1969 Chevrolet Camaro Specifications

The fifth generation of Camaros are modeled after the first generation.abstract chevrolet camaro concept car image by Michael Shake from Fotolia.com

The Camaro was first introduced to the world in 1967. It remained in production continuously until 2002, when Chevrolet halted the legendary muscle car. However, in 2009, Chevy unveiled the concept car for a new Camaro, which started production again in 2009. The 1969 Camaro was part of the first generation, conceived as competition against the Ford Mustang and featuring some of the same features as the Chevy II Nova. The fifth generation of Camaros, launched in 2009, feature a retro design created to recall the glory days of the first generation.

Engine and Transmission

The 1969 Camaros came standard with rear-wheel drive and a 3.8-liter straight six-cylinder engine with hydraulic valve lifters; a 90-degree V-8 engine with a cast-iron block and head was optional. This engine had a compression ratio of 11:1 and a bore and stroke of 4.3 inches to 3.8 inches. Super Sport (SS) models could come with either a 296-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 or a 6.5-liter V-8 with 375 HP. The high-performance Z28 Camaro had a 5-liter V-8 with special carburetors and cams. The Z28 engine had an official rating of 290 HP but was believed to be able to go as high as 360. Standard transmission was a three-speed manual, although buyers could get a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission as an option.

The 1969 Camaros could be either hardtop sports coupes or convertibles. Many more sports coupes than convertibles were made, with 214,278 hardtops produced compared to only 16,515 convertibles. The 1969 Camaro had a steel unibody chassis with a live axle in the rear and an independent suspension in front. The exterior of the Camaro had a wide grille, flared arches and distinctive round headlights; the headlights were hidden with the Rally Sport (RS) package. The Z28 was less than $50 more than the standard model and came with twin rally stripes, more responsive steering and an F41 suspension.

A large number of options were available for the 1969 Camaros. The Super Sport package allowed you a larger choice of engines and a special cold-air induction hood, which was also an option for the Z28. Other options for all models were two-tone paint, auxiliary lighting, AM/FM radio, tape player, tachometer, sidewall tires, power steering and a walnut-grained steering wheel. A torque-drive transmission was available for cars with six-cylinder engines. Buyers could also order a floor-mounted gearshift lever, wheel covers, and front and rear bumper guards. Interior colors were available in different shades of gold, turquoise, red and green. The exterior could be painted in your choice of either regular gloss colors or metallics in brown, silver, gold, blue or green.