a special Pace Car package for the '69 Camaro. Offering a limited number of Camaro's with the new RPO (Regular Production Order) Z-11 Pace Car option package, Chevy added a hugger orange striping package to the white Camaro Convertibles. The RS/SS combined option packages were applied to the Pace Car, and the interior was special with orange and white hounds tooth upholstery. The actual car that paced the race used the 375 hp SS396, but the Pace Car models available to the street could be had with any of the F-body's engines. A total of 3,675 pace cars were sold to the public, including a few hardtops which are considered ultra-rare.The 67-69 Camaro is arguably the most popular incarnation of the famous pony car, and with the Z/28 package available, why shouldn't it be? Chevrolet built the Camaro specifically as competition for Ford's pony car, the Mustang, but in addition, they needed a car to compete against the Mustang in SCCA Trans-Am racing as well; thus the Z/28 was born.

[Maximus]

Because of the 305 cubic-inch limit in the Trans-Am class, Chevrolet mated a 283 crank with a 327 block to produce 302 cubic inches of displacement. Installing a high lift, high duration solid lifter cam along with an aluminum high rise intake mounted to a 750 cfm Holley 4 barrel, this 302 was way underrated at 290 horsepower for the street, in actuality making approx. 400 horsepower, and able to rev well to 7000 rpm.
This DZ-code engine dropped in the relatively lightweight F-body platform with the limited-slip differential and road racing suspension made it a force to be feared both in a straight line and in the corners.

On the drag strip, the Z/28 with the high-revving 302 was capable of consistent 14-second flat E.T.s on skinny 7" bias plys with next to no traction. Bolting on a set of modern radials to a bone stock '69 Z/28 rockets it to low 13s in the 1/4... not bad for a 60s small block pony car designed for road racing.In addition to this already amazing performance package for the Camaro, another rare option was available. In 1969, 206 lucky buyers checked off the little box on the options sheet next to RPO JL-8. Chevrolet swapped the 750 Holley with two 4-barrel carbs sitting atop a special cross-ram intake. The drive train was then upgraded with the M-22 "Rock-crusher" 4 speed manual transmission, special 4.88:1 rear diff, and a 140-mph speedometer mounted in the interior. Radio and heater delete were a pre-requisite, of course. However probably the biggest plus to the JL-8 package was in the form of 4-wheel disc brakes. With the ultra-short gear ratios and higher horsepower thanks to the twin 4-bbl setup (racing Z/28s with this package dynoed at almost 500 hp), the JL-8 Z/28's have been known to hit high 12s on decent tires.

Amazingly enough, almost all of the racing Z/28's parts were completely stock, both engine and suspension. The only suspension additions were spindle extenders, and running the spec Hoosier tires, could pull over 1.2 g's in the corner.

This formula obviously was a success, as the Camaro not only sold in record numbers on the street but, more importantly, had amazing success in SCCA. Mark Donohue and Roger Penske gained victory three times in the 1967 season during the Z/28's "break-in" period, then went on to claim the championship in 1968 with a record 10 out of 13 race wins. Their domination continued with the Camaro, winning the championship again in 1969Another famous racer who used the Camaro to gain great success was Smokey Yunick. In 1967, Yunick ordered a brand-new '68 Z/28, and decided to go SCCA Trans-Am racing as well. On a test day in 1967, Yunick somehow managed to sneak his way into Riverside Raceway for a few laps, during a Ford-only test session. Officials knew something was up when Yunick blew away the lap times of pole-sitter Jerry Titus by over 0.60 seconds. The car was promptly protested and numerous rule infractions were found. The car was banned from Trans-Am, so Smokey Yunick packed up the hauler and took a trip to Bonneville. There on the salt flats he proceeded to break numerous endurance and speed records with the Camaro. The F-body ran 174 mph with the original DZ-302 small block, then Yunick dropped a worked 396 rat between the front fenders and ran 183 mph. Touché.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the car was how it was constructed despite being illegal. To trim down the curb weight many of the body parts were acid dipped, and all the factory glass replaced with lightweight safety racing glass. The front sub frame was modified to lower the front of the car and improve front tire traction under braking. The windshield was laid back slightly and the floor pan moved upward to make room for a belly pan to improve undercarriage aerodynamics. And of course, the original 302 small block was doctored a little to produce about 450 hp at over 7000 RPM. One of the most intriguing tricks is the rear end... taking a glance at it revealed a standard GM-12 bolt...but beneath the 12-bolt differential cover was a rebuilt Ford 9-inch.

