Vehicle Description
The Camaro franchise has certainly been a money maker for Chevrolet
for more than 50 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 1977 came around the Camaro was
fully entrenched into the zeitgeist and it was cars like this
gorgeous black 1977 1/2 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 leading the
charge.
The black paint gives the second-generation F-body a sinister look
and if you're going to own a performance car from the late '70s,
this is the probably the shade you want. It's certainly not perfect
and there are imperfections visible, but it still looks extremely
good going down the road and under the neon lights, and the
attention this body style brings out on the thorough helps you
quickly forget those flaws. The gaps are essentially the way the
factory set them when the car was built and even things like the
deep chin spoiler and ducktail out back are still in place. The
1977 decal package was much more subtle than what Chevy introduced
a few years later (1979 got the big side stripes), and this
particular car is missing it's hood decal on top of that, resulting
in minimal Z/28 decals on the front fenders and rear panel that
give this car a very slick, uniform look. After a brief hiatus, the
Camaro Z28s were reintroduced in 1977 as a direct result of the
popularity of the Trans AM, and GM was smart to include several
aggressive styling cues to capitalize on the sporty look that
people were looking for in an F-body. And this time, the Z's
weren't just RPO packages, but rather a completely separate model.
Consequently, Camaros outsold Ford Mustangs for the first time ever
in 1977, and 13,000 Z/28s were made to keep up with that demand.
That popularity feels to be reviving once more, as we're seeing
more and more solid examples of the '77 Z/28 enter the market
again, and cars like this black driver are sure to keep rising in
value.
Great quality continues inside, with a black vinyl interior that's
been restored to original specs and looks like a time-capsule from
the disco era. Seats, carpets, door panels, and just about
everything else inside this car is dialed-in and comfortable enough
to spend some serious time in. The seats show very little wear, the
carpets are plush, and even the dash, which was notorious for
splitting/cracking/fading just a few years after production, is
free of cracks and blemishes and looks great. This Z is also
heavily optioned, including factory A/C (still ice cold thanks to a
Vintage R134a conversion), a modern AM/FM/AUX/Bluetooth stereo that
fits neatly into the dash and looks like the stock unit, and a
4-speed manual transmission, with in our opinion is the best option
of all. The gauges are original and great inside the clean bezel,
the original Z/28 steering wheel isn't cracked or faded, and, well,
if you want a well-sorted 1977 Camaro, they don't come much more
dialed-in than this. The trunk was sprayed with spatter paint and
houses its original space-saver spare and jack assembly, none of
which appear to have ever 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 185 horsepower. That may not seem like big
number now, but in 1977, the half-year Z/28 was one of the few
American muscle cars available to a buying public that was thirsty
for performance. Rebuilt approximately 7k miles ago, it's nicely
detailed and mostly stock under the hood with a little flash from a
chrome air cleaner replete with correct decals, finned valve
covers, long-tube headers, and an upgraded compressor for the
Vintage A/C system. Of course, maintenance items have been replaced
to keep it in top health and the factory-style carb and MSD
ignition ensure reliability. The power is transferred to the rear
wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission and a 10-bolt rear end and
manageable 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 chambered mufflers, so it sounds
great and may even make a few extra horsepower. This entire '77
road show rolls on black factory Z/28 with 225/70/15 blackwall
radials to complete the look.
So, to all of you Class of '77ish graduates wanting to relive those
happy days, begin your journey back in time and call today!