1981 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28 - 80’s Cool With A HUGE Twist!

In Episode 94 of ‘Cars, Shops & Collections’ we head to Nevada Classics to checkout a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 with a huge twist!
This Z28 is a RARE gem featuring a 305ci engine paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. PLUS its original color combination of white over red, T-tops, power windows, power locks and air conditioning. Not only does this all original ride have a twist but we discover a few documents that show how much fun these Z28's were to drive in the 1980's.
We have featured many cars from ‪@nevadaclassicSS‬ but as fan of the 1980s this Z28 has a special place in my heart! A big thank you to John, Isaac, Mike & Brian for always opening their garage door and allowing us to showcase these incredible cars! All of the cars you see featured from Nevada Classics are for sale!
#carsshopsandcollections #camaro #camaroz28

[@Fiset81]

Beautiful car, I always loved the 2nd gen Z28’s 😎

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Thanks for watching! Something about them is special!

[@Fiset81]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections always a pleasure !

[@jamesrussell6123]

@@Fiset81 the Z28 have always been my favorite generation of the camaro from the early 70s to 1981

[@charleyjohnson4823]

I had one. 81, black with silver stripes, t-tops, 350 automatic.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Gorgeous!

[@jasonwehrling738]

I would like to see more on the 1969 Pontiac firebird 400. That's a badass car Thanks for all you do in the videos you produce keep them coming.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

That caught my eye as well!!!

[@Liberty-Works1111]

I had a buddy in high school, had a single mom that made great $ for the 80's, was an awesome mom & bought him a restored 69 firebird with a massaged 400 & a holly 4bl carb... It was like a time warp to ride in it & blast up & down the famed Telegraph Road & Woodward ave in 1986 & 87... I had never really noticed that body style until my buddy got his deep metallic gray 69 Firebird... That small body style & Torque monster 400 was a great combo...

[@camaro69green31]

I believe Z28's in 81 came stock with Good years?? Not BF's. Correct me if I'm wrong. Great Vidoe Guys. Love these Zeeez.

[@googleusergp]

Correct, those tires have been changed.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Thanks for the info… and thanks for watching!

[@antoniohosino145]

YES , THEY CAME WITH GOODYEAR POLYSTEEL WHITE LETTERED RADIALS FR - 60 - 15 ‘s I BELIEVE !!

[@googleusergp]

@@antoniohosino145 They would have been metric by 1981.

[@antoniohosino145]

@@googleusergp PROBABLY A 215 - 235 !!

[@michaelm3381]

I love these f-body videos. Thanks for sharing.

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

My Junior year of Hi Skool 1983 I was lucky enough to get a repo 1978 gold/tan interior Ttop Z28 for $1200 from a bank my aunt worked at, was fully loaded with power locks & windows, A/C, AM/FM cassette & of course the 350 4bbl auto & kept it til 1988 when I got me a new black/black Trans Am GTA! That one is sweet, looks just like the one a chic I was banging in the early '90s was still driving! I had to have mine after the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High Charles Jefferson {Forrest Whitaker} got one before Spicoli {Sean Penn} totaled it ✌💖☮

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

You went from cool to even cooler!

[@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections hahaha

[@taffeylewisisonline]

Miss mine. Seriously was an amazing thing to cruise around in.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

What color??

[@taffeylewisisonline]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections It was repainted Fire thorn red and decals re applied.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Wow!!!!!! I would miss it too! I appreciate you watching!

[@talesofanasphaltjockey]

Loved those cars as a kid & would love to have one now , but the 305 is a boat anchor ,,, had one in my 84 Z28 & it was slow as molasses.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

‘Boat anchor’ 😂 I just love the look!

[@shawnhayden1476]

Try the 229 V6 sometime

[@marcathens2951]

LOVED this car then and now with this one ! Also love the 2 -tone red / black interior ! I'd probably just look at it all day ❤🧡🖤🤍

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Same! We have a new episode dropping Sunday with a blue one!

[@marcathens2951]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections Well ill " drop " what I'm doing and check it out thanks 👍🏻

[@camaro69green31]

"IN Canada" we did care about fuel milage.... we were just smarter than Californian's (gov't people) and knew that the 350 achieved the same or better milage then the 305 in this era, and was so much more fun. I know. I grew up with these cars.

