Mixed Personality: 1974 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Type LT
I’m not sure about you, but by 1974 I was glad to see an update to the Camaro which had looked essentially the same since its restyle in 1970. In 1974, Chevrolet gave the Camaro a more aerodynamic looking front end and got rid of the circular taillights in the rear. The year 1974 was also a tough year for most car sales, but Camaro went up from about 90,000 in 1973 to over 146,000 in 1974. Here is a 1974 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Type LT for sale here on Craigslist in Hoschton, Georgia. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Pat L., who really has an eye for finding great cars, for letting us know about this one.
You could say this car has a mixed personality because it is a Type LT (more luxury-oriented) and Z28 (more sports-oriented). This was the second year for the separate Type LT model. This model mostly added nicer interior features, but for the exterior, it added sports mirrors, rally wheels and completely hidden windshield wipers. The Z28 was actually an option, and outside we find bold ‘Z28’ graphics on the hood and rear trunk spoiler. It also added 15 X 7 wheels (taking place of the Type LT rally wheels). Also included were dual exhaust system, special sports suspension system, power brakes, and several other features.
This Camaro is in beautiful condition with its rare original Creme Beige paint. According to the seller, very few of the Z28’s were made in this color. The trim and weatherstripping are perfect throughout the car.
Inside is where we find what the Type LT is really about. This car has a restored interior top to bottom in the proper color and style for Type LT. That includes special contour bucket seats with ribbed cloth, sports steering wheel color blended with the interior, door pulls and map pockets on the doors, electric clock, and special instrumentation. This car includes tilt wheel and RS package. It is hard to find these cars without dash warp, but this one has none. Also included is a factory restored air conditioning that works great.
The engine in this Z28 is a numbers matching L82 350 cubic inch V-8 engine with 4 barrel carburetor mated with a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic transmission. The engine was completely rebuilt to factory specs except for an upgraded cam. It even has the proper emission system in perfect working order, KYB shocks, Magnaflow exhaust, Sony stereo, aluminum radiator, and BF Goodrich 225/60/15 tires. The mileage is not disclosed. The history of the car is documented. The seller says you won’t find a nicer one for the money, which is $21,000. Are you ready for a really nice second generation Camaro?
Auctions Ending Soon
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now2 mins$8,000
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now2 hours$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now3 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now4 days$275
Comments
A highschool classmate has owned a maroon 1974 Z28 4 speed for the last 40 years. It only comes out on sunny days, still looks as good as new. He gets lots of offers to buy it but is not interested.
What does “factory restored” mean?
I think a comma might’ve helped. As in factory, restored air. So the car came with a/c from the factory and is now restored to optimum working condition.
Hard to see the obligatory air pump. These & some other cars back in the day were usually lower in the back than in the front. KYB’s fix that.
Saw plenty of regular ’74 camaros, but never seen 1 of these on the road in the day, yet oddly saw several ’74 t/a’s. Odd a small block would get such a heavy duty automatic. The later ones got the 350 trans i believe because the “pancake” cat conv got in the way of the bigger 400 trans.
Anyone remember the IROC races about mid 70s? Races all used the same make and model car restricted to the same specifications. Racers from several different racing styles (F1, stock car, etc) would be assigned cars randomly practice with them for a week then race on the weekend shown on TV (Wide World of Sports?)
They used Camaros of this vintage and if I remember correctly there was one car that inexplicably won more often than not regardless of driver.
…from whence the marketing inspiration came for the IROC-Z of the mid/late 80s? Wow…did that car ever come to define a demographic.😆🏁 This one is nice. The only thing missing is some high school jock in a powder blue tux…with feathered hair…on prom night.
The first IROC American raced car was the 74 Camaro. Many came after, but the 74 was first.
Don’t know what you’re smoking to think the locomotive-front Camaros with the industrial strength bumpers look better than the ’71-’73, but I’d sure like to try some. It might make a lot of other cars look better, too.
By 1974 the horsepower party was over and all that was left was the emissions-choked poseurs with garish stripes and outlandish names. The first IROC series helped to lend some performance cachet to cars that were otherwise comparative slugs.
Still it was all we had and this example is a very nicely presented sample of that era. I’d say the color, while not really offensive, was rare for a reason.
+1.
The 70-73s never get tiresome to see.
The later models were retrograde, not up to the purity of the previous cars.
When talking classic Camaro’s and Firebirds, I always picture the first gen models. Those have been favorites of mine (especially Firebirds!) since I was a kid. I also really like the second gen models, still with plenty of engine and model options. I really didn’t like this body and pretty much haven’t had any interest in them.
