Conference napalm::musclecars

    
    
      Hi Debbie,
    
       I had a 79 Z28, repainted "corvette" Yellow, Rally Wheels were also
    painted Yellow...The car was clean and sharp looking.  The car was used
    by my brother one day and a trailer truck pulled out infront of him, 
     totaling the car....
    
      I am looking for another but older..... '68 - '70 years would be
    great....even considering a Pontiac FireBird  '68 - '69
    
    /Bob
     

    The uniqueness of the '77 is that they were only produced for about 3
    months in the spring of '77. I forget the total number produced, but it
    was fairly low. Z28s hadn't been built for a few years before that and
    this was Chevy's attempt to get back some of the customers they had
    lost to the Pontiac T/A. The Z28 was a standard Camaro with a bigger
    engine, special paint/decals, different suspension and a few
    other esoteric changes (they only produced them in 6(?) colors with
    only 4 interior color choices). When the '78's came out, they had added
    scoops and changed some of the decals, paint, etc. and the Z28s looked
    pretty much the same for the next couple of years. So the '77 is fairly
    unique (it didn't even come with a Owner's Manual that said Z28, just
    Camaro).
    
    On the downside, because I believe this was a slap-dash attempt to get
    a "performance" version of the Camaro out with minimal retooling of the
    manufacturing line, there were several errors in the build. For
    example, every Z28 I saw that year had the same saging front end
    (including mine) and if you went over more than a pebble in the street
    it sounded like your front suspension was coming thru the fenders. I
    took mine in to many garages (including the dealer) to find out what
    the problem was...no luck. Finally my dad comes out to visit me (he
    just happened to be a mechanic)...he looks under the car and 2 minutes
    later tells me the problem. Apparently they had put normal load springs
    on the Z28 rather than heavy duty springs. THen proceeded to put the
    big V-8, 350 cu.in., 4 barrel engine in it.....way too heavy...so the
    front end sagged. All the other garages had put the car up on a lift
    and couldn't find any problems....when the car was sitting in the
    driveway and my dad crawled under, he could see what was happening. 
    
    I took the car back to the dealer who proceeded to tell me I was 1
    month out of warranty so I had to pay. Since I had had the car in there
    at least 3 times for this exact problem with no results, I protested,
    finally writing a nasty letter to GM. THe dealer compromised and agreed
    to pay the labor if I made for the new springs. Not the idea solution,
    but better than nothing.
    
    There were lots of other little idiosynchrosies to this car. If anyone
    is interested in discussing, drop me mail.
    
    JUMP4::JOY (56.361) (CUJO's ncp database must be out of date).
    
    Debbie
    

    
    
    Bob (RE: .1), go with the '69 Firebird.  Get a 400, though.

    Total production for 1977 Z/28 was 14,347.
    The engine was basically the same 350 dropped into every other
    '77 camaro.  The big deal was the beefy suspension and the sticker
    treatment.  Including the hood scoop.  It should be a decal, but I've
    seen lot's of '77's (or faked Z/28s) with the 78-79 stinger type hood.
    
    The '77 Z/28 is easy to tell because the '74 didn't have the wrap
    around rear window.  The pre-74's all had the smaller bumpers, the
    post 77 had the polyurethane bumpers.  The Z/28 wasn't offered in '75
    and 76.  After '77 production of the Z/28 took off (50K+ units in 78) until
    1980 (which I have) where it declined to 45K.  The 1980 was the first
    year where the hood scoop was functional.  I'm currently looking for a
    1970 (71,72,or 73) RS Z/28 to "replace" the 1970 RS I had which I sold
    off after being damaged in an accident several years ago.  I "found"
    one, cheap too.  The "boss" said "NO" and I assume it's long gone.
    The early RS is easy to tell if it's semi-real or not.  If it has the
    split bumper and the banana parking lights, it's bogus (or the nose
    job isn't finished yet).
    
    While I'm rambling, and if your still reading, if anyone has a line on a
    70-73 RS, especially an RS with the Z/28 option, please mail me.  I
    just lost a 1991 Mazda and will be in the market to relive the past.
    Even with my 454 Z/28, I miss my old-old Camaro.  I say old-old,
    because I had a 77 too. 
    
