Chevrolet Camaro
(and its sister "F-car," the
Pontiac Firebird) was
hardly an original notion — it was a blatant GM rip-off of the Ford
Mustang. But just because it's stolen doesn't mean it's a bad idea.
Trivia to keep in mind: Every engine in every
Camaro ever built by
GM
was of pushrod-actuated valve design. There's never been an overhead cam
engine in a factory Camaro.
First Generation (1967-1970)
Just as the first Mustang was based on Ford's compact Falcon car, so the
first 1967 Camaro was based on Chevrolet
compact Nova.
However, it was based on the upcoming redesigned '68 Nova and therefore
more robust than a comparable 1967 Nova.
The basic engineering of the Camaro
was a unibody structure from the
windshield and firewall back, with a separate steel rail subframe for
everything up front. Double A-arms made up the independent front
suspension while the solid rear axle was suspended by semi-elliptical
leaf springs. As was typical of standard-equipped vehicles at the time,
braking was by four drums, the steering was slow and manual, and Chevy's
rugged 230-cubic-inch straight six poked out an optimistically rated 140
horsepower while twisting a three-speed manual transmission.
The base $2,466 1967 Camaro sport coupe was lean and aggressive, as was
the convertible. Adding substance to that appearance was done either by
picking or combining individual options or trim packages called RS and
SS.
1967 Camaro ss
1967 Camaro
Buyers could opt for a larger 250-inch version of the six making 155
horsepower, a 210-horsepower 327-cubic-inch small-block V8 fed by a
two-barrel carb, that same V8 with a four-barrel carb and a higher
compression ratio was rated at 275 horsepower, or two versions of the
396-cubic-inch big-block V8 making either 325 or 375 horsepower. Those
engines could be lashed to a series of wide- or short-ratio three- or
four-speed manual transmissions, or one of two automatics: the slushy
two-speed Powerglide or outstanding three-speed Turbobydramatic.
The Rally Sport (RS) appearance package brought deluxe interior trim and
hidden headlights with it, and the high-performance Super Sport (SS)
package had its own distinct decoration (including a domed hood with
simulated vents, "bumble bee" stripes encircling the nose and the iconic
SS badges), a heavy-duty suspension and larger D70-series tires on
14-inch wheels. Beyond that, the SS-350 model also offered a new
350-cubic-inch small-block V8 rated at 295 horsepower — Chevy's first
350. The Rally Sport and Super Sport packages could also be ordered
together to form the most lavishly equipped Camaro of them all, the
RS/SS. And it was an RS/SS convertible powered by a 396 that Chevy
provided as pace car for the 1967 Indianapolis 500.
Almost outside the regular Camaro line was the race-oriented Z/28.
Introduced in December 1966, the Z/28 was powered by a special
high-compression 302-cubic-inch V8 whose displacement was achieved by
matching the short-stroke crank of the 283-cubic-inch version with the
big-bore block of the 327. Rated at 290 horsepower and built to rev, the
radical powerplant was matched to a more aggressive suspension.
How did the first Camaro perform? Car Life magazine's test of an
SS-350 had it completing the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds at 89 mph
while Motor Trend reported that its SS-350 did the same trick in
15.4 seconds at 90 mph.
Thanks to "Astro Ventilation," General Motors eliminated the side vent
wing windows on the 1968 Camaro and also added
federally mandated side marker lights and a revised base grille).
Mechanically, the most significant change was the adoption of staggered
rear shocks (one in front of the rear axle, one behind) to counteract
wheel hop under hard acceleration.
While the 1969 Camaro's structure and mechanical
elements were virtually unchanged from the '68 model, new fenders, door
skins, rear quarter-panels, grille and taillights gave the car a wider,
lower appearance. A redesigned dash and more comfortable seats made it
more livable, too. But it was the staggering array of available
performance equipment that marks 1969 as the greatest model year for
Camaros.
On the yawn side, a new low-performance 200-horsepower 307-cubic-inch
small-block (a 327 crank in a 283 block) supplemented the
low-performance 327 and a new 255-horsepower 350 replaced the
better-performing 327. On the yeow side, Chevy produced its
second Camaro Indianapolis 500 pace car and offered replicas of the
white RS/SS convertible with orange stripes and orange houndstooth
upholstery to the public (the actual pace car was powered by a 396, but
most of the replicas had 350s). In addition, two radical Camaros were
produced in extremely limited numbers under special Central Office
Production Orders (COPO) 9560 and 9561.
The COPO 9561 was a basic Camaro sport coupe stuffed with 427 cubic
inches of all-iron big-block making 425 horsepower. Most of the 1,015
COPO 9561s were delivered to Pennsylvania's
Yenko Chevrolet for
conversion into that dealership's signature Camaro. Even rarer was the COPO 9560 featuring the legendary all-aluminum ZL-1 427 also rated at
425 horsepower. Only 69 of the ZL-1s were built, and because of their
rarity, tremendous output and relatively low weight, they are today
considered the quickest and most valuable Camaros ever built.
