Kevin DeWitte’s 1967 Z28 Camaro
More than 55 years after the first 1967 Z28 Camaro was quietly introduced to the public in limited supply to qualify for the Trans Am racing series, the cars are now muscle car royalty. The model – the Z28 name comes from the option code – wasn’t even shown in the Camaro brochures.
But the 602 people who purchased one of the ’67 Z28s found themselves with a monster street machine. The 302c.i. V8 was created by putting the crankshaft from a 283 V8 into a 327 block. Because the Trans Am series mandated engines with less than 305 cubic inches, Chevy’s move created a powerhouse small block.
Kevin DeWitte’s Deepwater Blue Z28 is a prime example of the first-year model. It was modestly rated at 290 horsepower (the factory in those days tried to hold to a one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch guideline) at just 5,300 rpm. Contemporary tests, though, raised the horsepower output closer to 360 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, which the high-winding engine could handle easily.
The V8 featured big-valve steel heads, solid lifters, and an aluminum intake topped by a 780-cfm Holley four barrel. Exhaust gases were fed through a dual-exhaust system featuring a single cross-flow muffler. Like all 602 Z28s produced, Kevin’s features a four-speed Muncie transmission, power steering, and heavy-duty power front disc brakes. His car has a Positraction rear axle with a 3.73 gear ratio. Options included ratios up to 4.56.
Kevin bought his Z28 from the fourth owner, who owned the car for more than 20 years and performed a meticulous restoration, with bodywork and paint by Moslander’s Rod Shop in Monroe, Washington. Deepwater Blue was a relatively rare hue; about three percent of the approximately 220,000 ’67 Camaros produced left the factory in that color. Color by model data was not kept by Chevrolet at that time.
The black vinyl interior is restored to original condition and features somewhat rare options – a fold-down rear seat and the three-gauge cluster mounted on the console.
Kevin’s Z28 Camaro is one of around 175 1967s still on the road, according to the folks who keep track of that data. Of those remaining Z28s, Kevin’s might be one of the best; it’s scored 998 out of 1,000 at one national Camaro event and was awarded a Legend Gold at another national Camaro event. That rarity and quality make this Camaro seem right at home with Kevin’s collection of vintage muscle cars in his Arizona garage.
Photos by John Jackson
