Horsepower ratings started plunging across the board in 1971 when GM instituted a reduction in compression ratios to enable the 1971 and later cars to run on unleaded gasoline. The 1970 Camaro SS 350 had a gross hp rating of 300. The 1971 Camaro SS 350 (one of which I bought new that year) had a gross hp rating of 270 and a net hp rating of 210. Catalytic converters did not show up until the 1975 model year. I was heavily involved in a gas station business during the 70s and remember all this quite well. 1975 and later vehicles had a restrictor in the fuel tank filler that would only allow unleaded gasoline to be dispensed into them.
FWIW, the cars made during the 1973 and 1974 model years were more choked by emission controls and used more gasoline than comparable models in 1975 and later. Horsepower ratings did continue to drop because the automakers continued to have problems meeting ever more strict emission standards imposed during the middle and late 1970s. Things did not start to improve until the early to middle 1980s when better ignition systems and fuel injection started to become common.

 

Dayumn, I bought my SRT8 too early. More power and MDS, plus the cool looking ram air hood, I got gypped.

 

yea but you can drive around with a 650 beast with a warranty

 

It's not enough to differentiate R/T from SRT. I expect them to be getting well over 500 from the 6.4, but we'll see.

 

It is an extra 30 via the rating, but it is more than that at the wheels from the early 08 Vette dynos that we have seen.

 

Id like to know your source. Im showing PRODUCTION from

Sept 26,1968 to Feb 26, 1970

Camaro White Book p33

I didnt misread anything. Now if you are disputing the facts as stated in the white book, that is a different story.

 

I was going to dispute what was in the white book. I knew that GM wasn't going to spend the money to make a 1969 Camaro a 1970 Camaro from a regulations standpoint when they had a new one already done. Since this is some of the saved trivia I plan to include when I finally get focused enough to finish my "project", I called around to get some additional info on this. I won't get everything I need for days or weeks, but I am getting probally more information than I thought.

I now have basically the entire Van Nuys (and most of Norwood's) production schedule for 1969. This is a little on the overkill side, but is good trivia nonetheless.

Camaro production shut down at Van Nuys in May 1969, partially restarted in June and chruned out almost a token number of Camaros till it shut down completely till July when there was supposed to be a model changeover. Norwood added the Firebird to it's production line in April, moving it out of Lordstown (which was being revamped for the 1970 Chevrolet Vega).

The Norwood plant built it's last 1969 Firebird during the 3rd week of September, 1969.

Although the Camaro White Book and a key Camaro rep state that the last Camaro was built in February 1970, I haven't found anything to support that over factory production schedules that seem to show otherwise. Norwood still seems to have produced it's last car in late November of 1969 by all indications. The last Camaro VIN suffix recorded from Norwood is 711922. This vehicle was numbered in November 1969.

Also, the production total at Norwood for November 1969 corresponds to a end run of a model. Over 13,000 camaros were produced at Norwood in June and just 5000 in July. August went up to 9,000 and September jumped back up to 14,000. October ran 15,000. The following month, November, there was 3900, and then..... nothing.

These numbers actually come from.....get ready for this....Chevrolet's own records.

Also, it seems Chevrolet itself extended the model year for Camaro to December, 1969. Also, as previously mentioned, any car manufactured after January 1st 1970 would have had all new emissions and safety regulations to deal with.

This leads me to 2 possible conclusions:

1. The '69 Camaro did end all production in November 1969, and the date of February 26th is the result of confusion with the 2nd gen Firebird's debut at the Chicago Auto Show (which happened to be on February 26th, 1970).

2. GM's Norwood plant assembled and gave VINs to a huge number of "knockdown" cars the final few months (there is a unique code in the VIN for late production '69s) and then assembled them into 1970 till they ran out (since the body was ID'ed and tagged as 1969, they could be completed at any time and still be considered 1969 models according to the government). GM did knockdown kits of Camaros for assembly outside of the US, so it's completely possible.... especially looking at the frenetic pace Camaros were made in September and October '69 compared with July, August, and November.

Although it's very possible some loophole existed enabling the '69 to continue to "roll out of the factory" into 1970, it seems pretty certain by all records and accounts that there were no additional VINs issued for 1969 Camaros after November 1969.

The whole thing sounds confusing and it seems like alot left to interpretation. My guess is that GM planned it that way to skirt 1970 vehicle regulations till the 2nd gen came out.

 

Very interesting stuff. Something of note is that Carrol shelby had some Cobras that didnt finish assembly around 1967. In the mid to late 90s Shelby took those cars and finished them under the 1960s emissions and crash standards. He gave the profits to some sort of heart chairty but it amazes me that he could do it. I do think they received their vins in the 60s so regaurdless of when they were built they were legitimate 1960's Cobras

 

I do think that's what ol' Carroll SAID, anyway. I also do think there was an awful lot of noddin' and winkin' on that one.

 

Oh...have no doubts.

 

I read the article a long time ago. It may have been that they were registered in the 60s. Quite honestly I dont remember, but if youre familiar with what happened feel free to chime in. Im sure who he is did have something to do with it.

 

I'm sure that's what he said, and that's what the article you remember said. I just remember a lot of raised eyebrows around the idea that he had all these brand-new-looking chassis stored in some warehouse for thirty years and nobody ever knew about it, even though Shelby had had money problems at various times before then and surely would have "remembered" them at some point earlier.

 

point taken

 

Everyone wants to believe that the unicorn, yeti, loch ness exists. Don't be a spoilsport.

 

And more than one lawsuit, if memory serves me correctly.