Chevys at the Optima Challenge Tuesday morning

I haven't seen this Z 28 for a couple of years, but have photographed it at the Optima Challenge before... cool car

If you look at this, and guess - Nova? Chevy II? Just like I did, that would be close, but wrong. It's close though, it's an Acadian Invader, I shit you not. Here one is selling on BAT https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-pontiac-acadian-invader for 12.5k

I knew at first glance that my initial guess of Nova was close, but not exactly right, so I guessed Chevy II... knowing there's something a tiny bit strange with that grill lower section that rests on the bumper. Or, is it a upper piece of bumper, something like a push bar? Anyway, that's the clue it's the Acadian Invader. Thank you Chuck for pointing me toward the Beaumont direction

it's surprising to see how much a Vette gets modified when (from what I've seen at the Optima Challenge) they don't get worked much harder than any regular street car does... VW bugs and a Toyota Yaris have been in the competition... it's not the Le Mans, not that much top speed stuff happens in the slalom or speed stop challenge

I just watched a race at Laguna Seca, speeds didn't top 125. Too many turns drop the speed to around 60

I've never heard of the '79 Camaro Z28 IROC Sprite pace cars until now. Only 25 were made for pacing the IROC races

Chevrolet reportedly built 25 pace cars for IROC duty, and these were retained by GM and cycled from track to track for service between events. These so-called “Sprite cars” are instantly recognizable thanks to their white paint over rare green interiors, a combo essentially limited to the pace-car run.

https://www.hotcars.com/dennis-collins-sale-rare-camaro-sprite-z28/

The Firestone Sport Car 200 E70-15, was specifically created as the original tire for the '69 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

https://www.performanceplustire.com/Tires/Firestone_Sport_Car_Tire_200

I'm sure at least half of you are more familiar with cams that I am... so, you've probably already know about the Z/28 cam, that there were more than one, was a surprise to me. The one I just learned of is the "Z/28 Off Road Special" also known as the 140

designed for solid lifter above 3500 rpm, to 7k

First Design Off-Road cam, P/N 3927140 
Casting #3927141 
Intake 257 duration @ .050" (333 advertised)
 Exh. 269 duration @ .050" (346 advertised) 
Lift: .493" intake, .512" exhaust 
Intake Max lift @ 108 deg. ATDC
 Exhaust Max lift @ 116 deg. BTDC

 2nd Design Off-Road cam, P/N 3965754
 Casting #3965751
 Intake 248 duration (324 advertised)
 Exh. 267 duration (334 advertised)
 Lift: .512" intake, .535" exhaust

https://nastyz28.com/threads/gm-140-off-road-cam.226706/
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/z-28-cam-the-140-cam.563684/

I'm sure I must have posted about some Camaros having been built with bench seats, but I never heard of Z 28s being built with them... WHY? WTH would make someone choose to get a bench seat instead of buckets in a sports car?!

1 of only 3 known to exist with the Strato Bench Seat option

The Z/28 was starting to show its age after a dozen years, so it went in for new paint along with a full restoration. 

However, in 1981 the owner bought his own Chevy/Buick dealership and became bogged down in business, so the project sat, stripped of paint. 

He needed space at the dealership, so the car was put into what he thought would be safe storage in Belaire, Ohio, where the Camaro sat from 1981 to 1998. Sadly, the owner of the storage fell on hard times, and at some point around the mid-1990s the building was broken into and the car’s original 302, 4-speed, wheels, and cowl plenum intake were all stolen!

https://www.hotrod.com/features/1967-chevy-z28-camaro-strato-bench-302-engine-barn-find-car/

Bill just bought this Z 28 five months ago... and had a LOT of work to do to make a driver out of it, from the look under the hood. Hard to believe anyone owned this and ignored and neglected it so bad

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1109117366296156&set=pcb.1109118256296067

( I bet Bill needed this car real bad, he has TWO mini vans in the drive way! YIKES!) 

three Z-28s are up for sale, in Texas

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/call-a-necromancer-lot-of-three-69-z28-camaros-needs-reviving-from-the-dead-233450.html

69 Z/28 parked since 1984 by the owner, Larry Schreib, who published magazine articles and wrote how to books including Smokey Yunick's Power Secrets.

Parked since 1984 in a backyard.

The owner published magazine articles and wrote how to books including Smokey Yunick's Power Secrets.

It's got a hi-po built 302 by Gale Banks Engineering's engine guy, Hank The Crank, hence the crank and special rods and pistons. 

Dick Guldstrand suspension mods.

This special sbc tripower intake setup is one of 3 or 4 developed by Smokey Yunick, bought from Smokey in the early 1980's while putting together his book.

