CRG Discussion Forum

Camaro Research Group Discussion => Decoding/Numbers => Topic started by: rsms on January 07, 2018, 08:15:59 PM

Title: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: rsms on January 07, 2018, 08:15:59 PM
Hello All
  I aware early 68 Z's are pretty scarce but I have never seen any numbers or registry of sort showing the earliest VIN for a 68.  Does something like exist?  I've had a 4th week of December car since the early 80's that has been sitting since 1976.   I would call it a wounded survivor but I do have the original block and most all of the engine along with the rear end.  It does have the original Fathom Blue paint, 719 interior with a fold down rear seat.  My goal for this year is to finally begin putting it back together.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: bcmiller on January 07, 2018, 09:15:01 PM
Nothing exists out open on the web as far as I know.

For 1968, there were likely Z28s built from very early in the model year.  But yes production increased greatly toward the end of the model year.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: 68camaroz28 on January 07, 2018, 10:09:12 PM
Hello All
  I aware early 68 Z's are pretty scarce but I have never seen any numbers or registry of sort showing the earliest VIN for a 68.  Does something like exist?  I've had a 4th week of December car since the early 80's that has been sitting since 1976.   I would call it a wounded survivor but I do have the original block and most all of the engine along with the rear end.  It does have the original Fathom Blue paint, 719 interior with a fold down rear seat.  My goal for this year is to finally begin putting it back together.

