To Z or not to Z

To Z or not to Z
Car And Driver

    Saluting the Camaro's 30th birthday, we test the top runner from '67
                             against a new '97

   Listen, we're as surprised as you are that Jerry MacNeish of
   Randallstown, Maryland, let us thrash his concours-caliber 1967
   Chevrolet Camaro Z28. Of the 130 or so '67 Z28s that have survived
   intact--of just 602 built--MacNeish's car is quite possibly the best,
   thanks to a painstaking and expensive restoration.

   But lending us his car was worth it, says MacNeish, who is 44. "Some
   of the guys in the show-car arena, they're gonna say, 'MacNeish! What
   an ass! Look what he did to his car!' But I'm not afraid. And I think
   it was for a good cause."

   The cause is this story, comparing his 1967 Z28 with a 1997
   30th-anniversary Z28 like the one that paced August's NASCAR Brickyard
   400 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

   Every 1997 Camaro will have 30th-anniversary imprints on the front
   seats. Z28 owners can celebrate the big three-oh with an option
   package, which buys white, five-spoked wheels that are doomed to be
   blackened with brake dust at every stop, retro black-and-white
   houndstooth-check cloth upholstery that received profoundly mixed
   reviews, and monochrome white paint with a pair of flashy orange
   stripes running up the hood and down the roof and hatch. The package
   adds $2336 to the price of a Z28 coupe, or $2301 to the convertible's
   sticker, including the power convenience packages that must be ordered
   with it. If that's not special enough, you can vie for one of 900
   anniversary-edition Z28 SSs or 100 extra-special Z28 SS LT4 models
   (see sidebar)--all prepared by Street Legal Performance in Montreal.
   We tested a garden-variety anniversary Z28 and the top-drawer SS LT4
   against MacNeish's original.

   Little else is different from last year's 29th un-anniversary Camaro.
   New are an improved instrument panel and taillights that include an
   amber lens (very international). Mechanically, our '97 Z28 carded over
   the 285-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 with a four-speed automatic
   transmission.

   MacNeish's 1967 Z28 is a gorgeous Tahoe Turquoise, one of 48 Zs
   painted that color. It is also one of the 254 Rally Sport models
   (covered headlights are the most obvious tip-off). If a 1967 Z28
   actually has Z28 engraved anywhere on the car, it isn't a real one.
   There was no badging (expect for the RS on Rally Sport models), and no
   rear spoiler. Badging came with the 1968 Z28, of which Chevrolet sold
   10 times more copies than in 1967. (Why? "Nobody knew about the Z28 in
   1967," MacNeish comments. "Only Car and Driver and Sports Car Graphic
   paid any attention to it.")

   Chevrolet had hoped to build 1000 1967 Z28s, but it fell nearly 400
   short. The sole reason for the Z28 was that the Sports Car Club of
   America had limited the engine size for its Trans-Am series to less
   than 5.0 liters and required that the engine be available to the
   public. Chevy's 283-cubic-inch V-8 wasn't offered in the Camaro, and
   the 327, 350, and 396 engines were too big for the rules. Chevy took
   the 283's crankshaft and put it in the 327's block, added heads from
   the Corvette's 327, a Holley four-barrel and a high-rise manifold, and
   voila!--the resulting 302-cubic-inch V-8, rated at a conservative 290
   horsepower at 5800 rpm, was a very competitive Trans-Am car.

   MacNeish's Z28 was sold new at Rudolph Chevrolet in Phoenix, Arizona,
   with a sticker price of $3980. MacNeish paid $7250 for it in
   running-but-rough condition in 1990; the body and the interior were
   shot, but the drivetrain was intact.

   MacNeish, a calibration specialist with Master Metrology in Towson,
   Maryland, spent the next seven months restoring it. Peter's Body Shop
   in Reisterstown did the paint and body work. Mancini Machine in
   Catonsville did the machine work on the engine; MacNeish did the rest.
   The car was completed in July 1991. Two years later, MacNeish turned
   down a $45,000 offer.

   Despite the nearly perfect restoration, 30-year-old technology is,
   well, 30 years old. Although the engine feels nearly as strong as the
   1997 Z28's, the four-speed Muncie transmission resists quick shifting.
   The overboosted power steering, coupled with the huge, thin-rimmed
   steering wheel and super-narrow 7.35-15 Goodyear Power Cushion two-ply
   nylon tires, makes racetrack handling startlingly vague, with feedback
   limited to the auditory volume of tire squeal. MacNeish's Z28 wears a
   set of original red-stripe Power Cushions, as did every 1967 Z28
   delivered. Each tire is worth $800 now, as no reproduction tires are
   available in the correct size and configuration.

