Quote:
Originally Posted by PalmerGA
Nothing "cool" about it though. It was quite ugly and cheap looking - as were most American made cars of the early 80s. And a 2.5L 4 cylinder? PLEASE! How embarrassing.
|
It may look that way now, but it was very cool at the time. I remember drooling over an '82 Z28.
You need to compare it to the others cars on the road at that time. In the early 80's the Firebird was the Camaro's ugly cousin, the Mustang was just a shortened Fairmont and it looked it. Most of the Camaros on the roads at the time were from the mid-seventies and had those big, ugly, dodge-em car aluminum bumpers.
Trust me, when the 82 Z28 hit the streets, it was like a breath of fresh air. And yes, there was a 4 cylinder version, but only in the base model. I only ever remember seeing one. It was a huge flop and they dropped it after a couple years.
By '83, there was a L69 HO version with a 5 speed. By '85, there was a face-lift, an IROC version and Tuned Port Injection. By '87, the 350 was back, with TPI. The rest, as they say, is history. But, it really was the 82 Z28 that started the turn around in performance cars. Before it, every new year brought a decrease in performance. After it, every new year brought an increase in performance.
__________________
2010 RJT 2SS M6, Kooks Long Tubes, NPP Exhaust, CAI Cold Air w/Jannetty Scoop, RotoFab Washer Bottle, Elite Engineering Catch Can, MGW Shifter w/ZL1 Shaft and Knob, 2015 SS Sedan Steering Wheel and Air Bag, 2012 Heater Hose Conversion, 2012 Power Seat Conversion, RS Head Lights,Gen5DIY RS Conversion Harness, LED Fog Lamp Bulbs, Backup Camera Kit, NLP Spoiler, SLP Splitter, ZL1 Rockers and Diffuser, Color Matched Shark Fin, RS Roof Mouldings, Painted White Stripes, WCC LS3 Emblems, Heritage Grille and Blacked Out Tail Light Panel w/Retro SS Emblems, 416 RWHP, 411 RWT, Tuned by BlueCat.