sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

I was browsing through some old books the other night and found this car in a book I bought around 15 years ago. It's pretty neat because it's a 1986 L69 (1 of 74 produced?) and it has the Conteur seats and what appears to be the 235 60 VR 15 Goodyears like an '85 TPI Z28 had. It's a GM fleet car, as the manufacturer tag would suggest. I have never personally seen an '86 L69. Does anyone have a car/photos of one?

daveb123

I have this book too, and I pursued the history of that car with a contact I have within GM. 63 of the 86 L69s were Canadian race cars, so really it's kind of one of 11. My contact (stamping manager for 7 different GM assembly plants) found someone who remembered the non-race L69s- he said the race series generated an interest in the by-then discontinued L69, and several GM bigshots and big dealers "leaned" on whoever needed leaning on to get L69s built for them along with the race cars He had a specific memory of one of the cars going to a dealership owner in Hamilton, Ohio. BTW, those pics were taken at the GM tech center in Warren MI. Wonder where it is now?

8t2 z-chev

Looking for a thirdgen i wanted to buy back in 1990,i did
find an'86 L69-even then i knew it was rare,so i had to
look-IIRC,it was the same colors as the one in the pics
posted It was only on the lot a couple days before it
sold.

navy02ws6

Wow, can't say I've ever seen a rear wiper on a Z28 car either. Thanks for sharing!

sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

Me either. It's a really neat car. You have to wonder what ever happened to it.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

I guess rear wipers were more popular up north, I used to see the all the time.

Motown

Wow I wonder if that maroon car is still in Michigan. It would be neat if youre driving in a neighborhood and spot it in a backyard or tucked away in a garage. Its too bad its not recognizable from the exterior alone (besides the small H.O. badging)

And aren't the 86 Conteur Seats ultra rare too?

It looks like that first pic is taken on the banks of Lake Saint Clair...

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Yup, the car pictured would be VERY rare.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Yeah I have that book too. The car in that book was pretty loaded with options from the factory for the 1986 model year. Probably one of the few things that was missing was T-Tops. That car is my favorite color to - dark red. Thats the color that my IROC is.

Guys please correct me if I am wrong but what did the rest of the drivetrain consist of for a 1986 L69 Z28? I know when the L69 came out in 1983 (mid-year introduction) you could only get it with the T-5 and 3.73 gears. I have heard most couldn't get posi rears with that set up.

For 1984 you could get the L69 with the 700r4 or the T-5. Could you get both 3.42 gears and 3.73 gears with the 700r4 for 1984? I am assuming that the L69/T-5 set up was still paired with the 3.73 geared rear end.

For 1985 you couldn't get the L69 in a Z28. It was an IROC exclusive that could only be paired with the T-5/3.73 rear gear drivetrain.

I have read that for 1986 they only made 74 L69's. Could you get the L69 in a Z28 and IROC? What about the rest of the drivetrain? I've only seen LG4 and LB9 cars from 1986, never a 1986 L69 car so I don't even know what the rest of the drivetrain consisted of for that year.

I hope that GM didn't destroy the car. I read that GM may have destroyed one of the 1992 RS/B4C/1LE 25th Anniversary cars that were supposed to send of the end of thirdgens with a bang.

I also remeber reading about a red 1985 IROC LB9 that GM had in its special vehicle test fleet to test rear wheel steering. They swapped out the LB9 with a 377 cubic inch motor (I think, don't quote me on that) and a modified rear axle. They got rid of the stock 10 bolt. I'll have to see if I can find some more information about those project cars.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

I found some info on the 1992 RS prototype. Still haven't found any info on the rear wheel steering 1985 IROC.

http://www.camarosource.ca/rare_spec...llectors_ed/2/

http://testdrivejunkie.com/1992-chev...pe-test-drive/

sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

It was my understanding that the '86 L69 required a five-speed and the 3.73 gear.