Welcome aboard and sent you a PM (personal message). On Team Camaro we were trying to list 68 Z's that members had and you can see here early ones are not too dominant. Let's add yours to the mix. http://www.camaros.net/forums/15-tag-team/182224-how-many-members-have-68-z-28-a-15.html
10C Dale68Z orangeZZ/Blk std LOS07779 Dana Demo Cowl P. ODT POP BOS
 11D RPOL72 Ivory/Blk Vinyl/Gold std. int
 11E Jerry@CHP White Survivor#351124
 12B 2X4 Butternut Yellow-black vinyl/Blk std RS LOS17444 radio delete
 12D Hot Rod Todd Blk/Blk deluxe RS Cowl P. NOM
 12D Cook_DW MatadorRed/Blk deluxe LOS Cowl P. no tach/console
 12D Clill Special Ord Orange Pt LOS 8L319854 12/07/67 MO w/266 7G20 Sold@Dana
 12E Westonz28 Butternut Yellow LOS322365 MacNeish Cert. BU rear
 01B 68camaroz28 Butternut Yellow/Blk std. int. Cowl P. ODT BOS
 02C copojo White/Blk std D80 RadioDel Nor#383394 Cowl P. GM Canada Docs
 02D sixd8rs Tripoli Turqoise/Turqoise int. NOM #388484
 02D realzed born w/Seafrost Green/blk std ODT 61K miles GM Canada Docs
 02E paulbruce@sympatico.ca Rallyee Grn/Blk std LOS 302 emblems
 02E bowties427 LemansBlue/Blk Std. LOS#332229 Z/28 emblems
 02E X66 714 Corvette Bronze/Blk houndtooth LOS#332262 Z/28 emblems
 02E Charlie Dawson Corvette Bronze/Blk Std. NOR 302 emblems Orig. Engine
 03A SEK Z28 Matador Red/Blk std. In family since 1970
 03A Jerry@CHP Matador Red #392050
 03C zeds68 Butternut Yellow/Blk std. M22 8N398XXX
 03C 302V8 British Green Std 8N399xxx
 03D norcal 302 Lemans Blue/Med. Blue Deluxe int. LOS built
 03D 68_Z_Survivor Black/Deluxe Int. Factory spoilers 4.10 BOS
 04A ggtsvnv Lemans Blue/Blue std. Crawford Chev.,Slayton TX Orig tran/rear
 04A Jerry@CHP Dave Strickler's Ol Reliable #411100
 04A pjbizjak Ralley Green/ blk std. #413105 storage over 30 yrs.
 04B 68RSZEE28 Matador Red/749 RS w/head rests
 04C zeds68 British Green/Blk std M22 8N418XXX
 04C enio45 Corvette Bronze/Blk std. Build sheet and POP
 04D Paul68RS/Z28 British Grn/Wht vinyl/Deluxe Parch. Cowl/headers
 04D never2manycamaro's British Green/Blk std #422699 POP
 04D 68z28sd British Green/Blk std. #426203
 04D ZAPPER68 Lemans Blue w/wht vinyl/Parchement N4265xx POP #'s match
 04D 3forme Lemans Blue/Deluxe int. Blk top
 04D ALLZS Corvette Bronze LOS built "Survivor"
 05A rodent4 British Green/Blk std. int.
 05A Jmoore9622 BRG/Blk std. Dad's #429346
 05B fastfreddy OO Bronze/Blk std. #429642
 05B sooperdave Grotto Blue/Blk std. #N431070 POP Black stripe
 05C ZZMike British Green/Blk std. N4368XX M20 ODT POP Cross-ram
 05C Kyvox Sequoia Gr/Blk Std
 05C Ds1 BRGreen POP NOM/Trans NCRS rpt Berger
 05C jcihos Lemans Blue/Blk std. sold to Dad 1975
 05D royal67rs Matador Red 8L341406
 05D 68zproject ZZ British Green/Blk std. POP
 06A Dave V Lemans Blue/Blue std. Interior Original motor/drivetrain & had doc's.
 06A Teet58 Tuxedo Black/?? Int. POP & BOS (Canadian) N446969 Headrest
 06C fuelnut Lemans Blue/Deluxe Black (orig) N4549xx Orig blk/trans/rear
 06C rocket74 Lemans Blue/Blue N456800 BX4:88 POP/Canadian Doc RadioDel
 07A buzz_mn_58 seafrost green/712 standard int. vin N4630XX
 07A Dayton68Z28 Matador Red, cowl plenum #463934
 07B bbd564 Lemans Blu/Blk H-tooth Console/Gauges Orig except 1 repaint
 07B yankeechaser Lemans Blue/Blk Houndstooth w/headrests Nor#467951
 07C Sonet Ermine White/Red std. 2 owner 38K miles POP
 07C Shupee Lemans Blue/Blu std. NOM #4754
 07C TerryC British Green/BlkH-tooth N468XXX Heavily optioned post #160
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: rsms on January 08, 2018, 12:59:22 AM
awesome!!!!   thought I would add my car is a Norwood car.   I'm glad I discovered you guys today.  I look forward to hopefully contributing a little to the cause while expanding my current knowledge. 
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: maroman on January 08, 2018, 05:02:15 AM
I am sure it's been covered here before but when did they switch from 302 to Z-28 emblem?
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: KurtS on January 08, 2018, 08:45:41 AM
09C is earliest I know of. Which is kinda late, IMO.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: x66 714 on January 08, 2018, 11:08:53 AM
I am sure it's been covered here before but when did they switch from 302 to Z-28 emblem?
I have one of the 4 02E cars listed above. 2 had 302 emblems & the other 2 had Z/28 emblems. Maybe it had something to do with completion date. Mine was finished 3/13/1968.....Joe
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: maroman on January 08, 2018, 03:06:31 PM
Thanks. There was a red 302 marked car local. I only saw it once and there was snow on the ground. Rich kid only had it a short time, wonder where it is.  Memory ain't what it used to be.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: dutch on January 08, 2018, 03:54:42 PM
I have one of the 4 02E cars listed above. 2 had 302 emblems & the other 2 had Z/28 emblems. Maybe it had something to do with completion date. Mine was finished 3/13/1968.....Joe
[/quote]

Mine (02D) had 302 markers in old pictures I was given, prior to a later owner changing them to the Z 2/8 versions - guess for more recognition..

Randy
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: bcmiller on January 08, 2018, 05:16:49 PM
09C is earliest I know of. Which is kinda late, IMO.

Not late - when talking about the model year.  :)   

Anyway, my OPINION is that there were Z28s built from the start of the year, no lag.  Z28s were being cranked out at the end of the 67 model year, so no reason for a delay as far as I know for 68.  Maybe some of these very early cars were slated for race duty, like the 67s were?  Maybe it took a while for the general public to catch onto these cars, like the L78s in 68?  (Remember, L78 and Z28 production numbers were quite low for the 67 model year, and it's hard to go to a dealer and want to order something you don't know anything about).

Who knows.  We would always like to have more data points. 

My favorite period is from May of 67 through November of 67, and there were some interesting things going on then. 
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: rsms on January 08, 2018, 10:29:04 PM
bcmiller......could you elaborate a little on what you are speaking of 5/67-11/67?  I'm assuming it has to do with the trans am series but not sure
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: z28z11 on January 09, 2018, 02:25:22 AM
Hey Chick - added my 06B (British Green #9) to the thread on camaros.net. Very interesting table - glad to see so many BRG cars, and when they started showing up.

