Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Tribute.

Around the time Journey dropped the hit song “Don’t Stop Believin” in October 1981, the Chevrolet Camaro was on the verge of a completely new generation. A commercial for the 1981 Camaro Z28 called it the “ultimate Camaro” and proclaimed it an exceptional driver’s car. The aerodynamic treatment on the front and rear fenders was both functional and attractive, and marketing materials called it one of the “best-dressed cars” on the road.

What happens when you combine those good looks with a modernized V8 powertrain? Today, we get to find out. This customized Camaro is being listed by a dealer in Gladstone, Oregon, and the auction will end on Tuesday.

Interestingly enough, the CARFAX history for the car doesn’t start until 17 years after production. However, based on what we know, it spent life in California, Nevada, and Oregon – all of which are known to be relatively good regions to own and preserve a collector car.

The second-generation Camaro was in its last phase of production in the early 1980s; the body style had originally launched in 1970 and went through subsequent facelifts in both 1974 and 1978. When compared to previous Camaros, this version was lower, longer, and wider than before. By 1980, development was already underway for the new generation, so the final model years received just a few updates. (One such change for 1980 was an adjustment to the speedometer that modified it from 130 mph to 85 mph).

For 1981, the Camaro Z28 was available with two V8 engines: a 305 and a 350. There were restrictions on availability of the latter – particularly in California where emissions regulations were at an all-time high. Luckily for us, today’s featured car has a few tricks up its sleeve that amplify its performance and bring it into the modern era.

Starting with the exterior, the body has been recoated in pearl white and dressed in tan tri-tone accent striping around the perimeter. A set of later-model Camaro IROC-Z wheels give a subtle “OEM-plus” look to the car.

Most notably, upgrades have taken place under the hood where we find a fuel-injected Vortec 5.3-liter V8 that is connected to a newer 4L60E four-speed automatic transmission. It’s a combination that suits the car’s performance aspirations while keeping it daily-friendly.  

Chevrolet touted: “The Z28 is not only handsome and sporty on the outside, it is just as good-looking on the inside. It’s an open invitation to take the sporty steering wheel and head on out. The Z28 is a special machine, for a driver who demands more than the ordinary.”

Looking for something extraordinary? Look no further. The auction for this 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Tribute ends Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

General Motors is developing an adaptive air intake duct that could expand and contract based on airflow, which the automaker claims will allow for increased parts commonality across vehicles.

The adaptive intake was the subject of a patent application filed by GM in 2022, but which only surfaced when it was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) June 27, 2024.

In the application, GM discusses an air intake setup consisting of fixed inlet and outlet portions, with a movable element in the middle. That middle part would be “made of a flexible material having a cross-sectional area that expands and contracts responsive to the incoming air flow volume,” GM said in the application.

Potential materials that could achieve the required level of flexibility include various polyethylene blends, as well as “waterproof felt, silicone fabric, and platinum-catalyzed silicon,” according to GM.

If the interior of an air intake can expand or contract for different rates of air flow, the packaging doesn’t need to change for different applications, GM notes. That reduces the need for different air intake designs for different vehicles, along with associated manufacturing costs related to specific tooling for those design variations. An adaptive air intake would be more space efficient as well, GM claims, making it easier to package in a vehicle as well as easier to ship to factories.

The cost-cutting powers of parts commonality are hard to underestimate. It’s why automakers seek to use big-ticket items like engines and infotainment systems across as many models as possible. And that will likely be the motivation should this adaptive air intake make it to production.

HIGH-RES GALLERY: General Motors adaptive air intake patent image

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com

The Pick of the Day is a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta pickup conversion listed for sale by a Tennessee dealership on ClassicCars.com. 

Truck-like cars (aka coupe utility vehicles) haven’t been big in a while. The Ford Ranchero rode off into the sunset at the end of the 1970s and the Chevrolet El Camino was on its way into the history books in the late 1980s. Even the Holden Ute from Australia was ute-enized last decade. But that decline in the coupe utility vehicle’s popularity didn’t stop someone from converting a 2000 Volkwagen Jetta into a pickup.