   By (unfair) comparison, our 1997 Z28 had excellent P245/50ZR-16
   Goodyear Eagle GS-C radials, traction control, and four-wheel disc
   brakes with anti-lock. It handled comers with aplomb and launched off
   the starting line with little drama. MacNeish's Z28 suffered from
   serious wheel hop on the starting line: The '67 Z had only a
   right-side traction arm ("The first thing people did when they bought
   one of these was bolt on a set of traction bars," MacNeish says). For
   1968, Chevrolet staggered the Camaro's rear shocks, which helped
   considerably.

   As you'd suspect, the overall sensation of driving the two cars is
   quite different. In the new Z28, you basically sit on the floor,
   forehead only a few inches from the sun visor, a result of the nearly
   horizontal windshield. On the older Z, you're sitting in what feels
   like a padded chair, up high, though with plenty of headroom. You
   strike a sort of commanding presence, but don't expect much lateral
   support from the seats as you drift through the corners, serenaded by
   the moaning from tires almost ar narrow as a modern temporary spare.

   Still, MacNeish's car very nearly duplicated our 1967 test results,
   despite the fact that our original test car was one of two prototypes
   Chevy built, with a rear spoiler and a less-restrictive exhaust. In
   1967, we estimated our Z's top speed at 124 mph, which MacNeish's car
   reached. Our quarter-mile time was 14.9 seconds, about a half-second
   quicker than MacNeish's Z28, which had a single-muffler factory
   exhaust. Not surprisingly, the '97 convertible was six-tenths quicker,
   and the SS LT4 blew it away.

   In all, a fine performance from a gorgeous car. "These solid-lifter
   horsepower cars from the '60s," MacNeish says, "people can't get
   enough of 'em. I get calls from kids who are 18 or 20 years old who
   are into restoring one, and that's great. It'll keep these cars alive
   for a long time."

   Vital Statistics

   Information for this chart is presented in the following order:
   Year/make/model; Price, base/as tested; Engine; Power/torque;
   Transmission/gear ratios:1/maximum test speed, mph/axle ratio:1; Curb
   weight, pounds; Weight distribution, % front/rear; Wheel-base
   dimensions, inches; Length dimensions, inches; Width dimensions,
   inches; Height dimensions, inches; Fuel tank, gallons; Interior
   volume, cubic feet-front; Interior volume, cubic feet-rear; Interior
   volume, cubic feet-trunk; Front suspension; Rear suspension; Brakes,
   front/rear; Tires.

   '67 CAMARO Z28; $3500/$3980 (1967); Pushrod, 16-valve V-8, 302 cu in
   (4942cc), iron block and heads, 1x4-bbl Holley 800-cfm carburetor; 290
   bhp @ 5800 rpm/290 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm (SAE gross); 4-speed/2.20, 1.64,
   1.28, 1.00/57,76,97,124/3.70; 3271; 57.1/42.9; 108.1; 184.6; 72.5;
   51.4; 17.8; 51;35;8; Ind, unequal-length control arms, coil springs,
   anti-roll bar; Rigid axle located by semi-elliptic leaf springs and a
   right-side trailing link; Vented disc/drum; Goodyear Power Cushion,
   7.35-15.

   '97 CAMARO Z28 SS LT4; $38,000/$38,000 (estimated); Pushrod, 16-valve
   V-8, 350 cu in (5733cc), iron block and aluminum heads, GM
   engine-control system with port fuel injection; 330 bhp @ 5500 rpm/340
   lb-ft @ 4500 rpm (SAE net); 6-speed/2.66, 1.78, 1.30, 1.00, 0.74,
   0.50/46, 69, 94, 123, 161, 135/3.42; 3490; 56.9/43.1; 101.1; 193.2;
   74.1; 51.3; 15.5; 53; 29; 13; Ind, unequal-length control arms, coil
   springs, anti-roll bar; Rigid axle located by 2 trailiing links, 1
   torque arm, and a Panhard rod, coil springs, anti-roll bar; Vented
   disc/vented disc, anti-lock control; BFGoodrich Comp T/A,
   P275/40ZR-17.

   '97 CAMARO Z28 CONVERTIBLE; $26,045/$29,717; Pushrod 16-valve V-8, 350
   cu in (5733cc), iron block and aluminum heads, GM engine-control
   system with port fuel injection; 285 bhp @ 5200 rpm/325 lb-ft @ 2400
   rpm (SAE net); 4-speed auto, lockup converter/3.06, 1.63, 1.00,
   0.70/42, 80, 130, 149/3.23; 3651; 55.6/44.4; 101.1; 193.2; 74.1; 52.0;
   15.5; 54; 26; 8; Ind, unequal-length control arms, coil springs,
   anti-roll bar; Rigid axle located by 2 trailing links, 1 torque arm,
   and a Panhard rod, coil springs, anti-roll bar; Vented disc/vented
   disc, anti-lock control; Goodyear Eagle GS-C, P245/50ZR-16.

