Driving the 1979 Chevy Camaro Z-28, 4-Speed, 400 6.6L
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- Let me take you for a drive in my 1979 Chevy Camaro Z-28, 4-Speed, 400 SBC. This was a day before the first snow of 2016. In the summer of 2017 I end up wiping out a cam lobe and lifter and had to pull the engine to rebuild it. Check out the video here • 1979 Chevy Camaro Z28 ...
The engine was a 400 SBC bored .030 over. The bottom end had a stock Crank, 6.0 Lunati rods and Keith Black hypereutectic pistons. The heads were mid '70's open chamber ported heads. On top it had a Edelbrock Air gap intake and a 4160 Holley carb. I never did find out what lift and duration the cam had. The ignition was a MSD pro billet distributor with a faulty 6AL box at the time of this video. Check out the new 400 build here • 1979 Camaro Z-28 400 S...
Check out my 1971 Chevy C-10 restoration video at
• Rebirth Of My Classic ...
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Special thanks goes out to my good friends at Night Machine that supplied the music. You guys can check them out at
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Love them 4 speeds!!!!
I do too but having a overdrive would be real nice.
Ya know.. I was thinking of mentioning this and debating whether to share my story about dealings with a 400 SBC, since there's a lot of praise on the engine here I decided to chime in. Back in 1996 an 83 Camaro V6 car landed in my lap for a song. Garage kept, woman owned and driven really cherry car.. spotless. Motor swallowed coolant from intake gasket & it was DONE. So, after a few months of searching and putting word out with everyone I knew looking for a healthy donor small block, I caught a lead on a 78 Chevy G30 camper headed to scrap. It turned out to be fitted with a 400/th400 combo. 47k miles covered in moss on one side, developed a leak from the roof and suffered extensive water damage in the camper section. HOWEVER, motor had no leaks, just rusty, dusty in spots, it was a major bitch to pull but really...You can't find shit like this anymore. The only thing that I did to the 400 was install a Comp 270 Magnum cam. Clean it thoroughly, paint the long block corporate blue, detail all the accessories to look FACTORY fresh. That's it. I found a Turbo 350, sold the turbo400 and dropped that combo in the stripped down no A/C V6 car. Broke in the cam, adjusted the valves, and took it to the exhaust shop where they straight piped the cat and fabbed a Y pipe and plumbed it to the V6 exhaust. It had that "tin-can" slight cam dance yet was quiet. Got it repainted was like glass.. Brown-charcoal metallic factory basecoat clearcoat (then $750) added clear headlight covers, stuffed 245/60-15's all around & the extra weight up front raked it down about 1.5" in front and looked just boss. Total investment all in about $2500.00. With the 400 it just ripped out the hole at about 50 ft the quadrajet sucked the back doors open and would fishtail with authority to 65 in first gear (5400 rpm) The back tires just went up in a wall of smoke posi. At toe in footbraking 1400 rpm the car would start walking sideways posi. Top end was 143 without overdrive. The car was 3.23 geared. I did get it to the track one chilly night and she hooked good after a no brake launch at the burnout box then lit off a 12.77 @106. (keep in mind this low mileage 400 is essentially stock) That was the only good run I got in. The second time after launch there was a bang and started violently wheel hopping. Next day noticed a bent shock. Replaced the Monroe under warranty but still wheel hopped. Didn't know and kept running the streets that way and no more burnouts. Shortly after blew the 3.23's in a second to third shift in the most carnal way. Went to drop the rear and noticed that 400 had so much low end torque it just ripped the lower rear control arm from the car and was slowly slicing its way into the undercarriage. The low end torque on this stock with kinda mild cam 400 was just...absolutely brutal. The car weighed 2980. So with conventional wisdom the 7.5 got rebuilt with 3.73 gears. Big mistake. Car slowed down. A lot. Highway driving sucked when fast expressway used to be exhilarating. The 400 loved the taller 3.23-tall tire combo. 400 did not like the 3.73s period. Not even out of the hole. It blew past its torque band, like yesterday. In fact, to this day I wonder if 3.08 gears would have been the best. Lesson here: The asshole ridiculous flat as Kansas torque curve pulled that car into the 12's, right? The long legged torque just quietly sucked you into the seat like a big block. It was NOT horsepower, cause it didn't have much. Maybe 260-70. With probably 450 (maybe more) lb-ft of torque. But once you experience cubes there's nothing else like it. Sorry it's a long post and this crazy day forced me into 4 sessions to write this composition.