Today the original Smokey Yunick Camaro is owned by Vic Edelbrock, who still competes in Nostalgia Racing with F-body... appropriate for one of the legendary racecars of the 60s.While Chevrolet was producing some of the most impressive and memorable pony cars of all time in the 1st-gen Camaro, a young man by the name of Don Yenko, from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was creating even more awesome versions of these amazing pony cars.

Don Yenko began his prestigious career by modifying Mid-engine Corvair Spyders for racing duties. But the new for '67 Camaro caught this young tuner's eyes, and he saw the potential for truly amazing performance. The problem was that the largest engine available for the Camaro, indeed for its entire 1st-gen run, was the 396 big block. Yenko however, saw more potential for power in Chevrolet's newest big block power plant, the awesome 427.

So in 1967, Yenko ordered 50 Camaro's and stuffed 427s between the front fenders...

Yenko soon realized however that the modifications were far too costly, so he got the factory involved. In 1969 he had Chevrolet send him about 200 COPO (Central Office Production Order) 9561 Camaro's (the number is disputed, but 200 is the given). This special production order bypassed the ban on high-displacement engines in the F-body, giving him a Camaro with the L72 427 already installed. Yenko would then mount a special Stewart-Warner column-mounted tachometer and his own badging and special Yenko stripes. In addition he bolted on a cowl induction hood, and the COPO 9561 package was included, featuring a 140 mph speedometer, E70x15 rubber on Torq-Thrust wheels and a 1-inch front sway bar. He also bolted on a set of headers to the mammoth 427 and some extra gauges for monitoring its performance.

Certainly the eye-catching graphics and look and sound of the 427 big block stuffed under the hood were enough to sell the Yenko Camaro's, but it was the performance provided by this engine that really made these super F-bodies something to be feared. The 427 from the factory was rated at 425 horsepower, but Yenko dynoed his at over 450. This amazing power allowed the car to rocket to mid 12s in the 1320 right out of Yenko's shop... mid 12s with very little traction. Slicks easily propelled these beasts deep into the 11s.Selling for $4,245 each, allegedly only 200 of these Yenko Camaro's were produced. For this reason they are highly sought after by collectors and performance enthusiasts alike. Thankfully, the lucky owners of these Camaro's are true enthusiasts enough to still race these cars...

Fortunately, Yenko also modified other Chevy's, including '69 Chevelles that he crammed 427s into, and Novas with both 427s and the LT-1 350. He even later modified Vegas by stuffing 454 big blocks into the tiny compacts. But the Yenko Camaro's are arguably the most sought-after and popular Yenko creations ever. How fitting that Yenko uses the initials "SC" on the Camaro.... "Super Car".Certainly Yenko's success as a car tuner is legendary, but then so is Joel Rosen's. "Mr. Motion" was the head of Baldwin-Motion Performance in Long Island, New York, tuner of high performance Chevrolets. The shop begin in the 50s as a modest repair garage, until the 60s when Josen began a successful racing career. By this time he was already super-tuning Chevelles, Chevy II's and Corvettes, but the Camaro in 1967 caught his eye as something special. Thus he convinced Dave Bean and Ed Simonin, owners of of the Baldwin Chevrolet dealership, to sell his exclusive Camaro Supercars. He too shoved beastly bigblocks in Camaros and modified them for insane performance, but Rosen had a more wild side to his tuning. Thus was born the first of many Baldwin-Motion Camaros, the Phase III. From 1967 to 1969, instead of ordering the COPO 9561 package and adding a few goodies, Baldwin-Motion ordered both iron 427s and L88 427s and rebuilt them in their own shops, then bolted it under the hood. These 427s were more brutal than even Don Yenko's, producing over 500 horsepower. These awesome bigblocks combined with Baldwin-Motion's patented "Super-Bite Suspension" easily backed up their claim that the Phase III was "guarenteed to turn 129 mph in 11.50 seconds or better with an M/P-approved driver..."

This nearly-unbeatable performance was backed up by an eye-catching styling package. Baldwin-Motion Camaros were offered with a variety of fully-functional cowl induction hoods patterned after 427 Corvettes. In addition they could be had with a modified rear spoiler and even sidepipes to let everyone know when you were coming down the street... from 4 blocks away. This combined with wild hockey-stick shaped stripes running down the front fenders, as well as optional stripes up the hood, roof and sides of the rear quarter-panels not only got people's attention--it smacked them around and demanded to be noticed.

