383 Stroker V8! 1970 Chevrolet Camaro

The second generation of the Chevy Camaro debuted in the middle of the 1970 model year. Unlike its predecessors that were somewhat rushed into production to compete against the popular new Ford Mustang, these autos were all-new. The renewed Camaro would be longer and lower than before and provided a foundation that led to a 12-year production run. This ’70 Camaro looks okay overall but needs some TLC. But the big news is the presence of a 383 “Stroker” V8 under the hood, a non-production engine that debuted several years later. At 495 hp, we’re guessing this car could dominate in any streetlight standoff it found itself in. Located in Concord, California, this Chevy is available here on craigslist for $21,500. Thanks for the cool trip, MattR.

Initial production delays caused the ’70 Camaro to not arrive at Chevy dealerships until February of 1970. As is the case with the early Mustangs, there was no half-year model designation for these Camaros (in other words, no 1970 ½ editions). The short production cycle resulted in fewer cars associated with the 1970 model year, 125,000 in total (90% were equipped with V8 engines). The Rally Sport, Super Sport, and Z28 editions were still part of the mix, although the seller’s car is none of those, apparently just a “regular: Camaro.

We don’t know how the seller’s ’70 Camaro was equipped when it left the factory, but the Stroker V8 was added later. The transmission is a TH-400, usually paired with big-block engines. The car’s mileage is said to be just 5,700, which could be either 105,700 or the mileage on the machine since the engine swap was made. The motor produces 1.29 horsepower per cubic or 125 more than the most powerful 396 V8 offered that year.

This car is green-over-green in color and the exterior has its fair share of patina on the rise. Rust doesn’t seem to be a problem, so perhaps a new coat of paint would do wonders for the 52-year-old car. The interior looks stock and has a few tears in the upholstery, so some amount of time and energy is going to need to be devoted to the passenger compartment. The seller doesn’t mention how well the car runs, but we suspect it would surprise a lot of onlookers it wore stock wheels with aluminum covers.

For trivia buffs, the 1970 Camaro was the only year that a 12-bolt rear-end would be installed in 2^nd generation performance models, variable-ratio power steering debuted that year, front disc brakes were standard, the ’70 was the only year with low-back bucket seats with headrests, and the sun visors were longer than in other models.