How to ID 1968 SS or Z28 camaro??

[Big Squeeze]

I'm sure this has been asked a million times, but I've done a search and haven't found anything......

I've got a customer that just bought a '68 Camaro from one of her good friends that's had the car since at least the mid 80's....It's been repainted once.....engine has been rebuilt at least once......has an SS hood.....11/16 front sway bar........3.08ish open diff 12 bolt.......multi-leaf leaf springs......console with gauges.....in dash factory tach......4-speed......."350" emblems right at the front of the fenders......."SS" right below the "Camaro" script on the fenders right in front of the doors........so, I'm trying to figure out what this car started life as......Where do I start?? Does the VIN number tell anything? Tag on the firewall tell anything?? any way to do a background paper trail check??

Thanks,

[travlnz28]

All of the equipment you describe the car as having are easy to add. The vin # will only tell you if it was a six cylinder or a V8 when it left the factory. The trim tag on a 68 is also of little value as it only gives color and trim information. The best way to verify the car is check the engine pad to see if the original stamp is still there. If it is a MS code engine than it is probably original to the car and would verify it's a SS350. Check the transmission on the passenger side for a vin # that matches the car. The 308 12 bolt rear would have been a normal rear to find in a SS350 so you should check the code and build date on the right side axle tube. The speedometer cable on a Muncie trans (which all SS 4 speed cars came with)should exit the firewall on the right side of the steering column unlike a Saginaw trans which would have gone to left of the column. Check the tire decal on the glove box door. If it is still there is should have F70 X 14 size tires.

[Kurt S]

This lists the differences: http://www.camaros.org/diffs68.shtml
But Gregg got the main items to check.

[Big Squeeze]

Thanks guys.........It does have the tire decal still on the glove box door.......I forgot to mention that it's also got power disc brakes......the car appears to be all original and untouched except for the paint and engine rebuild.....

It does have the speedo cable coming out of the right side of the column and goes into the trans on the passenger side....

Where is the engine pad??

I glanced at the transmission but didn't see a number......Is it stamped into the case somewhere?? It was pretty greasy so I probably missed it.....

Here's a pic of the tire pressure decal from my phone.....

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/123BigSqueeze/tirepressuredecal.jpg

[69SSZL1]

But, there was a recent discovery of a documneted 68 SS with a 15" wheel option. Same sticker as the Z/28!

[Big Squeeze]

I just found the numbers on the transmission and they do match the VIN and it is a Muncie for sure...

[travlnz28]

The engine pad is located on the right side of the front of the motor. Where the head lies on the block there will be a pad that sticks out about an inch. There should be some numbers stamped that include the last numbers of you vin # and the assembly date and code of the engine.

By the information provided thus far I have little doubt the car is an original SS 350.

[Kurt S]

That's a repro tire pressure sticker.
What's the numbers stamped on the trans?
Here's all the # locations:
http://www.camaros.org/drivetrain.shtml

[Big Squeeze]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kurt S</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That's a repro tire pressure sticker.
What's the numbers stamped on the trans?
Here's all the # locations:
http://www.camaros.org/drivetrain.shtml </div></div>
Wow, how can you tell?? That sticker has been there since at least the mid eighties....I assume repop stickers were available back then??
I'm in Chicago until Saturday and will post pics when I get back...

[Kurt S]

The fonts are different than the originals and the paper looks different too.

[Stefano]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 69SSZL1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">But, there was a recent discovery of a documneted 68 SS with a 15&quot; wheel option. Same sticker as the Z/28! </div></div>

Interesting.

I once inspected a '68 which was believed to be either a Z28 or L78 originally. It had the 15&quot; wheel sticker in the glove box.

Chased down the history of the car and turns out it was an factory L89 Car.

[subyman99]

I have the L78 car with the 15&quot; wheels, Looks to me like they were a Large &quot;df&quot; code wheel, my car is a april car, The original wheel i had was dated 3/68. The car has a lot another weird option of 4.88 gears with the 15&quot; wheels, and a m22

[Plowman]

Nice car you got.

[Big Squeeze]

OK........I'm back.........I took some pics today.......It appears it's not the original engine.....Originally, it was that olive/frost green color.....It's Viper Blue now......I've got a few questions......

Which cars came with Muncie's??
What else can you tell me about the car that I haven't already mentioned?
How do you tell if the car came with the nose stripe, or side stripe??
How do you tell if the car came with a spoiler??