Like Don Yenko, Joel Rosen continued to make monster performance cars for many years, but he's arguably remembered most for the Camaros, produced on into the 70s (as pictured at the top of the page), using 454 bigblock as well. And it's no wonder... if you managed to get your hands on a Phase III, there was nothing that could touch you, and everyone knew it.Fred Gibb Jr. had a vision of an even more awesome factory big block Camaro than what was already available. Half the problem was in regards to the ban on engines over 400 cid in smaller cars.

Gibb, an avid racer and Chevy dealer and enthusiast, realized Chevrolet needed a new weapon to head into Super Stock drag racing, the ultimate class at the time. Using COPO order 9560 to break through the 400 cid barrier, Gibb ordered 1969 Camaro's with a particular 427... an all-aluminum 427--The ZL-1.

The ZL-1 engine was originally slated for Corvettes only in 1969 (and only two were apparently produced, considered one of the rarest American performance cars ever), but Gibb ordered the exact same engine to drop into the Camaro.

Under the hood of the '69 ZL-1 Camaro sat a direct descendant of the all-aluminum Can Am racing wars of the same era; an all-aluminum big block with 427 cubes, fed by a massive single 4-bbl Holley Double Pumper carburetor and a single plane aluminum intake manifold. This engine featured a compression ratio of 12.5:1 and used solid lifters in the valve train. While advertised highly underrated at 430 hp, the all-aluminum 427 actually produced about 600 horsepower at a towering 6600 RPM. This today is still the most powerful engine ever offered in a production North American car, along with the Corvette ZL-1.This amazing power plant reared it's monstrous head best at the drag strip. One of the first tests of the ZL-1 came at Kansas City International Raceway Park, by the editors of Hot Rod. It was clear they were unprepared for what was to come:

...Harrell insisted I mat the throttle with the transmission in Neutral and then yank the lever into Low. Two of these perilous Neutral starts blew the M&Hs to kingdom come, as the Camaro vectored toward the guardrail. After that, all launches were made with the throttle against the the torque converter, shifting the Turbohydro manually. Amidst a cloud of smoke, I netted a 12.28/118.10 and a 12.11/118.35...

...It was clear the tires couldn't handle the engine all at once. So someone swapped the manual Holley for (an identical) one with vacuum-operated secondary in the hope that the tires would have time to recover from the initial shock before the rear barrels assaulted them. Despite those slippery shoes, I netted an 11.98/118.92, an 11.90/118.92 and an 11.85/119.06....

...At this point, Harrel and company increased the valve lash for less low-end torque, dropped the tire pressure to 16 psi and uncorked the headers. I couldn't get the thing off the line consistently, and after several false starts, Harrel got behind the wheel. Right away he powered the Camaro to an 11.78/120.84, then an 11.72/121.03. The next run, he went up in smoke. We cooled the motor down and Harrell put down the best pass of the day: 11.64 seconds at 122.14 mph. Clearly, there was a hell of a lot more in the car as it sat, but my 10 minutes of celebrity were over...

It was somewhat unfortunate that Hot Rod did not have more time to tweak the Camaro, and it was obvious that a set of wide slicks were in order to deal with the 600 horsepower. It was only the lack of bite that kept the Camaro out of the 10s, but even spinning the tires as it did, it was still obviously one of the fastest street cars ever built. The proof in this came about a year later, when a ZL-1 Corvette with the identical engine ran consistent 10.70s in Milford, Michigan, this time using 10.50x15 Race master slicks. And this was, as Hot Rod editors bluntly put it, "10.70s ran by idiots at the wheel".

It's kind of ironic that the fastest production Camaro ever built, and indeed one the fastest street cars ever built, looked just like a plain old Camaro. Fred Gibb ordered a plain-jain base six-cylinder Camaro with a black vinyl interior and even the old-man dogdish hubcaps. The Turbo-hydromatic was column-shifted, and the car ran on 4.10 rear gears, f70x14 tires, manual steering and power disc front brakes. There was a heater installed, but no radio, no clock, no tachometer and not a single emblem on the body at all. The only clues of what lurked beneath the hood were the cowl induction hood and the dual exhaust. Only one ZL-1 with the RS package was produced, making it the rarest and most collectable Camaro of all time.

Fred Gibb originally ordered 51 COPO 9560 Camaro's, but in the end could not sell them all from his dealership, so he shipped them off to several other dealerships around the country. Gibb raced his ZL-1 until 1971, winning the AHRA Pro Stock World Championship, after which he retired.

