2002 Camaro Z28 Packs 427 Cubic Inches of LS Power

Camaro Z28 isn’t pretty right now, but it has all of the parts to be an awesome street and strip car.

It can be argued that if you want to go very fast at the drag strip, a fourth generation Chevrolet Camaro is one of the best cars on which to base your build. The standard LS1 engine can be modified to make monster power and if the builder wants to start with more power, any of the other LS engines will slide right into the Camaro engine bay with a little massaging. As a result, it is not uncommon to see this era of the Chevy muscle car dominating multiple classes at your local drag strip, but like any vehicle, building a 4g Camaro to run in the 9s takes some knowledge that not everyone possesses.

Fortunately, while flipping through the LS1Tech Marketplace, we came across this 2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that has been built to rule the quarter mile, but it needs some help in achieving its full potential.

Camaro Z28 Introduction

When “marksboy7” posted this 2002 Camaro Z28 for sale in the marketplace, he began with a quick rundown on why he is selling, what the car needs and what he plans to get to replace the primered Chevy.

“I really don’t want to but I’ve decided to sell my toy. Even though I’ve never had it to the track or drive it much like I had planned since I don’t have current tags or insurance on it I still love to go out and crank it just to listen to it run. It took me a couple years to get where I’m at with it and I’ve just kinda lost interest. I fish or tractor pull most weekends so my loss can be your gain. I have around 33k in it. Get a good tune in it and some shiny new paint and you’ll practically have a brand new racecar. I’d like to put the money from this into a new duramax. Pretty much everything but the accessory drive and brakes are new. It only has 201 miles on it since I built it. Those are just cruising miles where I would take it out for a drive. Only problem I guess you could say it has is it must have a faulty ignition because sometimes it will crank on the first try and sometimes I have to let it sit a few mins to get it to start. It did this before I built it as well. I’ll try to list what all I have in it.”

He also included a handful of pictures, showing the car from multiple angles including the interior and under the hood, along with a shot of the engine on a stand prior to being installed.

The Mod List

Next, the OP provided a detailed modification list that touched on each key area of the Camaro, starting with the engine, then moving onto the transmission, the rear differential, the suspension, the interior and the wheels and tires.

“Engine:
Texas Speed & Performance LS3 427 shortblock
Callies Compstar crank
235cc Trickflowheads from TEA
Harland Sharp rockers
Comp cam spec’d by Pat G
Manton pushrods
Morel link bar lifters
Fast 102 LSXR intake ported by Mamo
Fast 102 Billet TB
60lb injectors and rails from Nasty Nate
ATI Super Damper Balancer
Meziere electric water pump
2 x 3.5 ARH headers ceramic coated

Trans:
PerformabuiltLVL 2 4L60e
Yank PT4000 converter

Rearend:
Midwest Chassis Fab 9 w/3.50 gear
Backbraced
Fill Cap
Tow Loops
Watts Link
Transverse shock mounts
Drag bar
35 spline Strange axles
1/2″ studs

Suspension:
Front – UMI upper and lower control arms, k-member, all chromoly, Strano hollow swaybar
Rear – Midwest Chassis, lca’s, torque arm
Strange coilover shocks front and rear
Midwest Chassis weld on subframe connectors
It’s not suspension but also have Midwest Chassis front and rear light weight bumper supports

Interior:
Midwest Chassis 6pt rollbar – chromoly
Corbeau A4 racing seats – black leather
Rear seats have been deleted along with all brackets
Triple A-pillar gauge pod with AFR, Fuel pressure, and Aeroforce scan gauge

Wheels/Tires:
Deep dish replica C5 wheels 18×10.5
BFGoodrich KDW2 tires 295/35/18 – I would say with less than 3000 miles on them”

Based on this mod list, this 2002 Camaro Z28 has all of the parts to be a great street and strip car. The note about tuning leads us to believe that this Chevy isn’t running properly right now, which might be one of the reasons why the OP is looking to get rid of it, but the car comes with a long list of quality components that can lead to a very fast street car.

Of course, if you are going to drive it on the street, or even if you are buying it for a race-only car, we would hope that you would at least hit Maaco for a quick coat of paint, as it is pretty ugly as it sits. However, ugly doesn’t impact elapsed times, so if you are looking for a solid 4g Camaro race car, this one is only $24,500 away from being in your garage.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com