Muscle Car Review's "Rating the Camaro's"

[Mr. T]

Just picked up the latest edition of Muscle Car Review. Inside is an article rating Camaros over all 36 years, from the first to the worst, from the best to the worst.
Being a first generation Camaro owner and fan, this was interesting reading. What do you guys think? Agree with this list, or not? Speaking for myself, I would arrange this list quite a bit, except for #1 of course.

Ok, here we go, the 1-36 list, word for word.

#1. 1969 - Why? ZL1 and L72 COPO cars, the last (and best) year for the DZ302 powered Z/28, the best looking Indy pace car ever built, and every other reason. By far the best year for Camaros ever.

#2. '70 - The first year for the second-generation car, and the only year the Z28 came with the full-strength (360 hp) LT-1 350 and the short rear deck spoiler. And the 375 hp 396 was still available.

#3. '68 - Because it's slightly better looking than the 67. Because Mark Donohue won 10 of the 13 Trans-Am races in a 68. Because Grumpy Jenkins won the first Pro Stock race driving one.

#4. '67 - It was perfect the moment it came out, and then they added the Z/28.

#5. '93 - A 275 hp LT-1, six speed transmission, and four-wheel disk brakes for $17,000? Better than we deserved.

#6. '98 - Everything the 93 car was and more. The all aluminum LS1 is the best engine ever plopped into a production F-car.

#7. '85 - Just when the third-generation car seemed destined for mediocrity, along came the IROC and Tuned Port Injection.

#8. '71 - It's a slightly less powerful, sligtly less attractive 70.

#9. '87 - The 350 returns! With TPI!

#10. '72 - It's a slightly less powerful, slightly less attractive 71.

#11. '88 - Wow, they brought back the convertible.

#12. '96 - SLP brings us the Z28/SS. Thank you.

#13. '73 - It's a slightly less powerful, slightly less attractive 72.

#14. '97 - Because of the the 30th anniversary edition that brought back the 69 Pace Car's orange-on-white graphics.

#15. '94 - The first year for the fourth generation convertible.

#16. '83 - Remember the L69 305? Back then its 190 hp and five-speed transmission were a great leap forward.

#17. '77 - After two lousy years they brought back the Z28. A gutless Z28, but one that handled well.

#18. '78 - At least they put the bumpers under some plastic.

#19. '95 - With the 3800 V-6, the least powerful V-6 powered Camaro, was now more powerful than the most powerful 84 Camaro.

#20. '02 - It's the last one and it's very quick.

#21. '84 - No particular reason.

#22. '90 - The last IROC was also the best IROC.

#23. '91 - IROC morphs into Z28. Always liked that name.

#24. '82 - The third-generation car looked good, but the engines were trash.

#25. '89 - This year had to go somewhere.

#26. '99 - There really wasn't anything new about the 99. That was OK.

#27. 2000 - See above.

#28. '01 - The LS1 was re-rated to 310 hp, but trust us, it was making 310 hp all along.

#29. '92 - The last third-generation car was the tightest and best built.

#30. '86 - What's the ugly lump on the rear window.

#31. '74 - Those bumpers. Those damn bumpers.

#32. '81 - It was about time the second generation died.

#33. '79 - This was the best selling Camaro ever (282,571 units sold) for no apparant reason.

#34. '75 - A new rear window but no Z28? Ick.

#35. '76 - It was more of the 75. Yuck.

#36. '80 - This was the year Chevy introduced the unforgiveable 267ci V-8. It made 120 hp and was the worst small block ever built. GM didn't deserve to survive that engine.

[TDW]

The first 3 suit me just fine.

[COPO427]

70-73 are the same body style, how can they be less attractive ? The only diff was when they offered the high rear spoiler in mid '71 and added the front spoiler in the front.

[MosportGreen66]

[ QUOTE ]
70-73 are the same body style, how can they be less attractive ? The only diff was when they offered the high rear spoiler in mid '71 and added the front spoiler in the front.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mark.. although your almost on the money, some key differences in the 70-71-72-73 Camaros in include a different grill, seats, spoilers, bumper brackets/clips, emblems and gagues to name a few. I guess what the listing is trying to say is through the early 1970s, the more refined the Camaros became, the less attractive they were to buyers. This does hold true as total production of the 1970 Camaro was 124K cars, being the highest sale of any 2nd Gen Camaro year. My .02.

[70-SS/RS-L78]

The 70-71 grills were identical; the 71 front emblem is different and actually nicer.
The 71 had both the high and low rear spoilers. The front spoiler became available
in 71. The 70 had the same front seat as the 69. The 71 seat is MUCH more comfortable
I believe the gauges were changed in 72; the 70 and 71 are the same. 150 Speedo and 8
grand tach. The 70 and the 71 unless you know what you are looking for are almost identical.
It deserves better then an (8) “IMO”
Mark L

[Seattle Sam]

I gotta agree with the '70 being in the top 2!

[Belair62]

Me too I think !

[427TJ]

Just as long as it has a black rear panel.

[MagicRatt]

[ QUOTE ]
Just as long as it has a black rear panel.

[/ QUOTE ]



Sweeeeet..........

[skierkaj]

At least mine's not the worst . . . but darn close.