Another popular racer to run the ZL-1 was Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins. With the famous Camaro, dubbed "Grumpy's Toy", he racked up an unheard of 25-0 record. The #777 car was the first Pro Stock racer to ever run a 9 second E.T. with a 9.98 pass. With the exception of some minor engine tweaks and minor weight reduction, the car was essentially stock. Amazingly enough, he built car #777 for only $8000... he won over $150,000 with it.

[Maximus]

An appropriate total of 69 ZL-1 Camaro's were produced in '69, and the reason for such a low number was obvious: the sticker price of the ZL-1 option alone was $4,160.15!! These cars are therefore some of the most sought-after collectors items, and considered by most as the ultimate performance car ever built by Chevrolet.1970 saw major changes to the F-body platform, and the changes proved successful, since the second generation Camaro lasted a full 12 years. The changes spanned the entire car, from styling to suspension to drivetrain.

When the new Camaro premiered on February 26th, 1970, critics, enthusiasts and buyers alike were astonished. The styling was almost Ferrari-like (at the time) and yet it remained the inexpensive performance car, with muscle under the hood. The 2nd-gen Camaro still retained the same basic front sub-frame bolted to the unibody, with a leaf-suspended rear axle. The chassis however was vastly improved, with wider tracks both front and rear, and taller front spindles, as well as larger swaybars (1" front & 11/16" rear). Newly styled 15x7 wheels surrounded with F60x15 bias-ply white-letter tires finished off the handling package. The 1970 Camaro was wider and lower to help it hug the corners even better than before.

The new styling was purely striking. Available only in the coupe body style (the convertible was removed from the lineup until 16 years later), the new Camaro used 4 round tail lights similar to the Corvette, and a totally redesigned nose. The most impressive change to styling came in the nose, with the RS and Z28 packages receiving the now legendary split bumper with the Endura Grille between, and circular marker lamps above the bumperettes. Earlier Z28 models also featured a one-piece rear spoiler, only to be replaced by the common three-piece unit that remained for the rest of the 2nd-gen line.Available engines ranged from the 6-cylinder all the way up to the SS Camaro, still featuring the 375hp L78 396 big block. However the major news was in the form of the Z28's new small block option... just as in 67-69 with the DZ code 302, it was the all-new LT-1 350 small block that stole the show. This famed engine sported 11.0:1 compression and 2.02/1.60 valves with screw-in rocker-arm studs and pushrod guide plates. A slightly lower-duration dual pattern mechanical camshaft made it more daily-drivable compared to the 302. The small block was topped off with a high-rise single plane aluminum intake and 780-cfm Holley 4-bbl carb. This combination cranked out an astounding 360 hp (actually 370 like the 'Vette, but underrated to keep the 'Vette advertised higher) at 6000 RPM, and 380 ft lbs torque at 4000 RPM, which still remains today as the highest horsepower (advertised) carbureted small block ever built.This potent power plant mated to the M-21 four-speed transmission (the Turbo-Hydromatic was the only other tranny available, the first automatic in a Z28) and 12-bolt rear axle allowed Car Craft to run the 1/4 mile down in 14.11 seconds. It was obvious traction was a problem since it hit the traps at almost 103 mph. Bolting on a set of slicks and headers, the editors rocketed the F-body to 12.93 @ 108.76 mph. Once again, a test like this proves that the only thing really holding back ANY performance car in the muscle car era was tire technology.

The 1970 Z28, like its previous incarnation, was not built primarily for the strip, of course. Mechanix Illustrated wrote:

"...The big thing about the Z28, besides its excellent underplayed styling for a semi-race car, is its road ability and handling properties. This squirrel handles hard bends so flat that at first it's a little scary because if it ever let go, it would be like a blast from a shotgun--but it didn't let go..."

