1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

The original 1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 was fitted with a 5.7 litre version of General Motors' famed small-block V8. The claimed power output was 245bhp at 5,200 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. But in a bizarre reverse of European manufacturers’ habit of inflating power figures, in practice Chevy underreported the Camaro's horsepower, and the 1973 Z/28 can make as much as 360bhp. Thanks to that power, it did nought to sixty miles an hour in 6.5 seconds and had a top speed of 125 miles per hour.

These days a genuine Z28 sits on a similar plinth as a flat floor E Type or a Sierra Cosworth RS500. And as all the parts to make your standard 1973 Camaro into a Z28 beater are easily available, that’s just what folk with more sense than money tend to do, ending up with a car that out-performs the original while retaining a real world price tag.

This car is the perfect example of this trend and has just about all the trick bits a Camaro enthusiast could want already fitted. There’s a specialist built 434Ci (7.1-litre) small block Chevy V8 for a start, which the owner says produces in excess of 600 horsepower.

This car has had a recent repaint and looks visually stunning from every angle. From the Ferrari-esque eggbox grille to the short, sloping fastback rear end, it shines like a new pin – a pin that’s been doing weights in the gym all summer.

All the brightwork is in first class condition and the highly polished alloy wheels appear untroubled by kerb marks or any other cosmetic faults. The period correct Z28 badge sits on that prominent grille, although we must reiterate – this is a replica, not a factory built Z28.

But to be fair this car has been built to a higher standard than a genuine model, so if what you see is what you get, rather than factory original, is your thing, you’ve come to the right place.

The interior of this car has been retrimmed and everything looks like it hasn’t seen any wear at all. The seats, carpets and dash are all unmarked, with just some small marks on the headlining where it meets the A pillar, and pillar trim that doesn’t fit quite as well as it might to slightly detract from the view.

The dash instrument pod has been replaced with a modern part with silver gauges – again, not strictly original but very functional, and easily changed should you wish. A modern stereo head unit is also present, mounted discreetly, lower down on the dash.

It’s left hand drive of course. GM didn’t start importing Camaros into the UK until nearly 40 years after this one as built.

We’ve reiterated that this is not a genuine Z28 spec car, but that said, the spec is incredible – along with that 7.1-litre V8 engine there’s a four-speed autobox that’s been converted to manual shift – think of it as a manual with no clutch to worry about.

The gearbox could quite easily be modified to autochange if the new owner would prefer the convenience of automatic gear changes. It is essentially an autobox set up to select the ratios manually.

At each corner a coil-over damper unit does suspension duties and there are Wilwood four-pot alloy calipers at the front, with disc brakes on the rear axle too. That back axle also sports a limited slip differential (LSD) to help to get some of that 600 horsepower transmitted cleanly onto the tarmac.

Lift the bonnet and the engine bay doesn’t disappoint. There’s a lot of billet alloy components here, and a snaking serpentine drive belt setup that powers all the accessories, including the air con pump. And while the look is of a tuned engine, there aren’t any daft chrome add ons that can often be found lurking under the bonnets of less well groomed American cars – this looks very purposeful.

Fire up that vast V8 and the soundtrack doesn’t disappoint. It rumbles as only a V8 does, and howls when you rev it. Just don’t look at the fuel gauge…

The seller bought this car two years ago and doesn’t fit into either of those clearly delineated aforementioned Chevy versus Ford camps, as he spotted this car while having some work done to his 1968 Ford Mustang fastback by prominent American classic car guru Mike Lacey.

‘I just fell in love with it on the spot, so when Mike said he’d consider selling it, I bought it there and then. Mike bought it from Coys of Kensington, and when he got it home he stripped it and rebuilt it himself. There are a load of pics he took during the rebuild included with the car.

‘Since I’ve had the car I’ve taken it to local shows, where it never fails to impress. People jump when it starts up! I’ve had it completely repainted within the last 12 months. There’s a file an inch thick with the car that details everything that has been done to it. The bills add up to around £100,000.

‘It’s unbelievably rapid – crazy, crazy fast. I do love it but my Mustang left the factory the same dark green colour as Steve McQueen’s in Bullitt. But a previous owner had it repainted it red, so I’m selling the Camaro to fund the rebuild of my Mustang, with a return to its correct colour.’

There were 11,574 genuine Z28 Camaros built for the 1973 model year, and most of the survivors are in collectors’ hands in the States. This car has all the performance – and more besides – of a Z28, plus it’s been thoroughly rebuilt by one of the UK’s most respected American car experts.

With this spec it’s hard to imagine how you could improve it. Let’s get ready to rumble.

We estimate this car to fetch between £45,000 - £55,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.