LAS VEGAS—It’s not entirely new, but the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will undoubtedly feel right at home at the 1999 SEMA show. The 770-horsepower beast is jam-packed with performance parts and is sure to draw its share of attention not to mention more than a few lustful stares from the hot rodders and buff-book readers at this year’s show.

At the heart of a laundry list of updated ZL1 modifications is the powerplant: an 8.4-liter aluminum-block pushrod V8 making a foot-stomping 770 horsepower at 6900 rpm and a raucous 683 lb.-ft of torque at 5200 rpm. Transfer of power comes via a five-speed manual transmission and a three-disc hydraulic clutch setup.

The Camaro ZL1 began life about six years ago as a study in power. And torque. And the fury of the GM F-body in all of its unleashed potential.

On the numbers side, that potential is realized in a 0-60 mph time of just 2.7 seconds. The ZL1 runs the quarter-mile in 10.410 seconds (137.19 mph) and has a top speed in excess of 230 mph.

In the course of the past six years, the ZL1 has been tweaked and fine-tuned as it evolved into the SEMA show car for 1999. Yet it remains an excellent exercise in acceleration, a halo car for the Camaro brand, and an image vehicle exemplifying the upper ends of Chevy’s performance boundaries.

The myriad performance add-ons includes everything from a Hamburger Hi-Torque starter and a Crower forged steel crankshaft with 4.5-inch stroke, to a Dart intake manifold reworked for fuel injection with a K&N air filter and Exhaust Tech dual 3.5-inch inlet and outlet mufflers. And that’s only scratching the surface. There is also a host of GM OEM parts off of the various F-bodies of the past few years.

The chassis has been appropriately reinforced and stiffened to better handle the onslaught of speed and power. The front suspension uses spindles modified for Brembo four-piston caliper stopping power, with Koni shocks and 540 lb/inch springs. At the rear, lower control arms have been reworked to house the 18-inch wheels shod with Goodyear Z-rated performance Eagle F-1 tires. Modified stabilizer bars live at both front and rear.

After SEMA ‘99, the Camaro ZL1 will continue to make special appearances at various Chevy-sanctioned events around the country. Just listen for it.

Camaro ZL1

CONFIGURATION

• Front-engine/rear-wheel drive
• 101.1 in wheelbase
• Track: 62.3 front/ 63 rear
• Weight: 3390 lbs. (dry): 1865 lbs. front (55%) 1525 lbs. rear (45%)

DRIVETRAIN

• Aluminum V8 pushrod engine
• Three-disc hydraulic clutch
• 5-speed manual transmission
• Solid rear axle
• 1-piece Prop Shaft

CHASSIS

• Front suspension: independent coil-over-shock SLA
• Rear suspension: three-link coil spring with torque arm
• 4-wheel disc brakes

DISPLACEMENT:572 cu.in. (8.4L)

BORE:4.5 in. (114.3 mm)

STROKE: 4.5 in. (114.3 mm)

COMPRESSION RATIO: 13.8:1

PEAK TORQUE: 683 @ 5200

PEAK POWER: 770 @ 6900 through complete exhaust system)

ENGINE SHORT BLOCK

• DONOVAN aluminum cylinder block (#500), with milled head surfaces
• CROWER forged steel crankshaft, 4.5in stroke, internally balanced, (#S-95137)
• VIBRATECH 61/4" Torsional damper, neutral balanced (#713282-000)
• CROWER forged steel connecting rods, 6.535in C-C, (#F91092-B)
• FEDERAL MOGUL main bearings, chamfered for crank fillet, (#8-7200 CH-STD)
• FEL PRO rear main oil seal
• JE forged, domed pistons, (#111595)
• JE piston pins, .990 x 2.930 double spirolocks
• SPEED PRO 1 1/16" moly top, 1/16" cast 2^nd, 3/16" chrome faced oil ring set,

• CLOYES roller timing chain/sprocket set, (#9-3100)
• FEL PRO front cover gasket
• TITAN oil pump & pickup
• Balanced & fitted assembly
• Fabricated aluminum 8 qt. oil pan with baffling and trap doors

• DART Pro-1 bowl ported and gasket matched
• Valves stainless FERREA ex. 1,880 dia, titanium DELL WEST int. 2.300
• PSI springs (#CT-1046)
• Titanium COMP CAMS (#735-16)
• FEL PRO head gaskets (#FP-1093)
• COMP CAMS valve locks + .050"
• Combustion chambers relieved, polished & matched to 4.5" bore

• LUNATI camshaft (#RRB-280-284)

Intake: 280 degrees duration x .722" lift

Exhaust: 284 degrees duration x .722 lift

112 degrees lobe centers

• ISKYROLLER lifters (202.96RHC)
• CRANE stud girdle (#13602-1)
• DIAMOND RACING rocker arms studs
• MANLEY push rod guide plates, (#42164)

INDUCTION

• DART intake manifold reworked for fuel injection application
• FEL PRO GASKETS, (#FP-1275-5)
• Special machined 4-bore 2" throttle body with idle air by-pass
• K&N air filter (#E-1963)

