What Makes a 1969 Z28 Camaro So Valuable?

It’s a performance model from Chevrolet, so any units still available are gonna be in high demand. I mean, it’s a limited edition car—like most rare models, the price will go up if demand is high, especially since there aren’t many out there.

From what I know, the Z/28 came about because of the Trans-Am racing series. Ford already had the Mustang, so Chevrolet had to roll out the Camaro to stay competitive. The Trans-Am series kicked off in 1966 and was open to four-passenger production cars in two classes: under 2.0 liters and 2.0 to 5.0 liters. Ford even got Carroll Shelby to prep a team of Mustangs for the first season, where they went up against Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas in the over-2.0-liter class.

The Z/28 came with a special engine—one that was brand new for Chevy at the time. Chevrolet had a 283 and a 327 cubic-inch engine in its lineup, but nothing in between. The 283 wasn’t quite stout enough, and the 327 was a little too big, so the 305ci engine was born. It was created by combining the four-inch bore of the 327 with the three-inch stroke of the 283, giving it a nearly perfect swept volume of 302.4 cubic inches. This wasn’t some wild experiment — racers had already used this combo before, and it conveniently fit under the SCCA’s 305 cubic-inch limit. Plus, the 302 inherited all the benefits of a short-stroke, oversquare bore setup. A short-stroke engine can spin at higher RPMs for longer periods since the pistons don’t have to travel as far or as fast. And if there’s one thing a race engine needs to do, it’s survive long stretches of high-RPM abuse.

The 302’s small-journal, cast-iron block was shared with the 327 and 350 engines in 1967. Its forged-steel crankshafts were tuftrided (a heat treatment for durability) to handle high revs. The connecting rods were shot-peened for added strength and paired with 11.0:1 domed aluminum pistons with notched valve reliefs. The iron cylinder heads packed big 2.02-inch intake valves and 1.60-inch exhaust valves, with generous porting to help it breathe at high RPMs. The camshaft, known as the “30/30” cam, was borrowed from the Corvette’s 375-horsepower 327 fuelie engine and was designed to work with solid lifters.

Fuel and air came from a big 800-cfm Holley double-pumper, mounted on a tuned-runner, dual-plane aluminum intake manifold with a front crossover tapped for a temp sensor. Exhaust flowed through basic log-style iron manifolds, though Chevy offered headers as an option. Ignition was handled by a single-point Delco-Remy distributor, with an optional transistorized ignition system for those who wanted a little extra spark reliability.

Chevrolet officially rated the 302 at just 290 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque, but that was complete nonsense. In reality, the engine cranked out well over 375 horsepower, with peak power hitting between 3500 and 6500 RPM and still pulling hard at 7000. This thing was a race motor, plain and simple—right from the factory.

As far as I know, there were only about 20,000 Z/28s sold in 1969 so they are going to be expensive. You can’t go to a Chevrolet dealer and ask for one so if there are any left, the prices are going to be high. There will be someone willing to pay more for a Z/28; that’s why they are expensive.

I suppose it’s the same as other rare cars, because there is demand, the prices are high, and the Z/28 is the same. That’s why they are expensive and will continue to be expensive, and people will be willing to pay more for them.

This is a limited edition car and the price will always increase.