Chevrolet Muscle Cars. 1970 Camaro "Second Generation", RS-396, SS-350 LT-1, Z-28

The Second generation of Chevrolet Camaro muscle car was introduced in February 1970, halfway through the model year. This late introduction had some people incorrectly referring to it as a “1970 ½”, all were 1970 models.

The styling for this generation of Camaro was longer, lower and wider than the first generation Camaro (referred to as pony cars), a convertible body style was no longer available. The new look of the second generation was inspred by Jaguar, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. With the new look and style of the Camaro muscle car its basic mechanical engineering was as familiar as the previous Camaro with a unibody structure and a front sub-frame, A-arm and coil spring front suspension with rear leaf springs. Chevrolet engineers gained significant advances in road handling, steering, braking and balance from racing experiences of the first generation Camaro, making it more of “A Driver’s Car” than previous models of the Camaro muscle car.

Most of the engine and drivetrain components were from the 1969 models of Camaro, with the base engine now a 250cid in-line six cylinder rated at 155 hp. Big blocks were still the muscle behind the1970 Camaro’s ranking in the muscle car class, they included: L-78 396cid rated at 375 hp (in 1970 the 396 V8s actual cid was a 402, Chevrolet chose to keep the 396 badging) Two 454cid engines were listed on specification and sales sheets, they never made it into production. Buyers had could choose from the “Rally Sport” option, a “Super Sport” option, and the “Z-28 Special Performance Package” with a featured high-performance LT-1 350cidV8 rated at 360 hp with 380 lb-ft of torque, with the turbo 400 automatic transmission as an option versus the four-speed manual transmission.

The 1970 Camaro muscle cars are regarded as the most desirable of the early “Second Generation Camaro’s” with the future Camaro’s giving in to automobile emissions control systems and heavier mandated bumpers.