Hunting TAs and Vettes was great sport in those days. We would roll up from behind a TA with decreasing speed, downshifting, timing it just right to knock third as we rolled up with the engine next to the TA driver's ear. The poor TA driver would be alarmed at the sound of a potent engine, but would almost always go anyway, because of faith in the myth of TA invinciblilty. They would yank their T-350 into second, but with that 430 inch ZL-1 already at four grand in third, the stab-off was no contest. The code 13 TA killer would leap forward and come on the cam at the same time, and leave the TA not only beaten, but thoroughly humilitated.
Often we would catch one on a country road. The fun would start with precise timing again... we would come up behind a lumbering TA about to exit a corner, and we would be in a drift with the rat singing on the down-to-third-or-second gear overrun. Four laners were the best, because we could pass the TA in a 4-wheel drift easily and leave the TA driver slack-jawed at the awesome display of potent automotive power.

I wasn't kidding when I posted earlier that my silver 77.5 was the most satisfying car I've ever owned.

Ever seen a power window-war? We were sitting at a light on Pacific Coast Highway next to a 930 Porsche one afternoon, and the girl in the pass side of the German car rolled her window down to admire the 1200 rpm idle Camaro. The boyfriend got mad and rolled her window up. She got mad and rolled it back down. He put it back up. They started staring at each other, then the driver glared at me and smirked, but you can guess the rest... when the light turned green we laid down a crisp and clean tach run through all four, leaving the shocked Panzerkapitan to his own domestic problems.

haw haw haw

I guess after all these years I still have the same attitude that my half-year Camaro enjoyed so much, back in the dark days of the mid-smog era.

The car is stock all right, right down to the all-GM ZL-1.

Does anyone still have the very light grey instrument cluster panel in their 77.5 ?

My instrument cluster panel is brown; part of some interior trim option package near as I know.

Mine came with a 4-speed originally also. And the previous owner of my '77 also had another '77 (brown) many years ago, it too with a 4-speed.

According to this webpage, there were 5,114 1977 Z/28's built with the 4-speed.