A little background. I bought my first 69 Camaro in August of 1969. It was a special order from Viet Nam. Got married and moved to Alaska. Wife went south and sold my Camaro. Go a head 46 years and I get a phone call from a guy who wants to know if I have any information on the car because he would like to sell it. Seems it has been in the back of a body shop waiting for a little TLC. I said enough I would take it. Deal was made and I got My original 1969 Z 2/8 back in fully restored condition. Now in the mean time I have bought 2 other Camaros over the last 40 years or so. I still have them. 1 now has a 6.2 LQ1 with a 550 cfm turbo putting about 600 HP to the rears through the original 4 speed. (M22) The other one is a RSDZ 302 which I am working on now.
My question is should I put an original DZ/302 in it or Z/L1 out of a original 2010 Z/L1 with less then 3,000 miles on it. Car was a rollover when new and motor is fine. With the auto transmition.

69 RSDZ302 motor With 69RSDZ302 Car

 

No one can really answer the question, but you asked for opinions. If you have a Numbers matching 302 with the original Z28 they should be kept together. Why mess with it? You already have an updated LQ1 turbo. If both Z28s are matching numbers maybe finish your current project and sell it for a different project?

A numbers matching Z is just worth too much stock to mess with. Anything you do to it devalues it. Maybe not too much today but certainly in 5-10 years. Imagine a new body complete aftermarket frame with your ZL1. You can find a basket case and "fix" it with a new body. Check with your States DOT, there is a process for replacing Vin parts.

I love the feel of my mostly original SS. I know its not a race car by today standards but it get a lot of smiles per gallon.

 

100%! They're only original once and it's a piece of automotive history.
IMHO it would be a shame not to keep it together but it's your car and as Gorn pointed out it's got more value that way as well.

 

It has great value the way it is but the motor is not the one that belongs in it but 3 months after it was built. In otherwards the motor is newer then the car. It was suppose to be a factory replacement under warranty. Besides I will never sell any of them. They will be left to my son who is into older cars. If I put the 302 into it then it will become a Garage Queen. Then no one can enjoy it. It is worth more as original but to enjoy it who knows.

Original Z/28 w/less then 50,000 miles

 

This is the third one I own with the LQ1 in it. about 600 HP.

 

Well then I guess you answered your own question.

 

After having a Z28 for over 50 years stock I believe that I'd like to have the ZL1 drivetrain complete in the 69 body I think that's the way I'm going to go. I'll try and do a follow-up posting as time goes on.

 

If all that is wrong with the block is date and VIN there are ways to fix it. A skilled person with a cast iron welding rod and a torch can fix any cast in numbers and one of the stamping machines that originally used to stamp the block is in the hands of an engine builder out west.

Why not just buy a shell or a I6 car? Your not the first but I never understood buying a high end car then blowing it a part and redesigning its basic capabilities and building something that has little to do with the original car. The Car shell itself can not handle the torque you are talking about you will twist the body if it ever hooks up. You look at any big block SS that was not caged and had decent tires on it and was run hard you will see small tears at the door and ripples in the roof. Its your car but I have trouble understanding why you would blow a parts a car that is so close to correct. Its a unibody and if you look at the engineering side of it, it was never meant to even handle a big block. The Big block was a last minute marketing request the engineers said no to and management said make it happen. Then marketing asked for a convertible Z28 and the engineers said that the body would not make it the 12 month of the warranty. On that one management listened to engineers.

My 67 is not a fast car but it is one of the best stress releases I have. My daily is faster in every way. Both are V8 manual shift.

I do understand what you saying about a garage queen, I only drive my 67 when I know I will not need to park and leave it for any amount of time. Work is in the process of putting up a fence and guard booths, I may get to drive my car to work. Based on my insurance that its only once a week.