 After visiting the car and owner for 5+ years the new owner was finally was able to purchase it

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160737918664627&set=pcb.7194559750608867

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3603991166332428

Raced in E/Stock and set a national record with a 12.01 E.T. at 114.94 MPH during the division 1 points race at York US 30 Dragway, the first "stock" Camaro to break into the 11 second bracket. Coming to auction in 2024

 

In 1970, its final year of racing, the Sea Terror held the F/Stock record and was noted as the fastest 1968 Z/28 Camaro in the country 

Original drivetrain 302/290 HP V-8 engine with its original cowl plenum air cleaner

 Muncie M21 4-speed manual transmission

Original BX code 4.88 ratio rear end

https://www.mecum.com/lots/1098505/1968-chevrolet-camaro-z28/

how does a treasured 68 Z/28 get neglected until rust nearly destroys it? A mudslide hit it, and it's been sitting there for 43 years until someone came along that could dive into restoring it

https://www.motortrend.com/features/1968-chevy-camaro-z28-saved-barn-find

In 1970, four SCCA enthusiasts teamed up to field a race Camaro. An auto parts salesman, a mechanic, an office machine technician and the guy that was coerced into donating his personal 1969 Camaro Z-28 as the team’s race car.

 

Converting Oliver's stock Camaro into an effective FIA Group 2 race car took nearly a year and a considerable amount of financial resource. The car was given the required safety specifications, its street equipment removed, the 302cc engine tuned, fitted with a Franklin quick-change rear differential with swayaway axles, Grand National Stock Car racing hubs, large front and rear sway bars, Koni shock absorbers, 25-gallon Firestone fuel cell, Corvette calipers and discs on all four corners, Corvette upper and lower A-arms, Chevrolet heavy duty pick-up truck ball joints and suspension linkages, a full roll cage, a duel fuel filler system set-up on both rear fenders to accommodate racing directions and pit road orientation, a full night running light set-up composed of 3 sets of Marchal spot lights, mini cooper marker lights for the doors and a blinking roof light.

The car was entered in the 1971 24-Hours of Daytona where it qualified well and soon earned itself international fame. The fame was not intentional, as it was involved in the first crash of the race. A contact incident came early in the 24-Hours of Daytona when the No. 3 Martini & Rossi Porsche spun in the path of the Oliver/May- nard/Dobkin Camaro in Turn Two

In March, the friends entered the 12-Hours of Sebring. The car was repaired, painted in black livery, riding on new magnesium racing wheels, and wearing the number 88 the team began the endurance race with great ex- pectations. However their hopes were thwarted once again. Past the half-way mark the Camaro was up with the leaders in the Touring class until the state-of-the-art Franklin quick-change rear differential failed and forced a premature retirement. After 131 laps the mechanical failure resulted in a 35th-place overall finish. After the two valiant race outings the friends realized that a lack of sponsorship would prove a difficult obstacle to inter- national competition and they returned their Camaro to the ranks of Florida regional SCCA competition.

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/chevrolet/camaro/1969/868572

and it will be sold on Bring A Trailer 

for more info,

Bill Noon     bill@symbolicinternational.com

Symbolic International 

At Veloce Motors Vault

9340 Dowdy Drive Suite 102 San Diego

the racing really gets going about the 5 minute mark

look in the rear view mirror to see how far behind the cars he passes fall back

A guy goes to Barrett Jackson with John Elway, and spots the 1969 Z-28 he sold in high school when he lost his license... and bought it back

Glenn and his friend, football great John Elway, flew to Barrett-Jackson's 2020 Scottsdale auction on Elway's private jet.

Stearns' itinerary was to accompany Elway to Barrett-Jackson to watch Elway's 1992 Dodge Viper cross the block. During the course of the flight, Elway asked Stearns if he had any regrets in life, and Glenn answered his only regret was selling the 1969 Z/28 he owned in high school

Stearns' Z/28 was a known fast car on the streets of Rockville, Maryland, and among fellow students at Richard Montgomery High School... and that caused Stearns to lose his drivers license, and after that he put the '69 Z/28 up for sale.

Walking with Elway up to the Viper, Stearns spotted a blue 1969 Z/28 Camaro parked alongside. As he got closer, he exclaimed, "This car looks just like it!" Upon closer inspection, he excitedly proclaimed, "This car is the 1969 Z/28 Camaro that I owned in high school!"

It's got a DZ 302 with the Cross-Ram carbs, an M21 and a 12-bolt BU-code rearend with the original X33 Trim Tag.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/auction-action-undercover-billionaire-buys-high-school-days-1969-z-28-camaro-back-barrett

a 1969 Z/28 was a pacecar for the Riverside 500? Huh! I wonder if someone has this car or if it ended up wrecked and crushed?

this is one of hundreds of high school yearbook photos posted on the unique Annual Mobiles blog

http://annualmobiles.blogspot.com/2015/10/tom-carrell-chevrolet.html

a '69 Z/28 was pulled out of a New Jersey garage last November and put on Ebay

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a29775388/1969-chevrolet-camaro-z28-garage-find-for-sale/