406 Q-ship

iTrader: (1)

I have never looked at the SS or the Z28 being the top dog over each other in anyway when they were available in the same year (well the 4th gen the SS was a option on the Z28). In the begining the Z28 was just to get into Tran Am racing and was never intended to be a model to itself but through popular demand it was born into a model with a storied history. The Z28 name was just the RPO code that was assigned to the package in 1967, and when the public found out about it that is how they would ask for it at the dealers, and a name was born. The original SS396 Chevelles are RPO Z16, the later Monte SS from 1984-87 are also Z16, other SS used Z codes. The Z28 was for a fast road racer, the SS were geared toward getting down the drag strip quickly. In the 1st Gen Camaro you could put all the pieces from a Z28 minus the 302 on a SS, so in theory you could have had a great handling street fighter in an SS350 Camaro with a way better torque curve.

stroked383z

iTrader: (1)

wasnt the 302 severly underrated? last i heard they could take a big block and give them a run for their money on the strip.

BadMrFrossty

iTrader: (1)

Thanks 406 Q-ship! More good info. Also, there were no real ways to de-code a true SS in the 1st gen simply by RPO codes. X11 is the rumored SS code but that was just a sport code that was required to get the SS option. SS was never intended as a performance only option through the years. It has evolved and is a performance code(HP &/or handling) appearance option, and sometimes both. 4th gen SS is a Z28 with the WU8 code to add the SS hood, spoiler, wheels, and a stiffer suspension. Is there any difference between the 98-02 SS and Z28 engines? No.

BadMrFrossty

iTrader: (1)

The 302 was under rated. It was rated at 290hp but made more than that. It would give the 396s a good run in a straight line & leave them behind in the curves. CI was king back in the 60s and the BBs ruled over the SMs for the most part when comparing stock-stock Muscle Cars.

stroked383z

iTrader: (1)

i remember my dad talking about my uncles very rare 302 with the crossram and he said it put out like 445HP???

406 Q-ship

iTrader: (1)

NHRA rated the 302 at 310 for stock racing back in the day. Well tuned blueprinted 302 were probably in 350 - 370 hp (the Trans Am ones with the Tracos were 450 hp). With the right gear (a whole lotta gear 4.30s) they were quicker than a 325 hp and 350hp 396 that was loaded down with options and standard gears. In the corners the SS BB cars didn't stand a chance.

Your thinking about the cowl tag with the X11, that has nothing to do with the RPO codes. X11 is a Fisher body number that is for deluxe interior I believe. RPO is what the dealers used to order a model, and what appears on the data tags on the late model cars. The engine itself in the 98 -02 Z28 SS wasn't any different, but the cold air and exhaust catback from SLP was what added the HP for those models.

The Z28 was crippled with stock ring and pinions, the best one that the factory would install was 4.11, dealers could put in shorter gears which the car needed to run with a healthy 396. Like you said the Z28 would run circles arround a BB SS Camaro but if a proper equipped SS350 Camaro factory delievered to a factory delievered Z28 then the SS350 could hold its own and pull on the undergeared Z28 off the corners.

ss dave

As an first gen SS owner I'll add my .02$ The SS was the Camaro's straight line package so to speak. It came with heavier springs, a standard 350 ci with a several big block options. You could get it in a manual or auto. It was rated highest in HP than the standard Camaro which came with 307, 327 or 350, or the Z.
The Z was developed to compete in the Trans-am series at the time, they had restrictions in ci., which was limited to 302ci. The Z had a quick ratio steering box, always manual, and front discs., never came with AC.
The trans-am guys would beef the HP on the 302 with cam, crossram intake, headers and some head work. They could manage a little over 500hp.
On the curves the Z was quick, but a properly tuned suspension, reworked SS 350 would beat it- more HP. It just didn't happen on the national circuit at that time because they never allowed it. However I have witnessed it in SCCA.
Straight line beloned to the BB's.
The most powerful factory Camaro was the COPO.
The RS option could be had on any Camaro, it was a trim package.

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

Man, you guys are taking this thread SOOOO off point again, just like all the others... It (this thread) is not about who had the most power!

Title of the thread: Official story of the Z28 being a "higher" package than the SS...

What I wrote in my first post...

I was wrong about SS being just an appearance package and thanked you guys for the correction but the point of the thread wasn't what car had the best performance (SS does for power but Z28 does for road racing) but simply to feed a little history into this site about the origin of the car and the fact that SS's were Z27's...

ss dave

Sorry, but a little education/history doesn't hurt. In high school my brother had a 69 Zapper, hugger orange. Initally with a 3.73. Light to light it was hard to beat. But the first time he raced a 454 70 El Camino I was in the back seat. Had him thru first and second and a little thru third. But then this black flash blew by us like we were in reverse. I'll never forget it. That is why I put a LS7 in my 69 SS.
The Z was a purpose built road -racer and the BB SS was a purpose built 1/4 miler, built to compete with the Mopars and Blue ovals that raced the strips on weekends. Dealers would sell alot of cars on Monday that won at the strips and rr tracks on Sundays. Unlike today, you could walk into a dealership and purchase a very similar car as to that weekend's winner at the track. Advertising was done on the tracks, not the tube.