Sorry man, your post was flagged by the tube. Thanks for sharing your story! I'm in the process of rebuilding another 400... well I've been in the process for quite some time. LOL
Described that combo (perfect) to a T...lots ran the 280 mega also
THe torque they make is fn incredible as you described...that big bore makes a noticebale difference to even a 383
1:37 here starts the best most satisfying 50 seconds of driving ever recorded
Thanks dude!!! I can't wait to throw that motor back in. Ate the cam a couple of years back. Building a roller set up for Hot Rod Drag Week 2023.
@@BustedClassicGarage Nice dude!! I'm in the market for an old 4 speed Camaro! They are some of the coolest and gnarliest old vehicles around. If I can't find a manual I'll drop in a little somthin off craigslist. Good luck at the show mf!!
@@bruhbruh-dz4lm Definitely do. You won't be disappointed and they're super fun cars. I would say the 1st generation is a little bit easier to get in-and-out of because it's a little bit higher up but that's really my only complaint lol
@@BustedClassicGarage Engine details? Love your car man.
@@BustedClassicGarage Had a number of both gens and far as handling/drive quality hands down the 2nd gen is superior
Just started a 79 camaro project myself. Can't wait to tear up the back roads myself
Nice!!! I can't wait till spring! That new 400 should rip it up!
@@BustedClassicGarage going with a 383. Nothing too powerful because the wife also wants to drive lol
Do nice to see a Chanel about my favourite model of second gen camaros, I have a 1980 with just about every issue you can think about. Still fun to drive though.
Thanks man! I love the scoop on the Z's in 80-81. And trust me I could write you a novel about all the problems I've had. Lol
@@BustedClassicGarage I could write a novel about just the trip home! Atleast it was driveable for most of the trip.
@@gravsson4472 I had the bright idea to try to drive my Camaro all the way home from Michigan when I bought it. I'm glad I didn't because once I trailed it home, I took it around the block and it barely made it back.
@@BustedClassicGarage That's always a good start to a project. I'm in Canada, and the city I bought my car from is about 2 hours away, so about half way home, the left rear shock decided to jump out of its mount and run against the side wall of the tire, luckily we figured it out before it rubbed past cords, but we had to limp it home another hour. We could have had it towed, but it was my first car, and I'd saved up the whole summer just enough to buy it😂
great car thanks for the fun drive.
No problem, thanks for watching!
I miss my '79 with the red interior, even though it wasn't a Z I also had a 400 and a 4 speed in it.. A lot of fun to drive and it looks like yours is a radio delete model
Actually I think the incredible hulk was one of the previous owners of this car because both the the radio and HVAC box were brutally ripped out... I made a plate that I installed over that spot just to hide that broken radio hole area. This car does however have a console delete option.
Holly shit you guys built my car :) we have a 79 as well with our 73 chevelle motor in it right now :) 400 small blocks are amazing
The sad part is that I blew up that 400 and my buddy forced onto me a stock 305 out of a Caprice... So I'm building a monster 400 right now with a roller but at least I'm still driving the Camaro. I just drove that car almost a thousand miles last weekend from Illinois to Upper Peninsula Michigan and back. And I did shoot video so hopefully at some point I get it edited and uploaded. Thanks for watching!
