Z28; Just a name or does it have a meaning?

[2MuchFun]

Z28; Just a name or does it have a meaning?

always wondered, did the first z have 280ci or what?

[SiggyZ]

Just a brand name for the Camaro as far as I know.

[luvmyz28]

I believe it has something to do with gm getting into the trans am series racing back in the late 60s. thats how the dz 302 z came up anyway. i could be wrong.

[blue02Z]

it first started as a SCCA trans am racer and had the dz 302. the first available ones came out in dec. 1966. there was only 602 '67 z/28's all were coupes

[Z ROADSTER]

When the first Z/28's hit the streets in 1967 they only came one way. HD suspension,4-speed,no AC,4.11 gears due to the very close ratio trans. with a 2.20 low gear.Average ET was low 15's but a good one with an athletic driver could manage some high 14's which was pretty quick back then. But of coarse was never a match for my 67 Chevelle SS 396/350HP 4-speed with 3.08 gears & wide ratio trans. With 2 ply red line tires at hilltop drag strip I took A-pure stock class trophy's at 13.80 & 108 MPH , and that was taking off in second gear cause low gear was useless.Later went to 3.73 gears -headers-and full slicks but never had a chance to run at the track again. Most of our racing back then was for money on the streets & yes some guys would run for pinks back then .

[hamburger68]

i read that it was an internal gm code. the project before was Z27... no meaning to it, as far as i know.

[hamburger68]

from camarosource.ca:

The "Z" in Z28 was not chosen to honor the legendary Zora Arkus-Duntov as has been reported. The Z28 designation was at first nothing more than another option code, along with others like Z23 for the Special Interior Group, or Z87 for the Custom Interior. But Z28 caught on with the public and ultimately became an official model name. However, Z28s built in 1967 had no external identification other than wide racing stripes.

[Z ROADSTER]

Yeah I think your probably right. I know in 1969 & 1970 the SS Chevelle engine was bored out to 402 CID but GM still called the SS engines " 396 " because that engine had such strong name recognition.The 396 was one bad ass engine.

[blue02Z]

i read that it was an internal gm code. the project before was Z27... no meaning to it, as far as i know.

the z27 was rpo code for the 350 SS

[67CamaroRSSS]

When the first Z/28's hit the streets in 1967 they only came one way. HD suspension,4-speed,no AC,4.11 gears due to the very close ratio trans. with a 2.20 low gear.Average ET was low 15's but a good one with an athletic driver could manage some high 14's which was pretty quick back then. But of coarse was never a match for my 67 Chevelle SS 396/350HP 4-speed with 3.08 gears & wide ratio trans. With 2 ply red line tires at hilltop drag strip I took A-pure stock class trophy's at 13.80 & 108 MPH , and that was taking off in second gear cause low gear was useless.Later went to 3.73 gears -headers-and full slicks but never had a chance to run at the track again. Most of our racing back then was for money on the streets & yes some guys would run for pinks back then .

4.11's would have been 4.10 (10 pinion/41 ring), but that was an optional ration. 3.73 was standard. Posi wasn't even mandatory. Tranny could be M20, M21, or M22 but it had to be manual - no auto. No AC either due to the solid lifter engine (same with 396/375). Disc brakes were mandatory also. RS was an option also.

[67CamaroRSSS]

Yeah I think your probably right. I know in 1969 & 1970 the SS Chevelle engine was bored out to 402 CID but GM still called the SS engines " 396 " because that engine had such strong name recognition.The 396 was one bad ass engine.

70 on up due to smog concerns. 69 was still 4.094" bore. 70 thru 72 was 4.125" bore. They did keep calling it a 396 because of all the advertising they had invested in the name.

[67CamaroRSSS]

it first started as a SCCA trans am racer and had the dz 302. the first available ones came out in dec. 1966. there was only 602 '67 z/28's all were coupes

WRONG! SCCA T/A racer yes. 67 and 68 blocks are MO (federal emmisions) or MP (with A.I.R.) code. Only 69 blocks are DZ code. You are correct that the Z28 wasn't available until midyear (Dec 66) and only 602 were made. This was due to an SCCA requirement of a minimum 500 cars having to be available to the public to qualify for racing. Check this site for verification: http://www.camaros.org/index.shtml

[RagTop]

It was Chevrolet's option number for the trans am racing package. It's like the Z71 4x4 pickup trucks. That's the factory opiton identification and Chevy decided it sounded tech and cool enough to use it as a model name.

[p_funk22]

It was Chevrolet's option number for the trans am racing package. It's like the Z71 4x4 pickup trucks. That's the factory opiton identification and Chevy decided it sounded tech and cool enough to use it as a model name.

Don't forget the Z24 Cavalier, Z26 Beretta, and Z34 Lumina, and of course...Z06 Vette.

[Z ROADSTER]

4.11's would have been 4.10 (10 pinion/41 ring), but that was an optional ration. 3.73 was standard. Posi wasn't even mandatory. Tranny could be M20, M21, or M22 but it had to be manual - no auto. No AC either due to the solid lifter engine (same with 396/375). Disc brakes were mandatory also. RS was an option also.

The M20 tranny was a 2.20 close ratio only , & was the only trans. available in the 1967 Z/28 which required the use of the 4.11 posi-unit because the little high rev. engine didn't have much torque down low in the rev range & needed the 4.11's to get it moving. But once going would rev to 7000 RPM . Them's the cold hard facts.

[67CamaroRSSS]

The M20 tranny was a 2.20 close ratio only , & was the only trans. available in the 1967 Z/28 which required the use of the 4.11 posi-unit because the little high rev. engine didn't have much torque down low in the rev range & needed the 4.11's to get it moving. But once going would rev to 7000 RPM . Them's the cold hard facts.

So you're saying that the Camaro White book along with all the experts are wrong???? I'll concede the "close ratio" M21 tranny in the 67 YM as the M22 wasn't available til 68 YM. The standard rear end ratio was 3.73 though and G80 (posi) was an option. Chevrolet (GM for that matter) never made a "4.11" gear ratio for the 12 bolt. Pinion is 10 teeth and ring is 41 teeth. This makes it a "4.10". I still stand by the info on this site: http://www.camaros.org/index.shtml

[twozs]

So you're saying that the Camaro White book along with all the experts are wrong???? I'll concede the "close ratio" M21 tranny in the 67 YM as the M22 wasn't available til 68 YM. The standard rear end ratio was 3.73 though and G80 (posi) was an option. Chevrolet (GM for that matter) never made a "4.11" gear ratio for the 12 bolt. Pinion is 10 teeth and ring is 41 teeth. This makes it a "4.10". I still stand by the info on this site: http://www.camaros.org/index.shtml

ugh yea ! the camaro white book is wrong beacause it states that in 73 air conditioning was available on the z28 for the first time but not with a 4 speed and i own a 73 z28 with air and a 4 speed wide raito muncie. so if their facts arent straight about that then what else. it was my understanding that posi /373 was standard and posi 410 was optinal but allways posi on a z

[slims00ls1z28]

Rear discs were also optional.

[SpurSS]

It was Chevrolet's option number for the trans am racing package. It's like the Z71 4x4 pickup trucks. That's the factory opiton identification and Chevy decided it sounded tech and cool enough to use it as a model name.

That gets my vote.

[Too Fast]

Yup option package number-------like WS6 is for Trans Ams.