1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Restomod

Description

The verdict is in and the jury here at Streetside Classics says that this 1979 Camaro Z/28 is the fastest, nastiest, most fun-to-drive 2nd generation F-body we've ever seen. At first glance, it looks like a high-grade restoration, but looking closer, you'll find a host of upgrades that make it more than a match for cars a fraction of its age.

The gold paint sure gives this Camaro a late-70s vibe that's totally appropriate, but nothing on the road had a shine like this. Stripped and rebuilt from the sheetmetal on up, the gorgeous paint is show-worthy and has an impossible gloss that highlights the fact that this is a really good-looking car. The chin spoiler, cool hood scoop, and ducktail on the back are familiar Z/28 styling cues that made it through the transformation completely intact, along with the blacked-out grille and headlight buckets up front. A set of correct reproduction decals went on to preserve that 1979 look, and if you weren't paying attention to the tire sizes, it would be quite easy to think this was just another low-performance Camaro from the dark ages of horsepower. And you'd be embarrassingly wrong.

The interior was completely restored as well, and once again, they resisted the urge to massively update it and instead stuck with factory equipment. The high-back buckets are firm and comfortable and the rear seats are like mini buckets that are completely unused and like new. Just about everything is new, including seat covers, carpets, door panels, and the headliner, and anything that wasn't up to snuff was replaced. The only notable deviations from stock are the auxiliary Auto Meter oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges under the dash and the trick Hurst shifter for the heavy-duty TH400 3-speed automatic transmission underneath. However, other items like the very cool steering wheel that looks like it's a string-wrapped unit from the 1920s, the brushed aluminum instrument panel, and all the factory instruments are still in place to give it a very OEM feel. Features include factory A/C (blowing ice cold by the way), a tilt column, and even the original AM/FM/8-track stereo in the center of the dash. The trunk is also nicely outfitted to give this Camaro a bit of a sleeper vibe, including fresh black carpets and a spare tire.

Where the original engine was a wheezing 350 that struggled to put out 180 horsepower, the powerplant living in this Camaro today is a 383 cubic inch GM Performance Parts crate motor belting out more than 450 horsepower. Some of the credit surely goes to a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads and a matching intake, as well as the extra cubes. It's dressed quite well, with finned valve covers that have been a Z/28 tradition, plus corporate blue engine enamel to at least hint at an OEM look. The factory A/C components are all there and this car comes with power steering and 4-wheel disc brakes to make it easy to manage in traffic. The chassis is augmented by subframe connectors that are really a good idea on T-top cars, as well as a beefy Dana 60 rear end with 4.11 gears inside that make this sucker insanely fast. Ceramic-coated Hooker headers dump into an X-pipe and a pair of Flowmasters, so the sound is just perfect, and a lot of new equipment underneath suggests this was a cost-no-object build. Trick 17-inch wheels from Year One look like the factory SS wheels, and now carry staggered 245/45/17 front and 275/40/17 rear Kumho performance radials.

Capable of running 11s in the quarter mile when properly set up, this astounding pro-touring Camaro finally delivers on the promise made by its outrageous looks. A truly amazing car. Call today!