Tired of seeing American icons such as the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the 1970 Dodge Challenger getting the garage queen treatment to make those big numbers at auctions? So are we, and, fortunately, the piece of footage we have here brings quite a relief, as it showcases those two being thrown at each other on the drag strip.
The Chevy in question is a machine with seven-figure potential these days, but let's leave the financial matters and focus on its specs, shall we?
The '69 Camaro ZL1 was part of the COPO (Central Office Production Order) adventure, a loophole allowing dealers to circumvent GM's limitations for go-fast Chevys of the era. As such, it was gifted with an all-aluminum 427 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) big-block straight from the factory, whose 425 hp and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) official muscle numbers made for an understatement.
Out of the 69 units built for that year, only 12 cars came with the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic slushbox, and this is one of them, featuring a 4.10 final drive.
As for its Mopar opponent, this '70 Challenger R/T came with the 440 cubic-inch (7.2-liter) V8 six-pack (a trio of two-barrel carbs), which delivered 390 horses and a meaty 490 lb-ft (664 Nm) of twist. And while the machine also packs a three-speed auto (this is a TorqueFlite), it comes with a more aggressive 4.30 rear end.
Nevertheless, without the scale footprint benefits of the Chevy's aluminum motor, the Dodge loses the weight battle (3,571 lbs/1,620 kg vs. 3,400 lbs/1,542kg).
And while we'll drop the usual timestamp detail for the video below (the majestic quarter-mile run that saw these pages of muscle car history going at it awaits you at the 5:00 point), you should know the introduction has serious chances of putting a smile on your face, not least thanks to the popular culture-infused presentation done by Cars And Zebras, the YT label behind the camera.
Now, the two beasts deliver impressive 1/4-mile numbers, and that's without taking into account that we're dealing with half a century old machines. However, one can only wonder how they'd perform with modern, track-friendly tires, even though the Factory Appearing Stock Tire (FAST) racing series that welcomed the machines to the strip doesn't allow this.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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