   C/D Test Results

'67 Camaro Z28:
0-60 mph: 6.7 sec
0-100 mph: 18.0 sec
0-120 mph: 30.3 sec
Quarter Mile: 15.3 @93
Street Start, 5-60 mph: 9.3 sec
Street Start, 30-50 mph: 6.1 sec
Street Start, 50-70 mph: 6.5 sec
Top Speed: 124 mph (redline)
Braking 70-0mph: 273 ft.
Roadholding, 300-foot skidpad, g: N/A

'97 Camaro Z28 SS LT4:
0-60 mph: 5.0 sec
0-100 mph: 12.2 sec
0-120 mph: 17.9 sec
Quarter Mile: 13.6 @ 105 mph
Street Start, 5-60 mph: 5.3 sec
Street Start, 30-50 mph (top gear): 11.2 sec
Street Start, 50-70 mph (top gear): 11.0 sec
Top Speed: 161 mph
Braking 70-0mph: 172 ft.
Roadholding, 300-foot skidpad, g: 0.89g

'97 Camaro Z28 Convertible:
0-60 mph: 6.1 sec
0-100 mph: 16.3 sec
0-120 mph: 25.5 sec
Quarter Mile: 14.7 @ 95 mph
Street Start, 5-60 mph: 6.3 sec
Street Start, 30-50 mph (top gear): 2.8 sec
Street Start, 50-70 mph (top gear): 3.9 sec
Top Speed: 149 mph
Braking 70-0mph: 170 ft.
Roadholding, 300-foot skidpad, g: 0.81g