It is true one of the 1992 Z28 prototypes was crushed. The car with the black stripes and GTA wheels was scrapped. The other, which looked like a dead stock white 1992 RS minus the rear spoiler, was used as a proving grounds car, loaned to a couple of magazines, including Hot Rod, and then became a GM Performance Parts test mule. The same car, repainted bright yellow, was used as a testbed for the 350 RamJet engine. It could be seen in the GMPP catalog for a number of years. Supposedly, it is still at GM somewhere.

I have the 4WS Iroc store here somewhere. I'll try to dig it up for you.

The article is actually here on the site. It's in the multimedia archives in the 1998 Hot Rod story "Beyond the Toybox" with pictures and all.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the information. Yeah I remeber that magazine artible about the IROC. It's just been so long since I looked at the magazine that it was in. Ha ha I would have to go through a lot of my car magazines to find it.

It would be very cool if someone had one of the 1986 Z28 L69 cars that was produced. I know many of us (including myself) would like to see one.

sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

Here is the yellow car. Note the same Corvette shifter and the lack of a rear spoiler.

RPOZ28

Have seen one. Local GM body man ordered new,NICE car! He still has this car in storage. I know,it's a unicorn. But I have seen this car in all it's charcoal colored glory and it was the real deal! .........BILL

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Thats cool. If you get the chance ask him about the process he went through to order it and post some pics if you can. The way I understood it GM put a serious restriction on the L69 engine for the 1986 model year.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

1984 Camaro Z28 L69 write up:

http://www.oldcarmemories.com/content/view/111/76/



L69 engine service history write up:

http://www.oldcarmemories.com/content/view/104/76/

Slater126

iTrader: (1)

Great site, thanks! Not enough written about '80s and '90s muscle cars and this site has several. I used to love it when Hemmings' Muscle Machines would do features on cars from the 1980s. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, they stopped doing it.

I mean, I love '60s muscle cars as much as the next guy but I'm getting kind of tired of reading about them to be honest. I've read so much about 1967-69 Camaros and 1966-72 Chevelles that you could probably take one completely apart, arrange the parts on a warehouse floor, put a blindfold on me, and I'd be able to completely reassemble the car for you in 15 or 20 hours or so. It's nice to see new material from time to time.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Yes I agree. And truth be told an L69, LB9 or and L98 powered thirdgen with the right rear end gearing and mild modifications would be more than enough to give a 1960's era bone stock muscle car something to be concerned with.

To be more blunt the current model 2013 Grandsport, Z06, and ZR1 corvettes would embarass many 1960's-1970's era racing cars. All in emissions legal trim, with A/C on and getting good gas mileage as well.

sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

That is a good point and very true. We had a company "play day" not too long ago where employees can bring their car to a local track. There were two original '69 Z/28 Camaros present, one of which is 98% percent original, minus the tires, battery, plugs and wires. The other is restored back to stock, with the numbers matching engine. The original car ran a best of 14.77 and the restored car ran a 14.52. Original tests published in 1969 show a 15.0 to 15.3 e.t.. We all know that L69 cars are capable of 15.0 to 15.3, as published tests from '83/'84 indicate. L98 cars will run 14.3's all day long as we have seen first hand and from published tests.

There is one dilemma our cars will battle until we are all dead and gone; perception.

The greybeards who bought the '69's new think their beloved cars are much faster than any post-1972 smog engined turd. The guys with the new Camaro that runs 12.80's is indeed faster, putting us between a rock and a hard place, in terms of the whole world wanting to buy one because it's fast.

Here is actually what we need to be grateful for:

1.There are still plenty of low mile examples to be had reasonably.

2. There is an ample supply of high-mile donor cars to make LS-powered hot rods out of and they are practically free.

3. There is an ample supply of parts or donor cars around, cheap. In just a 15 minute search there are literally two dozen for less than $1500 that pop up.

4. There is aftermarket support for reproduction items and performance parts to fit our cars. This will grow as vendors try to generate new business. It has grown considerably in the last three years.

