1970 L-78 Camaro

[Stefano]

Wanted; Prefer original or Fully restored 1970 L-78 Camaro RS option a plus. Must have solid documentation.

[COPO427]

This one I worked on was up for grabs about 6 months ago. I think George Zapora may know the current owner cause he asked me if the previous owner wanted to buy it back. It's a Canadian car with paperwork and restored.
http://www.autolegends.com/Dans-L78-Camaro/ /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[CamarosRus]

I saw the Hugger Orange L-78 at the 1998 USCC Niagra Falls show, however it was not being judged. Wish I had looked closer and checked out more details I know well now. Stripes were added, should have dual snorkel enclosed element air cleaner and smog is missing.....Other than possibly the low milage Citrus Green L-78 Don Stowers worked on, I'm not aware of ANY restored top quality 1970 L-78 Camaro anywhere. Eric Reufsnyder in Redding,PA has a nice unrestored ex racecar put back to stock. My own L-78(picture attached) was on cover of July 1991 Musclecars magazine, but photographs dont show flaws and body needs work and car still needs resto, however it is ALL #'s matching.....Chuck S/Seattle

[Mr70]

Dans L-78 Camaro,that email address on that webpage does not work.Comes back undeliverable.
Nice looking Camaro I must say.
Chuck S., do you have a Buildsheet on your Camaro...Does any 1970 L-78 Camaro??I would like to look at one....

[COPO PETE]

Dans car was pretty nice. Deluxe black interior, tilt, 3 spoke wheel. The RS option was added, as were the stripes. Should have had ralley wheels I believe, but he wanted the sleeper look. Original motor was gone but I beleive the heads and intake were correct or possibly original. It was in Musclecar Review a few issues before it was canned by Primedia!
Peter

[GTO_DON]

EVERY L78 70 CAMARO I EVER SAW HAS L78 STAMPED RIGHT ON THE COWL TAG. I DONT THINK YOU CAN FAKE ONE.

[CamarosRus]

1970 Norwood Built Camaros did not get shipped with build sheets. I have been a USCC and WCA 1970 judge and "we" have never seen or heard of a Norwood 1970 Camaro with a build sheet (I'm sure someone will know otherwise, but that just my experience).......now on the other hand L.A. built 1970 Camaros did come with build sheets either above the gas tank or tucked in the seat springs or ???. Norwood Camaros did however have Z 28 L-78 or L-34 stamped on the trim tag and L.A Camaros did not.....so if you have a L.A. Camaro missing the original vin stamped engine and no docs you really cant prove its a Z-28 or L-78.....whereas at least the Norwood Camaro will be trim tag stamped. I have one or more L.A. 1970 L-78 build sheets. What is it you want to know. I do not have them scanned, but I could....
Rally Wheels were not standard with the SS Camaro.The plain steel 14x7 CL wheels(which I'nm still looking for)was the standard SS wheel with the small bowtie baby moons. You had to order the SS to get either 396 engine. The tach/gauges were also not standard as I have a build sheet and I think a picture showing it deleted or not being standard equipment. About the only really unique item I can think on most L-78's was the 6500/7000 MAX tachometer. The Z-28 had the 6500/8000 tach......
One other item on the Orange car that doesnt jive are the rear bumper guards. They only came on Z-28's or Deluxe bumper option VF-3 cars........Chuck Sharin

[Mr70]

Chuck S.
Is it believed that all 600 1970 L-78 Camaros came from the Factory with the CO Dual Snorkle Air Cleaner?
What is the code in box #55 and #72 of your Buildsheets show?

[JoeC]

Chuck, anything new on the 1970 Camaro L78 TH400 car? Have any been found and documented?

[Charley Lillard]

Oh Boy.....

[AutoInsane]

I owned the orange L-78 for about 2 hours.(pretty sure it is the same car) I had called Legenday Motorcars when it was for sale on their site a few yaears ago and told them I would buy it, filled out the paperwork and all. When I found out the engine was a crate engine I told them I didn't want to buy it. I think the asking price was $24,ooo. That car is beauiful(from seeing the detailed pictures)

Bill O'Brien /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

Still have some regrets about not buying it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[55chevy]

How rare was it to have a 70 Camaro with a column shift? I had a 70 that was original small block column shift w/air. After a year of driving it around with an automatic I converted it to a 4 speed and removed the air box. I welded in the correct floor hump section from a 4spd car and switched out the shifter column for a tilt version from a floor shift car and put a standard heater box in it. Just wondering how unique the column shift was for a 70.

