1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Only 69 made.
Overshadowing these dealer modified Camaros was the factory Camaro ZL1. Specially designed to compete in the NHRA Super Stock drag classes, Chevrolet made it an option under the COPO system (code 9560). The cars began as SS396/375bhp Camaros with the F41 suspension.
The car was blessed with a 5 year/50,000 mile warranty and was fully street legal. With factory exhausts and tires, it turned low 13s; with headers and slicks, it could turn 11.6s @ 122mph. This was the fastest car ever produced by Chevrolet. Performance had its price - $4,160 for the ZL1 engine alone pushing the price of the Camaro ZL1 to an unbelieveable $7,200 (about double the price for a SS396 Camaro).
Chevy needed to build 50 to qualify the car for racing, and in the end built 69 Camaros and 2 Corvettes with the ZL-1 engine. Their high price made them difficult to sell and at least 12 engines were removed and about 30 cars were returned back to Chevrolet.
It took until the early 1970s to sell them all. One can only wonder what they are worth today.
(COPO 9560) 427/430bhp: 0-60 in 5.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.16 sec @ 110 mph.
(source: musclecarclub)
Overshadowing these dealer modified Camaros was the factory Camaro ZL1. Specially designed to compete in the NHRA Super Stock drag classes, Chevrolet made it an option under the COPO system (code 9560). The cars began as SS396/375bhp Camaros with the F41 suspension.
Developed from a power unit used in Can-Am
racing, the ZL-1 engine was built of cast aluminum to reduce overall
weight by more than 100 pounds. Installed in just 69 Camaros, the
optional engine added a staggering $4,160 to the $2,726 base price of
the car and was available on special order only. This is one of two
ZL-1s equipped with the COPO Yenko Sports Car Conversion, which included
a front anti-sway bar, special wheels and a 140-mile per hour
speedometer and other performance enhancements. With fewer than 24,000
miles on the odometer, this rare Camaro survives in unrestored
condition. Price when new: $6,866. (from the collection of Dr. Greg
Joseph and Family).
The SS trim and engine were deleted, and the 427 engine,
cowl-induction hood, front disc brakes, a choice of heavy duty 4 speed
transmissions or Turbo Hydra-matic, and a 4:10 posi axle were added. But
instead of the regular iron-block and head L72 found in the dealer
installed Camaros, the ZL1 sported aluminum heads and the first aluminum
block ever made by Chevrolet. It shared the L88 aluminum head/iron
block's engine rating of 430 bhp but made closer to 500 bhp -- making it
probably the most powerful engine Chevrolet ever offered to the public.
And the engine weighed just 500 pounds, the same as Chevy's 327 small
block.The car was blessed with a 5 year/50,000 mile warranty and was fully street legal. With factory exhausts and tires, it turned low 13s; with headers and slicks, it could turn 11.6s @ 122mph. This was the fastest car ever produced by Chevrolet. Performance had its price - $4,160 for the ZL1 engine alone pushing the price of the Camaro ZL1 to an unbelieveable $7,200 (about double the price for a SS396 Camaro).
Chevy needed to build 50 to qualify the car for racing, and in the end built 69 Camaros and 2 Corvettes with the ZL-1 engine. Their high price made them difficult to sell and at least 12 engines were removed and about 30 cars were returned back to Chevrolet.
It took until the early 1970s to sell them all. One can only wonder what they are worth today.
(COPO 9560) 427/430bhp: 0-60 in 5.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.16 sec @ 110 mph.
(source: musclecarclub)
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