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1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28: The Street Car and Its Trans-Am Legacy

The 1970 Camaro Z/28’s LT1 made it relevant to Trans-Am, but race-prepared Camaros had distinct engines and extensive competition modifications.
Entry809 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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The 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 paired a street-going 350-cubic-inch LT1 V8 with a racing rule change that made a 350 eligible in SCCA Trans-Am. But the production Z/28 was not the same machine as a prepared Trans-Am Camaro: individual race cars received extensive competition modifications.

What engine did the 1970 Camaro Z/28 have?

The Z/28 used Chevrolet’s 350-cubic-inch LT1 V8. Audrain Auto Museum lists its displayed 1970 example with a four-speed manual and rates that car at 360 hp at 6,000 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Those output figures are the museum’s specifications for its exhibit car, not a blanket claim about every surviving Z/28. Audrain Auto Museum’s 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 profile.

Why the Z/28 mattered in Trans-Am

According to Audrain, SCCA Trans-Am rules changed in 1970 to permit engines up to 350 cubic inches. That made the production Z/28’s LT1 relevant to Chevrolet’s competition effort. The museum says Ed Leslie’s Camaro finished second behind the 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302. Audrain Auto Museum’s account.

That connection does not mean a showroom Z/28 was built to full race specification. Trans-Am entrants were competition cars, and their specifications varied with preparation and provenance. A documented Owens Corning Fiberglas team car shows how far a race build could diverge from the road model.

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One documented Trans-Am Camaro: the Owens Corning #4

Historic Trans Am identifies its 1970 #4 Camaro as originally driven by Tony DeLorenzo and Jerry Thompson. The profile describes an assembled 302-cubic-inch engine, rather than the production Z/28’s 350, and details modifications including a period-rule roll cage, reinforced subframe, modified suspension, Corvette brakes mounted on special spindles, and a 12-bolt differential. Those details apply to this documented racer—not to all 1970 Z/28s or every Camaro that competed in Trans-Am. Historic Trans Am’s profile of the #4 Camaro.

Thompson’s recollection on the same page captures the practical side of the team’s preparation: “we were just frantic for parts and could not be particular!” The profile identifies him as one of the car’s original drivers.

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What changed on the 1970 production Camaro?

The second-generation Camaro arrived late in 1970. “1970½” is enthusiast shorthand for that late-arriving new body, not Chevrolet’s official model-year designation. CamaroFacts gives February 26, 1970 as the body’s arrival date and says the factory continued to designate it a 1970. Its account attributes the delay to Fisher Body rear quarter-panel tooling problems, rather than a labor strike. CamaroFacts’ 1970 Camaro history, reviewed September 2026.

Audrain’s summary of the new Z/28 coupe notes a larger rear spoiler, revised rear bumper, smaller grille with headlights moved farther outward, flatter hood, and a centralized gauge cluster. The museum also notes that no convertible was offered for 1970. These are general model details; confirm them against period factory literature before relying on them for parts fitment. Audrain Auto Museum’s model summary.

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Street Z/28 versus a Trans-Am race car

Comparison Production 1970 Z/28 Owens Corning #4 race car
Intended use Road-going Z/28 coupe Prepared for 1970 Trans-Am competition
Engine 350-cubic-inch LT1 V8; Audrain lists a four-speed manual for its exhibit example Assembled 302-cubic-inch engine, according to Historic Trans Am
Chassis and safety The museum profile does not specify race-style chassis or safety modifications Period-rule cage, reinforced subframe, and modified suspension
Brakes and driveline The museum profile does not specify race components Corvette brakes on special spindles and a 12-bolt differential
Evidence Audrain’s museum exhibit profile Historic Trans Am’s history of this specific car

Sources: Audrain Auto Museum and Historic Trans Am. The race-car column describes one documented build; it is not a factory specification for the street car.

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A scale-model connection

For radio-control enthusiasts, the U.S. Vintage Trans-Am R/C Racing Series rules dated May 27, 2024 list McAllister Racing body #304 as a 1970 Camaro Trans Am shell in 1/10 scale and 200 mm size. The rules establish its class listing, not present-day retail stock. U.S. Vintage Trans-Am R/C Racing Series class rules, May 27, 2024.

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