1969 ZL1 Camaro – Classic Muscle Car

Tuesday, 26th January 2010

The 1969 ZL1 Camaro is in a class all of its own but it would have to be described as the ultimate classic Muscle Car. I would recommend this one for your garage. The ZL1 Camaro was based on the Corvette iron block/iron heads L88, but was updated with other extras like open chamber heads that moved cubic tons of volume and had an enormous amount of horsepower and torque.

This baby was equipped with the same items as other 427 COPO Camaros, with the cowl-induction hood, front disc brakes, a choice of heavy-duty four-speeds or Turbo Hydra-matic, and a 4:10.1 Posi in the strongest axle Chevy could produce. This Camaro was fitted with a 427 block called the ZL1 instead of the iron-block and head L72 427.

The ZL1 was the most powerful engine Chevy made, having over 500 bhp and weighing in at just 227 kg – about the same as Chevy’s 327-cid V-8. This Camaro came with a 5 year/80,000 km warranty and was street legal. With just stock factory dual exhausts and tires it got around the 13 seconds; with headers, slicks and being tuned it then was able to get 11.6 seconds.

The ZL1 was a very expensive car for it’s time, the engine alone cost $4,160 and the total cost of the car was $7,200. Chevy was required to produce at least 50 of this Camaro to satisfy the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), and actually built 69. Approximately 20 of the ZL1s went into organised drag racing and were setting Super Stock records with 10 seconds. Because the price was so high made it difficult to sell this Camaro. Well off customers bought some of these cars, at least 12 engines were sold separately and around 30 unsold cars were sent back to Chevy and it wasn’t until the early 1970′s that all the cars got sold.