Sales of the 1969 models extended into the winter of 1969 and early
1970; some of these lingering '69s may have been titled as 1970 models,
leading to some confusion.
Second Generation (1970½-1981)
Though it didn't make it to market until February of 1970, the
second-generation 1970½ Camaro
would be in production
12 years. The second-generation Camaro's styling was inspired by Ferrari
and was also bigger, heavier and no longer available as a convertible.
And as the 1970s progressed, it would grow less powerful, succumbing to
the pressures of tightening emissions regulations and a fuel crisis.
Still based on the Nova, the new Camaro was engineered much like its
predecessor in that it still used a unibody structure with a front
subframe, leaf springs in the back and A-arms up front for suspension.
Those A-arms were freshly designed and the steering gear moved from the
back to the front of the front axle, but otherwise the basic mechanical
pieces were familiar.
Also familiar were most of the engines. The 155-horsepower
250-cubic-inch six was now the Camaro's base engine, followed by the
who-cares 200-horsepower 307, the lowliest of V8 offerings. A
250-horsepower two-barrel 350 effectively replaced the 327. Order the SS
package and the 350 earned a four-barrel carb and additional compression
to reach 300 horsepower. Moreover, SS buyers could pay even more and get
a 350- or 375-horsepower 396 big-block V8.
As before, the Camaro was offered with Rally Sport or Super Sport
equipment or both. The Rally Sport package featured a unique front-end
appearance with a split front bumper and a center grille cavity
encircled in rubber. The SS again had heavier-duty suspension and the
"SS" logos.
While the 1995 Z28 received only minor changes
(all-season tires and traction control were now available), the base
Camaro added GM's "3800" 200-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 as an option. The
3800 was both significantly more powerful and refined than the 3400, and
by 1996 would become the only V6 in Camaros.
With the adoption of the 3800 as standard power, the least powerful
1996 Camaro still had more power than the most powerful
1984 Camaro. Somewhat in celebration, the RS name reappeared on the V6
coupe as a spoiler and ground effects package. Meanwhile on the Z28
side, the V8's output jumped to 285 horsepower and SLP Engineering
brought back the SS name by adding engine tweaks and 17-inch five-spoke
wheels wrapped with P245/40ZR17 BFGoodrich Comp T/A tires. The SS, with
its 305 horsepower rating was the first factory Camaro to break the 300
horsepower barrier since 1971, and the first of any year using net
ratings.
To celebrate the Camaro's 30th anniversary, Chevy introduced a specially
optioned white Z28 with orange stripes and orange houndstooth upholstery
(evocative of the '69 Camaro pace car) for 1997.
Otherwise, there were new "tri-color" taillamps for all models, and SLP
produced an extremely limited run (106 cars) of 330-horsepower Corvette
LT4 5.7-liter V8-powered Camaro Z28 SS models.
The fourth-generation Camaro's first (and only) extensive visual update
came for 1998 with a new front fascia design. But the
real news lay behind that face where the C5 Corvette's new-age
all-aluminum small-block LS-1 V8 took up residence in the Z28. The
5.7-liter LS-1 was the first all-aluminum engine offered in a Camaro
since the '69 ZL-1 and carried a thrilling 305-horsepower rating (base
Camaros kept the 200-horsepower 3800 V6). GM took over production of the
SS itself this year, as well, with the ram-air induction system boosting
the LS-1 to 320 horsepower.
Except for electronic throttle control on V6 models, a new oil life
monitor and a Torsen limited-slip differential, the 1999
Camaros were indistinguishable from the '98 models. In turn, the
2000 Camaros were pretty much the same as the '99s, except for
radio controls integrated into the steering wheel, body-color sideview
mirrors, some new interior fabrics and an optional 12-disc CD changer.
By 2001, it was obvious that the Camaro's days were
numbered, and the only changes to the car were restyled 16-inch wheels,
a new paint color and the unchanged LS-1's output rating to 310
horsepower in the Z28.
Grimly, the Camaro soldiered on into 2002. For the
Camaro's last year in production, changes were, understandably, minimal.
Z28s got a new power steering cooler, the sound systems were revised and
V6 convertibles got the automatic transmission standard, but that's
about it.
Chevrolet did celebrate the car's 35th year, however, with a special
graphics package for the Z28 SS coupe and convertible. The flamboyant
stripes and logos of the 35th Anniversary package were attractive in
their own idiomatic way, but it was hardly the glorious send-off for
which Camaro enthusiasts had hoped.
Continued.....
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