Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Cross Ram/4 Speed: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

The buyer of this 1969 Camaro Z/28 is going to have some decisions to make. The vehicle has undergone a few changes in its life, but reversing these would be a straightforward process. However, because it presents so well as it stands, the buyer might choose to leave it untouched in the short-term. Located in  Cypress, California, you will find the Camaro listed for sale here on eBay. With bidding sitting at $48,200, the reserve is yet to be met.

The Z/28 is an attractive looking car, and thanks to a life spent in California, it has managed to remain rust-free. The seller supplies no photos of the underside, but he is happy to place the car on a lift if potential buyers want to inspect the Camaro personally. That would suggest that he has nothing to hide with this classic. The first change to note is the vehicle’s color. It rolled off the production line wearing Fathom Green paint, but this has been changed to Butternut Yellow at some point. It has a few marks and flaws, but there is nothing visible that would suggest that a complete repaint would be required any time soon. That is where the buyer would need to make their first decision with this car. Would you touch up the flaws and leave the Camaro in its current color, or would you treat it to the full repaint in its original shade of Green? The panels themselves are straight and true, with no ripples or significant defects. The car is being offered with two different hoods. There is the steel cowl-induction hood that is currently fitted to the vehicle. Also included is a fiberglass hood designed for a Cross Ram induction system. It isn’t clear whether this latter item is the Heavy-Duty Service item that owners could buy over the counter at their local Chevrolet dealership or whether it is an aftermarket piece. The rest of the exterior is in better than average condition, with no problems worth noting with the wheels, chrome, or glass.

When it came to a “bang for your bucks” proposition, the 1969 Z/28 package wasn’t a bad one. Buyers had to dig into their pockets to find an additional $506.15 when they ordered their new Camaro, but it brought with it the sweet 302ci V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission. The official power figure quoted by Chevrolet was 290hp, but there are plenty of experts in the know who believe that the actual figure was well north of 300hp. Regardless of the truth, it was potent enough to propel the Z/28 through the ¼ mile in 15.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 131mph. This Camaro is a numbers-matching car, but it comes with a twist. Bolted to the top of that small-block is a genuine GM Cross Ram induction system. The aluminum intake has all of the correct markings and sports a pair of original Holley double-pumper carburetors. As was the case with the fiberglass hood, the complete Cross Ram package could be purchased over the counter from Chevrolet for a cool $500. That sounds like a bargain in 2021, but it did represent a significant outlay in 1969. This one is in good condition, with the carburetors receiving a recent rebuild at the Holley factory. I guess that it’s a case of getting the job done by the best in the business! The Z/28 is said to run and drive perfectly, with no issues or problems. It is ready for someone to hit the road for a bit of high-performance fun.

For those worried about the Cross Ram setup’s originality, you probably noticed that it was wearing the wrong air cleaner. There’s no need to fret about that because the original item is included in the sale. It is worth noting a few other points here. The original M21 transmission has received a recent rebuild, while the Camaro has been fitted with a new exhaust. The engine is also equipped with an electronic distributor, but the original dual-point component goes with the car.

Since the Camaro has received an external color change, it’s probably no surprise to learn that the interior has come in or the same treatment. Initially upholstered in Green, it has now been changed to Black. For buyers who aren’t worried about complete originality, they won’t need to spend a cent. The interior has recently been completely restored using a trim kit and is in as-new condition. As well as the color change, the shifter has been swapped to a Hurst Competition Plus item, but the original is included with the car. The original column has been replaced with a tilt, while a woodgrain wheel was installed during the restoration. It looks very purposeful, with the original gauges fitted to both the dash and console allowing the driver to monitor the health of the sweet V8 under the hood. This impression is further reinforced because this is a radio and heater delete car, suggesting that the original owner had their eye firmly focused on outright performance. While the lack of a heater might not be much of an issue in California, buyers in other parts of the country might find this to be strictly a Summer driver!

This 1969 Camaro Z/28 might not be 100% original, but returning it to that state should not be a difficult assignment. The fact that it is a numbers-matching classic that is rust-free would seem to make it worth the cost and effort. Spotless examples with a genuine Cross Ram induction system will easily command sale prices of more than $60,000. If the bidding on this one is getting close to the reserve, then restoring it would make financial sense in the short-term. If the price goes much higher and a potential buyer is passionate about undertaking the same process, they may need to play the long game and be prepared to retain the car for a while to recoup the outlay. Hmm, I can think of worse things than having a genuine Z/28 parked in my garage on a long-term basis.

Comments

  1. Avatar Freddy

    Nice car. I’m apparently one of the few people that like butternut yellow on this body style. I know of red, silver and blue Camaros that started in that color.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Steve R

    This is a nice car, but has been extensively modified. It looks like someone restored it as they would have ordered it back in 1969 and made changes accordingly. The interior and exterior color change, addition of the cross ram and tilt column point to that. I would also assume the radio and heated delete were later modifications too. Those parts have readily available through aftermarket vendors for years, I even had a friend that restores Camaros who had several sets of originals in his stockpile of OE options. Without a window sticker to that proves the car left the factory with any of these now desirable features, it’s wise to assume they were the product of an owner personalizing their toy and shouldn’t increase the value of the car.

    Steve R

    Like 15
  3. Avatar local_sheriff

    I’m a big fan of Butternut Yellow (actually I think it’s one of GM’s sweetest solid colors) but I don’t think it works so well here. Especially when I learn it was originally Fathom Green which is an outstanding hue on the Camaro’s small body. I don’t mind color changes as long as one sticks to period OE colors but in this case I’d want the green back.

    The ’69 Z/28 is IMO the most interesting of all the Camaros and such a high-winding SB together with the 4spd must be an extremely fun combo

    Like 22
    • Avatar TinCanSailor

      My 68 Impala SS Convertible was butternut yellow. I loved that color on my Impala… but I agree that it doesn’t look as good on a Z28!

      Like 4
  4. Avatar Mark P

    Operative sentence ” I can think of worse things than having a genuine Z/28 parked in my garage on a long-term basis” Focus on the word “parked”. At north of $50K can this be driven with any enjoyment, get the underside dirty, put miles on the odometer, park it anywhere out of your sight or possibly damage it and the investment part is gone. Or buy it and spend thousands making it original and again parking it. Don’t think I’m just envious because I don’t have $50-60K for a car like this. I just don’t get the possessing it just to look at it.

    Like 17
    • Avatar Nate

      People drive $50-60k cars every day. I wouldn’t be afraid to drive it. It’s not like it’s some special 1-off or low mileage vehicle. This is just a fun car, that’s gonna take $50-60K to get behind the wheel of…I’d love getting this one and driving it all the time, but in AZ, no A/C is a non-starter for me.

      Like 7
      • Avatar AZVanMan

        People drive $50-60k cars–that can easily be replaced–every day. This is not one of those.

        Like 1
    • Avatar Tooyoung4heyday Member

      I think you’re taking the term parked in garage out of context. I know for one id park it in my garage. Knowbody said it would parked for looking at but i sure wouldn’t leave it in my driveway or out in the street overnight. If this were my car it would definitely go back to the fathom green as thats the color i wouldve chosen in ’69. Everything else can stay the way it is but the other issue id have is the heater delete. We get some colder evenings in spring and fall here in Wisconsin, would make it hard to see out of the windshield. As far as the Reggie Jackson comments, those may not necessarily have everything to do with just celebrity owned. In this case it has more meaning as Reggie doesnt buy junk for his collection, so its probably a legit car. All in all, seems nice but the butternut has got to go.

      Like 3
  5. Avatar Hans L

    Sell the cross-ram set-up, use the proceeds to partially pay for a repaint to Fathom Green/white stripes! Would look much better.

    Buyer should get the engine code and VIN stamps verified by a 3rd party before purchasing.

    Like 6
  6. Avatar Frank Sumatra

    Is the 1/4 mile ET correct? Seems slow for a Zed-28

    Like 2
    • Avatar Troy s

      Similar numbers on a dead stock Z28 from Hot Rod magazine I believe, back then, with everything buttoned up and using 3.73 gears. Baseline in the 15’s, came close to 13.0 after a lot of work. Other reported figures from back then are similar,, completely stock of course with no dialing.

      Like 7
    • Avatar Art Pauly

      I bought a new Z-28 in 1969, I was 21. It was one of the last ones prior to the change in 1970. Stock after breaking in the engine, my best time was 13.8, 110 mph. The 428 Mustang in the other lane at Lyons was a bit surprised.

      Like 7
  7. Avatar Lincoln

    $500 for a complete cross ram. Must be a misprint. For that price I’ll take 10 please. It’s har to buy one carburetor for that

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Lynn Dockey Member

    All first gen Z’s were manuals

    Like 2
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      As it should be.

      Like 11
  9. Avatar Keith

    Never pay this kind of money for a color change car. This car is a nightmare of wrong things to do to a Z/28 Camaro.Go buy one that has all the right codes according to the trim tag.

    Like 9
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      If it were repainted black or silver we all might overlook some of the other issues. Butternut yellow belongs in a pint of ice cream, not on a 1969 Z-28

      Like 10
  10. Avatar Jon G

    My friend’s dad had one identical to this but in blue with white stripes. Trust me gentlemen when I say $60k for a ride like this car will provide is an absolute bargain! Plus you get that snappy lopey SBC sound when idling through the local spot. I remember the raw acceleration 40+ years later

    Like 6
  11. Avatar Troy s

    Similar numbers on a dead stock Z28 from Hot Rod magazine I believe, back then, with everything buttoned up and using 3.73 gears. Baseline in the 15’s, came close to 13.0 after a lot of work. Other reported figures from back then are similar,, completely stock of course with no dialing.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Troy s

      I already said that, garsh dangit! Mo coffee.

      Like 6
  12. Avatar Keith

    Really with over 20k 1969 Z/28 built there are a lot of right ones out there to spend your money on.The right ones are getting some good money but like any Chevrolet documentation is the key. You can easily clone a Z/28 Camaro that even a expert could be fooled.

    Like 4
  13. Avatar Keith

    You wanted to make a Z/28 a drag strip winner you needed to get that motor in the sweet spot and 4:88 gears would do just that. Mid 12’s all day long.

    Like 10
  14. Avatar moosie

    This car sounds like an original that was restored & upgraded to the owners preference. IIRC the crossram was not available from the factory but able to be purchased over the counter in the parts dept. The Chevy dealer I worked at as a parts counter man had one on display along with other factory Hi-Po Chevy parts. This Z/28 makes me wonder why with all the personal upgrades they didnt also upgrade the brakes to 4 wheel discs ? Nice car, deserves to be driven.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Keith

      Parts to upgrade to factory style rear disc brakes are nowhere to be found. Nobody makes the correct parts to do this upgrade. You can get a really good 12 bolt disc brake kit but not the factory style that was a option back then. They only made a couple hundred factory equipped 4-wheel disc brake 1969 Camaro’s.

      Like 8
      • Avatar Drmmhmd

        Disc brake parts are available from a brake shop in Hamilton Ontario.

        Like 0
  15. Avatar Nevadarick

    I inspected and drove this car on Thursday. While not perfect, it is an excellent example of an honest Z28, with factory Cross Ram and factory radio and heater delete. It was a Reggie Jackson car at the time this owner acquired it more than 23 years ago. Reggie advertised it as “Matching Numbers” when he sold it to the current owner and the current owner has retained all of the Reggie paperwork. Since then, the owner has kept the car in an absolutely perfect driving condition. The carbs were professionally rebuilt, the original air cleaner assembly is present, so is the hood, and distributor. I asked the owner’s longtime mechanic to remove the paint hiding the engine stamp pad numbers and the numbers/letters are 100% spot on!
    I am an eBay bidder on the car and hope to win it!!–Full disclosure.

    I did not know the owner until meeting him on Thursday. Great guy with a high end collection.

    Like 27
    • Avatar Keith

      Being celebrity owned does bring a little more money to the table but a color change takes all that away and then some. Like what was mentioned before sell the cross-ram and bring that car back to its former color’s.

      Like 2
      • Avatar Al

        I had a 90 something small 3 something loaded black BMW convertible I bought for $800, in ex shape no less, 120k+ miles, stick. Owner, a friend I ride with, bought for his son for $1200, who within 2 mos, signed up & away in the mil. I got on the cheap as was running rough. Just needed plugs. While cleaning & detailing for a flip, I found some paperwork under the seat with a previous owners name on it. Quite surprised. Friend in DMV ran the vin & found cpl previous owners before, was Demi Moore’s car who only lives an hour & half away, driving like I do. So I sold it a few mos later in spring, stating was her car once w/ the DMV proof, got $3600 for it. Some guy had to have it. In hindsite, I should have thrown a thong under the seat.

        Like 3
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Good luck Rick!

      With all of talk above, I hope that you plan on driving and enjoying it when appropriate.
      That’s what Hagerty declared value insurance is for!

      Like 0
  16. Avatar Desert Rat

    All this worry about original this and that and then if you get it right you still can’t stop the worrying because it’s too valuable to have any fun with. This is exactly why 16 years ago when I was looking for a 69 Camaro I bought a basic coupe, the only thing special about my Camaro was it was a factory Hugger Orange car which is the color I wanted on it. Through out the years I have modified and customized it the way I wanted to and I can take it out for a fun afternoon drive or a road trip and just enjoy the thing after that’s what it was made for.

    Like 17
  17. Avatar bikefixr

    Nice car. Kinda tired of seeing everything BUT a barn-find. This is clearly a well cared for big dollar car for the 5% types. Why not just post cars off the Barret site if you want to show 6 figure cars none of us can afford.

    Like 4
  18. Avatar George Mattar

    I am with Steve R. Without paper work buying this car is not smart. I just looked; bidding us more than $50,000. Perfectly restored and correct 69 Zs can be bought for less than $70,000. Why buy a color change with added options. And I may be wrong, but I believe by 1969, the feds mandated a vehicle must have a defroster. And this car lacks the 50 state mandated A.I.R. system. To find a correct set up today is am easy $5,000.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Troy s

      Five Thousand Dollars! That’s incredible, especially when I vision those smog parts being quickly removed and tossed into the nearest trash can…..hey it was born to run very hard, all unnecessary weight, drag, and other dumb things get trashed. Guess that’s why such emission parts would cost so much, so few survived on a car like this Z/28. Who knew at the time.

