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1967 Chevy Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car Comes With an L78 Surprise Under the Hood

The L78 big-block V8 is a legendary engine, built by Chevy from ’65 to 1970. The original Camaro also got it, and for a few years, the L78 was the most powerful RPO engine available in the automaker's intermediate line of passenger cars.
Restored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car 21 photos
Photo: Streetside Classics
Restored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace CarRestored 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car
Introduced to the ‘Maro in ’67, the 6.5-liter plant with two valves per cylinder and a cast-iron block was optioned on 1,138 examples of the breed that year. The Indy 500 Pace Car Convertible before your eyes is one of them, and as you’d expect from such a rare pony, someone wants no fewer than $130k for it.

Offered for sale by Streetside Classics with 64,876 miles (104,408 kilometers) on the clock and a four-speed manual driving a 12-bolt Positraction rear end with 3.31 gears, the commemorative edition numbers less than 100 units. The big-block SS code in the trim tag is one thing, but the side decals and D91 Bumblebee stripe in blue make this Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car all the more desirable.

Restored to the smallest of nuts and bolts a few months ago, the Super Sport wears a set of four Firestone Wide Oval radial tires with redline trim as well as a faux-vented hood. Delivered to Dixie Chevrolet in Florence when new with blue upholstery, the seller spent more than $17,000 to restore the interior alone.

Even the engine’s hoses are labeled GM, and as you’d expect from such a detailed resto job, the suspension’s components are top notch to help the car handle as good as it looks. Stopping power comes courtesy of discs up front and drums at the rear, and at the top of the engine, you’ll find a Holley double-pumper carburetor.

With 375 horsepower (380 PS) and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) of torque on tap in a car as light as the Camaro and with skinny tires at the rear, you can expect a few thrills in a straight line as well as in the twisties. Don’t, however, take your chances at carving corners because the ’67 came with single-leaf rear springs.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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