That being said, in looking at the ad and the pictures, I find myself a lot more interested than I expected! It’s a dull color, but 70’s paint color options were all over the board, something for everyone. It looks like it could be a really fun car. I wonder how difficult it is to remove the smog equipment strangling the engine? That’s not something I’ve tackled before 🤔
It’s not worth the effort to desmog this car. Way better to remove and store the numbers matching parts and take a stroll through your Summit Racing catalog.😁
Sounds like fun Dave ! 👍
In 1974, a salesman I knew at a local Chevy dealer, had an identical tan 74 Type LT Z28. It too was an automatic and had the same hideous hood and deck graphics. I test drove the car, and liked the way it drove, but I just couldn’t warm up to the tan paint, automatic and Z28 graphics on it. I ended up buying an Admiralty Blue 74 4 speed Trans-Am instead, and yes it did have the “screaming chicken” on the hood, which for some reason I didn’t find as objectionable as the Z28 graphics.
Two quick notes. The graphics were optional in 74, and most Z28 buyers opted to forgo the stripes, but without them it was pretty hard to tell a Z28 from a regular Camaro. Secondly, even though the engine installed in the 74 Z28 was basically the same engine as the Corvette L-82, in the Camaro it carried RPO Z28. Also, the Z28 350 was assigned different engine suffix codes than the L-82, and was rated at 245 hp, instead of the L-82’s 250.
Because Corvette owner’s have such big egos, GM always made sure to rate the engine horsepower in the Corvette higher than the Camaros. They would usually say that the Camaro had more restrictive exhaust. 1970 Corvette LT1 was 370hp and 360hp in the Z28. Nevertheless, this is a nice find.
I had one of these. Bought it used in about 1980. Double black looked great, quite the chick magnet. But what a pile of rubbish! A total stone, lumbering, and dreadful quality, endless bits falling off or abruptly deciding not to work. Perhaps if it had been a hobby car it would have been useable, but as a daily driver, no way.
The just as rare ’77 in all black looks even better because its steel bumpers are body colored – 1 yr only.
Very attactive decals …
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OeW2xGajogQ/maxresdefault.jpg
tho the ’74 motor is superior.
The less options on these, the better. lol
Camaro had 12 wins to the Trans Am’s 11
The series was a One Make setup and the governing body chose the car each year. When a Camaro won it beat a field of Camaros. When a Firebird won it beat a field of Firebirds, etc etc.
Detuned LT-1, Muncie 4 speed, 3:73 posi. Net horsepower instead of gross. Last of the Dual exhaust (cross flow muffler) and unleaded gas Z-28’s. You dudes who are down playing the 74 Z-28…have you driven one?
Right? I currently have two. A copper with saddle interior survivor/driver and a red with black interior car (engine is out for detailing). Both are smog deleted and manual 4 speeds and a kick to drive. Not everyone has to be sideways all the way to the car show. I have first gen cars for that (ha ha)!
I never was a fan of the pst 73 Camaro styling… I dated a girl in high school in the 80’s who inherited one about the year of the one posted. It was black with orange and red graphics, 350 and a 3 speed manual on the floor no console, IIRC, and no A/C, which was actually rare for south Texas, and not terribly desirable at the time. I thought it was cool due to being different.
Chic in high school had a ’74 Type LT that ran pretty good. Coming back from the beach one late afternoon, we tangled with what I thought was a similarly-equipped ’74 Trans Am. Angie immediately put the pedal to the floor in anticipation of dusting the TA, but I caught a glimpse of the shaker as it left us as if standing still…SD455…I was hooked on Trans Ams ever since, but I did eventually purchase a Z28 for nostalgic reasons!
This Z28 for sale is quite a car!
I bought one new in 74 LT/Z28 with 4 spd silver with black stripe delete. Had a new engine put in at 4000 miles as other went south(cracked block). Was a bit slow compared to earlier year but a quick trip to a race shop fixed that all in tuning back then.
My favorite factory wheel in the right color ! Nice car too !
This looks to be the same car I saw sell at the Raleigh Classic car auction in NC the year before last.
It is an extremely nice car and the exhaust sounded very good with the upgraded camshaft.
I think the car looks good in this color combo and you don’t have to worry about going to a cruise-in or car show and seeing another one like it!
Really like the looks of the Camaro. Just wanted to offer a bit of minutia. 1974 was the only year that had a seat belt system that would not allow you to start the car, unless your seat belt was fastened. Observe the little doo-dad on the drivers’ side fender well, with the black button on top. I believe that is the interlock override. Just in case anyone was curious. Probably not.
What about the scale under the seat and annoying buzzer and red fasten light on dash
. still my favorite Camaro of all. I had a black on black
This is a sharp car… and a great example of a ’74 Z. I love the refreshed front and rear, the color combo, and even the graphics! They’re what make it what it is.
After all, this was the early Seventies. Considering what we were dealing with during that time, the automakers did their best to bring us fresh and exciting cars. And ’74 had one-year-only styling, too, by holding onto the straight back rear window of the ’73 while freshening up the rest of the exterior to welcome the future. Talk about mixed personality! Nice write-up. Great find!
I still have the 74 Z28 I ordered in Dec 73.
About the stripes…You either ordered the stripes and the Z28 emblems on each fender were gone or … vice versa. Unlike this example you could have one or the other, not both. Also the Type LT emblem on the back is wrong script and shape. Probably from ’75+.