The Camaro was on a slight decline in 1970, with 124,901 models sold. Thanks to the government and tree-huggers around the world, things were looking down for the F-body and, indeed, the entire performance world.Hurst Performance purchased three Z28s in 1970, and built them as the Hurst Sunshine Special. These cars received special badging on the fenders and glove box, a special fabric sunroof, the patented Hurst automatic shifter, a customized steering wheel, and a wild front spoiler. Only one is currently known to exist today.Overall, very little changes were made to the Camaro through to 1971. However the big change occurred not in the manufacturer, but the government. The new NOx emissions standards forced Chevrolet to lower compression ratios from this point on... Flat top pistons and larger combustion chambers dropped compression ratios considerably. The LT-1 small block now carried a compression ratio of 9.0:1, resulting in a 40 hp loss. The SS Camaro still featured the 396 big block, which now had an actual displacement of 402 cubic inches. The 12-bolt rear end was dropped from the Camaro and would never be seen again. 1971 was also the year manufacturers switched to net horsepower ratings instead of gross, meaning engines were dynoed with full accessories and exhaust bolted on. This was the beginning of the dark ages of performance.With the exception of the power plant under the hood, very little changed in 1971 for the Camaro. The only major changes were high-back bucket seats and a taller D80 rear spoiler.Baldwin Motion produced 73 modified 454 Camaro's for 1971, many of which still exist today. He ordered Z28s and replaced the small block LT-1 with 450hp LS6 454 engines (again, rated, they actually made over 500 hp). He added his trademark L-88 style hood, headers, traction bars, rally wheels, and a special paint stripe scheme. As with the previous B/M Camaro's, these would run 11s in the 1/4 mile.Again, the only visual change between the '72 Camaro and the '70-'71 was the egg-crate style grille. Once again emissions and the oil crunch dropped performance considerably... the hottest engine available in the Camaro was now the 255 net-horsepower LT-1 small block. This was also the last year ever that a Camaro would carry a big block, the 396/402. From this point on the largest engine offered in a Camaro was a 350 cid small block.1972 was also the last year for mechanical cams (thank the government for that again) as well as the Holley carburetor on Chevrolet small block engines.Overall the 1972 Camaro is considered a rare car, because a 117-day auto worker strike caused only 68,651 Camaro's to be built that year. Of those, only 930 were sold with big blocks, making them quite rare.1973 heralded the beginning of a series of silly safety standards dreamed up by grandmothers and drunken sailors in the government. GM was forced to add large, ugly looking vertical bumper guards to the existing full-width bumpers. Fortunately, Chevrolet was clever with the Z28 and RS models, and worked around this regulation by simply re-enforcing the bumperettes around the stylish split-grille setup.

With the SS now gone from the lineup (due to lack of a big block, primarily), Chevrolet offered the new LT (Luxury Touring) model, with a series of luxury options and suspension. 1973 was also the first year for air conditioning in the Z/28.

The top engine remained the now 245 net horsepower 350 in the Z28, but the Aluminum intake and Holley had been dropped for a cast-iron manifold and Quadrajet 4-bbl.

Only one 1973 Baldwin-Motion Camaro still exists, making it perhaps the rarest.Thanks once again to federal regulations, the Camaro underwent another change in 1974. A rather silly "5 mph bumper" regulation was put into effect. Heavy leaf springs were mounted behind aluminum bumpers, supposedly allowing the car to take an impact at 5 mph without any damage. Not only was this kind of dumb, it also added an insane weight to the car.

The first major change to the 2nd-gen's sheet metal came in 1974. Thanks to the new 5mph bumper, a new nose and rear facia was constructed. The front end now featured a sloped grille, sugar-scoop style headlamp bezels, and the round marker lamps were mounted in deep pockets on either side of the grille. The rear facia now featured wraparound rectangular taillights. Overall car length was increased by four inches. The RS was now dropped from the lineup like the SS, leaving only the Z28 and LT to carry on the Camaro name. 1974 was also the first year for the GM HEI Distributor.Despite the loss of performance, the restyling obviously helped, as the '74 Camaro outsold all previous 2nd-gen Camaro'sConsidered by many to be the next-worse year in performance history next to the introduction of emissions. In 1975 Catalytic Converters were now federally mandated on every car, totally killing any semblance of performance seen before. Chevrolet performed what was arguably a smart move, dropping the Z28 from the lineup, rather than offering the performance legacy with an anemic excuse for an engine.The only significant change was the addition of the new wrap-around rear window to increase visibility, and a new two-tone paint scheme on the returning RS model (replacing the Z28).The 1976 model was practically identical to '75. Spotters can differentiate it by the vertical chrome bar between the taillights on the LT model. Despite the horrid performance mandated by the government, the '76 Camaro sold the best of the 2nd-gen so far, with 182,981 modelsIn 1975, Mark Donohue (the same Mark Donohue that raced the SCCA Trans-Am Z/28) had the idea of building a Concept Camaro. He teamed up with Bill Mitchell, a former road racer and GM engineer. After Donohue's death in 1975, Mitchell formed his own company to build these cars at his shop in Cheshire, Connecticut.