[@6-Iron]

I had an 81 camaro with a 305. It was garbage. Any modern 4 cylinder honda would easily beat it off the line and top end.

[@frankmelendez8064]

Awesome jc!!! Thanks again for new episodes!!!

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

I appreciate the support!!

[@t.l.robinson2162]

I owned a red Z28 just like this one. I should have kept it.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Wow! We all have the one that got away.

[@jamesrussell6123]

This 81 Z28 is the pretty car I ever seen

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

One of my favs!!!

[@m1a1hm]

Nice!! Z28. I just got a 1980 Z28 Camaro that was built in Canada with only 28500 miles on it . Man I love the 2nd gen Camaro I know they weren't much on horsepower but as a kid in the 80s these are the cars we drove and cruised in.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great looking Z

[@thor8640]

Very nice F-Body fore sure, an episode on that Nissan 280Z would be awesome.

[@SuganoPro]

Yeah, I vote for that, too!

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Nice! Thanks for watching! I’m making list!

[@paulchristie4904]

300zx 84 anniversary turbo timeless classic

[@michaelm3381]

Another vote for the black Firebird!

[@dougclark742]

supper awesome car

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Yes!!! It’s one of my favs… still for sale!

[@sws5833]

I enjoyed the video, good content, Love the second gen Camaro and they are still fairly affordable for a solid builder but deff going up in price. My first car way back in 88 was a beat up 74 that I bought for only 900 bucks, fixed it up, drove it for a while then traded it for a truck, always regretted it but I made up for my mistake and found another 74 three years ago thats nearly finished, makes me feel like a kid again. Greetings to all the second gen Camaro owners

[@roymorgan5498]

Very Nice Z28!❤

[@AAG1601]

It actually came out in 78. I had a 79. You are correct about the air intake that came out I believe in 80. Quaility was not great. The door handles broke constantly. The rear spoiler didn’t line up on one side. My 79 did have a 350 cu. In. But yes it was a great head turner and did get me some female attention. Oh to be 17 again.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Head turner for sure!!! Thanks for the info!

[@johnmilner7603]

The comment about Canada not caring about gas mileage is incorrect. The 81 4-spd Z28 got the 305 because of the strict emission laws in California.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Thanks for clearing it up!!

[@Liberty-Works1111]

I was 12 in 1982... We weren't wealthy by any means, my parents had built a house from scratch, sold it to relocate to another state for work & were able to treat themselves with the extra equity they established... We bought a Silver with dark grey stripes 1982 Z28 with the 305 Cross fire injection power plant... In late 81 & early 82 it was the one... I remember us Pulling up to our bank as we were closing accounts getting ready to move. We parked beside an 81 Z28, white just like yours only with blue stripes... They were both brand new & I remember thinking, if I was old enough to drive, which would I take?...They were both absolutely gorgeous...but Lets be clear...The 1988 350 IROC was the Z28 Prom Queen...

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

88 Iroc… Classic! Love this story! Do you guys still have the Camaro??

[@Liberty-Works1111]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections NO! It was actually stolen in a plaza parking lot... They found it in the Detroit Hood of course... We had the choice of them either repairing it or giving us a check... We took the check & bought a Maroon / red/orange stripes 86 Monte Carlo SS which was Awesome too... More power than the 82 Z with solid gearing & a lot of functional space but still looked super cool for that time. At the same time My buddy's dad was a GM at a chevy dealership & would get my buddy new IROCS & Monte SS's to put 5000 miles on & then they would sell them as Demos... He could only put 5000 miles on each so we went through a half dozen in 2 years of High School... We were so fortunate to play with those cars at 16, 17 & 18 years old.

[@vhp454]

In 1981, if your Z28 had an automatic transmission it had the 5.7 engine. If your Z28 came with a standard transmission you could only get 5.0 engine.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Thanks for the info and for watching!

[@vhp454]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections Your welcome, I own 10 Camaro s. My favorite is a 1971 SS that is also a Baldwin Motion Camaro, I have owned it for 42 years. I also subscribed to your channel.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

If you were in Vegas we would have to do a show with you… Perhaps when we take the show on the road!

