What Is The Z/28 Missing?

[orthojoe]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

What you're asking for is called "revisionist history". If you could start from scratch today without either designation being in the past, sure, but what was done has already been done and can't be undone.

For those of us who were there "back in the day" (and probably some of the younger but more conscientious readers of automotive history), that would ALWAYS feel "backward". The ZL1 was always about big torque and brute power first/last/always, while the Z/28 was about having a more even "balance" between adequate high-revving power and the other performance attributes.

Maybe it's the complainers who need to adjust their thinking and get past the dilution of the Z/28 name by its Z28 descendants (not that the Z28s were all that bad for their time).




The name doesn't make it any faster, although it absolutely is a nice move for those who remember the original Trans-Am series to have a completely worthy successor to the name once again. That said, calling this the ZL1 (with that designation's drag racing connotation) would be flat-out wrong.


Ultimately, the important thing is that a street-legal car as single-purpose and as close to affordable as this . . . is even being built. If it's too Spartan for most peoples' usual purposes and preferences, that's not really the car's problem. "Halo cars" aren't necessarily for everybody.


Norm

Totally agree with you. The only reason I suggested 'switching badges' was to point out how silly the 'wanna-be' whiners are.

I was at Sonoma Raceway this past weekend and there was (I think) a ZL1 just tearing it up at the track. The car blew my doors off. I can only imaging what the new Z/28 will do...

Skip to 12:33 to see the Camaro


This was the car:
http://www.caliphotography.com/photo...#image=3075571

[Zfatuated]

Originally Posted by orthojoe

I was at Sonoma Raceway this past weekend and there was (I think) a ZL1 just tearing it up at the track. The car blew my doors off. I can only imaging what the new Z/28 will do...

Was looking at all the photos, man, soup to nuts there at that event eh? Little bit of everything cool. Looked like incredible fun.

[Bhobbs]

Originally Posted by orthojoe

I don't think you quite understand what I was getting at. Take away all the badges and preconceived ideas of what a Z/28 should be. Then look at the current ZL1 just on paper with out the ZL1 name. Erase ZL1, put in Z/28 name, and 99% of the complainers will be happy.

I personally could care less if the new Z/28 lost the badge was named something totally different/stupid. I'm looking for what the car was built for. Label it whatever you want. I don't care.

That's because 99% of the complainers don't understand the point of the Z/28. The Z/28 was not built for them so why change it to make them happy when there are other Camaros that do what they want already?

[orthojoe]

Originally Posted by Zfatuated

Was looking at all the photos, man, soup to nuts there at that event eh? Little bit of everything cool. Looked like incredible fun.

That it WAS. I think the fastest car there that day was the red viper. Impressive considering most of the vipers I see are driven horribly. Not this one. It was impressive.

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

That's because 99% of the complainers don't understand the point of the Z/28. The Z/28 was not built for them so why change it to make them happy when there are other Camaros that do what they want already?

100% agree with you. I don't think the name should be changed. I'm just saying that if it was changed, the whiners would stop.

[RXV_POOR]

Originally Posted by Doc

Absolutely you can for less than half that. Wheels and tires about $3k, should remove about 40 lbs total; battery $150... 25-30 lbs of reduction; Racing Brake rotors, lines and pads... about $2,500, reduces weight by about 24 lbs.; remove engine cover... -5 lbs. All that together is 89-94 lbs of reduction with most of it unsprung rotating weight. So for roughly $6k on top of a 1LE you have a great track car.

The Z/28 will have all kinds of exotic goodies you won't, but you won't be out another $20k for it either. For $20k you can buy tires and brake pads for years worth of driving fun. You can always add power later; get good with the car as it is on the track and you'll better be able to use power when you do add it.

A hood, trunk lid, suspension, clutch, fly wheel, drive shaft, brake rotors, crank pully should give me over 100 lbs. The next things would be to work on aero, wider wheels, fenders, cooling, brake ducting. After that power adders probably a turbo.

[adamgl]

Cylinder heads that won't grenade the engine after 5,000 - 30,000 miles.

Lol, seriously though. If you're going to void your warranty with a tune or other parts, You def. need to watch your valve guide clearances closely. And preferably get solid stainless exh. valves and bronze guides. Might as well have the heads ported and machined for a little higher comp. at the same time.

[Bhobbs]

Originally Posted by adamgl

Cylinder heads that won't grenade the engine after 5,000 - 30,000 miles.

Lol, seriously though. If you're going to void your warranty with a tune or other parts, You def. need to watch your valve guide clearances closely. And preferably get solid stainless exh. valves and bronze guides. Might as well have the heads ported and machined for a little higher comp. at the same time.

With all that work, you might as well buy aftermarket heads.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by RXV_POOR

A hood, trunk lid, suspension, clutch, fly wheel, drive shaft, brake rotors, crank pully should give me over 100 lbs. The next things would be to work on aero, wider wheels, fenders, cooling, brake ducting. After that power adders probably a turbo.

If you're going to spend that much, might as well start with a Z/28.

[adamgl]

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

With all that work, you might as well buy aftermarket heads.

Cost about the same to get PRC heads or have WCCH mod your stock ones. Very similar results.

Mast ported at WCCH would be even better, but also more expensive.

[RXV_POOR]

Originally Posted by Doc

If you're going to spend that much, might as well start with a Z/28.

Hence my dilemma