In 1973 the bumpers were slightly revised and the
horsepower drain continued with the base six now making an utterly lame
100 net horsepower and the L82 only 245. The big-block was off the
option sheet altogether. In place of the Super Sport was the "Type-LT"
Camaro
Z/28, which bundled a slew of luxury options into one cohesive
package.
To meet new bumper regulations, the
1974 Camaro
Z/28
was
redesigned with thick aluminum bumpers front and rear. The one-and-only
grille (the Rally Sport option vanished) was now shovel-shaped and the
rear taillights wrapped into the fenders. But there were no changes to
the available engines and trim levels.
With unbelievable shortsightedness, Chevy killed the
Camaro Z/28 and pared the
engine selection down to just three catalyst-equipped lumps for
1975 — the 250-cubic-inch six now rated at 105 horsepower, a
two-barrel 350 V8 making a pathetic 145 horsepower and a four-barrel
version of the same engine rated at a meager 155 horsepower.
Distinguishing the '75 from '74 was a new rear window that wrapped down
into the roof sail panels. Also new for '75 was a "Rally Sport" package
that consisted of two-tone paint and some tape stripes.
For no apparent reason, the
1975 Camaro sold well, so there were few
changes to the 1976 model. An aluminum panel between
the taillights was now used on the Type-LT, power brakes were finally
standard and cruise control was a new option. The two-barrel 350 was
killed in favor of an even-crummier two-barrel 305 producing 140
horsepower while the four-barrel 350 now whacked out a still-inexcusable
165 horsepower.
When the 1977 Camaro appeared, there were again few
changes (intermittent wipers anyone?), but in the middle of the year,
the Camaro
Z/28 returned as a separate model whose concentration was now on
handling and appearance. And the new Z/28 did handle well, even if it
only had 170 horsepower aboard from the same 350 four-barrel V8 offered
in other Camaros (up 5 horsepower from '76). The '77 Camaro was
thoroughly lackluster, but with Ford foisting the hideous Mustang II
upon America, for the first time, more
Camaros (198,755) were sold than
Mustangs (161,654).
Daring to mess (however lightly) with success, Chevrolet equipped the
1978 Camaro with a new nose that put the big bumpers
under soft plastic. Five models were now offered (sport coupe, Rally
Sport, Type-LT, Type-LT Rally Sport and Z/28), and translucent T-tops
were a new option. The Z/28's full-disco body package (with front fender
vents and a fake hoodscoop) was supported in '78 with a revised version
of the 350 V8 now rated at a better-but-still-weak 185 horsepower.
Though almost a carryover from '78, the
1979
Camaro
Z/28
would prove the most popular one yet. The Type-LT vanished in favor of a
new trim level called
Camaro
Berlinetta, but the engines were all unchanged,
even though power ratings were rattled a bit in contending with
emissions requirements (Z/28 output dropped to 175 horsepower for
49-state cars). The most substantial change to the
1979
Camaro
Z/28 was a new
instrument panel with more contemporary instrumentation and better
control placement. Chevy sold a stunning 282,571 Camaros during the 1979
model year — a number it would never top.
Looking to improve fuel economy, Chevy mangled the Camaro's engine
lineup for 1980 while leaving the rest of the car
pretty much alone. A new 115-horsepower 229-cubic-inch V6 (basically a
small-block V8 with a pair of cylinders hacked off) — or, in California,
a 110-horsepower 231-cubic-inch V6 replaced the ancient inline six, and
a new 267-cubic-inch two-barrel version of the small-block V8 debuted,
rated at a laughable 120 horsepower. On the positive side, output of the
Z/28's 350 grew to 190 horsepower, except in California where buyers got
a 155-horsepower 305-cubic-inch V8 mated to a mandatory three-speed
automatic. Caught in a fuel crisis, Camaro sales nose-dived to 152,005
during the 1980 model year.
1980 Camaro z28
The antiquated platform of the second-generation Camaro had run its
course by the 1981 model year. With a new engine
control computer aboard, all engines were now certified for all 50
states, but output on the Z/28's 350 dropped to 175 horsepower. The
Rally Sport died (again) and the
1981 Camaro
lineup consisted of three
well-defined models: base sport coupe, Camaro
Berlinetta and Z/28. Those three
model names would survive to see 1982, but not much else.
