1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

Description

The Camaro franchise has certainly been a money maker for Chevrolet for more than 40 years. Beginning in '67 and with just a few model year absences, the Camaro has been a popular staple of the American muscle car landscape. And no Camaro model represents that ideal better than the Z28. By the time 1979 came around there were more Camaros sold that year than any other in history and it was cars like this gorgeous black 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 leading the charge.

That high-gloss black paint gives the second-generation F-body a sinister look and if you're going to own a performance car from the '70s, this is probably it. Aside from some minor touch-ups that are hardly even noticeable, it looks extremely good and suggests both a lot of money was spent and someone really took care of it. The gaps are exactly the way the factory set them when the car was built and even things like the deep chin spoiler remain in excellent condition. 1979 was the first year for the Z28 side decals and the bright red and orange stripes this car wears are recent replacement decals that duplicate the original pieces exactly and really give it a crisp, clean look. The Z's front spoiler and fender flares also were first introduced in the '79 model run to match the Trans Am styling cues, and these body enhancements helped to further differentiate the Z from its lesser Camaro siblings, the Sport Coupe and Berlinetta. But to be honest, nobody's going to mistake this Camaro for anything else.

The fantastic interior is an unexpected and attractive contrast to the black exterior, and it's still in amazing original condition. The cloth seats display some wear of course along with the rest of the cabin but a light color seems to stand up to the rigors of sunlight and age better than darker colors. Camaro went to a flat dash treatment this model year and consigned the wrap around style into history. The gauges are still in the same spots, just a cleaner treatment, and they're all fully functional and surrounded with a reasonable-looking facsimile of real wood. Just because it is a performance car doesn't mean it is devoid of some creature comforts, so you'll also find ice cold air conditioning, tilt wheel, and an upgraded Pioneer AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth stereo (the original radio is included with the car). Black floor mats match the exterior color scheme and the trunk is neatly trimmed with the original mat and a space-saver spare that has apparently never been used.

Of course a Z28 is all about performance and the Z was powered by the most potent engine choice available back in the day, a 350 cubic inch V8 producing 175 horsepower. That's a 40 horsepower bump from the standard engine, which was a pretty big deal in 1979. It's nicely detailed and completely stock under the hood, right down to the factory air cleaner. Of course, maintenance items have been replaced to keep it in top health and the factory Rochester carb and HEI ignition ensure reliability. The power is transferred to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission and 3.73 gears out back make the most of the small block's power. The undercarriage, while not show-ready, is super clean and reveals a fresh dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers, so it sounds great and may even make a few extra horsepower. This entire '79 road show rolls on Cragar SS mags with staggered 235/60/15 front and 255/60/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A radials (the original wheels are available, call for details).

So, to all of you Class of '79ish graduates wanting to relive those happy days, begin your journey back in time and call today!