Any current or former owners of 1977 Z-28's here?

[compos mentis]

Had the chance to drive one back maybe about 30 years ago out on some winding country roads and although obviously down on power, I was very impressed with its handling. Drove a black one and and '77 was also the last year I liked the styling (bumpers notwithstanding). Interested to hear feedback from past or current owners.

Skip

[O'Neall]

If you liked how gen2 Z28 handled, you should take a gen2 Trans Am for a ride. The gen2 T/A was always a much better handler than its Chevy sibling (espeically the 78-81 WS6 T/As). Of course, nowadays stock on either of them is dated, but either can be made to handle very, very well.

[ProdigyCustoms]

I have owned half a dozen 77s and probably a few dozen 78 through 81s. Since I graduated in 79, these cars were new when I was in high school, and the high school I went to was full of T/As and Z28s.
Once you fix the horsepower problem, you have a great car! I had a real neat 77 back in 87 with no options, no sound deadning, no A/C, no console, etc, Brown and tan with a 4 speed and a 3.73. Actually ran decent once I ditched the cat and did true duals. or maybe it sounded fast?
Anyway, I look for these cars to be the next thing.

[68fusion]

Had one in HS back in the late 80's and put a set of (big at the time)16 inch iroc wheels wih gator backs on it. It also had this cool set up of window squirters through the back wheel well area and a washer tank for burnouts. It handled better than expected.

[compos mentis]

If you liked how gen2 Z28 handled, you should take a gen2 Trans Am for a ride. The gen2 T/A was always a much better handler than its Chevy sibling (espeically the 78-81 WS6 T/As). Of course, nowadays stock on either of them is dated, but either can be made to handle very, very well.

I had a '74 455 Trans-Am, but prefer the ride and handling of the '77 Z-28 overall. Not a skidpad champ, but very polished ride for the time...

Maybe someone switched shocks on the low mileage '74 T/A I bought in '78... seemed to beat me up a bit.

But I applaud Pontiac back then for putting 455's in those cars!

And their stylists overcame the new bumper laws quite well.

Skip

[BonzoHansen]

The 77 Z was a great handling car for its time. The Pontiac guys have selective memory. LOL

[O'Neall]

Car and Driver Mag, April 1977 issue:
"Our Trans-Am generated .80 G while our Z/28 could do no better than .74 G and exhibited considerably more understeer in the process. If either of the cars seemed to be neutral steering... it was the Trans-Am."

Road Test Mag, Spring, 1978 issue:
T/A:
Avg speed on 100ft pad: 35.3mph
Lateral acceleration: .83g
Transient Response, avg speed: 25.3mph
"... the T/A is the best-handling productioin car you can buy."

Z28:
Avg speed on 100ft pad: 33.7mph
Lateral acceleration: .76g
Transient Response, avg speed: 24.5mph
"The Z/28 is obviously a car with the handling sorted out for the driver of relatively lesser skill, as opposed to the T/A which rewards the practiced."

Hot Rod Mag September, 1979 issue:
"And ever since the latter group decided to bring its Z28-model Camaro out of retirement back in 1977, this second-generation Z-car has been soundly defeated at the drag strip, on the skidpad and in the annual new-car sales wars by only one other pony-car: Pontiac's 400-cubic-inch, WS6-type Firebird."

Road Test Mag, Feburary, 1981 issue:
T/A: .82g
Z28: .77g

"... the TransAm with WS6 may be the best smooth road-handling car ever to trundle off a production line, at least any run by the UAW. The Z-28 is less but mainly in degree not concept."

"There's no doubt about it, the TransAm is superior. It would be unfair to put it any other way. It goes faster, corners harder, stops better, bingo."


Conclusion:
Maybe us Pontiac guys aren't being so "selective" in our memory after all. :razz:

[Kenova]

I bought a new Camaro Rally Sport/LT in '75. I actually ordered it. I found the handling to be quite good, although I'm sure it wouldn't be up to snuff today. I put a set of 8" 'vette rally wheels on it with bigger tires (it came with 14"s :hand: ), which seemed to help the handling some. It was extremely comfortable to drive. People can say what they want about the "truck bumpers", but I love 'em. I haven't owned a lot of cars, but the Camaro is the only one I really miss.
Yes, I have my eyes opened for a suitable replacement.