   ~~~~~~~~

   By STEVEN COLE SMITH
     _________________________________________________________________

                               Inset Article

             THE Z28 MARCHES, STORMS, AND SLOGS THROUGH HISTORY

   Thirty years of Chevrolet Camaro history means a bit less than that of
          Camaro Z28 history, as the performance model was dropped by
          Chevrolet in 1975 when, hat in hand, the company essentially
          admitted how ashamed it was to even think of building a
          performance car in that grim era of gas consciousness. (It was
          not quite ashamed enough to drop the Corvette.) The Z28
          returned in mid-1977.

   In Car and Driver's March 1967 test of the original Z28 (price,
          $4051), we said the Z suggested that Chevrolet "is on the way
          towards making the gutsy stormer the Camaro should have been in
          the first place." The 290-hp 302-cubic-inch V-8 and four-speed
          manual transmission took us down the quarter-mile in 14.9
          seconds at 97 mph and from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds.

   May 1970: We test the second-generation Z28--introduced in February of
          that year--finding that it was "not as thrilling as it once
          was." At $4476, this all-new Z "seems much tamer than it once
          did," despite the Z's first 5.7-liter V-8 and its 360
          horsepower. The quarter-mile time was 14.2 seconds at 100.3
          mph; 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. Despite our apprehension, more
          than two decades would pass before a new Z28 would run that
          fast for us again.

   September 1973: Our $4855 four-speed Z28 ran the quarter-mile in 15.2
          seconds at 94.6 mph and did 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. Now
          down to 245 horsepower (this begins the era of "net" instead of
          "gross" horsepower; net is more realistic), we suggested that,
          among other things, the "feeble intake system" meant the
          "lightning-fast reflexes of the old Z28 are but a memory."

   August 1975: With no Z28, we reluctantly test a $5874 Rally Sport with
          a limp 155-hp 5.7-liter engine and appropriately dismal
          flat-black paint on the hood. The quarter-mile time was 16.8
          seconds at 81.5 mph; 0 to 60 mph took 8.5 seconds. "The RS is
          only a halfhearted hint of the blood-bailing Z28 of yore," we
          wrote. So dreadful was this period of automotive history that
          we even had trouble finding competitive cars to pit it against.
          On our performance bar graphs, we chose, of all things, the
          Toyota Corona, the Chevy Monza two-plus-two, and the Lotus
          Elite.

   April 1977: We celebrate the return of the Z28--in name,
          anyway---cheer-fully noting that the "Z28 is a special
          automobile." We produce a quarter-mile in 16.3 seconds at 83
          mph; 0 to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds; and a top speed of 105 mph at
          the 5000-rpm redline.

   January 1982: "The body is so gorgeous, grown men will blush," we said
          of the new third-generation Camaro Z28. Unfortunately, "the
          engine room is a disaster area." At stoplights, "the Z28 is
          Emily Post polite: Everyone else goes first." Our test car had
          an estimated $12,000 sticker price, a three-speed automatic,
          and a 165-hp 5.0-liter V-8. The quarter-mile time was 16
          seconds at 85 mph; 0 to 60 mph was 7.9 seconds.

   October 1984: Things were looking up when we tested the first 1985
          IROC-Z, so dubbed because the Camaro had become the official
          International Race of Champions car (the IROC name continued
          through 1990). The 5.0-liter V-8 in our test car had 190
          horsepower; we chose that version over the 215-hp LB9 because
          the lower-output engine could be had with a five-speed manual
          transmission instead of the LB9's mandatory automatic. The
          quarter-mile was 15.4 seconds at 90 mph; 0 to 60 mph was 7.5
          seconds.

   June 1987: We comparison-tested an IROC-Z against a Mustang GT and a
          Pontiac Firebird Formula. The IROC finished last. At $18,083,
          the Camaro "can hang in them on the road, but it gets smoked at
          the loan officer's desk."

   December 1993: Finally, the 1993, fourth-generation Camaro Z28
          arrived, and we were unanimously delighted. In our comparison
          test, the $20,590 Z28 positively trounced the $19,150 Mustang
          GT. The Z28's healthy 275-hp 5.7-liter V-8 pushed the car to a
          14.1-second quarter-mile at 101 mph. The 0-to-60-mph time was
          5.4 seconds; top speed was 156 mph.

   Not much has changed since, and likely won't until about 2001, when we
          expect the fifth-generation Camaro and Z28.

     _________________________________________________________________

                               Inset Article

                             THE BADDEST Z YET?

   In some respects, this is,the true successor to Jerry MacNeish's car.
          It's the race-bred limited-edition Camaro of choice for future
          collectors--the SLP-produced Z28 SS LT4. It sits at the top of
          a broadening range of SLP-tuned Camaros, and it promises to be
          the fastest dealer-delivered Camaro in the land.

   Base SLP-prepared Z28 SSs can be distinguished from garden-variety
          Z28s by a flared-nostril air intake on the hood (designed to
          ram more air into the engine), a deeper and longer rear
          spoiler, SS exterior badging, 17-inch aluminum wheels, and BF
          Goodrich Comp T/A P275/40ZR-17 tires. Cosmetically, there's
          special fabric for the seats, SS-embroidered head-rests and
          floor mats, and a plaque on the dashboard that identifies the
          limited-edition model number for each SS. The base price is
          $24,864.

   In 1996, SLP upgraded 2419 Camaro Z28s into SS models, and demand
          quickly exceeded supply. In 1997, SLP has plans to produce 2000
          Z28 SSs, plus 900 30th-anniversary Z28 SSs with the orange
          stripes (for an added $349). These ram-air-induction LT1
          V-8-powered models boast 305 hp, 20 more than in a 1997 Z28.

   But there's a third car. As an added birthday bonus, SLP will produce
          100 30th-anniversary Z28 SSs powered by the 330-hp LT4 Corvette
          V-8, an engine transplant that required significant
          intake-manifold reengineering to compensate for the Camaro's
          more restrictive exhaust system. The price of this
          30th-anniversary Camaro Z28 SS LT4 is about $38,000.

   Before we took the SS LT4 to the track, we reviewed past performance
          figures. In our "Musclecar Triathlon" comparison (December
          1995), a 1996 Z28 SS accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9
          seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 106 mph.
          Oddly enough, the new SS LT4 turned 0 to 60 mph in 5,0 seconds
          and ran the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 105 mph. With 25
          more horsepower, we expected the 1997 LT4 SS to be two- to
          three-tenths of a second quicker than last year's model. Maybe
          the 1996 SS, with 10,000 miles on its odometer, was better
          broken in (our prototype 1997 SS had clocked only 700 miles),
          or maybe it was a cheater. We suspect the answer is "all of the
          above."

   Even though the test results make it look as if the latest SS is
          virtually the same as a 1996 model, the new SS LT4 feels vastly
          improved on the road. SLP says the number-one complaint from
          customers was that the ride was too harsh and jarring in
          everyday driving. All SS models benefit from revised spring
          rates, new anti-roll bars, and significant shock-valving
          refinements. The combined result is a ride that's not unlike a
          stock Camaro's, with no loss of grip--the 1997 SS equaled the
          1996's skidpad performance of 0.89 g.

   Pitch the SS LT4 into a corner, and it delivers controllable
          understeer with minimal kickback at the wheel rim. The tail can
          be coaxed out with a nudge of the throttle, but this too is
          easily countered. The new suspension's predictable behavior
          should instill owners with the confidence to probe the lofty
          limits of this rare car. Maybe one of those owners will lend us
          one for the Camaro's 60th anniversary.

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