JL8 available first week of Nov, 68?

[Lynn]

I know previous items from this seller have been discussed here before, but I am wondering if a Nov of 68 car could be original JL8 car. Anyone know?

Lynn

[Mr. T]

RPO JL8 was available as an option starting in March of 69, and ending around the third week of July, 69.

[William]

The JL8 option was released with lots of press coverage around spring 1968. Hot Rod covered it with a feature article; Car and Driver did a comparison test of a 1968 Z/28-RS with cross-ram, JL8, TI, headers [where is THAT car...] against a tunnel-port 302 Mustang, complete with F60 x 15 tires even Goodyear didn't know about. Of course the Camaro won.

Despite all of this and JL8 being listed in the 1968 Camaro assembly manual no '68 is known to have been built with it.

For 1969 it appears Chevrolet had every intention of having JL8 available at the start of 1969 Camaro production-it is listed on the 6-68 rev of the 1969 Camaro dealer order form and mentioned in many early ads. The reality is it was not released to production until around February 1969. The earliest known production installation is on a documented 02D car built at Norwood.

JL8 appears to have been dropped as an option May-June 1969. The latest known installation is 06A.

[Jeff H]

[ QUOTE ]
I know previous items from this seller have been discussed here before, but I am wondering if a Nov of 68 car could be original JL8 car. Anyone know?

Lynn

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm guessing that you're talking about the Lemans Blue RS/Z28 with the crossram and JL8. That car was discussed last year and Ed C had inspected it I believe and found the POP didn't have the right glue holding it to the warranty card so it's questionable. I still don't understand why that Carolina Blue Lyle Mader car keeps bringing hihgher and higher numbers when it never even had the JL8 brakes installed. R&S auction lists it's estimated value at $175-225K!

[Lynn]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...A%3AIT&rd=1

Yes, this one. Sorry, must be getting old. Thought I had included a link on my first post.

I agree on the Carolina Blue car. Only real significance to that car is the paint delete code. I understand lots of guys will pay huge bucks for a cross ram car, but we all know NONE of them came that way from the factory.

Lynn

[Verne_Frantz]

Educate me.
I'm guessing the JL8 was intended for SCCA or Trans-Am racing (??). Was there an upcoming big race that Chevy wanted to win, and have a car with "RPO"s that could compete?
I know Chevy did that for other years and RPOs just ahead of Daytona, or the Winternationals.
Has it been documented that the first JL8 equipped cars went into successful racers hands? That was the case with some of their other "special" RPOs (such as Z-06, Z-11).
Is there a known quantity of factory JL8 built cars? Who manufactured the rear assemblies for Chevy. Does anyone know, or have a good guess why that great option was so short lived? And wasn't '69 Chevy's most successful Trans-Am racing season? How come no more 4-wheel discs?
Sorry for so many questions. I'm just a dummy where these cars are concerned, and I'll propably never own a Camaro, but I'm curious. If someone would take the time to educate me, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Verne

Hey Lynn, I just noticed I'm 2 posts behind you. You must be nuts!................Hey, wait a minute...........what does that make me??????

[Mark_C]

206 factory JL8 Camaros. Probably short lived becasue it cost 500 bucks.

Service axles were available to "race teams". That axle is not physically the same as a factory axle though.

[69greatyear]

That car on Ebay has a LOS trim tag... I was under the impression that all Z's were NOR cars. Is that correct?

[Enoch]

I am restoring 2 J-L8's as we speak 1 is a Norwood car and the other a LA car both cars have all original drive trains and factory documentation.

[Lynn]

[ QUOTE ]
That car on Ebay has a LOS trim tag... I was under the impression that all Z's were NOR cars. Is that correct?

[/ QUOTE ]

Plenty of 69 Z's from LA.

Lynn