    Regards,
    MadMike 

    Re: last
    
>>          <<< CUJO::SYS$SYSDEVICE:[NOTES$LIBRARY]MUSCLECARS.NOTE;1 >>>
>>                                -< Musclecars >-
>>================================================================================
>>Note 138.5                       1977 Camaro Z28                          5 of 5
>>ULOWEL::JOY "Perception is reality"                  24 lines  14-JUL-1994 11:24
>>                          -< Decals are HARD to get! >-
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>          <<< CUJO::SYS$SYSDEVICE:[NOTES$LIBRARY]MUSCLECARS.NOTE;1 >>>
>>                                -< Musclecars >-
>>================================================================================
>>Note 138.4                       1977 Camaro Z28                          4 of 4
>>VMSNET::M_MACIOLEK "Four54 Camaro/Only way to fly"   27 lines  13-JUL-1994 14:58
>>                  -< I NEED another one, yup, gotta have it. >-
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>    '77 camaro.  The big deal was the beefy suspension and the sticker
>>    treatment.  Including the hood scoop.  It should be a decal, but I've
>>    seen lot's of '77's (or faked Z/28s) with the 78-79 stinger type hood.
  
    These are either fake Z28s or else someone put a '78 hoodand/or scoop 
     on a '77 Z28 because the real ones just had decals. Most likely
    someone had a hard time getting the decals (it took me a YEAR to get
    the new set I just put on with the new paint) and these aren't really
    going to be authentic since they're after-market. So if you needed
    paint for a '77 after about 1980, you paid big time for the decals.  I
    had the decal set ordered from Classic Camaro and finally after a year
    of being on backorder, found them somewhere else and cancelled. Thank
    goodness my brother is "in the business" or I would have a Z28 with no
    decals!
    
    Debbie
    
    

    
    I have owned 2 79 Z/28's and 1 76 Rally Sport in the past all 4 speed
    cars. The 76 was pretty but a dog as far as performance goes. The first
    79 (C-MY-Z) was the best, I added a set of headers, 350/350 HP Vette
    cam, reworked the carb and timing and this car was an animal. The car 
    was stolen 4 years after I bought it and never recovered just after I
    reworked a 12 posi 4.10 rear end out of a Chevelle. Back a few years
    ago before things went crazy on muscle cars I travel to Carlise, Penn
    for the spring car show/flea market in search of a 69 Z/28. What I found
    was clean cars starting at $7,500 up to $12k. I had $6,500 in travelers
    checks with me and ended up going home with nothing. If I wanted to change
    my taste I could have bought a real clean Chevelle SS without a problem.
    If I were to start the search again my sites would be either on a 74 Z/28
    or again on a 69 Z/28.
    
    
                                                  Oh the Memories,  :^)
    
                                                       Guy

    
    
      I have a Question for all of YA' ?
    
    
        I am going to look at a '68 Camaro friday and the guy is asking
    $2K.  So, far I was told that the quarters need replacing, the car
    has been stored for 10 years, the engine runs great, the interior is
    excellent, and the body is in overall good condition.
    
      The CPI booh for Low tells me that the basic camaro coupe is worth
    $2100.  Anyway....that price is for Matching Numbers....
    
      The car had a 250, now it has a 327 from a '69 Camaro.  Is there
    something I should really be looking at or conserned about ?
    
     I was going to offer less for the fact that the engine is wrong and 
    it needs panels....which out to cost a bundle to have done.
    
    /Bob
    

    So the car needs bodywork and an engine.
    
    It sat for 2 years right?  Maybe it runs good today.  Maybe it'll need
    to be rebuilt after the molasses/stp trick wears off.  Plan on fixing
    the engine.
    
    The whole back half of the car needs to be replaced.  Have you priced
    that job out yet?
    
    And the guy want's $2K?  How bad do you want it?
    
    MadMike

    Plus it came with a 250 (inline 6).
    
    The suspension and drivetrain are probably junk too.
    
    #1.  the engine is different.  All origonality (value) is out the window.
    #2.  It has a 327.  So what?
    #3.  The quarter panels need fixin' (ya, along with everything else you
         can't see).  And the bodyshop will take the cheap route in fixing 
         it unless YOU SPEND THE MONEY!
    
    They made a lot of 1968 Camaros.  I figure engine/bodywork alone
    (assuming you don't do the work) would be $3500.  On top of purchase
    price.  I know a guy who's got a 69 SS 396 stashed in a garage for
    $6100.  I could probably get him down to $5K, but my wife would kill
    me if I bought it.
    
    MadMike