Both the completed modified Camaro's and kits for the modifications were sould out of the dealership in Connecticut. The cars got a special IROC-style front air dam, chrome windshield clips, rear window straps, hood pins, two-position volume air horns, a special steering wheel, different seats, a larger rear swaybar, 1" lowered front suspension, stiffer shocks, and Minilite wheels. Unfortunately, the 7" front wheels and 9.5" rear wheels were clad in pitiful 205/70 and 215/70 Michelins. A complete car was sold for around $9500.The Z28 returned in 1977, upping sales another 35,000 units in the year. It was now offered as its own model with the all new 350 small block. It made a paltry 185 hp, but it was an improvement over the previous smogger engines. The small block was mated to an all-new Borg-Warner 4 speed standard, making it at least fun to drive. Chevy made up for the emissions-choked lack of power with great handling. The '77 had larger (1.125") front and smaller (.625) rear sway bars than the previous Z28s.Thankfully, the RS was now offered in a variety of two-tone paint schemes, not just the single matte black and body color.

Hair Dryers Debut

Bill Mitchell also produced modified Camaro's for 1977. An alleged six Bill Mitchell Turbo Camaro's were built for that year, derived from the Type LT model. They featured a custom-designed front air dam, new driving lights, Minilite alloy wheels, Koni shocks, special Racemark bucket seats and steering wheel, a tuned chassis, sunroof, and special striping. The power was derived from a new dual exhaust system, a turbocharger pumping 7psi of boost, a water/alcohol injection system, transmission oil cooler, and ported and polished cylinder heads. A power radio antenna and CB radio were also included, thanks to the Smokey and the Bandit craze.Chevrolet redesigned the front and rear facia for 1978, fabricating new hard rubber bumpers to replace the chrome units, a design which has survived up until the 2000 Camaro's. The new bumpers were blended into the body to provide a seamless, smooth and refined look. Another change saw the front marker lights become square.T-Tops were now offered for the first time, providing extra buyer incentive.Bill Mitchell continued to produce modded Camaro's in 1978. They got the same goodies like optional 8" Minilite mags, now wrapped in killer P225/50-15 amd P285/50-15 rubber. The Koni shocks, 7/8" rear sway bar and 1" lowered front suspension aided the tuned chassis in handling. The special front seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel remained, with a new oil-pressure gauge, halogen headlights, driving lights, and the custom front spoiler. Other options included a sliding steel sunroof, hood pins, and pin striping. The power plant continued to be turbocharged with dual exhaust, and was rated at 330 horsepower... that coupled with the '78's ridiculously high curb weight allowed the Camaro turned mid 14s in the 1/4.1979, despite being in the low-performance era, was a record year for Chevrolet, producing the most Camaro's ever, 1st or 2nd generation, with an amazing 282,582 models. The LT model was dropped for the new Berlinetta as the "luxury" CamaroA stylish new front air dam was added to the Z28's front facia, similar to its sister car, the Pontiac Trans Am. This air dam wrapped around the bottom of the nose piece and up to flow into the front of the wheel wells. New tri-color decals were also added to the Z28, though many enthusiasts argue they were far too tacky (IMO, more suited for ricers). A rear-window defroster was added, another way to differentiate from the '78 models.
1979 was also the year the oil dipstick moved from the driver side to the passenger side on the Chevrolet small block V8.Macho, Macho Man....The DKM Macho Z was a package for the 1978 Z28, built by Dennis and Kyle Mecham (hence DKM). They were famous for building the Macho T/A (a modified Trans Am), but also did some work with the Chevrolet F-body."Macho Z" was actually the 1978 model name, which was changed to the Z29 in 1979. Records indicate that the 1979 production plan was for 200 vehicles. Although the Mechams do not have any detailed records, indications are that the actual number was very small. However, Dennis Mecham recently stated that the Camaros were numbered separately from the T/As, and there is documentation on DKM Camaro Z29 #12.

The Camaro's were ordered with the four-speed and posi-trac differential. The "base" DKM's were modified with a set of Hooker headers, 2.5" full dual exhaust with cross-over and dual catalytics. The Q-jet 4-bbl and distributor were modified and the hoodscoop made fully functional. Some DKM's could be ordered with more drastic modifications, like a Doug Nash 5-speed tranny or a Traco 350 small block. With the Hurst-shifted 4-speed, the '78 DKM ran mid 14s in the 1/4... remember the stock Z-28 at this time was running low 16s...

