I am new to the board and a big fan of the ZL-1 and I was wondering some technical details about the ZL-1. I know most of the basic history of the car but I was wondering some specifics about what makes a ZL-1 a ZL-1 besides the engine. Did the ZL-1 have the same suspension as the Z/28? What about brakes?

Any help would be appreciated.

http://www.copo.com/

http://www.copo.com/
Thanks for the reply. I have read pretty much that whole site and haven't really found what I'm looking for.

Brakes were standard power front disc and rear drum. Rear was a Heavy Duty 12 bolt. They all had TI ignition. All had cowl induction.

also the auto trans ZL1 had a special built trans like the iron block 427 Camaros. Shift point was about 6200 RPM

thanks for the replys guys. I noticed Motor Trend Classic has an article on one of the ZL-1 RS's thats pretty good reading if you get a chance. The article mentions that the ZL-1 has the F-41(I think) suspension from the SS and that it doesn't handle as well as the Z/28. Why is this? It says this was the best suspension available at the time so what makes the Z/28 handle better. It was my understanding that the ZL-1 weighed approximately the same as the iron small blocks. Also I noticed in the article as clill mentioned that the ZL-1 had rear drums. Did any 69 Camaro's come with 4 wheel discs?

This website has a lot of good info on the ZL-1 as well for anyone who wonders in http://www.camaros.org

4-wheel disc brakes (that included a 12-bolt axle and 15-inch wheels on any model) were an option on all cars. Only 206 were made. A service upgrade 4-wheel disc brake kit based on the Corvette was available for dealer installation into Camaro starting in 1968 (sometimes called both J56 and JL8) and many were sold, but it differed from the "official" 1969 factory JL8 released version in a number of details.

Taken from the CRG site

Good reading

http://www.camaros.org/index.shtml

The ZL-1 was built to be a factory race car for TransAm and the early days of CanAm (before they got way to exotic, ala McClarren). A suspension designed to handle road racing characteristics expected when cornering at 80 to 120 mph are different than those encountered on the street. The lumber wagon stiff suspension would be far to harsh to handle a slalom course set up for stock cars. Same for straight line racing, spring rates and shock valving would prevent weight transfer


Larger Dave

The ZL-1 was built to be a factory race car for TransAm and the early days of CanAm (before they got way to exotic, ala McClarren)...

Larger Dave

Just as a point of clarification...

A "ZL-1" would not qualify for Trans-Am series and would not be even close to competitive in Canadian-American Challenge racing...
McLaren era was over after 1969 season (team did stay in 'Can-Am' racing until 1974) and they ran both chevy and ford (even saw one with a Pont. in it...) powerplants...

They did make a great NHRA SS/C (7.38 #/hp) racer though ;)
And if you ordered the optional 9737 'Sports Car Conversion Package' I'm sure they would corner a little better...

JMHO's
John

4-wheel disc brakes (that included a 12-bolt axle and 15-inch wheels on any model) were an option on all cars. Only 206 were made. A service upgrade 4-wheel disc brake kit based on the Corvette was available for dealer installation into Camaro starting in 1968 (sometimes called both J56 and JL8) and many were sold, but it differed from the "official" 1969 factory JL8 released version in a number of details.

Taken from the CRG site

Good reading

http://www.camaros.org/index.shtml

Thanks, I wonder why none of the ZL-1's appear to have been ordered with this option from the factory. I know it was a rare option and it cost about 5-600 bucks so maybe that was it.

The ZL1 was built for DRAG RACING. Mostly base cars with no options other than disc brakes with a few exceptions. I recently saw copies of the the window stickers for the ZL1 cars and talked for several hours with a man who owned and raced the No. 51 car when it was new. It was a real treat to hear about these cars history.

4000 dollars for the engine alone was one reason they didn't have many options on them. They were built for drag racing, no need to spend another 500 dollars on brakes when the car already cost 7500 dollars.

So if the ZL-1 shared the F41 suspension with the SS, what suspension did the Z/28 have?