Ken

[MikeDVC]

I got a '75 back in 1985...and still have it! One of my sisters had a '78 and the other had a '76 (6 cyl, 3 speed). I learned how to drive in the '76 and loved it; So I got my 75, but with a 350 /4 speed.

[WS6]

come on John, you left out the best part. They compared the vette to both the Fbodies in that article and the TA killed the vette everywhere except for power because they actually used a 301 powered TA.

I love my 79 but it is a WS6 car so it does handle better than what a Z could do. However, the Zs handled well for what they were. They rode nicely too. Aside from the doors, they were easy to get in and out of. While your sitting low towards the ground in these cars, you sit very high in the car making visibility pretty damn good. My 96 Formula feels like you are down in the car. I feel like I am sitting in a truck inside the TA. The only late Zs I like are the 80-81 cars with the full spoiler treatment. Even then, it's very selective. For whatever reason, the camaro in general did not grab my attention like the Firebirds did. After 73, the camaro just does very little for me. I've seen a few done up very nicely(G/28) but most of them do nothing for me.

[compos mentis]

Obviously Chevy wasn't trying to go head to head with the T/A as far as performance, especially since they put a cap on production of about 14439 cars for '77 and ran a much smaller motor.

Trey, that is what I remember most about the '77 Z, it road nice also.

Here's some info from an old road test from a fellow on the Z forum...

"Interestingly enough, I just received a back issue of Road Test magazine with an article called 'Supertuning the Z28', where a new stock '77 Z was brought to Edelbrock, for a bit of "tweaking". They wound up comparing the suspension to that of the T/A with the results being similar to what I quoted in my earlier post. They then swapped in parts of the T/A suspension, expecting the Z to respond as the T/A did, and were disappointed that it didn't! Seems they felt that the difference in the two cars came down to factory tire selection, which apparently handicapped the Z. "

Skip

[O'Neall]

That's odd becaues in 77 both Fbodies received the same GR70-15 tires from the factory (either Goodyear or Uniroyal) so I doubt tire selection had much to do with it. Now if you're talking 78 & later then I could see that argument because a 78 with WS6 got 225/70R15 and 8 inch wide wheels whereas the Z28 still got the GR70s on on 7 inch wheels (but then again, a non-WS6 T/A got the same tires as the Z28 and it still posted better numbers, etc. than the Z).

In several of the comparison articles it does specifically mention that the Z28 is softer suspended intentionally from the factory (even as compared to a non-WS6 T/A) and that Chevy wasn't necessarily trying to build a better handling car than the T/A. They left that to the Vette (though in the late 70s the T/A pretty much trounced the Vette in the handling department too.)

But all this just goes to prove my assertion up front... that while the Z28 was certainly a good handling car for it's time, the T/A always outperformed it. Not that Chevy couldn't necessarily have built it to perform equally... they just didn't.

[compos mentis]

To interested parties...

The point of this thread was my wanting feedback from current and past '77 Z-28 owners.

Not for data on how much better T/A's may have handled 31 years ago.

Thanks,

Skip

[BonzoHansen]

Bah, dumb TA owners. LOL

Skip, glad you found the 77 Z28 info at NastyZ.

[compos mentis]

Skip, glad you found the 77 Z28 info at NastyZ.
Bonz,

Thanks, with so few '77 Z-28's left as you know, its nice to find guys that are really into them and the stories behind finding and buying these rare cars. I'd take a black 4 speed...IMHO they have a very understated look which I like.

Skip

[David Pozzi]

I owned a brand-new 1979 Z/28. Handling was nice, the front would bottom out on the bump stops if you really hammered the brakes. I had the optional turbine alloy wheels and white lettered tires. It seemed they raised the bump stops to keep the tires from hitting the wheel well outer lip.
Horsepower was very poor in 79 especially on a California car. I recall the car was $9000. My banker who gave me the loan said to bring it by. "I want to see what a $9000. Camaro looks like".