400 small blocks are gud motor but watch the water temp good cuz they do run warmer that 350s and 305 s for some reason
Yeah it's because of the design of the Block. There is so little room between the cylinders that the coolant passages are smaller so they created steam holes to run from the Block to the Head. The 400 have overheating issues but sometimes when guys rebuild them they don't realize that the steam holes are there and they block them off with the gasket. That creates huge problems.
Love it!! What cam went flat and what did you replace it with?!
Trick in Ca was to put a 400 in with all the smog stuff, head work and a 112lsa low overlap cam to get them past smog.
Want one of these before I die!! Had a 70 Z restored top to bottom late 80s I dailied for many yrs.
3200 on the fwy for hours on end was the best soundtrack it never got old. Had to put in a real M22 just for the whine.
Had ported heads, Crane solid cam smog pump manifolds stock muffler. Still ran easy 13s and drove like a pyussycat
With all new bushings to this day was the best driving musclecar Ive ever owned hard to explain.
Outran my share of IROC and 5.0 CHP cars back then. Agua Dulce to my apt in Van Nuys 12.5 min flat.
Well that's a funny story in itself. I took the 400 into the machine shop and started buying a bunch of speed parts and then my buddy offered me a 305 which I refuse to take off his garage floor. Lol but a sbc is a sbc so I threw it in for the meantime. I've ran that car with that 305 everywhere in the last half decade. I just pulled the 305 out in hopes of getting the 400 rebuilt for drag week last year. Didn't make it in time so it's still in pieces but I have another 400 I'm building. Bottom end is scat, lunati and KB. I have a Comp hydraulic roller, howards lifters, same top end besides a manual sec 750 DP and I'm getting a set of 210cc AFR race heads for it. Should be in the mid 11's this year at HRDW. You should check out the playlist. There is alot more to the story on that car. ruclips.net/p/PLme0eaI9YiefhO7z3b0y2LaakJga4j3uJ&si=Iaca-6BQo6dYGM4o
I am 17 and have this exact same configuration of Camaro but with a line lock lol
Nice! I bet your car does amazing burnouts. I have a line lock and a new 400 waiting to be thrown in.
Doing a 81Z28 converting engine into a L82 Clone with hollowd out duel catalytic converters, love all Camaro s 👍
Nice!!! Post a video, I'll check it out!
Up the compression, get some AFR heads even 180s kick arse...270-280 cam 650 DP headers it will drive anywhere reliable kill tires and sound the part!
Have you finished the 406 for your camaro?
No, I'm at this point collecting parts and tools. When I take out the 305 I need to install a new midplate on the 4 speed also. So the latest thing I got was a billet midplate and a seal kit. My plan is hitting Drag Week this year... wish me luck. Lol
nice video bud! stumbled here from a comment you left on one of vlad's video's! love the Camaro, any idea how much hp she has and what it runs in the 1/4?
-Rudi.
Thanks, I always figured 350-400 HP, and maybe a mid to high 12 sec 1/4 mile. I never got to take it to the drag strip, blew up the 400 a while back, threw in a free 305 my buddy gave me to just cruise it around and I'm in the process of building a 500 hp 406. Hopefully I'll be able to get to the strip this year.
@@BustedClassicGarage heh, yeah im watching some of your other video's now, watched the junkyard exploration video, thats cool, we dont have anything like that in Australia, all the old metal and cool classics have been snapped up and squirreled away and everyone asks big dollars, even our 4 door cars, which in general are undesirable and worthless to you yanks. we never built as many cars, so there arnt much left. I wish i could go to a junkyard and find something 70's cool to build as a rat rod. watching your engine swap video now too. I hope to put a 350 chev in my 77 260z im restoring, or a local engine, a holden 308 and stroke her out to 383. got some video's of my build too, she is at the paint shop now, hopefully be done next month, hence i havn't done any video's in a while LOL!
That's awesome! I wish my truck was a lot further along, but I still have a ton of rust repair and Sheet Metal work ahead of me. As far as the 4 doors, it's kind of crazy people want top dollar for them now out here. Back in the day, for instance a 4-door Chevelle people wouldn't look twice. Now people are trying to get for $5,000 for them.
