What was the engine displacement, in cubic inches, of the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28? The answer is 302 cubic inches.
The Z/28’s engine was Chevrolet’s 302-cubic-inch small-block V8, officially created by combining the 4.00-inch bore of the 327 with the 3.00-inch stroke of the 283. The resulting displacement was just under five liters, or about 4,942 cubic centimeters.
Chevrolet developed the engine to meet the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-Am racing limit of 305 cubic inches. The production Z/28 therefore used a high-revving 302 rather than the larger 350- or 396-cubic-inch engines available elsewhere in the Camaro range. For 1969, it was rated at 290 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque.
A common mix-up is assuming that every powerful 1969 Camaro used a 396. That big-block was associated with SS versions, while the Z/28 was identified by its 302 and racing-oriented hardware, including a four-speed manual transmission, forged internals, solid lifters, and an available cross-ram intake.