Big Block Sting! 1970 Chevrolet Camaro 454
Sometimes the “fatties and skinnies” look is all fake, a cosmetic forgery paired with an anemic stock engine, but this car’s 454 cubic inch Mark IV big block, beefy Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission, and 12 bolt rear end with 4.56 gears make a statement, something like “Yo; I aint playin'” This dirty yellow 1970 Chevrolet Camaro resides in Largo Florida and seeks a new owner here on eBay where over 40 bids have driven the market value beyond $5000.
Even flawed by weather and rust, the bumblebee paint scheme is anything but subtle. I’m no Camaro expert, but that looks like a home-made wing, and definitely not a standard Z/28 unit .
After the car sat for twenty years, the seller treated it to a “little clean up job” that seems to have included a power-washing of the underpan. High pressure water is great for exposing the true condition of the undercarriage, but not so great when newly-exposed bare metal rusts eight hours later.
After some preparations, the 454 roared to life and makes “good oil pressure.” For the record the seller has clarified that the wheels shown do not come with the car, and it will be sold with 15 x 7 Camaro Rally wheels. Presumably the engine, glass, and other parts shown do come with the sale. The lack of interior pictures suggests a dismal state with plastics distorted by the relentless Florida sun. How high would you bid on this faded yellow quarter-miler?
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Comments
Factory 15 inch wheels can only be an improvement over what’s on this car now!
Pass.
The seller has a 78% positive feedback on eBay. They suggest it might be a real Z28, but the block off on the firewall and dashpad show the car was equipped with factory A/C which wasn’t available in 1970 on solid lifter engines. I’d also want to check the casting numbers in the block, it has a short water pump set up, which wouldn’t have been used on 454’s nor be needed in this year Camaro.
It’s kind of cool, it represents early to mid-80’s street machines, to bad it wasn’t stored inside. Unfortunately it’s too far gone to be anything other than a parts car, but it’s not worth anywhere near the current bid of $5,000+.
Steve R
Looks like a money pit to me! If you just want to go fast you might be able to pull a few runs out of it at the strip but it’s a big wad of cash away from being a viable street car.
That thing would never make it out of tech. They don’t want people dying on the track.
Steve R
Slap some SS emblems on this bad boy and it can be “all things to all people!” RS nose, Z28 badges, L88 Hood, looks like an attempt at a Nickey Spoiler or one of those dealers building 454 monsters back in the day.
Wow, with the amount of rust and rot this thing was either driven to FL from a life in the Midwest or lived about 20 steps from the ocean with plenty o salt in the air!
Rock On !! has now changed to Rot On!
This thing is a sadly neglected mess = too bad. Unless the VIN shows it to be really rare = Pass.
I think this was Joe Dirt’s ride before he got the Superbird!
Its not the original motor. Camaros did not come equipped with a 454 in 1970, only two big blocks were available the 350 HP and the 375 HP both badges as a 396 but we’re 402’s. With the TH 400 and 12 bolt posi it may be an original SS car but the Z-28 stripes are not stock and neither is the 3 piece high
spoiler. Cars a hot mess but someone will fork out a ton of money for this bucket. Bleh.
It’s beat up a bit and all that but I like it. It kinda reminds me of the Baldwin/Motion 454 Camaro with that hood scoop but of course there ain’t no way in heck it’s one of those.
My favorite year Z 28, and this is no where’s near a stocker.
The 350 (360) horse engine, with 4 spd and 373 posi was fast and with Z and options was probably best balanced driving Camaro produced, In my 2 cents worth.
If one wanted a clone plenty of examples out there and some have 504 big blocks.
Big blocks shifted weight more foward, making all the (396—402) torque to rear wheels without big meats a scary off line smoke and each manual shift a steering correction must.
456 gears means immediate 1-2 shift and 2-3 damn close , counts on close or wide ratio manuals.
This is a bad wet dream to ever get ones money out of.
Largo is close enough to the water or flatlands to make me wonder how it survived being regularly soaked.
Nice spray can paint job … I wonder if the floor boards will hold seat with someone in it..
Easy way to tell a Z car is the gas pedal will be mounted to the floor board, not off the firewall. Love second GEN Camaro’s
Why would Chevy do that? Please understand I am not saying you are wrong as I have no idea. I am just curious as to why the Z would require a different gas pedal.
I had a 70 Camaro with a 427 4-speed and a 12 bolt with 4:11’s, talk about a fast car ! It was the fastest car I’ve never driven that wasn’t a pure race car. It was somewhat better shape though. Payed about $4500 back in 93.
Ever see a beach side car do a rust melt down? Looks like the guy caught this one just in the nick of time – before the horrors that await drops its mask and the paint falls off…revealing Dorian Gray. Give him credit for cleaning the rust stains without breaking off any parts of the body!
My experience with Florida coastal cars has been the metal rusts from the inside out. I’ve seen original paint cars that you can put your finger through a fender.
I think the car might be worth about 1500 2000.what I would pay
Wonder how many hurricanes that babys been through, more of a life long project I want to deal with.
Looking at this car, makes me cry!
$15,000 may be the highest bid. A 454 may not be an original motor to the car, but it sounds good to the ego and soul.
I wonder how much somebody is going to pay for this $2000 car.
Ego, soul and your billfold.lol
“Big Block Sting!” Indeed.
If I remember correctly the 396/402 was the largest engine available in the camaro in 70. So the engine is either one of those, or it’s not original. Also, when it comes to the Z28 they didn’t come with a big block, only the high performance 350.
what about ,what looks to be a cross ram manifold?
It only can get better, but with it being in Florida you’ll get the Option No Matter What of RUST RUST & more RUST!!