1982 Chevy Camaro

1982 Chevrolet Camaro History

To much critical acclaim, the all-new Third Generation 1982 Chevrolet Camaros were introduced. The choice of models were Sport Coupe, Berlinetta, and Z28. Five engines were available in the '82 Camaro: the LQ8 2bbl 4 cylinder, the LQ9 TBI 4 cylinder, the LC1 2bbl V6, the LG4 4bbl V8, and the twin TBI LU5 V8. Choice of transmissions were a 4 speed manual and a 3 speed automatic. The rear end was the GM 10-Bolt. They also had front disc brakes standard.

The Sport Coupe came standard with the LQ9 (LQ8 in Canada and overseas) “Iron Duke” four cylinder. The LC1 V6 and LG4 V8 were optional. Dog dish hub caps were standard, wheel covers were optional, as were 14×7 inch steel 5 spoke body-colored rally wheels.

The Berlinetta came standard with the LC1 V6. The LG4 V8 was optional. It came standard with exterior gold Berlinetta emblems on the rear bumper and C-pillars. The headlamp recesses were painted in an accent color and the tail lights got a gold and black horizontal divider bar. It also got its own lower body pinstriping. The Berlinetta came standard with it’s own unique 14×7 inch finned aluminum wheel with gold accenting and Berlinetta center cap. Also standard was the custom cloth interior, rear storage well cover, and additional carpeting (deluxe luggage compartment trim) on the rear wheelhouses. Berlinetta also came standard with additional body insulation, softer suspension and full instrumentation. It was meant to be a softer, more forgiving, and quieter Camaro. The Berlinetta also had it’s own unique steering wheel with a Berlinetta emblem.

The Z28 came with the LG4 4bbl V8 as standard motor and LU5 twin TBI “Cross Fire Injection” 5.0 liter/305 engine was optional. It’s intake was based on the 1st Gen Z/28 Crossram intake. All Z28s came with a lightweight SMC (Sheet Molded Compound) hood. The LU5 optioned Z28s also came with functional hood air induction flaps. They had a different front bumper that did not have the three horizontal slits above the grill as on the Sport Coupe and Berlinetta. Z28 came standard with a 3 piece rear spoiler and a black horizontal bar in the tail lights. They also came with front, side, and rear lower body valances (or “ground effects”) in silver or gold. Just above the valance was a two-color lower body perimeter stripe that encircled the car. Headlamp recesses on the Z28 were semi-gloss black. The Z28 featured a new 15×7 inch cast aluminum 5 spoke wheel accented with either silver or gold. Z28 emblems appeared on the right rear bumper and on the side valance just behind the front wheels. The 200c Autos had a round leather wrapped shift knob that was different than the one used until 1986, though it looked similar. It didn’t neck down at the bottom or have a raised detent button. The interior also featured a three spoke steering wheel with a Camaro emblem horn button. These items, along with the emergency brake, were also leather wrapped. A dual pointer speedometer was also included. A 1982 Z28 can be distinguished from a 1983 and 1984 Z28 by its lack of a bowtie emblem connected to the Z28 emblem on the rear bumper. The CFI cars in 82 and 83 had an exhaust that had two mufflers connected by a pipe instead of a regular cross-flow dual outlet muffler that was used in later years.

There were 6,360 Z28 Indy Pace Car replicas were produced and they came with a special silver and blue paint scheme, special 4-color lower body striping, Indy 500 door decals, special blue cloth/silver vinyl interior, and red pinstripes on the standard Z28 aluminum wheel.

The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro was Motor Trends Car of the Year. The Z28 was selected as the Indy 500 Pace Car, the last time the Camaro had this honor was 1967 and 1969. It was 500 lbs. lighter, featured reduced dimensions, and had a shorter wheel base than the previous 2nd Gen model. It was also within 70 lbs. of the original 1967 Camaro and was the closest in dimensions to the car yet. The bold Z28 was designed first and the other models were done afterwards. The look of these sharp lined cars were a mix of 1st Gen, 2nd Gen, and new forward-thinking design. Nothing looked like them on the road during their run and in some ways, they still appear somewhat modern today. At the time of engineering, during a rough place in history for performance and power, handling was the focus of the new Camaro. It did so successfully, surprising many a reviewer by being capable of numbers and feel that few cars in the world could produce, especially in it’s price range. The windshield slope was 60 degrees, about 3 degrees steeper than anything GM had tried before it. This was the first time a 4 cylinder was available in a Camaro. The serious looking all-black dash and gauge design had been inspired by Italian sports cars and airplanes. At the time, the compound curve rear hatch glass was the most advanced piece of glass tech-wise to be put onto a car. It was also one of the most aerodynamic cars ever made when released. The car had reached new industry standards.

1982 Chevrolet Camaro Drivetrain List

1982 Chevrolet Camaro Production Numbers