The 1972 Chevrolet Camaro is the rarest in terms of production for the second-generation cars, thanks to a UAW strike that lasted nearly six months, cutting production to around 80,000 units that year. That’s still a pretty good amount of 1972 Camaros out there, but of that number, just 2,575 Z28 examples were made, making this one a standout in the marketplace. This one’s got plenty of positives, but it’s at a point where the next owner will have to decide whether to preserve what’s largely original or bring the cosmetics up to a higher level. This 1972 Camaro Z28 is currently in Fort Worth, Texas, and can be spotted here on eBay, where just two bids so far have taken the price to $24,272.
The seller calls this one a survivor, and based on the criteria we like to use at Barn Finds to deem a car such, it’s certainly close. The Sequoia Green paint is said to be original, with some chips and touch-ups consistent with its age, including patina. The driver’s door appears that it may have been resprayed at some point, as it’s an ever-so-slightly different shade from the rest of the panels. Even with some visible imperfections on the outside, the sheet metal seems solid for the most part, and I’m enjoying how this one presents. I’d probably wait a while before prepping the body for a fresh paint job, but could also understand an eager enthusiast wanting to undertake this task immediately.
The good news continues under the hood, as this Z is reported to still have its numbers-matching 350 in place along with the close-ratio Muncie M21 4-speed. The owner states that the Camaro runs powerfully yet smoothly, providing a good driving experience and an unmistakable Z28 exhaust tone. Sadly, there are no prior ownership or maintenance records, but the seller is confident that the photos and correct serial numbers speak for themselves, assuring potential buyers that great care has been taken to maintain the car’s original components.
Inside, the original interior is very well preserved overall, with only the driver’s seat noted as showing any visible wear and tear. The front part of the dash pad has warped a bit in the hot Texas sun over the years, but that’s a quick fix. Fortunately, the radio is included, though it’s not presently functioning. While I can easily comprehend the desire to take this one to the next stage cosmetically, there’s something that makes me hesitate and want to just preserve this 1972 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 the way it is for the time being. What would you do here?
This Camaro has a good drivetrain but does need body work/repaint. Dash looks warped a little and the drivers seat needs work. It has survived the times and seems like a decent car but price should be lower,still a decent car!
My friend, if you can find and buy a Z in this condition for this price; you need to buy a bunch and set them back. This is a gimme, that is going to go higher than 25 thou.
One day in 1972, I was a spoiled kid who was about to get a new car. My VW Beetle just wouldn’t cut it (or so I thought). Spoiled, because my mother was writing the check for the new car. We were in Rutland Vermont and pulled into the Pontiac dealership where I saw and immediately wanted to buy a new Lemans-GT, right on the showroom floor. It looked just like a GTO to me. I didn’t care that it only had a floor mounted 3 speed, no power steering and only a 180HP 350 V8. Done deal. Over the next year I determined it was not much of a car, performance wise and quality wise, mostly just looked good. To this day, I regret not driving a couple of miles further down the road in Rutland, in 1972 to the Chevy dealer, where for a little more money, I could have gotten a brand new Z-28. Like the one here only new. Sigh. I can’t really complain. I was lucky, as it was.
Yeah,but how much would insurance have been on a Z28?
A good question I never had to ask.
perfect to just leave alone,and enjoy as is…seems like every one of these has been “restored”…They are only this way,once….
she’s had a thrashing for sure.
Yep or I need glasses…..looks like at least a repaint of the drivers door and some other areas….still one you don’t see….
I don’t mean to be a Richard but as a Devoted Blue Oval Guy even I know the GM strike that curtailed Camaro production was actually called in 1970…Most people reading this will likely know the ALL NEW Second Generation Camaro debuted for the 1970 Model Year…A strike at the Norwood Ohio GM assembly plant delayed production for six full months…For this reason GM opted to informally characterize the subsequent debut of the Second Generation of the Camaro as a 1970 ½ model…This meant 1971 was the FIRST FULL Model Year of Second Generation Camaro production…With all of that typed, the VERY COOL example here is still QUITE RELATIVELY RARE, partially due to the rapidly rising cost of insuring ANY vehicle that offered – or was PERCEIVED as offering – anything remotely resembling High Performance…Good Luck With The Sale!!!