Third Generation (1982-1992)
Third-generation Camaros were the first built without front subframes or
leaf-spring rear suspensions. Now the front end was held up with a
modified MacPherson strut system, and the hind end relied on a long
torque arm and coil springs. These were also the first Camaros with
factory fuel injection, four-speed automatic transmissions, five-speed
manual transmissions, four-cylinder engines, 16-inch wheels and
hatchback bodies. In January 1982, the Camaro was, for the first time
since 1967, truly all-new and slightly smaller.
But the 1982 Camaro engine selection was hardly scintillating.
Base sport coupes started with a 90-horsepower version of GM's lethargic
2.5-liter "Iron Duke" four and could be optioned up to a 112-horse
2.8-liter V6 (base engine in the Berlinetta) or a four-barrel carbureted
5.0-liter (305-cubic-inch) small-block V8 rated at 145 horsepower. That
V8 was the Z28's base powerplant; buyers could opt for a Z28 "Cross-Fire
Injection" (throttle body-injected) version producing 165 horsepower.
The carbureted V8 could be had with either a three-speed automatic or
four-speed manual, but the injected engine was automatic only.
A Camaro paced the Indianapolis 500 again in 1982, and the silver and
blue replicas of that car are probably the most attractive of the '82s.
However, the T-top Z28 that actually paced the Memorial Day classic that
year used a highly modified 350 (5.7-liter) V8 for motivation that
wasn't available to the general public. Kind of sad, really.
The three-tier Camaro lineup continued into 1983 with
minimal visual differences. However the Z28 got a nice power bump with
the introduction of the "L69" engine option. With a Corvette-spec
camshaft, revised exhaust and a healthy four-barrel carb, the 5.0-liter
L69 "H.O." V8 was rated at 190 horsepower and could be backed by a new
five-speed manual transmission.
For 1984, availability of the L69 improved on Z28s (the
junky Cross-Fire engine died) and the four-speed "700R4" automatic was
adopted by most Camaro models. Because anything digital was, of course,
good, the Berlinetta sprouted a funkadelic digital instrument panel and
overhead console this year, as well. The instrumentation was probably
more entertaining than the V6 that powered most Berlinettas.
The great leap forward in
third-generation Camaro performance came with
the introduction of the 1985 IROC-Z, named after the
International Race of Champions, which was contested with Camaros. The
IROC featured big 16-inch five-spoke wheels and unique graphics.
Carbureted versions of the 5.0-liter small-block V8 were still
available, but the big improvement came with the fitment of Tuned Port
Injection (TPI) to that engine to produce a flexible 215 horsepower.
Sadly, the TPI engine could only be had with the four-speed automatic
(in either the IROC or the regular Z28).
Beneath the Z28, the sport coupe and Berlinetta blustered through
1985 unchanged, except for a new fuel-injected version
of the 2.8-liter V6 that now pushed out 135 horsepower.
The 1986 Camaros were easy to spot because of the goofy
blister fitted atop their rear hatches to accommodate the federally
mandated center high-mounted stop light (CHMSL). Beyond that, there was
a new exhaust system for non-Z28 cars and a new basecoat/clearcoat
two-stage paint system.
Big engines returned to the Camaro for 1987 with the
good old 350 (5.7-liter) V8 making its way into IROC-Zs as an option.
Capped with the TPI system, the 5.7 was rated at a full 225 horsepower —
the highest horsepower in a Camaro in 13 years and with vastly better
drivability. While the TPI 5.7 came only with the four-speed automatic,
the TPI 5.0 liter was finally available with the five-speed manual.
Equally good news was the comeback of the Camaro convertible — the first
Camaro convertible since 1969 — and the consignment of the four-cylinder
engine to a well-deserved eternity in junkyard Hell. The high-output
carbureted 5.0-liter V8 also disappeared, and a new 165 horsepower
carbureted 5.0-liter V8 became the standard Z28 engine. Also gone from
the '87 Camaro line were the Berlinetta (replaced with an "LT" option
package), and, on any Camaro with a rear spoiler, that ugly CHMSL
housing on the rear glass. The CHMSL was instead built into the spoiler
and Chevy would simplify its own production for 1988 by making the rear
spoiler standard on all Camaros.