Although the selling dealer says it was handcrafted by a company in Florida, it looks like it came from Smyth of Tiverton, Rhode Island. Either way, it’s distinctive, which you can’t say about regular Jettas of the 2000s. No doubt, they were popular, but that resulted in there being so many of them that they blurred into the background. They were victims of their own success.

This custom-made Jetta truck doesn’t have that problem. In fact, it may have the opposite issue – people may see it’s a car with a bed and not even notice that it was once a Jetta. Can you blame them? You don’t exactly see these every day, even if you live in a neighborhood full of El Camino and Ranchero owners.

It started life 151,211 miles ago as a front-wheel-drive German sedan with a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual gearbox.

Now it’s an unforgettable sport truck that rides on flashy wheels, low-profile tires, and an air suspension and is capable of hauling bicycles and BBQ grilles.

For $19,850, this unique Jetta can be yours. If you end up getting it, let us know in the comments section below…and how it awkward things got when you pulled up in the Home Depot parking lot next to a Ford F-350 Super Duty owner.

Click here to view the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com. 

Mini GT has grown to be one of the newly favored manufacturers in the diecast scene with a balance between price, quality, engineering, and artistry. In today’s episode of Collectible Corner we will be taking a look at one of the more recent releases from their collaboration with Kaido House.

Make sure to subscribe to the ClassicCars TV YouTube channel for all episodes of Collectible Corner, as well as see interesting finds and car reviews!

I will not bury the lede on my Pick of the Day. This 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda is one of the nicest cars on the planet and the single best example I have ever seen. I had the pleasure of personally judging this car at the Future Classic Car Show (now the Future Collector Car Show) during Arizona auction week a few years ago and came away stunned by how well the restoration of this car was executed. If that is not enough, the two other judges on my team were noted classic car restorers and they were as stunned by this car as I was (that’s us judging the car below).

The seller of this specific car spared absolutely no expense on the restoration. According to them, this 1970 ‘Cuda was a fairly famous race car in the Chicago area when new. During its racing days, the car was maroon, but you could still see its original paint color of Limelight Green under the carpeting and in parts of the trunk. When the seller became aware of the car, it had been sitting in a garage since the ’80s and put up for sale in well worn condition. By the time the current owner finally saw the car in person, it had already been sold. Luckily for them, the buyer never paid, so it was re-listed and they were able to buy the car.

This Plymouth ‘Cuda is one of 902, V-code 440 6-barrel cars, which was rated by the factory at 390 horsepower. It is backed by a four-speed manual gearbox. The car is equipped with power steering, power front disc brakes, and a Dana 60 rear end with a 3.54 axle ratio. It has hood tie-down pins, a heavy-duty suspension, heavy-duty 11-inch brakes, road lamps, and the Track Pack. The Rallye instrument cluster group includes variable-speed wipers with electric washers, a tachometer, an electric clock, a 150-mph speedometer, and a woodgrain instrument cluster appliqué.

This ‘Cuda was purchased by the owner in May of 2016 and went through a total nut-and-bolt rotisserie restoration completed by S&S Mopar Muscle in October 2019. After the restoration, it was transported to Arizona, where it is kept in an air-conditioned storage facility in Scottsdale. The car has only been driven to car shows and has accumulated around 4,000 miles since the restoration.

The owner states that this is a numbers-matching car with the exception of the engine. Despite this, it does have a period-correct 440-6 that was stroked for improved drivability, but don’t let that fool you because it’s been dyno’d at 523 horsepower and 606 lb-ft of torque. The entire restoration and every single repair on this car are completely documented.

So here’s the deal: I am not exaggerating at all when I say that this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda is the best example I have ever seen. It is a lesson in what a proper restoration looks like – not only when new but even after five years. This car is proof positive of what is possible with a no-expense-spared restoration. Yes, the asking price is $195,000 or best offer, but for this car, I am calling that a bargain. If you want a show-winning iconic muscle car at a price that is likely less than the restoration cost, buy this ‘Cuda.

Check out the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.