The Macho DKM was also built for handling, enhanced with "large" Goodyear GR60 (front) HR60 (rear) tires on 15" aluminum wheels, Koni adjustable shocks, larger sway bars with nylon bushings, and individual suspension tuning.The interior remained stock except for DKM emblems... optional were roll bars, special seats and a 100-watt Fosgate stereo system.The market was beginning to rejuvenate, and Chevrolet was riding on record sales for the Camaro. The 1980 model was largely unchanged in terms of styling, but several new features made it very appealing. Most importantly, horsepower jumped to 190 on the 350 small block, 49-state smog legal. A new rear-facing cowl induction hood and front fender engine-bay vents, both fully functional were added. The cowl induction hood was electric solenoid-operated. Performance was still paltry by today's standards, but this is was a major contender for its time.
1980 Z28s also received a new 3-color stripe package to replace the 2-color one used in 1979. Shorter springs were also added, lowering the car and improving handling.

Huggers at Daytona

Bill Mitchell built 90 "Hugger" Camaro's for the 24 Hours at Daytona. Car #28 was his race car and the rest were sold as street cars at 48 dealers across Florida. Mitchell began with 1980 Z28s, and painted most with the red/orange color. Special stripes read "Hugger Bill Mitchell Special Developments". The cars featured 14" Minilite wheels, Dunlop tires, Koni shocks, hood pins, windshield clips at the top of the windshield, and an IROC-style front spoiler with fog lamps. Some Hugger Camaro's built for the street had T-tops, posi, leather wrapped steering wheel, and 180mph speedometer. The Hugger packaged added $3000 to the price of a Z28.
Bill Mitchell's own #28 Hugger Camaro was repaired after engine damage in the 1980 24 Hour race... its current whereabouts are unknownThe last year of the 2nd-generation F-body showed little change from the '80 model, save for the addition of the Electronic Engine Control System. All automatic transmissions now featured a lockup torque converter.
The RS model was again dropped from the lineup, leaving only the Z28 and the Berlinetta along with the base coupe. Sales of the '81 model lagged, with the 3rd generation Camaro on the horizon.Don Yenko returned late in 1979, during a joint project with Holley. They modified a '80 Camaro, but after it was toasted on the drag strip by a 301 Turbo Trans Am, the partnership was terminated (the 301 Turbo Trans Am ran the 1/4 mile in 16.7 @ 86 mph...)

Yenko came back in 1981, this time forming a partnership with Turbo International. The Yenko Turbo Z was born, considered some of the rarest Camaro's ever built. The cars were visually very similar to the '81 Z28, but featured an IROC-style front air dam and special "Yenko Turbo Z" graphics adorning the doors, nose and rear end. The Turbo Z was available in black, blue, red, white, silver and brown.

The Stage I Turbo Z featured a Turbo International turbocharged 350 small block, automatic transmission and Stage 1 wheels. Stage II's added Turbo Z floor mats, fully adjustable leather seats, and a competition steering wheel to the interior, with Camel or Black as color choices. Koni shocks, modified sway bars, and modular wheels featuring Goodyear Wing-foots aided handling. These Turbo Z's could turn the 1/4 in mid-high 14s, impressive for this era. The Stage I package stickered at $11,300 and the Stage II at $17,500... and both met California emissions.

Production initially called for 200 cars, but only 20 (or 40-50 depending upon the source) were actually built. Don Yenko sold Yenko Chevrolet in 1981, making this the last Yenko car ever built.

[Maximus]

Here are some pics of 1st and 2nd gens
http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=702&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=703&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=704&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=705&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=706&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=707&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=710&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=711&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=750&stc=1

[Maximus]

2nd gens continued
http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=714&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=713&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=712&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=717&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=716&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=715&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=720&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=719&stc=1

[Maximus]

2nd gens continued
http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=723&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=724&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=725&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=726&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=727&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=728&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=731&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=730&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=729&stc=1

[Maximus]

2nd gens continued
http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=734&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=735&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=736&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=737&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=742&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=741&stc=1

[Maximus]

a few engines
http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=751&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=752&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=753&stc=1http://www.sicgmtrucks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=754&stc=1

[Maximus]

Im gonna continue with another thread tomorrow to finish up 3rd and 4th gen history.I got as much background as I could think of for the write up so if I left anything out let me know.And after I finish up the Camaro history im gonna start a Firebird history from the 1st gens to the 4th gen.