So that brake light blister was gone entirely from the 1988
Camaro, but so was the Z28. Since Chevy had firmly established the IROC
name, all high-performance '88 Camaros became IROCs. Base '88 Camaros,
meanwhile, inherited the elegant 15-inch five-spoke wheels from the Z28,
as well as the Z28's lower body skirting. Also, the Z28's 5.0-liter V8
was now optional on the sport coupe; it gained a throttle body
fuel-injection system to make 170 horsepower.
The rarest and most intriguing '88 Camaro was the 1LE road racing
package optional on the IROCs with both the 5.0- and 5.7-liter TPI
engines. Featuring oversize disc brakes, an aluminum driveshaft and a
well-tweaked suspension, the 1LE was built to win showroom stock road
races.
Proving that no name is forever dead in the world of Camaros, the old
"RS" (but not Rally Sport) designation returned for the 1989
model year. Looking much like an '85 Z28, the RS was a basically a trim
package atop the base sport coupe and was powered by either the V6 or a
throttle-body-injected 5.0-liter V8. Although the 5.7 TPI V8 now boasted
240 horsepower, about the only way to tell '89 IROCs from previous years
is to look at the ignition key and see if has the "Pass-Key" theft
deterrent resistor embedded in it.
The IROC breathed its last breath during the short 1990
model year, as Dodge picked up sponsorship of the International Race of
Champions. The big changes that year were the growth of the base V6 from
2.8 to 3.1 liters, with a bump in output from 135 to 140 horsepower and
the fitment of driver-side airbags to all models.
Chevy jump-started the 1991 model year by
re-introducing the Z28 in the spring of 1990. Sure, the '91 Z28 got a
tall rear wing, new lower body cladding, new phony hood scoops and new
five-spoke wheels, but it was otherwise still an IROC and now the top
engine was a 245 horsepower 5.7-liter TPI V8. All other '91 Camaros were
pretty much '90 Camaros with revised ground effects that featured fake
air inlets.
Law enforcement got its own Camaro in 1991 with the introduction of the
Camaro B4C pursuit vehicle. Basically, a B4C was a Z28 that was badged
as an RS and equipped with most of the good stuff developed for the 1LE
race package. Very few B4Cs were ever produced.
With an all-new Camaro coming for 1993, the 1992 model
was barely changed from '91. The big change was that they all sported a
"25th Anniversary" badge on their instrument panels. Further, a $175
"Heritage Package" of stripes was offered for any '92 Camaro.
It was time for another new Camaro.
Fourth Generation (1993-2002)
While the 1993 fourth-generation Camaro was very much
new, it was shy of all-new; much of the floor stamping and all of the
rear suspension was shared with the
third-generation car. But with
plastic front fenders, a new short-arm/long-arm front suspension,
rack-and-pinion steering and a sleek new profile, the '93 was new
enough.
For '93, the Camaro lineup was pared to two models: base sport coupe
powered by a 160-horsepower 3.4-liter version of GM's V6 and the Z28
with the Corvette's 5.7-liter LT1 small-block V8 underrated at 275
horsepower. Once again, the convertible was gone.
The black-roofed (no matter what the body color) '93 Z28 was a stunner.
The LT1 was easily the most powerful small-block installed in the Camaro
since its namesake, the 1970 LT-1, and, considering the move from gross
to net power ratings, probably even more powerful than that legend.
Behind it was either a four-speed automatic or six-speed manual
transmission and 16-inch wheels and tires; and four-wheel antilock disc
brakes were standard. With Z28 prices starting under $17,000, the value
was just amazing. The most desirable '93? Probably the black Z28
replicas of that year's Indy 500 pace car. These replicas were identical
to the actual pace car which, in stark contrast to the '82, led the race
with no mechanical changes.
As expected, the convertible Camaro returned with the 1994
model year. Designed and built by GM at the St. Therese, Quebec, plant
where all F-cars were assembled, the '94 ragtop's chassis was
significantly stiffer than the previous convertible's. Otherwise it's
almost impossible to tell a '94 coupe from a '93 unless one opens up the
automatic transmission and finds that it is the electronically
controlled version of the 4L60.
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