Chevrolet Camaro 1970 Z28

A rule change in SCCA Trans-Am racing forced Chevrolet to rethink the Z/28’s engine for 1970, swapping in the Corvette-sourced LT1 350 and wrapping it in a completely redesigned second-generation body. With only 8,733 built that model year, the 1970 Z/28 became an instant turning point for the nameplate. Here’s what changed under the hood and why this year still stands out to collectors.

The Camaro was all-new for 1970, and the Z28 is loaded with the also-new LT1 350. The LT1 350 had a higher horsepower rating than the big block, and the Z28’s performance tuned suspension was one of the best you could get in ’70!!

Rule changes in racing rarely trickle down to street cars in a way regular buyers actually notice, but 1970 was an exception. When SCCA officials rewrote the displacement limits for Trans-Am competition that year, it forced Chevrolet’s engineers to completely rethink the engine sitting under the hood of their homologation special, and the result reshaped one of the most respected nameplates in muscle car history. Wrapped in a completely redesigned body that ditched the outgoing generation’s familiar face, the new car looked like nothing that came before it. Buyers who wanted the real deal had to check off a specific list of mandatory extras just to get the car Chevy intended it to be. So what exactly changed under the skin, and why do collectors still consider this particular model year such a turning point?

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

A Rule Change That Rewrote the Engine Bay

Through 1969, the Z/28 ran a small 302 specifically to squeeze under SCCA’s old 305 cubic inch Trans-Am displacement limit, but when the rules opened up to allow engines as large as 350 cid for 1970, Chevrolet swapped in the Corvette’s LT1 350 and never looked back. The LT1 made 360 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, running solid lifters, an aggressive cam, big valves, forged aluminum pistons, and 11.0:1 compression feeding through a 780-cfm Holley four-barrel — genuinely serious hardware for a street car, and a noticeable step up from the outgoing 302’s power delivery.

An All-New Body for an All-New Decade

1970 also brought a completely redesigned second-generation Camaro body, and the Z/28 wore it well — a larger rear spoiler, a revised rear bumper, a smaller grille flanked by headlights pushed further outboard, and a wider, flatter hood that dropped the previous generation’s cowl-induction scoop in favor of a cleaner look. Buyers who wanted the full Z/28 experience had to spring for the mandatory Hurst-shifted Muncie four-speed, priced at $206, along with Positraction gearing that came standard at 3.73:1 with a 4.10:1 option for those who wanted even more aggressive acceleration off the line.

A Genuinely Limited First Year

Chevrolet built just 8,733 Z/28s for the 1970 model year, a surprisingly small number for a car that’s since become one of the most celebrated Camaros of the entire muscle car era. Between the all-new LT1, the redesigned body, and the mandatory options list that weeded out casual buyers, the ’70 Z/28 earned its reputation as one of the best-handling, best-balanced muscle cars Detroit built during the period — a genuine driver’s car wrapped in a package that still turns heads more than five decades later.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter