The late 1970s weren’t kind to performance cars, but Chevrolet still built a Camaro that looked fast and sold like crazy. This black 1978 Camaro Z28 is located in Zeeland, Michigan, between Holland and Grand Rapids, and the seller is asking $10,500. It has been listed for about nine days, and you can find it here on Craigslist. The seller says it is a former California car that is driven regularly. The second-generation Camaro arrived for 1970 and stayed in production through 1981. Chevrolet dropped the Z28 after 1974 because of tightening emissions rules, then brought it back in 1977. For 1978, the Camaro received its final facelift with a body-color urethane nose, a urethane rear bumper, and wraparound taillights, and T-tops were offered for the first time. It was a big year for Chevrolet, which built 272,631 Camaros and outsold the Mustang and the Firebird. The two millionth Camaro rolled off the line in Van Nuys, California on May 11, 1978, and the Z28 accounted for 54,907 cars that year.
Engine choices for the 1978 Camaro started with a 250 cubic inch inline six rated at 110 horsepower. Next was a 305 V8 with a 2-barrel at 145 horsepower and a 350 4-barrel at 170 horsepower. The Z28 got its own version of the 350 rated at 185 horsepower, or 175 in California. A four-speed manual was standard on the Z28, and an automatic was optional. The Z28 package also included fender louvers, a simulated hood scoop with bold decals, front and rear spoilers, a sport suspension, and dual exhaust. Chevrolet offered 14 exterior colors in 1978, and the Z28 could be ordered in 11 of them, including black, red, and bright blue metallic. Interiors came in colors such as black, tan, and Carmine red with bucket seats. This Z28 has been gone through. The 350 has a cam, a 650 Quick Fuel carburetor, and Edelbrock headers feeding 2 1/2 inch Magnaflow stainless steel mufflers, and the seller says it sounds great. The TH350 automatic has been rebuilt.
Like the exterior, the interior is all black and looks to be in good shape. The black base coat clear coat paint is fresh, and the interior has new seat upholstery and carpet. Inside, there are rally gauges with a tach and a Grant steering wheel, which has to be more comfortable than the factory plastic steering wheel. Aftermarket gauges have also been added. The listing shows 111,111 miles, which may be a placeholder rather than an actual reading, so a buyer will want to ask. It has a clean title in the seller’s name. We appreciate Jack M. for sending this listing to us.
Up front, the calipers, rotors, pads, master cylinder, and brake lines are all new, and the rear has new lines and wheel cylinders. It also has a new water pump, thermostat, and hoses, along with fresh fluids and new tires. With more than 54,000 built, a 1978 Z28 is not a rare car, but this one has had a lot of the expensive work already done. At $10,500, is this a smart buy for someone who wants a driver-quality Z28?
This might be a good buy, depends on the quality of the paint work and more importantly what’s under the paint.
I’m not a fan of the blacked out wheels, but this car seems decent for the money.
They look like Pontiac rally’s
Steve R
The rims are the stock 70 to 81 steel 5 spokes without the trim rings. They don’t have the raised center spoke of the rally 2.