[@vhp454]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections unfortunately I'm in Pennsylvania, half of my collection is here, the other half is in Jacksonville Florida. I have a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Hurst edition convertible, all documentation. A 1968 SS Camaro from Nickey Chevrolet with a 427 bb and m22 transmission and a 12 bolt rear with 410. Every document is with it. Many cars I have, started this when I was 15 years old. Maybe one day we can meet up

[@camaro69green31]

67 and up Camaros could be optioned with a space saver spare with inflator canister. FYI. Crazy I know.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

That’s wild!!

[@user-eu2cj5qj1k]

I bought a 81' Z-28 black silver. Stripes brand new off showroom floor early 81'. 4spd , 305, black interior, non-t-top, black 5-spoke steel wheels. The only ( NEW) car I've ever bought til this day!. I traded a 75' black / yellow rally/sport 350, 4-spd, Camero for the 81' Z-28. One thing I noticed when showing the white 81' Z-28 you were showing the red int. The little z-28 badge on concrete in front of windows switch was not: stock!. I think the aluminum wheels were optional. I sold my Z-28 IN 2017' .

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

You had it from 81-17? That’s wild! Thanks for watching!

[@MrDave1957]

I HAD A 1980 DARK BLUE Z28 GOT IT NEW

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Amazing!!!!! If you could only get it back today!!!

[@user-jm5lg1gq1i]

They were available in a convertible , but thru a dealer optioned(sent to a company that made them convertible. Seen a couple in person, really hard to look at, just didn’t look like it belonged.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Wow! I had no ideas… it would be cool to feature one in an episode!

[@googleusergp]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections Yup, the Trans Ams of this era as well. They were aftermarket coach builder done.

[@cwanat69]

I have one, except no A/C or power windows, 107k miles. It has been driven, not the same condition as this. It is a conversation starter just about everywhere I go. I need to figure out how to get my cowl induction running again.

[@barroncrist5779]

The 81 Camaro Z-28's looked nice but were really slow. A friend of mine owned one and 0-60 in about 8 seconds.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Eek!

[@Gearsandoil]

Fun to drive but only 165 HP 😁. You need a hairy chest and a gold coin hanging on it when you drive this. Maybe some lamb chops. It’s in beautiful condition! Cars of this era are difficult to restore because of all the aging plastic inside, so low mileage originals are about the only nice ones you see.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

lol! Great point about the plastics… this one is in amazing condition!

[@raphaelhernandez4088]

Had a 81 Z28 black with red stripes, t tops aluminum rims.😊

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

That is one cool car!!!!

[@coreylefever6999]

My buddy has the same Camaro same paint and decals we put a ls1 and 6spd in it but nothing is hacked apart all looks factory

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Dang!!! The 81 Z28 with power! Love it!!

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

Super cool car but I'm not paying big bucks for a 180 hp. Whoever purchased that with a 4 speed was thinking

[@alvarsdzenis4739]

I have an '81 "Canadian Special" 5.7 litre D5A, 4 speed, 342 posi, power window, tilt, t-top Z28. in original dark brown metallic with 35,000 km or 22,000 miles. 1 of 3025 that came to Canada. cheers🇨🇦

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Holy Smokes! That’s awesome!!

[@paulchristie4904]

If you sold half grams in high school this is what you drove! 👃🏻❄️🎱 😂

[@nathanm3575]

Very nice car, however you can’t say all original once it has been painted .

[@PatientXero607]

It definitely is a time capsule that's for sure. I just couldn't like them because of the smog-era 305. 160HP was something left to be desired. We didn't start seeing any performance gains till 1985.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Total time capsule! And great points… I appreciate you watching!

[@andrewpotito4114]

I have a 1980, hugger orange z28, 350 4 speed, 20000mls, 0 mods , all stock,drag raced it, 15.4 in 1/4 mile. Not much slower than most earlier muscle cars.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

The one in your cover photo? Dude - That's awesome! I like those wheels as well!

