A YouTuber checks out the broadcast sheet of a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 to deduce if the muscle car is the genuine article

Certain muscle cars have a rich history. Unfortunately, there is sometimes a lack of information about them or worse, misinformation that can spread like wildfire online. Fortunately for us, there are YouTubers like Backyard Barn Finds who can shed light on these incredible classic muscle cars.

With that in mind, Parker from the channel heads to Ohio to check out a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. This is a rare muscle car that comes with some rare documents. Broadcast sheets for these muscle cars are very hard to find, but owner Ken has one of those for his particular Camaro Z/28 which makes the car rarer and more valuable.

The video on the Backyard Barn Finds YouTube channel shows the YouTuber checking out the Camaro as well as getting to see that rare document. We get a good look around the car, under the hood, and inside the cabin.

This car has been with its owner all its life, covering only 1,000 miles a year, and came from a lucky swap with a ’65 Chevy Chevelle.

The Video Aims To Deduce If This Is An Original Z/28

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Engine Specs

(Sourced from Hemmings & Heacock Classic)

The purpose of this video is to work out if the muscle car is a genuine Camaro Z/28. One way you can work that out is via the tag under the hood, which lacks an X code, but has a dash instead. This is for specially-painted cars, and the owner believes the black color of the Z/28 is its original color. This alone makes the car rare, and the B lettering on the tag we see in the video suggests it was a black car with a vinyl top.

The YouTuber suggests the original black pin-stripe on the molding is an indicator as to it being an original vinyl top. Reading the 727 on the tag, it indicates an Ivory standard interior. Opening this car up does reveal the white seats that match that tag as well as the white doors. An Ivory standard interior would also have had a black dashboard, something we can see in this Camaro. The YouTuber also shows us the black area at the back where the speakers would have been, matching the tag under the hood.

Helping to verify this car is the broadcast sheet, which verifies a lot of the details on the car. As Backyard Barn Finds explains, the sheets themselves are rare, making it harder to identify some examples of the original Z/28.

The numbers on the broadcast sheet match up with what the tag under the hood is telling us, including features like bucket seats. One of the biggest question marks surrounds the engine, and whether the original block from the car is a DZ engine and not a regular Chevrolet V8 with DZ stamps.

The four-wheel-drive Camaro uses a twin-turbo setup for 2,000 hp and is built for quick passes on no-prep runways.

The Owner Has Swapped The Original Motor Under The Hood

What Makes This 1969 Camaro Z/28 So Special

• The black and vinyl roof combination is exceptionally rare
• The 302 ci DZ engine was specially built for the Camaro Z/28
• The broadcast sheet adds to the value of the muscle car
• Examples of the Camaro Z/28 can sell for nearly $300,000

Having a look under the hood, the owner of the Chevrolet Camaro reveals in the video that the original motor is now swapped out of the muscle car. The original is on display next to it. According to Chevrolet Hardcore, under the hood originally is a small-block Chevrolet 302 ci DZ V8 engine, developed as the powerplant for the first generation of the Camaro Z/28 from 1967 to 1969. The engine is from a block from a 327 ci engine, plus the crankshaft from a 283 ci engine that resulted in its 302.4-inch displacement.

Chevy Hardcore goes on to say that the oversquare design of the Z/28s engine made it particularly unique. This was thanks to the 4.00-inch bore and the 3.00-inch stroke, and the engine could rev well into the 7,000 rpm range.

The YouTuber helps the owner of this Z/28 to find out if this is an original DZ motor, and the tag reveals everything. The last two digits say DZ, plus it has the last four digits of the car’s VIN. These are 1953, matching with the DZ motor. The YouTuber also works out that the build date of the block matches the build date of the car, thanks to an eight marking that the build date for the block was 1968.

That confirms that this is not a regular, non-DZ motor that has just had a DZ tag stamped onto it. The block also has the correct intake for a DZ engine and the Holley carburetor with its DZ casting number. The YouTuber believes that the valve covers however are not correct, and are too shiny for the DZ engine. As the owner has the broadcast sheet, we can see that the VIN matches the dashboard of the car and that the G code indicates that the engine is a DZ block.

Examining The Broadcast Sheet Reveals More Z/28 Details

The YouTuber continues to examine the broadcast sheet, and where the code is for the paint stripe, we have the letter B. This stands for the type of stripe on the car, and on the Z/28 we have the two stripes going down the car. That B matches the striping that we can see in the video. Another letter G indicates the fan shroud location, and that the engine should have a small block shroud. The engine does have that, so that is another detail that correlates with the sheet.

HotCars digital artist Timothy Adry Emmanuel has turned the outgoing Chevrolet Camaro muscle car into a perfect pickup truck with aggressive styling.

The YouTuber then looks at the code for the radiator which is UH. This code references a Z/28-specific radiator, only for that model, and as we see we have the UH tag on the radiator. This ensures another detail on the muscle car matches up with the sheet.

Parker also looks at the wheel codes of the muscle car, which on the sheet says E7015. The 15-inch wheels were only found on the Z/28s and Copo Camaros. If the rest of the sheet was missing, the wheel code would have confirmed that this is a Camaro Z/28, including all the other visible details.

Sales Prices For Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

(Sourced from Classic.com)

A look at Classic.com reveals just how valuable examples of the Camaro Z/28 are. The website lists the average sales price as $88,041 with the lowest sale at $31,900. The top sale for a Z/28 is for a 1969 Camaro RS Z/28 at Mecum Auctions, and it sold for $297,000. The listing for that car states it also came with its broadcast sheet, as well as its original 302 ci DZ V8 engine and the pre-delivery checklist. The Camaro had also only done 87,177 miles from the new.

Parker is an excellent resource when it comes to classic muscle cars, specifically the Chevrolet Camaro. We recommend checking out his channel if you’re interested in finding out more key details about the Camaro and other iconic models.

Sources: Backyard Barn Finds YouTube Channel, Classic.com, Mecum Auctions, Chevrolet Hardcore