Back in the day, driving without a hood was the traditional way to celebrate dropping a brand-new engine in an old car. I'm not sure this thing is legal anymore, but some folks still do it. And when the car is a 1967 Chevy Camaro, and the engine is a big-block 427, I'm sure glad they do.
The folks over at Wags Automotive just swapped a 1967 Camaro's original 396 (6.5-liter) with a 427 (7.0-liter) Chevrolet crate engine. I'm talking about the ZZ427/480, the company's modern take on the iconic L88.
The more streetable version of all-aluminum ZL-1, the L88 is primarily famous for powering the third-generation Corvette from 1967 to 1969. Rated at a whopping 430 horsepower, it was among the most potent V8s of the era.
Chevy now offers a modern rendition of this mill through its Performance Parts program. It features the brand's latest-generation block casting with four-bolt main caps and all-forged rotating assembly and a hydraulic roller camshaft instead of the L88's original flat-tapped cam.
The ZZ427 is obviously capable of more oomph than its spiritual predecessor, being rated by Chevrolet at up to 480 horsepower and 490 pound-feet (663 Nm) of torque. And, of course, it's a drop-in replacement for many classic Chevys, including the 1967 Camaro you're about to see below.
The bowtie-badged pony came with a 396 V8 from the factory. It still sports the original air cleaner on top of the ZZ427, and based on the stickers, this Camaro used to get its juice from an L35. Rated at 325 horsepower back in the day, it was the base 396 in the Camaro SS, placed below the L34 (350 horses) and the L78 (375 horsepower).
The proud owner of this Chevy now has a modern V8 mill to brag about and it's taking it out for the mandatory break-in without a hood and with the hinger high up in the air. Not only it sounds fantastic, but it also enables the Camaro SS to run faster than before. Break-in cruises aren't all that fun, of course, but there is some full-throttle footage with red-line action at the 14-minute mark.
The ZZ427 seems to complete a restomod-style build with new Rally wheels that are quite fat and a few additional badges. It actually looks a lot like the Yenko Camaros from back in the day. The interior, on the other hand, looks stock and in immaculate condition.
Now crank up the volume for proper, old-school muscle car fun.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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