[@googleusergp]

Lots of bad information in this one: 1) This car was featured by Steve Magnante at High Octane Classics already, so it came from there. 2) No, the 350 V8 was available in the US in 1981 in the Camaro. You could only get it with an automatic in 1981 in the US. 3) No, the BFG tires are not original. They were replaced. Yes, the speedometer was replaced as it would have an 85 MPH speedometer. 1980 and up cars were required to have a 85 MPH speedometer. 4) No, the 5th digit of the VIN being a "P" does not denote that it is a Z-28. It means Camaro (Sport Coupe, "S" in this position is Berlinetta). The VIN gets the win: 1 for US assembly, G for General Motors, 1 for Chevrolet, A for manual seat belts, P for Camaro Sport Coupe, 87 for two door coupe, H for 305 V8 with four barrel, RPO code "LG4", 2 is a check digit, B for the 1981 model year, L for Van Nuys, CA assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Van Nuys plant was among the worst in the GM system and closed in 1992. I decoded the entire car at the video that Mr. Magnante did. 5) No, the VIN sequence doesn't necessarily tell you what date it was built. It depends on how the production sequences fell in line. The cowl tag under the hood will tell you what month and week of that month the vehicle was produced in. This particular one was made on Monday April 27, 1981. 6) West End Chevrolet (where it was invoiced to) was located at 110 South Street in Waltham, MA. Today this is a restaurant called 99 Restaurants.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

I appreciate you watching and dropping more knowledge!

[@HelvisCamaro]

Completely and %100 agree with what this individual stated. A few more bullet points. It's not original, no car is original if it is not the way it was when it left the factory and this Camaro has a repaint, therefore, NOT original! The speedometer has been changed/altered so there goes the correct mileage. So I'd doubt that claim of it being an under 8k mile *original" 1981 Z28. The gas cap is incorrect and the badge in the front grill is not in the correct location. Also, there's no hood insulation. It's still a nice Camaro nonetheless, but not original.

[@googleusergp]

@@HelvisCamaro It likely needed a repaint because Van Nuys cars were painted with water based paint which was known to delaminate and peel.

[@googleusergp]

@@HelvisCamaro I have two Norwood Trans Ams, including a 26k mile original 1980. Norwood build and paint quality was light years ahead of Van Nuys. Norwood used lacquer and Van Nuys used water based paint due to CA air regulations. The Van Nuys plant was filled with drug addicts, drunks and miscreants and was rife with labor problems. It, along with Southgate (closed in 1982), Fremont (closed in 1982) were the "Terrible Three" in the GM plant system. GM put Van Nuys out of its misery in 1992 and didn't shed a tear when it closed, moving production to Ste. Therese, Quebec Canada for the 1993 model year.

[@googleusergp]

@@HelvisCamaro You never want a Van Nuys car if you can avoid it. They were built like crap.

[@richardcampeau2862]

I had one 81, white cream with gold stripes with the 350 4 barrels automatic and t-top, I parked it in a mall parking lot got inside half an our later it was gone, stolen.

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

No!!! Never found it?!?

[@richardcampeau2862]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections No never

[@shotgunz124]

My brother had a red with tan interior and gold wheels t top 1980 with 350 4 speed cowl induction and I had a 1981 trans am I got stupid and sold mine and my brother got sick with cancer and sold his I wish I would’ve bought it But I was young and dumb I kick myself all time for sale my ta

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

They sound like two incredible cars… Have you ever tried to track them down?

[@georgesipin-vg7yo]

Is this for sale ? And how much? ?

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Yes! www.nvclassics.com/vehicles/18/1981-chevrolet-camaro-z-28

[@angelnieves6087]

How much is he asking for that car?

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

45k… it’s incredible! Tell them I sent you and they will take care of you!

[@angelnieves6087]

@@CarsShopsAndCollections wow. I need to see how much mine costs lol. Ty chief and great video

[@bocost5142]

50 grand is a little much. Nice but a 305.

[@MaxOZAU8]

Wow JC, a 42/43 year old car (depends on the month build date) with just 7000 miles on the clock, has roughly only been driven around 162 miles a year, that's a time capsule. 😎👍

[@CarsShopsAndCollections]

Truly is! I just love this Z28! It’s practically new!!!