[Derek69SS]

I'm a long-time lurker here, and finally signed up to share this Day 2 Chevelle I bought last summer. Previous owner bought it in 1974, and last drove it about 1985. He passed away recently, and I bought it from his brother.

68 SS396 Fathom Blue/Medium Teal
Originally bench seat 4spd, now has buckets.

Engine in it was an L78 out of a 69 Nova, JH suffix.
Trans is a numbers-matching M20, and has KF (3.55 posi) 12-bolt.
1111169 Distributor in the trunk likely original to the car as well.

It has some cool period speed stuff on it, such as Mr. Gasket Vertigate, traction bars, Steel bellhousing, a Fly Eye air cleaner (was in the trunk and warped from being burnt), L60-15s on 15x8 Corvette ralleys, Headers, Thrush glasspacks, etc.

I sent the VIN from the L78 block to Wes at "Lost Muscle Cars" and he found the car is registered in Pennsylvania! I'm now in contact with the owner, and might be able to reunite it with its original car, which he had no idea was really an L78 car! (but was known to be an SS 4spd car)

The one oddity of the stamp is the last digit being double stamped with an 8 over the top of a 7.

7 is lined up in the gang, and the 8 off center assumed to be a factory "fix" from someone forgetting to change the last digit in the gang holder, and stamping the previous car's VIN on it. Knowing the history of the engine, I have no other explanation for the double stamped digit.