1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

Description

Camaro enthusiasts know their hardware, and when Camaro Milestones magazine picked seven sure-fire Camaro investments for the future, #4 was this 1979 Z/28 – not one just LIKE this, but THIS actual car. In fact, this car wasn't just featured inside the magazine, it was actually chosen for the cover. Not bad, eh? It's not hard to figure out why these have gotten so hot – loaded with a 4-speed and a radical graphics package, it easily rivaled the Trans Am for the must-have car of 1979. This particular example is a great choice if you're going to follow the editors' advice and pick up one of these underrated performance cars before the rest of the market catches on.

For 1979, the Camaro was once again freshened, getting a wrap-around front air dam and lots of colorful graphics on the body. So many of these were beaten to death during their (and our) youth that finding a clean one like this that still carries its original, numbers-matching engine and straight, clean, unmodified bodywork is rather rare. It's been repainted, but they resisted the urge to "modernize" it and instead returned it to a factory-fresh looking silver that went over some very straight sheetmetal. Reproduction Z/28 decals (this is a real Z/28) were installed, replicating the disco era's hottest ride, and details like the stainless trim and taillights were shined up and reinstalled. If you were there, you know how cool these were and if you're too young, well, you probably wouldn't get it anyway. Suffice to say that this Camaro still looks like the car we all dreamed of owning.

Like the cover car on that issue of "Camaro Milestones," this Z also carries a stunning red bucket seat interior. The high-back buckets combine vinyl and textured fabric to make a comfortable yet grippy set of seats, and they're in outstanding condition. The center console is remarkably simple for GM of the period, but there's no mistaking the look of 4-speed shifter sticking out of the middle. Even the steering wheel is in great shape, and is one of GM's more interesting designs, intended to emulate vintage racing wheels with string-wrapped rims that were easier to grip. Heck, even the original AM/FM radio is still in the dash, which only adds to the investment potential of this F-body. The trunk is also brightly finished in correct spatter-finish paint and contains what might be the original space-saver spare.

Big blocks were off the options list in 1979, but a rocking 350 cubic inch V8 is nothing to sneeze at, particularly in Z/28 guise. The engine bay in this Z looks incredibly fresh and almost completely stock, meaning that not only was this a good original car, but that someone spent the time and money to take it back to stock condition. It starts easily and runs beautifully thanks to an electronic ignition system and sounds awesome with a new stainless exhaust system underneath. Other new components include the alternator and the master cylinder, and it sure looks like someone spent a lot of extra time on the undercarriage and suspension, which are in excellent condition. Correct charcoal-gray Z/28 wheels do a great impression of a vintage Torque Thrust and wear modern 235/60/15 Yokohama radials.

Was the magazine correct in its prediction? If our recent sales are any indication, it seems like these late second-gen Camaros are red hot-we can't seem to keep them in stock. So don't delay, call now!