Abbreviations: Louise is back behind the wheel, and the car has collected a fair number of trophies since getting back on the street. Special performance engines are all but extinct in Detroit, but Pontiac is bucking the trend with a new powerhouse for the 1977 Trans-Am. Bumpers were painted same color as body. Front View | @ 83.1 mph Through no fault of her own, she was involved in a head-on collision that totaled the car and banged her up pretty seriously. Wait until you see what we do next year." However they both need to be updated; for instance, thin-shell bucket seats with full-back adjustments and stalk controls for the headlight dimmer and windshield wiper/washer are long overdue. The drivetrain is completed with a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed gearbox of the same design used in the original Z/28 and on numerous Corvettes. to each combination. Great! Click here for further axle decoding information When the cover was finally pulled off, the Pagliocca kids, Stacy and Enrico, were inside waving and shouting in celebration. Both can give invalid impressions of an automobile, so we fled the compound and headed for a stretch of bumpy, twisting mountain road running northeast away from the ragged collection of gas stations and fast-food joints known as Apache Junction. Available on Type LT model. The Luxury Touring model, which was an upgraded trim option, proved particularly popular this year with 72,787 produced, which would be its highest production ever. Now it stands for a suspension system, rather than an engine (which is a stock LM-1, 350-cu. The low rpm range is obviously softer, but Pontiac claims the better high-speed breathing makes 1977 editions quicker. low-gloss black) paint treatment on hood, header The Z/28's suspension has been totally and originally revised front and rear. Wbk = White seats with black dash & carpet, Why Pontiac chose to keep the Trans-Am around in the face of the retreating competition is of little interest here, other than to note the irony that of all the machines of the species there is little debating the fact that the best of the lot was preserved. Dual sport mirrors (D35), Rally Wheels (ZJ7), Style Trim (Z21) & Interior Decor (Z54), Special Bright edge headlamp bezels; argent peripheral bead around grill; black "Rally trim code suffix identifies seat material type & model usage. plain panel faces for interiors with cloth seats, and pleated faces for interiors with vinyl Rear 3/4 View It was the couple's 25th wedding anniversary that motivated Henry to finally repair the Z. Chevrolet Corvette - America's most iconic sports cars. There were 5 colors available: Special instrumentation (U14). Both the five-spoke wheels and the bumpers were body colored, and the car was equipped with distinctive decals.

Dodge Challenger - America's comeback kid. Our car experts choose every product we feature. Bumpers need some massaging to look correct, Chevrolet Chevelle Performance Statistics, Plymouth Barracuda Performance Statistics. Turner yanked the wheel hard right, and the car responded with the same precision. Special Color-coordinated interior trim treatment. Stock Engine bay. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE INADEQUATE SEALING AND LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE. Trim Code Suffix: B = Sport Cloth (SC), C = Knit Cloth (LT), N = vinyl (LT), R = vinyl (SC). Other engine options remained basically the same, with the base models including a 250 CID six-cylinder engine producing 110 horsepower, which was an improvement of five over the previous year. dual sport mirrors. But with Camaros continually selling more and more each yeara trend that started in 1973 and would continue through 1980Chevy was banking on consumers continuing to buy basically the same offering. Though it was a 4 barrel 350 CID V8 just like the other top V8 offering, it did produce 15 more horsepower than the other V8 at 185 total. ], Second Generation Camaro Spotters Guide & Summary of Yearly Changes, Click here for further engine decoding information, Click here for further transmission decoding

And still others began to buy in ever-escalating numbers the only legitimate Pony cars that, in some bizarre role as an automotive Ceolanth, had defied evolution and had remained in production. Specific decals on hood, Next, complete checkout for full access to Motorious. Actually, there is so much restriction through the single catalytic converter that the Trans-Am is fairly quiet with no muffler whatsoever. After a two-year absence, the Z28 Camaro model was reintroduced in the middle of the 1977 production year. With the exception of the newly reemerged Z28, the Camaro models changed very little from the 1976 models, or from the 1975 models, for that matter. An American two-door vehicle built for the pony car market, the Plymouth Barracuda was produced for an entire decade from 1964 through 1974 model years. Base retail price was $4,113.45 for the coupe.

Oh, and to all you purists," he adds, "the fully functional 1980 hood has been on the car since 1981. low (not available in California). The Z/28 is a special automobile. Trans-Ams are old friends, essentially unchanged over the past few years, save for the 1977 addition of a weird Batmobile grille treatment and the use of a somewhat tamer drivetrain. There the Camaro revealed itself as a road machine of the first rank. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Tested: 1980 BMW 320i Brings Responsible Fun, Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius, 1998 Chevy Metro, Tested: 2012 Honda Civic EX Loses Some Magic, Tested: 2001 Honda Civic EX Coupe Matures, Tested: 1996 Honda Civic DX Is Clean And Quick, Our 1992 Honda Civic VX Was Sensibly Frugal, Tested: 1977 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 vs. Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. The original Z/28 was introduced in late 1967 as an option symbol for the high-performance 302-cubic inch engine that was available in the Camaro of that era.

Perhaps he had something here. 4 speed transmissions not available in California. You've successfully signed in. D80 Front & Rear Spoilers (with Rally Sport" decal on rear spoiler), Z21 Style Trim Group, QDW or Brushed aluminum rear panel. It took a while and some negotiating, but the couple was allowed to keep the car. Z28 Specific Parts | The car yawed to the left, its body rolling slightly, its steel-belted tires screeching angrily, then snapped back on course. coupe, Fifth digit is engine code: D = 250ci, L = 350ci, U = 305ci. Parts" to see the exhaust and other components that made the Z28 special. The surfaces are often billiard-table-smooth or unnaturally rough. The steering gear is a 14:1 straight-ratio unit with somewhat increased effort. included in doors, rear quarters, roof/sail panels, behind rear seat, under package tray and Our Trans-Am generated 0.80 G, while our Z/28 could do no better than 0.74 G and exhibited considerably more understeer in the process. FRAM RACING HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS NOT BEARING A DATE CODE IN THIS RANGE ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. Option Info | for 1977 instead of 89-99 lb./in.

Though the 185 horsepower it produced was by no means a huge performer, focus was placed on handling with an improved suspension system. Space-Saver spare standard. The 1977 Z28 still had a very generous amount of torque (enough to smoke the wheels) and with a little tuning experience could be made to run much better than previously recorded. "The car is always a hit, especially at the Long Island Camaro Club show," says Henry, a member of the club. 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic: The Greatest Hits, EV Makers Less Responsive to Customers: Study, Tested: Audi e-tron GT Is a True Sports Sedan, 2023 Porsche Taycan Gains Range and Charge Power, Tested: The 10 Quickest Cars of the 1970s, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Drivetrain Codes & Info | Sure, they are interested in what we're doing with this machine, and we've shown'em most of what we've done. Door panels came in two styles with tack on arm rests combined with pull handles, That's where this car really has an edge. (Turner's claims for improvement boggle the mind, based on this year's car, although we know the '78 Camaro will use the same basic body. Tan simulated leather applique on instrument panel. "But it was basically all there, just worse for the ordeal." Light blue was a Type LT color - only. THE CENTER SECTION MAY FATIGUE AND SEPARATE FROM THE WHEEL RIM. 06R/06N - White interior w/Dark Saddle big four Rear view | A few moments in the car, with Turner lashing furiously around a small test loop, removed all doubt. It replaces the widely-employed Saginaw unit because of durability. Chevrolet engineers wanted to employ a dual-catalyst exhaust system of the type being used on their Nova police cars, but cost considerations prevented such a luxury. Our car was what you might call "loaded" and in its own way lent emphasis to the fact that a good Trans-Am can be purchased without the effluvia for about $6500 to $7000. From the Archive: Good ideas never die. Until now, that is, when Chevrolet unloads its all-new Z/28 Camaro on an unsuspecting industry and a delighted public. Interior Trim codes start getting more complex due to the fact that you In 1976, Trans-Ams began accounting for half of all Firebird sales. "The poor Z28 was mistreated to a crashed fender, missing factory wheels, and many other, smaller insults," Henry recalls. It is expected to produce about 180 hp, and that typifies the change in thinking in Detroit, where nimble roadholding has replaced raw, eyeball-rupturing acceleration as the central theme of performance automobiles. These components, coupled with Goodyear GR70-15 steel-belted radial tires (also used on the Corvette) on 7.5-inch rims form the key to the Z/28's superior handling. Standard Equipment includes: But frankly, I think this machine will run right with it." "The insurance company told us at that point the car was theirs and we had to return it," says Henry. torque. Then a strange thing happened. Upgraded interior components consist of: This produces a relatively-free exhaust system and a healthy exhaust note. When my wife came in, I knocked on the driver's door and our daughter started the car, bringing the old Z28 back to life. Our test machine was the Special Edition, which meant that its black body was decked out in a variety of gold stripes and decals, plus gold-anodized alloy wheels and Hurst hatch sunroofs (weighing a hefty 108 pounds). "I wanted the restoration to be a surprise, so we came up with a story that the car was going to be stored at a friend's restoration shop to free up some valuable garage space.". "Most of these cars were bought new and we just never sold anything," he admits. Spotters Guide & New Features |

We've got some stuff in reserve. They responded in a variety of ways: Some kept their old Pony cars in loving repair; others turned to the few sporty vehicles that remained, hence the booming sales of Corvette, Datsun Z-cars and Porsches.

Therefore the field was left to Trans-Am in terms of anybody manufacturing a really honest sporting coupe in the mold of the old Pony cars. This 1977 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 is a rare thing indeed, a low-mileage muscle car still in the hands of its original owner. By far my favorite Z28 having owned many. Here's Louise, reunited with her Z28 as a 25th wedding anniversary present. Ws = White seats with saddle dash & carpet. QBT FR78-14" white stripe or white letter tires. Welcome back! Only one car of the lot, the Firebird Trans-Am, sustained an unvarnished position as a pure, all-out-hell-for-leather performance automobile. The major drawback of both these cars is usable interior space. front fenders, front and rear spoilers, wheel houses, rocker panels. in February 1977. 6. not chrome. While the Z28 was being repaired, Henry lent Louise his 1963 409 Impala SS to drive, something he now admits was a little foolish. Black (19), White (various), Light Buckskin, Light Blue (24) & Dark Firethorn. 7. Cruising Range: 180 - 240 miles "As the cover passed across the roof, the kids waved while yelling, 'Happy anniversary!' And they did. B = Radcliffe. As the above curves illustrate, a significant achievement has been made. "Well, we asked them to please provide their paperwork for that. Identical to 1974 models.

You take a lot of cars like this with big front sway bars, and when you drive'em really hard you get bad under-steer and the feeling that the front wheels are doing all the work. 72 - Dark Firethorn interior w/Black big four. It was hardly a dazzling visual sight, mainly because we were so familiar with the liquid lines of the Camaro after so many years, but the presence of spoilers fore and aft, relatively discreet decal treatment and custom wheels indicated that this was no ordinary machine.