[yellow02zq8]

This DZ-code engine dropped in the relatively lightweight F-body platform with the limited-slip differential and road racing suspension made it a force to be feared both in a straight line and in the corners.
just to add a little, the "DZ" code only appeared in late '68 and all of '69, the codes for '67 are: "MO" "MP"
codes for '68 are: "MO" (early '68) "DZ" (late '68)

another note, only 602 Z/28's were built in '67

[yellow02zq8]

In 1969, 206 lucky buyers checked off the little box on the options sheet next to RPO JL-8. Chevrolet swapped the 750 Holley with two 4-barrel carbs sitting atop a special cross-ram intake. The drive train was then upgraded with the M-22 "Rock-crusher" 4 speed manual transmission, special 4.88:1 rear diff, and a 140-mph speedometer mounted in the interior. Radio and heater delete were a pre-requisite, of course. However probably the biggest plus to the JL-8 package was in the form of 4-wheel disc brakes. With the ultra-short gear ratios and higher horsepower thanks to the twin 4-bbl setup (racing Z/28s with this package dynoed at almost 500 hp), the JL-8 Z/28's have been known to hit high 12s on decent tires.

also, the cross-ram intake, came in the trunk and was either installed by the dealer, or by the buyer

[OBI WAN]

I'll do a major correction to this after I get home tonight if I feel up to it. Major flaws in RPO codes and availiblity of alot of things. Max where did you get this????
Camaro specialist here, owed over 30 from 1967-1985. Sold my last one when my son was born in 1989, 1969 RS/SS 396 375 H.P.
Cross ram intakes CAME ON 302-396s, not owner installed, only headers where trunked for owner installed applications! 302-350 could be had with whats known as angle plug fuelie heads also.

[Maximus]

I had to use some old articles and threads from Fbody boards for a lot of the 1st and 2nd gen info.Im very familiar with them but no expert on 1st and 2nd gens.So I tried to be as accurate as possible.The 3rd and 4th gen thread is almost all me.So if you see something you think is wrong I will argue till the cows come home.Those are my generations and ive owned a hell of alot of them lol.I just wanted to bring some attention to the first and the last of the Fbodies.

[Maximus]

Im off today and if you look at the times of the posts they basicly were all through the night.So im gonna go crash for awhile lol.:nite:

[OBI WAN]

67-71 are my years and I actually have the Helms sponsered Bible for them.

[Maximus]

So overall what do you think of both write ups.Im gonna do one on Firebirds to but not for a few days.

[yellow02zq8]

Cross ram intakes CAME ON 302-396s, not owner installed, only headers where trunked for owner installed applications!.
not trying to start a fight on this subject, but the cross-ram for the Z/28s in '68-'69, were sold over the counter, not installed on production cars.

[OBI WAN]

not trying to start a fight on this subject, but the cross-ram for the Z/28s in '68-'69, were sold over the counter, not installed on production cars.

Like to wager on it!!

[yellow02zq8]

sure, wager what?

[OBI WAN]

ANything you'd like!

GM has always had this thing with the dealers. The bigger the dealer the more amount of things you could get or even know about. Alot of dealers didnt know these parts were even made or didnt know how to COPO order one. You could have done a COPO order for a particular lineup of parts and even though it was a race vehicle only per the order form, you could license it for the street. The prime example was the ZL-1 car, it was for race purposes only, but 3 were bought and licensed for the street. 69 were made because they had to have 50 to be considered as a production car and GM decided since it was 1969, they'd make 60 of them. Down in PA was one of these large dealers where there connections were so strong with GM, they could get anything, very simliar to Yenko Chevrolet etc. You could order direct from the factory the crossram intake on a set of 2.02 angle plugged fuelie heads with your choice of carbs, from a Rochesters to 850 Holleys.
The problem is GM has never confirmed nor denied what things it has released and how. The Camaro Bible I have even states this fact it isnt 100% accurate due to these reasons. Camaro sites beg to differ which each other on alot of these finer points since there is not a way to 100% confirm what GM had done.
I have a 67 year old person which Ive known for years that has a 1969 RS/SS Z28, 302 Cross rammed intake on a set of 2.02 angle plug fuelie heads, running what was called a 3/4 offroad Z cam. He bought it brand new off a special order through Yenko Chevrolet in PA and his sticker shows everything listed. The only thing he did when he brought it home was to install the headers that were in the trunk, boxed in a GM box, everything else was allready installed at the factory!

As for the cowl hoods, they were offered on the 68 late in the hear as Steel only. In 69 you had your choice, fiberglass that weighted something like 15 pounds less to a steel one!

The only Camaro I have not owned or had in my possesion from 1967-1971 is a ZL1, couldnt afford it at the time, it ran $21,000 in 1976 when it fell into my hands!