Fred Gibb , owner of Fred Gibb Chevrolet was the man that convinced Chevrolet to build the cars and ordered 50 ZL1's. He wanted it for drag racing. He had no idea it was going to cost so much. Helen Gibb , Fred's widow attends many of the Supercar shows and usually brings something neat.

F41 suspension was not an option on the SS and Z28, and it did not come as part of either package. Only 5900 cars came equipped with it in 69.

How do you tell if it's a F41 or not?

F41 suspension was not an option on the SS and Z28, and it did not come as part of either package. Only 5900 cars came equipped with it in 69. I'm a little confused. It was not an option on the SS and Z28 or was an option? Even so what suspension came on the Z28 that made it a better handler?

I beleive the F41 was a mono leaf suspension upgrade, there was an F41 special purpose suspension for V8 Camaros, and an F40 heavy duty suspension option for L6 Camaros. G31 was the Z28 special multileaf suspension that came with the rear bumper gaurds as part of the package. I'll have to check some of my window stickers and build sheets tonight to see if either option is called out on a Z28.

Maybe it was only a local, Tampa, thing. Dave Hienz (the area Jag dealer) had three ZL-1 engines for his COPO Camaro which he entered in Sebring, but broke every year (or so it seems: I think he came in 3rd one year in 7.0 L sport sedan). He also did a lot of SCCA racing with it. He was driving a nice day glow yellow Camaro to run along side his Corvette.


Larger Dave

Don Yenko raced a ZL1 powered 69 Camaro at Sebring in 1969 and 1970. Bob Grossman was co driver. The car was very fast and competitive to the Corvettes in GT class.
The ZL1 engine had more success in road racing then in drag racing. Top drag racers like Bill Jenkins were using the Can Am block or the iron block in Pro Stock. The Can Am block looks similar to the ZL1 block but is a different stronger casting design.
Inside Chevrolet there were many people who wanted to see the Chevrolet products do well in racing but they were not allowed to openly support a racing team. To get around this they would provide product to support a sort of underground racing operation. The ZL1 Camaro was one example of a race car built by Cheverolet to satisfy a racing rule book.

Vince Piggins sent the No. 51 ZL1 to Lamar Walden of Doraville Ga. He picked it up at dealer nearby. After some tuning he took it to the dragstrip and set a new record for the class. It was protested because 50 of the cars hadn't been sold yet. He was then sent an iron block car to race to satisfy the protesters. Lamar bought the 51 car back years later and restored it then sold it to Reggie Jackson.

In "Camaro Z28 and Performance Specials" by Scott and Newhardt he mentions this about the F41 suspension in reference to the Z28.
"They started with the F41 suspension underpinnings and went about improving them. While the front springs were the same rate as those used for a standard 327 powered Camaro, the rear springs were significantly stiffer than even the L78 springs. Shock valving was also further revised to provide better compression and rebound damping at high speeds."
It continues "The front stabalizer bar diameter was increased to 1 inch in diameter, from a measly 3/4 inch, as was the wall thickness of the steel from which the bar was formed: both were efforts to increase roll resistance to improve high speed handling."

This basically says the Z28 suspension is better than the F41 but was there a new code for this suspension?

Scott and Newhardt do not know what they are talking about.

The standard front bar was 11/16" diameter solid steel. L72 Camaros also equipped with COPO 9737 received a 13/16" bar. There are no F41 specific shocks; spring selection had more to do with vehicle weight than anything else.

Hi fellow Camaro fans... Anthony here - found this site not long ago and found some great information here, so I have decided to join up and be a part of this.

This is my second post...

Anyway, if I can chime in here, I have a 69 SS with the F41 option, it's listed as "Suspension: Firm Ride and Handling" in my documentation - my car is a L35 Z27 convertible... it also has options F62 and G32 "computer selected front and rear springs" - they musta used punch cards in that computer...

My 68 COPO Camaro came with a 1'' front sway bar with F41 suspension. This sway bar was 68 only and was the same one used on the Can Am Camaros. The 69s used the 13/16 front bar.....