Well, I learned something today…A good friend of mine who has been active in the car hobby for DECADES with long membership in the National Camaro Club schooled me on the peculiarities of the 1972 Model Year Camaro…There was INDEED a strike in 1972 – Again, at Norwood, Ohio GM Assembly Plant – that curtailed production volume and also resulted in roughly 1,100 BRAND NEW Camaro models being SCRAPPED due to their inability to meet stricter new federal low speed impact safety bumper standards…As noted above this limited the number of Z28 units to just 2,575 for the 1972 Model Year…You learn something new every day, at least if you pay attention and keep an open mind…I regret the error and I am happy to set the record straight…GLWS!!!
Robert T Nash, that brings back a high school memory! I attended the “Skills Center”, kind of like a trade school, for half a day as a high school junior and senior in 1972 and 1973 in Grand Rapids, MI. I was taking auto mechanics, and one day when I arrived for class, there was a beautiful red ’72 Z28 Camaro parked right outside the entrance. A few of my classmates were gathered around it drooling over it. The instructor said that there were a bunch of them that couldn’t be sold to the public (I couldn’t remember the reason) and it was disabled somehow and on loan to us, and we were supposed to trouble shoot and figure out why it wouldn’t run. Our class didn’t solve it, but the afternoon class did. The car then moved on to another school as I recall.
Last year of the Solid Lifter Z! Love second Gen
Love this generation of Camaro!! Z/28 makes it just that much better!!
So…by 72 what was the horsepower on the 350 in a Z28? I know in 70 they came with an LT1 with 360 HP but by 72 wouldn’t it have been quite a bit lower with 8.5/1 compression? That’s what was in my 71 SS Nova. rated at 270 HP I think. Regardless, I love this car…
They were not that far off, if you convert gross to net for ’72. The ’72 net rating was 270 HP. The ’71 gross rating was 330, with 275 for net. Effectively, no difference at all. The compression was actually 9.0:1 on the LT-1s starting in ’71 and continued that way through the L-82 years. The ’70 LT-1 was 370 gross, so probably was more like 300 net. It had 11:1 compression for ’70.
Almost everyone misunderstands the impact of the compression drop by the way and overrates its significance. The big power loss experienced in the smog era was mostly due to the detuning required to support lean fuel mixtures and didn’t hit that hard until ’73 for most engines, if not even until ’75 on some. Lean fuel mixtures require less spark advance, and less free-flowing exhaust. Improve the fuel curve (richer) and the advance can be put back in and better exhaust can be used. Even 8.5 compression works well when those things can exist.
The Super Duty Pontiacs in 73-74 ran very well for Lower Compression engines, i guess those Pontiac engineers knew what they were doing with the 455 Super Duty cars, probably the most potent engine that came outta Detroit for those years.
Thanks, Jason. That answers my question. Also wondered why there weren’t many 72 Zs! As someone else said above, learn something new every day! Also explains why many of cars of those years responded so well to installation of headers, hi rise and a Holley!
The Z28 emblems on the front fenders are not positioned correctly; they should be farther forward. Sorry, but as a former 74 Z28 owner bought nearly new, little detail errors like that bother me.
Should there be an air pump on this motor? Did yours have 1?
I’m not sure about the 72 model, but yes, the engine in my 74 had the A.I.R. pump.
I had a brand new 72 Z/28 with the M22 4 speed and it had an air pump for sure. I removed it and some other modifications including straight though 67 Corvette side pipes and it was a screamer!
15k
Only 1,286 Trans Ams were sold in 1972 due to the strike! Hard to believe the unfinished ’72s could not be converted to ’73s – or finished as ’72s & sold used.
Adding yellow Lakewood slapper bars would significantly bring the day two vibe back. LOL
SOLD for $27,100.
9 bids.