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HarryQ 326
My first new car was a 68 Z28, this color, 3.70 rear axle, M22 rock crusher close ratio, manual steering, AM/FM, no console, ordered from the Chevrolet dealer where local Waterford Hills racer Tom Swindell was a salesman. My dad, then with GM, ordered it on his employee discount and, I was about to graduate from college.
Within three thousand miles I had bent two push rods. same cylinder. After the second, the dealer service manager accused me, politely, of over-revving it.
Shortly after my dad told me he was in a meeting sitting next to Jim Musser, then assistant chief engineer for Chevrolet. He relayed the story about my bent pushrods. Jim asked the same question about was I over-revving, and satisfied with my dad’s answer, said he would look into it. My dad called me soon after saying they wanted to look at my engine.
A few days later I got a call from the service manager at the dealership. “We have an engine for your car.” I left it for a couple of days, and when I picked up the car, the service manager told me what I had. It was a 1969-spec DZ302, which had 4-bolt main bearing caps. But the best part owas he told me was that the GM employee who delivered the engine and supervised the swap had brought with him the number dies to stamp in my original VIN on the blank machined area of the block.
I got drafted shortly thereafter, and ended up the remainder of two years after basic training at Aberdeen Proving Ground, with a PFC wage less than my car payment. My wife, who found a teaching job, made enough to allow us to make the payments.
Never ever had a problem with the internals. I added an Addco rear sway bar, and on weekends I enjoyed driving it on twisty paved roads of Southeast Pennsylvania near APG.
I got out of the service and joined a struggling small company in Ann Arbor, with no savings. After 103 thousand miles on that same, likely hand-built motor, the air cleaner stud backed itself out of the carb, the wing nut unscrewed itself, and the stud slipped into one of the cylinders. I didn’t have money to repair it, but I had a buddy who swapped me even for a working 307 4-barrel engine he had pulled out of his 1969 Camaro when he swap in something hotter, and over a weekend we performed the change. My now destroyed one of one 4-bolt main numbers-matching 1968 Z28 went on several thousand miles until I sold it for enough to make the down payment on my next car.
My buddy rebuilt the Z28 motor to put in his boat.
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1970 Chevrolet Camaro RS / Z28
GM National Press Showing / Magazine Cover Car
This 1970 Camaro Z28 was part of a "National Press showing" in February of '70 and was featured on the cover of at least one automotive publication (see details below) as well as appearing in "Camaro Muscle Portfolio" published by Brooklands Books in 1992. Spending it's entire life in Southern California, the car is in exceptional condition. Originally finished in "Citrus Green Poly", the current owner performed a minor restoration in 2007 and had the body refinished in the factory-correct "Forest Green Poly" with black stripes. A 1970 date-coded 400 cid Chevrolet small block was also installed in addition to numerous upgrades and optional equipment including an RS Front Spoiler. Aside from the original Production Broadcast / Build Sheet, (which states this vehicle is to be used for press purposes), documentation also includes original parts and repair receipts dating back to the late 1970's.
History:
In late January 1970, Camaro #3475 pulled out of the GM Assembly Plant in Van Nuys, California three days ahead of it's scheduled February 3rd production date. Specially ordered with both the Z22 Rally Sport Package and Z28 Special Performance Option, the "Citrus Green Poly" & black striped Camaro had already been reserved by Hansen Chevrolet in West Los Angeles. However, before the dealer took full possession of the car, it was fitted with a manufacturer plate (34F 015) and transported to the new car prep lot along with five other Z28's in various color schemes.
Over the course of the next two weeks, members of the automotive press (including Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Hot Rod and Motorcade) made arrangements to conduct extensive reviews of the new Z28's and either specified or were assigned a particular car. White vinyl adhesive numbers were applied to the front and rear windows of each car with a corresponding spec sheet listing specific trim, options, etc. The "Citrus Green Poly" Camaro was identified as #3 in the group and initially assigned to Motorcade magazine, which featured it on the cover of their May issue. GM Heritage Center has confirmed that only one "Citrus Green Poly" Z28 was part of the 1970 National Press Showing in Southern California and all specs listed in the Motorcade article exactly match this vehicle's original build sheet. The Heritage Center archivists are also in the process of decoding the specially-assigned manufacturer license plates from the 1969-71 period.