Ed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[CamarosRus]

Ed, No one will be able to answer how many column auto 1970 Camaros there were......but I did have a pretty rare one myself. My first 70 Z-28 I ordered new had a Turbo-400 on the column..... (not the one I currently have[4-spd] and bought in 1978)....Chuck S

[CamarosRus]

Mr.70,I believe that all 1970 L-78 Camaros came with the CO Dual Snorkel Air Cleaner(see attached picture).....This air cleaner was also used on "some" 1970 L-78 Novas and Non-cowl L-78 and LS-6 Chevelles. Chuck Hansen (ACES) has suggested that getting away from the Open Element A.C. had to do with new 1970 laws regarding noise. I would love to have some official G.M. answer but dont know how to research this. I have been looking at the 70 L-78 Camaros now for many years and while many of them are missing the original air cleaner, I do feel the dual snorkel was used exclusively. The swap meet prices on these is very high and heard from the sellers mouth that last year a NOS one sold for $2400. I have three Van Nuys Plant 70 L-78 build sheet copies. Norwood 70 Camaros did not come with build sheets. 1) #511596 Mulsanne Blue had CO air cleaner(Dual Snorkel) and 052 Tach(may I assume 6500/7000)listed as U14 IP Gauges on option list. This was a project I once bought without correct block or trans, and went back to the seller in St Louis. 2) #505462 incomplete partial build sheet. CO air cleaner and -- Tach/Gauge delete. 3)#521043 Cortez Silver with CO air cleaner and again -- Tach/Gauge delete. All three cars had M-21 4 spd CLS Ratio.
Chuck/Seattle

[Mr70]

Thanks Chuck.
I will let you know if I can add to your info.
Rick /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[COPO PETE]

Chuch, That is interesting that all three of those cars were M21 cars. Did they come with 4:10 gears? The orange car here was a M20 car with 3:55 gears. He put in 4:10's and I still have the original 3:55 here in my shop. Cars was documented by GM of Canada with the M20 and 3:55. Documentation did not list rally's, so it must have came with hub caps. I'm not totally up on my 70's, i just assumed all SS's came with rallys. apparantly not!
Peter

[Mr70]

The 1970 Chevelle L78/either 3:55 or 4:10 was possible to receive the M20 also.

Chuck S.& Charley L.
Is this the Aforementioned TH400/L78 Camaro with docs that was talked about before?

http://www.camarogenerations.com/memberfiles/jackwhite.html

[Charley Lillard]

Yep /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[CamarosRus]

Peter, The #1 and #3 example above DID come with 3:55 posi per the build sheet. The #2 example build sheet is partially gone and the gear ratio, color etc is missing. I used to assume that Rally Wheels and Tach/Gauges would have been standard with SS, but they were optional. That's why I'm looking for the (everybody through them away) "CL" 14x7 wheels myself. I already have the common Baby Moons as they came on all plain jane wheels 14x6 & 14x7. Glad Jack's "White" L-78 was posted as I lost track of that club web site.....I had forgotten that it was originally Mulsanne Blue. Wonder if there was ever an original White L-78. For being 600 of these cars made, there sure arent many left or at least traded about.....Chuck S

[Schonyenko2]

I bought a new L78 nova in 70. It had that dual snorkle air cleaner. Came with M20, and 3:55 rear. Neat car, but about two carlengths slower than the deuce.
I bounced the L78 off a bridge in early 71, thats how I wound up with the deuce. Schonye

[CamarosRus]

Schonye, Curious when your 70 Nova L-78 was built? .....wondering if early Sept-Dec builds had open element and then switched to Enclosed element Dual Snorkel for jan and later builds????.......Chuck

[Schonyenko2]

I didn't get that car until end of July if I remember correctly. Was told it got held up because of the strike. VIN# 11427ow384105 if that helps. Still have the window sticker. Schonye

[ChrisS]

The Hugger Orange L-78 that was documented by GM/Canada was for sale in Dec/Jan at the classics dealer owned by Al Wiseman in Tarpon Springs, FL. By the time I got there to see it in late Jan I was told it had left a few days earlier for a new home in California.