1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 — DZ 302 V8, 4-Speed, F41 Suspension, Vinyl Top Why This Car Is Special The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 occupies a specific and well-earned position in American automotive history. It was not a street car that moonlighted on the track — it was a competition-bred machine that Chevrolet made street-legal to satisfy SCCA Trans-Am racing homologation rules. To compete in the under-5-liter displacement class, Chevy engineers combined a 283 block with a 327 crankshaft to arrive at exactly 302.4 cubic inches.

That engine, designated the DZ 302, became the heart of every Z/28 sold during the first-generation Camaro run. The Z/28 option was not advertised in Chevrolet's main sales literature in 1967 or 1968 — it was essentially a word-of-mouth package for buyers who already knew what they were looking for. By 1969, the Z/28 had earned enough of a reputation that Chevrolet leaned into it more openly, and production climbed to 20,302 units that year, compared to just 602 in 1967 and 7,199 in 1968.

Even so, the 1969 Z/28 represented a small fraction of total Camaro output for the model year, which exceeded 243,000 units. The 1969 model year also holds the distinction of being the last of the first-generation body style, making it the most refined expression of that original design before the second-generation car arrived for 1970. The VIN on this car decodes to a Norwood, Ohio assembly plant build — the 'N' in the seventh position confirms that.

Norwood was one of two plants that built the first-generation Camaro alongside Van Nuys, California, and it produced the majority of Z/28s during this era. This particular 1969 Camaro Z/28 is presented in silver with black racing stripes, a black vinyl interior, and a black vinyl top — a combination that presents cleanly and reads correctly for the era. It carries the F41 performance suspension, the close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission, and the dual exhaust that were all standard Z/28 equipment.

This is the configuration the car was meant to be in. Features List - DZ 302 5.0L V8 Engine - 4-Speed Manual Transmission - Z/28 Badge Package - F41 Performance Suspension - Dual Exhaust - Black Racing Stripes - Black Vinyl Top - Center Console - Sport Steering Wheel - Astro Ventilation - Wide Oval Tires - Chrome Bumpers - Clean Undercarriage Mechanical The DZ 302 V8 is the reason the Z/28 exists. Displacing 302 cubic inches, this engine was factory-rated at 290 horsepower, though that number was widely understood to be conservative — a common practice in the late 1960s as insurance rates and regulatory scrutiny climbed.

The engine features solid lifters, a high-revving camshaft, and a 800-cfm Holley four-barrel carburetor sitting under a large open-element air cleaner. It was designed to make power above 4,000 rpm, which made it less docile than a big-block at low speeds but considerably more capable on a road course where the engine spent its time spinning near redline. The high-revving nature of the DZ 302 also made it a natural fit for the Trans-Am series, where Chevrolet-backed teams used this engine as the foundation for their race builds.

The 4-speed manual transmission is the correct pairing for this car. The Z/28 was not offered with an automatic in 1969 — if you wanted the Z/28 package, you took the manual. The close-ratio gearbox keeps the DZ 302 in its power band between shifts, which is exactly how this engine needs to be driven.

The F41 suspension package — heavy-duty springs, stiffer shocks, and a front stabilizer bar — was standard Z/28 equipment and distinguishes this car's handling balance from a standard Camaro. It was tuned with road course performance in mind, not straight-line drag racing, which is part of what made the Z/28 distinct from the SS models that were chasing quarter-mile times. The dual exhaust exits cleanly at the rear, and the undercarriage photos on this car show solid, clean structure without the rust and patch