New Generation Muscle Cars
 

As some of us younger guys start to come of age the cars that were cheap muscle in our high school years are now starting to become popular.

Right out of high school I had a 1979 Z-28. Mine was a one owner car with less than 60k miles on it in 1992. It was a rare factory black car, tan deluxe interior and 4 speed. I loved that car and decided to go looking for another like it.

I ran across this very fine car. 2nd owner 1978 Z-28 factory 4 speed T-Top car. Only 80k miles on it, barely any body issues at all and the underside is absolutely mint. Will need a full interior and exterior overhaul but it is getting harder to find these cars unmolested.

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

thats a beautiful Z car. ive always loved them. this looks like a great project. its getting really hard to find an unmolested 4 speed Z like this.... ive looked around NY and didnt find too many.

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

I've had a few of those Z/28's.... I don't think I ever paid more than $800 for a pretty decent one.... though its been a good 15+ years since I've had one though.. I have noticed that in recent years that prices have gone up quite a bit as they are getting harder to find.... as most were beat into the ground.

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

Very cool Z! Good luck with the project [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]


You NY’ers have got to stop coming down to PA and taking our rust free cars!
(There sure as hell are not many of them!!)

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

Where did you pick that up from.That looks like my neighborhood. I remember one of those around here with those 69 emblems on it.

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

Nice find. i remember back in hgh school (graduated in 1980), all the rich kids had brand new 78, 79, and 80 Z/28s. I was stuck driving an old 1970 Superbird. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

I am looking for one of those '78s in Code 63 Camel Metallic, 4-speed of course...nice cars - nice find!

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GTO_DON</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Where did you pick that up from.That looks like my neighborhood. I remember one of those around here with those 69 emblems on it. </div></div>

I located the car in south jersey - the nephew had acquired the car from his uncle who owned it since 1985. The car spent all its years in Thornton, PA so it is possible that this was one that you saw. Not many with those incorrect old school Z fender emblems.

The car was garaged its whole life - I would say it probably has never seen road salt or snow either. It has the usual minor cancer marks but nothing severe and nothing requiring more than a little torch work and tiny patch panels.

These cars are really starting to disappear. Not so long ago they were cheap undesireable cars but that tide has turned. There are some out there but not many factory 4 speed t-top cars.

Trying to decide what to do with it. I have half a mind to strip it down and do a full factory restore on it. On the other hand, I am thinking to strip down, cosmetically restore to stock but drop the entire drivetrain for a built LS3 and 6 speed so I can run it and enjoy it. We have done many old school meets new technology builds but have not done any on a 2nd gen yet. If I went that route I would have to keep the car and enjoy it as it would cost more to build than the market would bring on it.

I have to get out and rip that back seat out. Dying to see if that virgin build sheet is tucked in there. Not much about the car to learn from it but just something about finding that sheet of paper that has not seen daylight in 33 years that gets you psyched.

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

Here's my often posted highschool parking lot photo....

The rich kid's side:

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...yLot1980-2.jpg

Us poor folk parked on the opposite side: [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...yLot1980-1.jpg

...and a few hooligan friends hanging out after class started. That Z11 was my first car I bought when I was 14. Check out what's up on the hill - a black with white stripe Z/28 RS that our janitor drove. Over 4 years we watched that car literally dissolve from all the salt that was stored in the shed where it was parked. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/cry.gif[/img]

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...April1980a.jpg

Re: New Generation Muscle Cars
 

Steve,

Funny how you were probably deemed the outcast and poor kid driving that old junker mopar with that big stupid wing on the back. If only they knew [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]

I was always sort of an outcast too. In high school I drove a '74 Nova SS Hatch. Very nice black on black car and back then we still rode air shocks to jack up the rear. I was running Keystone classics with the really wide rears and normal fronts. In my high school years the &quot;it&quot; kids were starting to drive imports. We had the spolied pricks driving Supras, CRX and others like it. A few rich kids also have the Trans Am GTAs, Grand Nationals, Irocs or Mustang GTs. I was the poor kid and therefore I drove what I could buy and what I could fix.

Love that picture Steve. Wish I had some but as a true poor kid I wasnt running around with a camera.