Regards,
Steve
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: bcmiller on January 09, 2018, 03:12:58 AM
bcmiller......could you elaborate a little on what you are speaking of 5/67-11/67?  I'm assuming it has to do with the trans am series but not sure

That’s part of it. Would rather not say much more at this point. 
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: KurtS on January 09, 2018, 06:47:02 AM
Anyway, my OPINION is that there were Z28s built from the start of the year, no lag. 
But the data doesn't support that statement....
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: GMAD_Van Nuys on September 20, 2023, 03:55:45 PM
1968 Z28 Camaro for sale on Hemmings that was originally sold in Canada:

https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1968-chevrolet-camaro-halifax-ns-894392
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: bcmiller on September 20, 2023, 04:18:13 PM
Even today the data does not support my idea of cars being built "very early in the model year".   So I was wrong, at least from what we know at this point.

The car listed in the post immediately above this is a late car, but seems to be legitimate with the documentation.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: BRG Z28 on September 22, 2023, 09:20:20 PM
I have always been told that the first 1968 Z28 was a red RS with a white vinyl top, white stripes and white deluxe interior. The car was originally owned by the wife of the owner of Berger Chevrolet in Michigan. It has every imaginable option including power windows, headers and cowl plenum. The car is commonly referred to as the “Christmas Z28”, because of the color combination.
The car is now part of the Jim Stubbings collection.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: KurtS on September 30, 2023, 04:56:13 AM
Maybe there's two of these, but the red RS Z from Berger that I know of is a 10B car. Several prior to it.
Might be a different car, cause last I knew, it was in MI but not Stubbing's.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: 169INDY on October 16, 2023, 03:03:57 AM
The National Registry for 1968 Z/28s began in March 2001. As of May 17, 2006, 359 1968 Z/28s
have been located and documented. Listed below are the statistical highlights.
Please note that the percentages were generated from the National Registry for 1968
Z/28s, not production data from General Motors. This sampling may or may not be
representative of actual production data. It is large enough to garner some estimates.
Plant Production:
Los Angeles Plant: 21% Norwood Plant: 79%
Approximately 76% of the Z/28s in the database were built in the last 5 production months of the
year (March 1968 through July 1968). Early production 1968 Z/28s were very rare. Only 5% of
the cars in the database were built in the first 4 months (August 1967 through November 1967).
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: 169INDY on October 16, 2023, 03:05:33 AM
^^ **  ^^

Lifted from the Net, I understand a fella was working this data  YEARS ago, I have no clue, but heard this is a dead end, Did by chance this data collection flow to .CRG

Just a curiosity.

Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: KurtS on October 18, 2023, 04:14:59 AM
Nope.

I've seen many of these registries start up and then fall by the wayside over the years.
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: David K on October 19, 2023, 12:56:42 AM
Well there’s a nugget I don’t find every day. My car and Jerry’s were built 471 apart…mine being first
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: 70L34 on October 19, 2023, 03:49:54 AM
Seems we've only scratched the surface on remaining '68 Z/28s. Hard to believe my car (N347960) is still the second earliest build on this list!
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: rsms on January 15, 2024, 02:15:39 AM
Has Chick's list been updated and I'm missing it or have any other 67 built 1968's been found.  I see there are only 4 cars still on the list that are earlier than cars built the week of mine, 12D?  I still find this a little hard to believe but I haven't seen any others documented anywhere. 
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: 169INDY on January 15, 2024, 02:28:25 AM
checking the link above:
 #299 · Oct 24, 2022
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: FRANKTHECRANK on February 01, 2024, 08:00:03 PM
checking the link above:
 #299 · Oct 24, 2022

Here's the link again. My 68 was the last one added to that list in the link. 05C

https://www.camaros.net/threads/how-many-members-have-a-68-z-28.182224/page-15
Title: Re: What is the earliest known 68 Z28?
Post by: 68camaroz28 on February 04, 2024, 06:20:44 PM
Yes, I should try to revive that thread again and let other websites know also.
But for sure, early 68 Z’s as mentioned are a small percentage of the total. I’ve had many ask me about the 302 emblems because they never saw that before.