@@BustedClassicGarage Guarantee that was an honest 12 sec car on st tires all day.
@gordocarbo yea that's what I always figured but it decided to eat the cam before I could take it to the track. Lol
Great video! I have a 79 Camaro and trying to figure out how to set up my camera like this. I have a Victure camera. Basically a GoPro but not as expensive lol
Thanks man! I actually rigged my DSLR on a tripod wedged in the back seat for these shots. Lol! Didn't have a GoPro at the time. By the way the Akaso off Amazon is pretty decent for a budget action cam.
@@BustedClassicGarage Ok ok nice haha. I have tried to rig stuff up like that before and sometimes it works. Yours just looked very good for a tripod in the back seat! Thank you, and I hope to have at least a 350 or 400 in my Camaro one day!
@@FordHoard I have nothing in mine at the moment. Lmao!
@BustedClassicGarage Dang, that 400 sounded good! My Dad had a 69 Firebird 400 when I was a kid and I loved that car. Felt so cool being picked up from school in the early 2000s in it 😂
@@FordHoard hahaha, nice! I'm building a more aggressive 400 at the moment. Should be sick!
Using a stroker crank on your 400 is definitely the way to go! We had a weisco or weisgal crank, it's been so long that i can't remember! Had a serious accident & my memory isn't as great as it once was!!! amber light weight pistons, 11/1 compression! she screamed!!! anyways, stroller kit, forged custom length rods, I REALLY WISH I COULD REMEMBER ALL THE SPECIFICS, HAD IT ALL WRITTEN DOWN BUT, DON'T HAVE IT ANYMORE, JUST THE MEMORIES & ONE PIC! It was my brothers & I need to rebuild it, I need to find a body, A 73 CHEVY 400 W/4.125 STROKE!!! MAYBE ONE DAY? What 4 spd are you using?
Borg Warner Super T10. Might do a stroker on the next build, I've already had the crank balanced for this build. Thanks for watching!
415 was popular back then and 421 were a straight up beast! But had to be careful with rpm on those blocks wiht a long stroke
Are those Pennsylvania roads?
Nope, IL
This is my dream year i have a 88 camaro i wanted a 79 before but theyre just too expensive
You can still find them reasonably priced but most likely you'll be doing rust repair and body work to it. My buddy just got a 89 Camaro.
3rd gen prices keep rising now too. Hard to find a well pried one in decent condition anymore.
Both great cars but your 88 with rebuilt suspension will handle way better.
We do have at least one video of our came to before we rebuilt the 400 small block its on our B&E channel if you want to set it. If you want I can take a video for you of the engine rebuilt on the engine stand before we get it put back in :) 400 small blocks have to be our favorite by far
Yeah, I checked out those videos. For sure the 400 is a Beast! Love it!
Your welcome buddy :) I hear ya on that 305 tho. They sure run but no comparison to a 350 383 or a 400 with a turbo trans. Mine is on my b&e channel :) its with my wife's mustang that goes 225 its green and the camero is blue with a 210 top speed :)
Did you ever finish the new motor?
Lol.... nope! I'm planning on taking the camaro to Drag Week next year. But I just bought another c10 and a farm house...
@@BustedClassicGarage any details on the new engine?
This sounds good, what do you have for exhaust on it?
It's a 2.5" X-pipe system with Borla XR-1 straight through mufflers.
Exhaust system dumps right after the mufflers before the axle.
It sounds good 👍
@@BustedClassicGarage Straight through muffs sound killer on decel...my Ultraflows are the same.
My 400 is about 8,000 to build. All edelbrock top end bored over to a 7.0 instead of 6.6 bigger pistons a really nasty stage 3 cam with fat nodes on it to help push open valves racing 3,000 dollar 202 heads and I just re did the bearing with another summit racing kit :) looking forward to getting a jegs turbo tci trans for about 950 to see how it does on the track next season :) I don't have any of the videos of the blower which we run just barely over 1,000 horse right now
Mine is probably around the same price. The nice thing is, is that I was able to reuse the Keith Black pistons and the lunati 6.0 rods.
