Reassembly Required: 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

It was the end of the line for the second-generation F-Body, and it was getting long in the tooth. Introduced mid-year 1970, the ’81 Camaro and Firebird were moving over, finally, for completely new replacements. Both models tried to keep a stiff upper performance lip with their respective Z28 and Trans Am nameplates – the result was mixed. Let’s take a look at a Z28 example, it’s located in New Bedford, Massachusetts and is available, here on eBay for a starting bid of $3,500.

Talk about being all over the place, this Camaro has a rather scattered bearing about itself with parts in many different places, but the VIN does check out, it is what the seller claims it to be with one minor exception, more on that in a bit. While ’81 was the end of the line for the second-gen Camaro, it still sold reasonably well with about 126K copies going to new owners. What’s interesting is that roughly 43K of those Camaros, a full third, were Z28s.

Of course, by ’81, a Z28 wasn’t what it used to be. The standard 305 CI V8 engine puffed out a measly 165 net HP, while the “big” 350 only managed ten more. And this example, according to the VIN, was built with a 350, not a 305 as disclosed by the seller. The engine could have been swapped at some point, the seller does state that the previous owner had it rebuilt, but as you can see from the image, it is hardly in operable condition. The 350 CI tip-off is the automatic transmission, which BTW, is in the passenger compartment. In ’81, according to Chevrolet’s equipment brochure, the 305 engine, in a Z28, was a four-speed manual only set-up and an automatic was the 350’s sole choice.

As for the interior, there is a transmission, an exhaust system, and a lot of other unidentifiable odds and ends. The steering wheel and gear selector are non-OEM and the carpet has been removed to reveal floors that are looking shaky. The excitement continues in the trunk where you will find the engine fan, exhaust headers, torque converter, carburetor, the driveshaft, and maybe an A/C condensor.

Moving outside, we find a white finish that has gone flat contrasting with a smattering of surface rust in various places, but all-in-all, the body could be a lot worse. There are quite a few scrapes and a minor dent/crease or two, but there is no sign of significant rust, except maybe some in the lower passenger side fender. Nevertheless, it is suggested that a prospective buyer check this entire car out, top and bottom, no telling what’s going on underneath beside the installed sub-frame connectors. I’m not sure what that lump on the hood is supposed to do, it looks like a Boy Racer fiberglass job with NACA ducts.

Speaking of prospective buyers, who would be most likely to buy a not all that desirable Z28, one that is in rough shape and mechanically disassembled? At this point no one, no bids have been tendered. That said, someone will come along, they usually do, but maybe for less than $3,500 wouldn’t you agree?