EXHAUST

• Fabricated stainless steel tubular four into one headers, 2 ¼" runners
• FEL PRO exhaust header gaskets, (#1412)
• Fabricated dual 3 ½" exhaust system complete to rear bumper with 2 ½" balance tube
• EXHAUST TECH dual 3 ½" inlet and outlet mufflers

• BOSCH 67 lbs/hr port fuel injectors
• Fabricated fuel rail assembly
• SX PERFORMANCE fuel pressure regulator- set to 45 PSI static fuel pressure, (#15402)
• SX PERFORMANCE fuel pump (#18201) rated for 80 gal/hr+
• SX PERFORMANCE high flow filter, (#41002)
• AEROQUIP- 8 "pushlok" feed hose and fittings

IGNITION

• MSD COMPENENTS

Crank trigger (#8620)

Cam sensor

Control unit (#6420)

Coil (#8202)

Dist. Hold Down (#8110)

Distributer(#2340)

CHAMPION C63-7C spark plugs, gapped @ .035"

MAGNECOR 10mm spark plug wires, custom fit, (#R-230)

ENGINE MANAGEMENT

• FEL PRO PERFORMANCE, electronic SEFI with individual cyl control
• Input sensors: Coolant temperature, manifold air temperature, throttle position, manifold pressure, exhaust O2, engine speed, camshaft position
• Controlled outputs: fuel injectors (8), ignition timing, idle speed control motor

• GM-SPO aluminum engine water pump with ¾ block spacers, (#3975928)
• No thermostat
• GRIFFIN aluminum crossflow radiator, 27in x 17in x 4in core
• Dual 15in electric cooling fans
• Special machined oil cooler block adapter
• LONG oil cooler plumbed with #12 and hose and fitting

• HAMBURGER hi-torque starter with solenoid rotated 180 degrees for header clearance, (#5005)
• GM ’95 F-Car 124 amp alternator
• GM ’94 F-Car power steering pump and remote fluid reservoir
• Fabricated accessory drive mounting brackets
• GM crankshaft pulley, (#25525204) with machined spacer
• FORD water pump pulley, (#E75E-8509-CA95 F-Car)
• Fabricated power steering pump pulley, back driven
• Fabricated fixed idler and adjustable tensioner pulley assembly
• GOODYEAR 6-rib POLY VEE drive belt, (#4060600)

• GM ’94 F-car front motor mounts, bosses welded to cylinder block for attachment, urethane filled production isolaters
• Fabricated rear transmission mount/crossmember with torque arm attachment and polyurethane mount

CLUTCH

• McLEOD steel-faced, aluminum flywheel
• McLEOD triple-disc and pressure plate, (#651003-5)
• McLEOD annular hydraulic release bearing, (#1400)
• TILTON master cylinder and remote reservoir

TRANSMISSION

• QUARTER MASTER aluminum bell housing (#110104)
• Special-design "G" FORCE built 5-speed with "H" pattern race shifter
• Ratios: 2.860, 1.936, 1.552, 1.295, 1.000

REAR AXLE

• DANA 60 center housing, modified for torque arm attachment; tubes installed and modified to accept original production spring, shock absorber and lower control arm brackets and brake caliper brackets
• 3.54:1 final drive ratio
• DANA "Torque-Lock" 4-pinion differential
• STRANGE ENGINEERING axle shafts and yoke; 61.625" flange/flange

DRIVESHAFT

• MARK WILLIAMS ENGINEERING, 45.256" center-center length, 3.5in O.D. x .095 in wall steel tube
• STRANGE ENGINEERING front yoke to match transmission
• DANA-SPICER 1350 series u joints

STRUCTURE

• Reinforced lower control arms
• 2 ½" x 1 ½" rectangular steel tubing connecting rear lower control arm mounts to front frame rails
• New, fabricated panhand bar brace and trunkwell for exhaust/muffler clearance

• Front:

FISKE 10" x 18" (#851585) with neg. 2" offset

GOODYEAR EAGLE F-1 FIORANO P-335/30 ZR-18

• Rear:

FISKE 12.5’ x 18 (#854580) with neg. 3/16" offset

GOODYEAR EAGLE F-1 FIORANO P-265/40 ZR-18

STEERING

• GM ’94 F-Car steering rack
• GM ’94 F-Car intermediate shaft
• GM ’94 F-Car steering column

FRONT SUSPENSION

• GM ’93 F-Car spindles modified for BREMBO calipers
• F-Car upper and lower control arms with WHEEL TO WHEEL bolt and poly blushing package
• 540lb/in springs
• KONI shocks (#8242.1005)
• Special WHEEL TO WHEEL stabilizer bar race package (38.5 x 1.250 x .250)

• GM ’94 F-Car lower control arms reworked for tire clearance and WHEEL TO WHEEL bracket and link package
• Production panhard bar with WHEEL TO WHEEL poly blushing
• Fabricated torque arm attachment

• GM ’93 F-Car master cylinder assembly with willwood adjustable proportioning valve modified viper front rotors, 33mm dia. 32mm thick (#4642122)
• BREMBO F040 four piston front calipers with paget blue compound pads (#305120)
• Production F-Car rear calipers and pads and 11.5 in. rotors
• Stainless reinforced Teflon brake hoses front, production rear