1973 Z28 Camaro

[jbsides]

I bought a new red '73 LT off the showroom floor ($4400US) in the fall of '72. No stripes, no spoilers, with the 5-spokes and what I believed to be the same motor as was in the Z28 backed by a TH400. I remember the salesman telling me that was how to get around paying the extra insurance for the badging. Had finned valvecovers.
A couple years later I purchased a green '73 LT with 5-spokes and it HAD spoilers AND stripes (which were painted on and they had cracked) with A/C and a Saginaw 4-speed with a posi 10-bolt. Is this what is being referred to as an LT Z28, or is it something different? Don't recall the Vin letter.

JB

[Bill Pritchard]

JB,

If the red Type LT you bought new had a T400 and finned valve covers, it definitely had the Z28 option. The green one you bought a couple years later.....hard to say, as people did a lot of things to those cars fairly soon after purchase. It could have been a Type LT Z28 that someone had the stripes painted on, or it could have been just a Type LT without the Z28 option that someone added the wheels and painted the stripes. The 73 Z28 cars that had stripes from the factory were painted on stripes, not decals.

73 was the only year that a Camaro could be a Type LT/Z28/Rally Sport (all 3 on the same car).

[firstgenaddict]

Finned covers factory in 73 is L82/Z28.

As far as the 4 spd goes, if I am not mistaken with the A/C you got the Saginaw... without you got the Muncie or maybe trans was related to gear ratio?

[Bill Pritchard]

A few pictures of my 73. First two when it was still pretty new and being used as a daily driver...







Next three in about 1978, after I had a custom paint job and did some engine work. Can you say "Day Two"?

[hubleyman]

I’ve owned many original paint 1973 Camaros Z/28’s, most of which were silver with black interior (one of my weaknesses). All of the Type LT Z/28’s, with or without the RS option, did not include the sport stripes or Z/28 badges. I’m currently wrapping up a frame off resto on my silver 73 RS/LT/Z28 with 4 speed and A/C. This car was factory equipped with spoilers, but the only visible exterior Z/28 specific details are the wheels and tires.
I’m really leaning towards painting stripes on this one when it’s done, because these cars just don’t have the same look without them…. but the car is so correct otherwise I might not…
I was always under the impression that spoilers were included with the Z/28 package in 1973 and optional on the other non-Z/28 models. Only one of my 73 Z/28’s did not have spoilers. This was an original paint car that I purchased from the original owner in Sacramento back in the late 70‘s. He and his brother ordered matching 73 Z’s and told me he had to special order the cars without spoilers. The original factory applied paint stripes on the deck lid were botched up where they would have met the front lip of the spoiler and then run up and over the top. It looked like the factory had to cut the stencil to shorten it and didn’t align the two pieces properly. So even though stripes may have been optional, it appeared to me that the factory had to modify their procedures for applying the stripes if a Z/28 was ordered without the spoiler package…

[mockingbird812]

SAWEEET Bill. Looks real good!! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] I just love that SEVEN of your buds all got together and bought your Z's together. Did you get a killer deal as a result?

[copo69]

I bought my '73 Z in 1974 from a little blond who ran a classified ad saying she had to sell her second love in order to marry her first. I was in college and through the next few years it got almost the same mods as Bill's. 69 Z intake, angle plug heads, 780 Holley, Cam Dynamics cam, headers, looser converter and shift kit. Cragar S/S mags with L60's on rear and g78's on the front. White rally sport with no stripes and it ran really well. In the early 80's decided to return it to bone stock and still have it today. 16k miles and original paint. Very neat car to drive but I miss the day 2 stuff.

[al8apex]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hubleyman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I’ve owned many original paint 1973 Camaros Z/28’s, most of which were silver with black interior (one of my weaknesses). All of the Type LT Z/28’s, with or without the RS option, did not include the sport stripes or Z/28 badges. I’m currently wrapping up a frame off resto on my silver 73 RS/LT/Z28 with 4 speed and A/C. This car was factory equipped with spoilers, but the only visible exterior Z/28 specific details are the wheels and tires.
I’m really leaning towards painting stripes on this one when it’s done, because these cars just don’t have the same look without them…. but the car is so correct otherwise I might not…
<span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">I was always under the impression that spoilers were included with the Z/28 package in 1</span>973</span> and optional on the other non-Z/28 models. Only one of my 73 Z/28’s did not have spoilers. This was an original paint car that I purchased from the original owner in Sacramento back in the late 70‘s. He and his brother ordered matching 73 Z’s and told me he had to special order the cars without spoilers. The original factory applied paint stripes on the deck lid were botched up where they would have met the front lip of the spoiler and then run up and over the top. It looked like the factory had to cut the stencil to shorten it and didn’t align the two pieces properly. So even though stripes may have been optional, it appeared to me that the factory had to modify their procedures for applying the stripes if a Z/28 was ordered without the spoiler package…
</div></div>

nope, NONE of the 73 Z28's had stripes OR spoilers &quot;standard&quot; they were both options you had to select and pay for.

RPO D80 at $77 for the spoilers
RPO D88 at $77 for the stripes

the RPO D88 states &quot;not available with Type LT&quot;

1972 was the 1st year that 2nd gens had spoilers optional, the short spoiler WAS standard in 1970 and 1971. The taller one was optional in 1971.

[al8apex]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jbsides</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I bought a new red '73 LT off the showroom floor ($4400US) in the fall of '72. No stripes, no spoilers, with the 5-spokes and what I believed to be the same motor as was in the Z28 backed by a TH400. I remember the salesman telling me that was how to get around paying the extra insurance for the badging. Had finned valvecovers.
A couple years later I purchased a green '73 LT with 5-spokes and it HAD spoilers AND stripes (which were painted on and they had cracked) with A/C and a <span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">Saginaw 4-sp</span>eed</span> with a posi 10-bolt. Is this what is being referred to as an LT Z28, or is it something different? Don't recall the Vin letter.

JB </div></div>

no Saginaw transmissions were installed in Z28's - a PLAIN Type LT with a 4 speed (non Z28) would have a Saginaw, not a Z28 though.

Since someone painted stripes on it it was probably an attempt to &quot;make&quot; a Z28 out of something that wasn't (that NEVER happened/happens does it? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img] )

It was likely an early clone or tribute car, not a LT Z28

[al8apex]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: copo69</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I bought my '73 Z in 1974 from a little blond who ran a classified ad saying she had to sell her second love in order to marry her first. I


</div></div>

Is that the blonde you bought it from and are those Nancy Sinatra's boots? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]