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History
of the Chevy Muscle Cars
Those qualifying as true Muscle cars are these models: Chevrolet Camaro * Chevrolet
Chevelle SS * Chevrolet Corvette* Chevrolet El Camino SS * Chevrolet Impala SS * Chevrolet
Monte Carlo * Chevrolet Nova SS * Get-in2 these Classic Chevy Musclecars with our online
auction and Classifed Ad services.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro.... After two years of watching the Ford
Mustang enjoy tremendous success, General Motors finally launched its entry into the high
performance pony car segment introducing the Chevrolet Camaro. Although available with a
mediocre six cylinder for volume sales, the Camaro could be equipped with several V8s and
a myriad of performance options. By definition Muscle cars are normal production models
built to put that manufacturers hottest engine and performance options to make them into
street legal drag racers. Then the famous Regular Production Code for their Muscle Car
verions -the Z/28- would change the industry's view of fast pony cars.
Inspired by the success of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet launched its own
pony car, the Camaro. Chevrolet stated that the "Camaro" was named after the
French word for "comrade," although some linguists argued that it was actually
Spanish for a type of shrimp. Not exactly an awe aspiring name for a new pony car.
Luckily, the Camaro had the muscle to back up its case. The Camaro was based on the
upcomming 1968 Chevy Nova platform, and featured a unibody structure from the windshield
and firewall back, with a separate steel rail subframe for everything up front. The Camaro
was available from the start in hardtop coupe and covertible body styles, and could be
order with nearly 80 factory options and 40 dealer accessories, including three main
option packages and a choice of four different engines. The RS package included numerous
cosmetic changes including a blacked out grill with hidden headlights, revised parking and
tail lights, upgraded interior trim, and RS badging. Of greater interest to enthusiasts
was the SS package which included as standard equipment a modified 350 cid V8 (the first
350 engine Chevy ever offered) with an available 396 cid big block producing 325bhp (L35)
and later a 375bhp version, along with simulated air-intakes on the hood, special bumble
bee striping, and a blacked out grill. It was possible to order both the RS and SS
packages, and get a RS/SS Camaro, in which case the RS badging took precedence. Camaro
popularity soared when a RS/SS Convertible with the 396 paced the 1967 Indianapolis 500
race.
In December 1966, Chevrolet then quietly released one of the most famous options codes of
all time, option Z-28. Unpublicized and unknown by most of the buying public (and most
Chevrolet sales people for that matter) and not mentioned in any sales literature, the
only way someone could order the Z-28 package was to order a base Camaro with the Z-28
option, mandatory front disc brakes with power assist, and the Muncie 4-speed
transmission. You could not order the SS package, automatic transmission, air
conditioning, or the convertible. What you got was a unique 302 cid small block
(Non-California emission cars were labeled MO while California emission engines were
labeled MP) that was created by taking the 327 block and installing the short-stroke 283
crank. Specifically designed to compete in the Club of America Trans Am racing series
which placed a 305 cid limit on its entries, the Z-28 was available to the public solely
to qualify the car for racing. Advertised horsepower was listed at just 290bhp, which was
not very impressive until one hooked it up to a dyno and got actual readings of 360-400
bhp. The Z-28 also came with a competition suspension, broad racing stripes on the hood
and trunklid and could be combined with the RS option package. There was no Z-28 badging
at all, lest it attract to much attention. The Z-28 proved to be difficult to launch on
the street because its high reving engine was lethargic under 4000rpm and worked best when
it was shifted at 7500rpm (!). Once it got going, the Z28 was tough to beat and boosted a
140mph top speed and numerous racing victories. Only 602 Z-28s were sold in 1967, making
it a truly desirable collectable.
Production units: RS: 64,842 -SS: 34,411-Z-28: 609 -
Engines:(Z-28) 302 V8 290bhp @ 5800rpm, 290lb-ft @ 4200rpm.
327 V8 210bhp. -327 V8 275bhp. -350 V8 255bhp.
(SS350) 350 V8 295bhp @ 4800rpm, 380lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 325bhp @ 4800rpm, 410lb-ft @ 3200rpm.
(SS396) 396 V8 375bhp @ 5600rpm, 415lb-ft @ 3600rpm.
Performance:
(Z-28) 302/290bhp: 0-60 in 6.9 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.85 sec @ 101mph.
(SS396) 396/325bhp: 0-60 in 6.0 sec, 1/4 mile in 14.5 sec @103 mph.
1969 saw several noteworthy changes to the Camaro. The grill became deeper
set, the taillamps were longer and thinner and broken into three segments. A heavy
"eye-brow" crease was added on the both sides of the car extending from the
front wheel well to the rear wheel well. A matching crease went from the rear wheel well
to the rear quarter panel. The Camaro also received new fenders, door
skins, rear quarter-panels, grille and taillights which gave it a wider, lower appearance.
Inside, the Camaro received a redesigned dash and more comfortable seats. Endura rubber
bumpers were available on the Camaro as well as two ram air induction systems for the SS.
The first was a new special hood with a rear facing inlet and cold-air duct underneath the
hood. The second was a dealer installed cowl plenum kit that came with a special air
cleaner and adapter. No special hood was needed. 1969 saw an explosion in engine choices.