5. Be glad they aren't in a high level of mainstream demand. As enthusiasts, we can get all we want, affordably. There is very little risk involved, based on the low price to start with. I'd be fairly upset if a 1969 Z/28 I bought during the peak in 2007 for $90,000 was now worth $50,000. Conversely, the pristine $10k IROC in 2007 is still worth $10k.

The thing is, a car's desirability/value is based on what someone is willing to pay. A collector specifically seeking an '82 Iron Duke Firebird has little use for a 1LE Formula or a pristine '82 Z28 Pace Car.

These are never going to be cars to retire off of, with the exception of some one-off stuff. They're even better, they're cars we can drive and enjoy.

Slater126

iTrader: (1)

My stock LB9/G92 would probably be a little quicker than a stock 1969 Z/28. And my '11 VW GTI commuter car would probably smack down both of them with the A/C on and while talking on the Bluetooth phone. It's not about speed per se. The Third Gens don't have the Baby Boomer marketing muscle behind them. That's the main difference right there.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I'm wondering if that may have been one of the 25th heritage prototype cars and/or if its the one that GM now has a 454LSX in

88WS-6

Amen to that.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Here is the article about that 1989 yellow LSX 454 Camaro:

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...d/viewall.html

GMPP's LSX454-equipped '89 Camaro is more-or-less the opposite end of the spectrum. This hard charging test mule is a lot less refined, but offered more visceral thrill. It has been a long-standing test car for many products, and came equipped with a number of goodies including a rollbar, race seats, and harnesses. Some clutch issues prevented us from really roasting the hides, but with 600 lb-ft of torque that can happen. With the factory LS7 manifold in which it is equipped, the 454-cubic-inch mill is rated at 580 horsepower, though, with a carburetor and the GMPP single plane intake it has made 620. [Check out the high-tech build-up of this motor later in the story.] GMPP's flywheel (PN 24240678) and accessory drive (PN 19155067) were an easy fit to supplant the motor, however, they do not have a specific harness and controller, so the LS3 pieces (PN 19201861) were used with some modification. A custom tune was needed for the healthy 236/246-duration cam, which utilized a mass air sensor incorporated into a custom-bent cold-air intake tube. Of course there were plenty of odds and ends also needed like a set of factory coils, starter, and a T56 trans; but Copeland said this swap was pretty straightforward for the most part. You've seen plenty of third-gen LS1 swaps on the pages of GMHTP, so this shouldn't come as much surprise.

LSX 454
Car: '89 Camaro
Block: Iron, 454 cid (7.4L)
Bore x Stroke (in): 4.185 x 4.125
Crankshaft: Forged steel (4340)
Connecting Rods: Forged steel (4340)
Pistons: Forged aluminum
Camshaft: Hydraulic roller, 236/246 duration, 0.635/0.635-inch
Cylinder Heads: LSX-LS7 aluminum, 2.20 titanium intake, 1.610 hollow stem/sodium filled exhaust valves
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Redline: 6,500 rpm
HP/TQ: 580/600 (with factory LS7 intake)








Read more: http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...#ixzz21kNUy2rB

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

GM magazine add 1984 Z28 L69

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I was wondering what year it was because I have seen the car in person and its white under the yellow in the engine compartment..
Maaybe it is just a different car than the prototype ....

David M

The 1984 Camaro Z28 L69 write up was done on my car. The gentleman who runs this site Pete Dunton knows his stuff. I took the pics and gave him all the details, done totally through emails. It was as if he came out to the house and interviewed me and looked at the car himself. Very well written.

sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

That is a killer car too!

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Thats very cool! You have a very nice car!

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

I found that 4 wheel steering IROC-Z article on thirdgen.org. Ha ha i actually went through some of my old car magazines and I found it. I really like the first pic of that IROC. Thats a good angle to take pics of our thirdgens to me. It makes the Z28's and IROC's look mean especially with those black-out headlight pockets.

https://www.thirdgen.org/beyond_the_...x_hr_june_1998