The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

The Chevy Camaro Z28 is one of the very few factory performance cars that survived the muscle car massacre of the early 1970s. Today there are a number of performance and sports cars around but, back in the old days, the twin forces of emission standards and mandated fuel mileage set by the federal government plus the sudden (and continued) increase in the cost of gasoline, almost brought to a halt anything that even suggested a little fun and performance in a car.

Even during the darkest of the dark days, Chevrolet continued the Z28. And, not only has it survived, it has thrived. Aside from its performance, the reason has a lot to do with its styling. It is one of the best looking car available these days – built anywhere in the world. Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of Corvette in its design. But the Italian influence is also quite apparent with touches of such exotic cars as Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. The Camaro Z28, however, is definitely all-American.

Unlike some of its more gaudier predecessors, the 1984 Z28 has an understated look. The test car, (supplied by Scott Chevrolet, 3333 Lehigh St., Emmaus) for example, was quite conservative looking with almost a complete lack of exterior trim. The only exterior markings were small Z28 and 5.0-Liter H.O. badges on the rear bumper and side rocker panels. (If you looked closely you could see the dual 2 1/2 inch tailpipes which are a giveaway to what is under the hood.)

By shifting away from the old Z28 markings, stripes and show-offy big scoops and spoilers, Chevrolet has given the Z28 a broader base of appeal. The youth market may feel a little left out but no longer will a 40-year-old feel like an overaged extra in ”Rebel Without A Cause” when driving a Z28.

Unfortunately, however, there is something left over from the old days with the Z28, and it is somewhat of a problem for their drivers. The Z28 (along with its Pontiac counterpart theTrans Am) seems to attract police. Maybe not every car pulled alongside the highway by police is a Z28 (or Trans Am) but a very high percentage are. In my travels I have seen these cars singled out from a string of traffic by radar police cars. I am not saying these cars weren’t speeding but they weren’t doing anything anyone else wasn’t doing. While driving the test car, I only saw two cars pulled over by police. One was a Z28 and the other a Trans AM. I don’t know if there is any solution to this but I would recommend to any Z28 driver to be sure to have two things – a good sense of humor and a good radar detector.

Although the Z28 is not a large car, it is a shade bigger and a shadow roomier than most other sports/performance cars available these days. It has a wheelbase of 101 inches, overall length of 187.8 inches, width of 72.8 inches, height of 49.8 inches and a curb weight of 3,187 pounds. The front seats will accommodate most people but tall drivers wil l have to do a bit of slouching and squirming to get headroom. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about the back seat is that it is there. Leg room is very limited and it is best suited for small children or occasional use by adults. The Z28 is a hatchback and the back seat can be folded down to accommodate more cargo. With the seat in place, cargo space measures 11.6 cubic feet. With the seat folded, space increases to 31.2 cubic feet.

Since the Z28 is so close to the ground, it takes some dexterity to gracefully enter and exit (Note: The keyword is gracefully). Once in, though, it is quite comfortable. Visibility is surprisingly good, especially when you consider it only has one side window (on each side, of course). Like many other coupes, there is somewhat of a blind spot towards the rear but it really isn’t that bad. The bubble-type liftgate glass helps. Obviously, some attention was paid to the driver when the interior was laid out. Instruments re large and easy to read and controls are easy to reach. The shift knob for the test car’s five-speed manual transmission was leather covered and about the size of a cue ball. Located right next to the driver’s right hand it was hard to miss and convenient to use. The emergency brake was also leather covered and located on the side of the shift stalk. Again, convenient to use. Shifting isn’t that difficult, that is if you can handle a five-speed box and semi-tricky clutch. The optional transmission is a four-speed automatic.

Once behind the wheel and rolling, the Z28 proves it is a driver’s car. Handling is excellent it just moves and grooves around curves like the roller coaster at Dorney Park but without the thrills and chills. As with its appearance, the Z28’s handling is also understated. The suspension features MacPherson-type struts up front and torque arms in the rear, the basic Camaro suspension highly modified for the Z28. The ride is somewhat firm, not as stiff as some of the old Z28s but definitely noticeable.

Standard engine for the Z28 is the 305-cubic-inch (5-Liter) V-8 rated at 150 horsepower and 240 foot pounds of torque which gives it a good deal of snap.

The test car, however, was equipped with the optional High Output version of the 305 V-8. Code named L69, the engine has a big four-barrel Rochester that replaces the Cross-Fire Injection engine of last year. It is rated at 190 horsepower which should give you more than a hint of its performance. It gets its extra power from a higher-lift, longer-duration camshaft and intake and exhaust systems tuned for freer breathing. The compression ratio is 9.5:1 which, of course, means it requires premium unleaded gasoline.

The Z28 with the 305 V-8 H.O. engine is among the best performing cars of the year. You aren’t going to have any trouble pulling safely onto a busy highway with this car. Neither will you have trouble passing other cars or climbing tall mountains. And, if driven semi-conservatively, the Z28won’t shock you at the gas pump. The test car averaged 19 miles per gallon for highway driving and 12 mpg around town. The test car was brand new when picked up for testing so these figures should improve once the V-8 is broken in. The Z28 should do quite well driving on interstates and turnpikes since the engine only turns over 2,200 rpm in fifth gear at 55 miles per hour. EPA figures for the car are 16 mpg city/28 mpg highway.

Base price for the Z28 is $10,608. Standard equipment includes the 305 V- 8, five speed manual transmission, steel-belted P215/65R tires, aluminum wheels, power brakes, sport mirrors, reclining front seats, quartz analog clock, power steering, gauge package with tachometer, special sport suspension, leather wrapped steering wheel and power windows. All-in-all, not a bad price for all it offers, especially when compared with the import competition.

The test car, with a destination charge of $414 and options totaling $3,280, had a price of $14,302. Options included the L69 V-8, $530; air conditioning, $730; electronically tuned AM-FM stereo with seek and scan and cassette, $570; power door locks, $125; tinted glass, $110; rear window defogger, speed control, $175; tilt steering wheel, $110, and custom cloth interior, $287.