Okay, Here is the deal.
I just picked up this 1980 Camaro Z28 the other day and judging by the vin i decided that it couldn't be a true Z. This is because it states that it was built in Los Angeles. But then i checked out the tag on the cowl area. It looks like this...

" 80 08D 1FP87L007045 "
74C 11L 11U W
A51 --- C-8242844

Okay well i know now that this is a california car. But what gets me is, being an '80, the V.I.N. indicates that it is a "1980 Chevy Camaro [Sport Coupe, Rally Sport, or Z28] with a 350 ci motor (built in Van Nuys)" According to the "Trim Tag" on the cowl area it is a Z-28. On another 2nd gen. camaro site it says that there were only 305's in california Z28s for 1980. But then i did some further research and found out the car was built in August of 1979 not August of 1980. So possibly that engine could be a leftover from 1979. It also has a 130 mph speedometer which is actually supposed to be an 85 mph speedometer.

Would you consider this to be a rare find?

Also, I can't find stripe color information. Could it be a stripeless, California Z28 with a 350?

If anyone can tell me about this it would be greatly appreciated, also if you need any further information feel free to ask in your replies.

Thankyou!!!

Just because its Built in CA dosent mean the car is a CA emissions car, If im not mistaken and according to Nasty Z/28.com the Trim tag would have Z/28 on it so that rules out what you have as a Z Thus no code for stripes. as far as Rare it dosent seem so.

Well according to one of the links on nastyz28.com to a page called "Stegmiller's" (http://nastyz28.com/2gcog/stegmiller/cowl_tags.htm) it is because of the "8" after the "C-" in C-8242844 that makes it a "Z" This trim tag was different on Los Angeles built cars, this is why i know it is a z, but thank you Rsmith1969.

You are confusing built in CA with car sold in CA. If no 350 Camaros were allowed in CA in 1980 then you know this car was not shipped to a dealer in CA.

LA built cars that were delivered to dealers in the western part of the US, not just CA.!

elcamino,

My site said that no 350 c.i. Z28s were supposed to come from the Van Nuys plant, I could be wrong but i think that is what it said on nastyz28.com.
I am completely aware of the fact that this car could have been sold in Oregon or something.
But, a normal Z from California's plant sold in another state was supposed to have a 305.
It was the Norwood Z28s that were equipped with 350's, supposedly.
elcamino, I did consider this at first but then my site definitely said that Z28 cars BUILT in CA were only supposed to have 305s, but thank you anyway.

That is not true. There were 1980 Z28's made at the VanNuys Plant for the 49 states other than California with the 350 engine. The 305 engined 1980 z28's were built to meet California emissions only.

More than likely your car was built to be shipped out of California.

Jonesy,

Did non CA emissions cars have catalytic converters?
Because mine, even though it has a 350 and is from the plant in Van Nuys, has a "Catalyst" Sticker on that piece of plastic above the radiator. (Or right in front of that, i can't remember exactly but you probably know what i mean.)
It doesn't have them on right now because i got hooker headers on there, i did not put the headers there, 2 owners before me did.
Also, do you know how to find out my stripe color? Because this is a california built car it is not on the trim tag.
So basically to sum this up you're just saying this was a van nuys built car sent to one of the other 49 states, that's why it is a 350?
What about the 130 mph speedometer, shouldn't that be 85?
I do know this car was produced 2 months before the 1980 model release date(Aug 79 mine was built, October 1979 they were released) , it is a 1980 according to the vin and trim tag.
I also could have sworn my page said all Z28s produced in california were fitted with 305s, do you have a site other than nastyz28.com that i can check?
Thank you so much Jonesy.

Originally posted by musclecar_renegade:
elcamino,

My site said that no 350 c.i. Z28s were supposed to come from the Van Nuys plant, I could be wrong but i think that is what it said on nastyz28.com.
This is what I found on that site..

LM-1 350 upped to 190 bhp, most powerful since 1974. 5000 RPM Redline. Unavailable in California. California only Z28 engine was the 165 bhp LG4 (305 CID).

There were 45K and change 1980 Z28's made. My white book shows Z's sold in CA got the 305 as stated above. Your car was built the 4th week of Aug (08D) 1979. I would have thought the new model was released in Sept.

The '80 got a 85mph speedo but previous years had 130's. Being you have an early car maybe they used up the left over '79 speedos but I'm inclined to believe your's was changed out sometime in it's 24 years. What is your vin?

elcamino,
that is what i saw too, but now i realize i must have been mistaken, i thought that that meant california built cars, not california sold cars.
Thank you elcamino.

DjD,

I was kind of thinking this too, but my car's body was just the 7045th "F" body built leading me to believe that my car was pretty early, also knowing that it was built in August of '79. Anything on the stripes?
My VIN is 1P87LAL501569.
Thanks DjD.

I believe your car was the 1569th (from the vin) built not 7045th. If 1500+ cars got 130 speedos I think it would have been documented soemwhere...

Everything I've seen doesn't show a code for the stripes on the LA cowl tag... Here's what I did find but you may have already seen it...

http://www.nastyz28.com/camaro/80zstripe.html

DjD,

What I meant by "7045th" is "F" Body production, this also includes Firebirds. Also, you are right, i have seen that, unfortunately it only tells me what was available for white, it doesn't tell me what my car had. So basically you are saying that there is no other way to decode my Z-28's stripe color, right? Thank you for the info DjD!

stripe color usually "matched" the interior color if it wasn't a given combination

ex;
black car red interior = red stripes

black car tan interior = gold stripes

white car green interior = green stripes

white car blue interior = blue stripes

white car tan interior = gold stripes

a good rule of thumb I'd guess

By 1980 I think all cars had cats. just big trucks got by with out them.

Well,

My car is white with a carmine red interior. I can't say that I have ever seen a white camaro with red stripes. So, what you're saying is my white camaro had red stripes?

Thanks al8apexer!

67 Plum,

What exactly do you mean by cats?

Thanks

Catalytic converter in the exhause system

Originally posted by musclecar_renegade:
Well,

My car is white with a carmine red interior. I can't say that I have ever seen a white camaro with red stripes. So, what you're saying is my white camaro had red stripes?

Thanks al8apexer! assuming they had red stripes, perhaps

ONE of those years did for sure, i recall a black/red stripe car around here then

Oh, ok, yeah I read somewhere that some Camaros got catalytic converters in '76, but since mine has Hooker headers, they got removed, I was just noting that my manifold has a plugged EGR valve and a catalyst sticker.

Um, I think that red was a stripe option for '80 but I didn't think it was available for a car with white exterior, I have seen a white Camaro Z28 with orange stripes before, could it be an orange stripe car?

Thanks