      Like 4
  19. Avatar Nevadarick

    I agree with all of the recent comments. Heck, there are only 168 people following this crummy auction with something like 74 bids. Please ignore it.

    I WOULD like to win it and own the car—even if overpriced, repainted, and missing provenance!

    Like 10
  20. Avatar John

    If it’s a proper Zed color doesn’t matter. Once you wind it up and then row through the gears on a twisty mountain road (heaven forbid,the Tail) you will become a believer. These were great driving cars. Dual Holleys, however, will require a close-by Sunoco station. About the same full-tank range as a Tesla. Wonderful car.

    Like 10
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      With 100 Octane

      Like 2
  21. Avatar Nevadarick

    I read the comments about the radio and heater delete status. Apparently, that’s the way the car was ordered. The Seller told me a story that he was offered $4,000 and some Mopar parts for the heater delete panel and the radio delete cover. It seems that they are super rare and very coveted. The Seller declined the offer wishing to keep the car original ( at least in that regard)
    The color changes were performed even before Reggie owned the car!

    Like 5
  22. Avatar Keith

    I believe the heater delete and radio delete panels are available as a repop. Of course they are not factory but you would have to have it in your hand looking a a GM part number to no the difference. I would have taken the 4k to use to get the right color put back on it.

    Like 2
  23. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    I wonder how many 1st gen strait 6’s & 307s got heater delete – probably none.
    Crazy there is an optional clock but no heater or PS. Gotta be 1 of 1!
    Is the distrib vac advance supposed to be disabled here with a crossram setup? Or not used to prevent ping on today’s best crap gas?
    I’m guessin you also/instead have to retard the timing these days, unless u mix in some racing gas?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Keith

      Heater delete option was very common in the state of Hawaii.Also used for race cars.

      Like 2
      • Avatar Hans L

        In 1969, federal regulations required front windshield defrosters, so after the ’68 model year, heater delete was no longer a factory option. For racers, etc, they could still buy over-the-counter heater delete plates but none were factory installed. The heater delete RPO code was C48. Zero were installed/sold for the ’69 model year – and includes Hawaii sales.

        Like 1
  24. Avatar Nevadarick

    In speaking with the owner, it was explained to me that the vacuum advance was disconnected due to the installation of the electronic ignition. I noted that the car sold for a little more than $55,000 which seems to be a flaming deal. Opinions?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Keith

      Would take 20k to have the car painted and the interior changed back so he was about right in the selling price. No great deal but a fair price for what is needed to bring it back to a original Z/28

      Like 0
  25. Avatar Nevadarick

    The owner also told me that to prevent detonation, he used a mixture of 2 gallons of 109 octane Leaded fuel to 5 gallons of 91 no ethanol pump fuel.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Frank Sumatra

      In 1971 I was lucky to have access to Sunoco 260 at any Sunoco station in the Buffalo NY area. IIRC it was 35 cents a gallon.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Nevadarick

        Talk about the good old days, I remember in Orange County (La Habra) that in 1964/1965 I could buy gas for 15 cents a gallon. Sometimes the gas stations would have “gas wars” and the price would go down to 13 cents!!

        Like 2
  26. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    I actually find old lower compression motors less likely to detonate on regular 87 octane ethanol fuel than on 89 leaded gas back in the old days! Perhaps the new owner can try 1 gallon 109 octane to 5 gal ethanol gas?

    I’m guessing Pertronix has been installed – should not interfere with the operation of the vac advance! Disabling the latter would make the poor mpg quite horrible, i would think, with two 4 barrels. lol
    I would try both ported & non ported vaccuum to the advance unit.
    & even pts & cond WITH vac advance.

    Like 1
  27. Avatar Al

    Sold at $55k. Crazy. Like many said, spending over $40k, better have orig paint & interior. So-called ‘dealer counter options’ I ain’t buying into especially with no dated paper trail. I’d just as much find a salvagable one on Copart, paint it my favorite color, engine choice & so forth for half the money. And even when comes time to sell, be able to still get $40k w/ a salvage title as long as appears mint & unblemished. Maybe a collector won’t buy, but plenty out there that would have the cash to spend more for a new plastic ZL1 that is on every street corner & traffic light, would have more fun with this here no doubt. Salvage doesnt scare me as most of your resto-mods built on the same platform & look what they spend on those. Isn’t going to be a trailer queen, but will see the asphalt for what it was built for. This butterball one, won’t ever see that road sadly.

    Like 0

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.