1970 Camaro
Tony checks out a truly stunning second-generation Camaro that caught his eye on a rare trip out to Hayling Island and the excellent show held there by the Victory Wheelers Car Club…
An all-too-infrequent family excursion in these times of social distancing and Covid-19 pandemic awareness saw me drinking in the wonderful surroundings of Hayling Island on the south coast close to Southsea, a picturesque true island full of intrigue. To my amazement, there – sitting on the inviting Jurassic shingle beach – I spied an impressive 1970 Chevrolet Camaro.
The ‘Super Hugger' second-generation Camaro is regarded as very desirable owing to lowish production numbers caused by an industry-wide US steel worker strike and the auto workers' union support of their manufacturing colleagues. The model has been referred to as the 1970½ due to its late arrival in Chevrolet's showrooms, with it not debuting until February 26, 1970.
The second generations may have turned up decidedly late to the party; however, they hung around for 12 years! No convertibles were offered or other body configurations, making the original design even more remarkable. Through the years the car underwent various face-lifts (some mandatory from government, others aesthetic), drivetrain upgrades, interior changes and trim levels added and removed.
The new Chevrolet came with a completely redesigned suspension system including front disc brakes as standard on all models, complemented by a six-engine availability including the 350bhp 396cu in Turbo-Jet V8 and an array of four transmissions in various guises and a bang-up-to-date bucket seat interior.
The Camaro, as in previous years, could be optioned with the factory packages RS (Rally Sport) or SS (Super Sport) and the fearsome Z/28 powered by a high-compression 350cu in LT1 giving 360 horses – sadly just for that initial year only, as growing legislation forced horsepower levels dramatically downwards. So, turning to the car you see on this page, what a treat to have a good eyeball around this Chevy and chew the cud with its owner.
The Camaro is a genuine four-barrel carb 350 V8 Rally Sport, with an automatic transmission painted in factory code 46 Emerald Mist Green. With an engine compartment stuffed with ‘choice' aftermarket and genuine parts, a completely restored black interior completes the RS. The car has taken close to seven years to complete and the work was undertaken by its owner, who lives in the Berkhamsted area.
The day I caught up with this Chevy just happened to be the inaugural ‘shakedown' run – apparently, it never missed a heartbeat! ★
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