Interesting. Exactly how do you bore a 400 to a 427? And what the hell is a stage 3 Cam?? 1000 HP my ass.
@@mattrosenboom4810 Agree...with comments like that I bet he doesnt even own a car
Nobody that knows how to make real power on a Gen 1 calls cams stage anything. no such beast.
Cool. Needs a close ratio in it.
Sure does. I might upgrade the gears at some point.
would spin 2nd something terrible for sure! lol
It does have the torque to pull his tall 2nd with the BW though
Found my new channel .....new subscriber! , keep the videos coming !
Awesome thanks! Welcome to the channel!
I've got a 78' with the 400. It is a Hurst model as well, factory ordered. It is in quite rough shape, but makes a hreat project car! Great video
Red interior, and kickass sidepipes that make it one of the loudest cars I have heard!
Thanks! Looks like you have some work ahead of you! And setting off car alarms with exhaust noise is an amazing feeling. LOL
Badass.....ride
Thanks!
Is that an M22 2.98 1st gear swap?
No, it's a stock BW ST10.
The car run good.what rear gear are you running
Thanks! 3.73
great video thanks, what rear end ratio is that and rear tire size?
Thanks! At that time I was running Nitto 555R 275 50/r15 and the rear is 3.73.
perfect, thanks
Putting in my 4 speed soon can't wait
Sweet dude, you're going to have so much fun in your car! Well unless you are in stop and go traffic. Lol
If you are swapping from an auto it will feel like a totally different ride youll LOVE it.
What happen to the 400
I actually started working on it about a month ago and then I got sidetracked and started working on the truck again...
@@BustedClassicGarage completely understand that it's easy to do that when you got more the one project
How did you make out with the new motor- 406?
I have the block machined but nothing has been assembled yet.
Looking forward to see how it comes out
I had a 1970 camaro z28 with a 406 with 600hp/ 550tq 4 speed street car. Sold it about 7 years ago
@@rmarzino that thing must of ripped it up!
It was a BEAST
Did you finish the Z yet?
Not yet. I was trying to take it to last year's hot rod drag week but ran out of time. Planning on starting to work on it again in spring.
Looking forward to seeing it done
@@rmarzino same here! It's going to be a wild ride!
Sounds like you shift way to early
I shift at the end of the power band, there's not much gain after that point.
What transmission does your camaro have in it ?
Borg Warner Super T-10
I have a 79 I bought new, with the super t 10. It has kind of a rockcrusher sound. This tranny is super durable and ads to the cars value. My car has never been in the winter salt and has only 76000 miles.
You need to learn how to drive!
Thanks I look into lessons immediately...
Look another internet formula 1 racer.
You dont even have a car with comments like that.
@@BustedClassicGarage Troll still playing videos f him
ah the good ol boat anchor 400
I guess, seem to make a lot of power for me.
@@BustedClassicGarage i'm biased against them because of the oiling problems they have and the rod bearings not wanting to exist after full throttle runs, but i'm sure it's something that can be fixed
@@colescarstuff7102 Never heard of that...sbc have a great oiling system, pretty much foolproof. Maybe you had a bad one at one time?
Runs really good!
It did before I blew it up... LOL
lol, where are you one the rebuild?
Had to get a new block due to a crack in the lifter valley, it's been machined and the rotating assembly has been balanced. Just need to go pick it up once its completely done.
Cool. That will be some great videos.
This one covers some of the new parts for the 400 and trying to find a new block ruclips.net/video/mOHxpUG3vwU/видео.html
Tires look stupid like that
They're not on there for looks junior. Why don't you do your homework on Drag Racing before making stupid comments.
@@BustedClassicGarage “drag racing” ok bud. Lmao that style, look and strategy is outdated
Show us yours