Here's the VIN;
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/123BigSqueeze/VINnumber.jpg

Here's the body tag;
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/123BigSqueeze/bodytag.jpg

Here are the transmission numbers;
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/123BigSqueeze/transmissionnumber.jpg

Here are the engine numbers;
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/123BigSqueeze/Blocknumber.jpg

Here's a pic of the car;
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/123BigSqueeze/HotRodLisa.jpg

[x77-69z28]

three digit engine suffixes didnt come out til 1970. not familiar with TMX

[Mr70]

TMX was a 160HP/350cid 2bbl. smallblock code,used in 1974 C60 &amp; 6000 bodystyles..i.e. conventional Utility Trucks &amp; School Buses.

V1009:
V=Flint engine plant
10=October
09=Day

[Kurt S]

&gt; Originally, it was that olive/frost green color
Actually, it was gold.

&gt; Which cars came with Muncie's??
In 68, SS and Z's.

&gt; How do you tell if the car came with the nose stripe, or side stripe??
Assuming it was an SS: Cause it's a late build, it would have a stripe across the header and down the side.

&gt; How do you tell if the car came with a spoiler??
http://www.camaros.org/options.shtml#id

What's the trans code - should be stamped near the VIN and start with a P8xxx.
If the trans is not connected, how many grooves on the input shaft?
What's the axle code? http://www.camaros.org/drivetrain.shtml#axle

[al8apex]

early 68 SS stripes:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/JimRohn/Paper/68camaross.jpg

&quot;normal&quot; 68 SS stripes:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/JimRohn/Paper/68camaross1.jpg

These are factory GM press release photos

that blue car is a later production car so it would have the door stripes

[dale68z]

The bumblebee stripe in the first illustration can be on a non SS car, as an option.
My 1968 6b 327 RS (Non SS) car originally had a bumblebee.

[Big Squeeze]

AWESOME info...THANKS, guys...my mistake on the paint...only place I could find paint was behind the rear door panel and it was barely dusted on and appeared green...

I haven't had the trans out yet, so I don't know about the input shaft...I'll find the axle code this evening when I get home...

[Big Squeeze]

OK.......just got out from under the car.......The rearend is stamped &quot;BL 0524G1&quot; .......I couldn't get a good pic of it since the exhaust runs right in front of it......So, BL means 3.07 gears in a 12 Bolt and Non posi traction.....&quot;05&quot; means it was built in May.......&quot;24&quot; means it was built on the 24th day of May......and &quot;G1&quot; means it was built at Detroit Gear and Axle on the 1st shift.......

The transmission is stamped P8 then &quot;H&quot; and then it looks like &quot;95&quot;......but the &quot;5&quot; is very difficult to make out......&quot;P8&quot; means 4-speed Muncie and it's a '68 model.......the &quot;H&quot; means it was built in June.......and I'm not sure on the &quot;95&quot;.......It appears I'm missing a digit.......I'll go back out and try to read it again.....

and the driver's side trunk torsion bar is larger than the passenger side bar....... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[68l30]

Here's your color and stripe, minus the black top. Nice car, good luck with it!!

Big

[Big Squeeze]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 68l30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's your color and stripe, minus the black top. Nice car, good luck with it!!

Big


</div></div>

That does look AWESOME!!! but I found out that this car was originally gold instead of green......I'd seen color under the door panels but it was barely dusted on and in my dimly lit shop it looked green to me......

It that an original SS?? This car has &quot;SS&quot; on the front fenders under &quot;Camaro&quot;.......is that correct??

[68l30]

That is the correct 68 G code color. It's called Ash Gold. It is a very light sensitive color that flips between a olive green to a very light gold depending on the daylight.Her is a different angle and light.

My car is the base model with the stripe added as a RPO.

Big

[Xplantdad]

That's such a cool car big Steve!

[68l30]

Thanks buddy!!

One of these days I'll get you a write up on it....LOL

[Xplantdad]

Looking forward to it!

[Big Squeeze]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 68l30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That is the correct 68 G code color. It's called Ash Gold. It is a very light sensitive color that flips between a olive green to a very light gold depending on the daylight.Her is a different angle and light.

My car is the base model with the stripe added as a RPO.

Big </div></div>

Wow, that does look nice!!!