On the low-performance side, a new 307 V8 (a 327 crank in a 283 block) rated at 200bhp was
added and a new 350 V8 rated at 255 bhp replaced the more powerful 327 engine. The Z28
continued with its seriously under-rated 302 (now called DZ) engine. The RS package was
still popular, and included a special grill with concealed headlights (of a ribbed design)
and washers, chrome wheel well moldings, drip rails, pinstripes, and RS badging. The SS
standard 350 received a slight power boost to 300 bhp while the 396 engines continued in
325/350/375 bhp versions. Once again, a white RS/SS convertible with the 396 engine paced
the Indianapolis 500 race, and Chevy offered replica versions as white convertibles with
orange stripes and orange houndstooth upholstery (though most replicas were powered by 350
engines. Because of their collectibility, there are many "fake" 1969 Pace Car
replicas out in the collector market so be careful if you are planning on buying one.
But real performance is more than special upholstery and the big news for
1969 was the availability of special 427 cid V8 equipped Camaros. The first were special
dealer-installed units, most notably the Yenko Camaro 427. Yenko Sports Cars, based in
Pennsylvania, along with other Chevy dealers such as Nickey in Chicago, Dana in
California, and Baldwin-Motion in New York, would install the L72 427 cid block, rated at
425bhp by Chevrolet, ordered under the Central Office Production Order System (COPO) code
9562 into a buyer's Camaro. The Yenko Camaro 427 is a typical example: it came from the
factory with no ornamentation, badging, and the 427 engine in a crate. Yenko installed the
427 block, changed the rating to a more realistic 450bhp, and added 15-inch rally wheels,
bigger front roll bar, and sYc (Yenko Sports Car) badging. A full complement of racing add
ons were available and sub 13 second quarter miles were possible with a few more dollars.
Overshadowing these dealer modified Camaros was the factory Camaro ZL1. Specially designed
to compete in the NHRA Super Stock drag classes, Chevrolet made it an option under the
COPO system (code 9560). The cars began as SS396/375bhp Camaros with the F41 suspension.
The SS trim and engine were deleted, and the 427 engine, cowl-induction hood, front disc
brakes, a choice of heavy duty 4 speed transmissions or Turbo Hydra-matic, and a 4:10 posi
axle were added. But instead of the regular iron-block and head L72 found in the dealer
installed Camaros, the ZL1 sported aluminum heads and the first aluminum block ever made
by Chevrolet. It shared the L88 aluminum head/iron block's engine rating of 430 bhp but
made closer to 500 bhp -- making it probably the most powerful engine Chevrolet ever
offered to the public. And the engine weighed just 500 pounds, the same as Chevy's 327
small block. The car was blessed with a 5 year/50,000 mile warranty and was fully street
legal. With factory exhausts and tires, it turned low 13s; with headers and slicks, it
could turn 11.6s @ 122mph. This was the fastest car ever produced by Chevrolet.
Performance had its price -- $4,160 for the ZL1 engine alone pushing the price of the
Camaro ZL1 to an unbelieveable $7,200 (about double the price for a SS396 Camaro). Chevy
needed to build 50 to qualify the car for racing, and in the end built 69 Camaros and 2
Corvettes with the ZL-1 engine. Their high price made them difficult to sell and at least
12 engines were removed and about 30 cars were returned back to Chevrolet. It took until
the early 1970s to sell them all. One can only wonder what they are worth today.
Production of the 1969 Camaros continued into the beginning of 1970 as the all new 1970
Camaros were not released until mid 1970. To add to the confusion, some late 1969 cars
were titled as 1970 models.
1964 -1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
The Chevrolet Chevelle SS represented Chevrolet's entry into the hot
midsize muscle car battle. The Chevelle SS was the high performance version of Chevrolet's
Chevelle, and had its own line of engines and performance equipment. At first caught
napping with just a 327 V8, the Chevelle SS would soon sport powerful 396 V8s and
eventually the most powerful rated engine in muscle car history, the LS6 454 in 1970. The
Chevelle, along with the Pontiac GTO, remains one of the most popular cars from this era
and with good reason. Its strong performance at a reasonable price made it popular on the
street and at the track. The 1964 Pontiac GTO caught Chevrolet Muscle car designers
napping. While the GTO offered 389 cubic inches in its midsize A body, Chevrolet only had
a 327 V8 that put out 300bhp. That gap would soon disappear.
We'll add more info on Chevy Muscle car models as this site expands...
Chevrolet Camaro * Chevrolet Chevelle SS * Chevrolet Corvette* Chevrolet El Camino SS *
Chevrolet Impala SS * Chevrolet Monte Carlo * Chevrolet Nova SS
Spotlight Ad -1970 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS396
Our classified customers can Place additional photos
here....
COMPLETE DESCRIPTION: 1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
SS396, Frame off restoration completed 01/15/2004. Fathom Blue exterior, Pearl
interior, numbers matching 402/350hp engine, TH400 transmission & 3.31:1 positraction
rear end. Fresh 454 V8 Weiand intake, Edelbrock 4 bbl, headers, chrome kit, Th 400, 12
bolt posi, PS, Power Disc Brakes, cowl induction hood, new paint, new interior, new dual
exhaust with Flowmasters, new Goodyear tires, leahter bucket inserts, OEM console.
Awesome!! New Cowl induction hood and low windshield washer fluid light plus courtesy
light group. Everything has been either refurbished from ground up or replaced with new
OEM or aftermarket parts. For a complete photo history and documentation of this SS396
restoration use the seller contact form below. Seller will accept escrow payment
and will allow overseas purchases!
Click here for and complete details
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