70 1/2 Camaro question....Camaro experts?

[STINEY]

No I didn't pick up another project..........I'm at my friend Blumers house and we're talking Camaros.

His in particular. Its a 70 1/2 he just finished restoring kinda Pro-Touring style.

Here's the question. Was the 70 1/2 body style introduced mid-year in 70? Were the early 70's actually 1st gen's? He read that somewhere and can't remember where, and was wondering if there was any truth to that?

I'll work on getting him to update his build thread. He's been REAL lax about that!

[1badmonkey]

there was a strike?? hmmmm. I will hush and wait to read the reason...

[Loren]

The "new" (2nd-gen) style didn't hit showrooms until late-Feb 1970, until then about 50,000 "'69-style" cars were produced as '70s, starting from the usual Sept. model-year change.

[Scott Liggett]

The "new" (2nd-gen) style didn't hit showrooms until late-Feb 1970, until then about 50,000 "'69-style" cars were produced as '70s, starting from the usual Sept. model-year change.

The reason there are so many '69's built.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Loren
The "new" (2nd-gen) style didn't hit showrooms until late-Feb 1970, until then about 50,000 "'69-style" cars were produced as '70s, starting from the usual Sept. model-year change

That's interesting, I didn't know that, I guess I missed that because I was racing and sending money to some engine builder in Berwyn Pennsylvania and couldn't afford a new car anyway! So are there actually 1969 body styles out there with 1970 titles?

Originally Posted by Scott Liggett
The reason there are so many '69's built.

That helps to explain why there are so many 69 Camaros built, I still want one!

[Monk]

The 1970 1/2 was termanology created by the press............the '69 model ran into late November.
There was also some tooling issues.....are that's what I've read.
I also think the Firebird got the same late start.

GM never called them 70 1/2........they were 1970's that got a late start.

[STINEY]

Awesome! Bangshift for the win!

[Monk]

I was fresh out of the service when the Camaro hit
the showroom floor....back then the dealerships only had room for
one car.
Everyone had an opinion on the split bumper......my thoughts were
they wouldn't be much help if you ran into something.

Also the same LT1 350, rated at 360hp in the Camaro, was rated at 370hp in the Corvette.

[Deaf Bob]

I was fresh out of the service when the Camaro hit
the showroom floor....back then the dealerships only had room for
one car.
Everyone had an opinion on the split bumper......my thoughts were
they wouldn't be much help if you ran into something.

Also the same LT1 350, rated at 360hp in the Camaro, was rated at 370hp in the Corvette.

I was told... Fact or not, don't know... That the Corvette had the aluminum Quadrajet intake.. That accounted for the 10 hp
Problem with that is I have found the intake on 305's and stuff in all models... So I think it may be a different intake?

[Monk]

Pretty sure they shared the same intake and carb.
The Z28 had a single cross flow muffler instead of two mufflers like the Vette which
GM could've justified the difference.

Bottom line, the Corvette had to be the big dog of their offering.

[Loren]

Everyone had an opinion on the split bumper......my thoughts were
they wouldn't be much help if you ran into something.

That grille and surround in the middle was a heavy piece, with thick urethane and steel reinforcing, including a stout vertical bar down the middle. Like the upcoming Grand Am, the grill was the bumper. As the cars aged, moisture trapped between the urethane and the steel caused rust, originals are usually pretty rotten and unusable now.

I was 9 but I recall some pretty dramatic TV ads for the "new" Camaro, to go along with the odd intro date.

Supposedly the last 50K first-gens have a "0" in the vin for year model, as opposed to a "9" as for 1969...something I've read but have never checked myself...not quite that into it.

[oldsman496]

there was a strike?? hmmmm. I will hush and wait to read the reason...

The only strike I know of occurred in 1972 and seriously affected that model year only...it was the Norwood Ohio assembly plant .....

[Scott Liggett]

Pretty sure they shared the same intake and carb.
The Z28 had a single cross flow muffler instead of two mufflers like the Vette which
GM could've justified the difference.

Bottom line, the Corvette had to be the big dog of their offering.

Vette was the flag ship. No other car could have more advertised hp. That 10 hp was nothing more than marketing. Besides, they didnt rate hp with exhaust.