I have owned an 85Z/28 and 89 IROC and the IROC was the best handling.
David

[compos mentis]

I recall the car was $9000. My banker who gave me the loan said to bring it by. "I want to see what a $9000 Camaro looks like".

David

That is funny...

Now even older Camaros are the new gold standard.:lol:


Skip

[WS6]

77 was the first year for the Z28 to return was it not? In 74, 75, and 76 the LT was the top of the line. I think I have this correct.

[compos mentis]

77 was the first year for the Z28 to return was it not? In 74, 75, and 76 the LT was the top of the line. I think I have this correct.

There was a '74 Z then it disapeared. The Z then did reappear of course 3 years later and is also commonly referred to as a '77 1/2 model.

Skip

[jeff s]

I had a bunch of 2nd gens. 73 RS, 79 Z28, 78 TA 6.6, 74 tA SD455, 74 TA 455 and now my 81 T ta.
All you need is one of our new full chassis under it to get rid of the disconnected feel when pushed hard.

[compos mentis]

Having owned a 74 455 T/A I remember the feeling. How much more than the cost of a top notch subframe?

Skip

[BonzoHansen]

Bonz,

Thanks, with so few '77 Z-28's left as you know, its nice to find guys that are really into them and the stories behind finding and buying these rare cars. I'd take a black 4 speed...IMHO they have a very understated look which I like.

Skip
I agree. I think the 77 Z was the best looking GM car made that year. Far more desirable then the 77 Vette.



I had a bunch of 2nd gens. 73 RS, 79 Z28, 78 TA 6.6, 74 tA SD455, 74 TA 455 and now my 81 T ta.
All you need is one of our new full chassis under it to get rid of the disconnected feel when pushed hard.
You are a bad influence.

[compos mentis]

A '77 Z is a lot harder to find than a '77 Vette since there were 48000+ Vettes built and just 14000+ Z's built.

Plus the Z's in too many cases weren't taken care of.

In addition the rust factor vs. the Vette's 'glass body.

I live hear Rochester NY and I can't remember the last time I saw one.

Skip

[kursed56]

Wouldnt most of the suspension handling bits be interchangible with the Z to make it handle like the TA?

[formula]

holy post resurrection batman!!

to answer your question--in short, yes. yes they would be.

[2ndgenhunter]

Skip,

I had a Black on black 77 Z28 4spd after my 78 got crashed. I really miss that car. It is 1 of the very few camaros I ever sold,But It made my down payment on my first house.

I liked it better than all my 78-81s I've had.

[compos mentis]

Skip,

I had a Black on black 77 Z28 4spd after my 78 got crashed. I really miss that car. It is 1 of the very few camaros I ever sold,But It made my down payment on my first house.

I liked it better than all my 78-81s I've had.

I sense you speaketh truth. :)

A black '77 black Z 4 speed?!

That's your big boy. :1st:

[Bowstring]

As the proud original owner of a '74 I can tell you that it didn't take to much to out handle the Trans Ams. We just used them for parts. All of the TA goodies were easy to come by. And a small block weighs one hell of a lot less than a Pontiac V8.

[Kenova]

.....But It made my down payment on my first house.
I sold my '75 for the very same reason.

Ken

[MikeDVC]

Well here ya good, nice project car (not mine)

http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/cto/1659820675.html

[2ndgenhunter]

Well here ya good, nice project car (not mine)

http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/cto/1659820675.html

Mike. I saw that posted on nastyZ28. I would really like to get a look at that car. I wonder how bad it is?

[compos mentis]

Well here ya good, nice project car (not mine)

http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/cto/1659820675.html

Thanks Mike.

[55ChevDelray]

This is an older thread, but looks like its been refreshed. I owned a 77, and liked it alot.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/03/290745944-1.jpg