Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Where Do I Start to Authenticate My New 68 SS?

« on: September 26, 2023, 12:12:22 AM »

Thanks all for your responses.  A couple of things... the heater core is definitely for a big block (heater hoses on left side looking at the firewall from front of car).  The holes for the exhaust mount are there as verified by a guy I met at a car show who is a 1st gen Camaro guru.  Another friend of mine looked up the axle number and verified it is correct... it was manufactured about a week before the car was assembled according to the date stamp on both the axle and the body trim tag.  Also, in my opinion, the last owner, who had the car for 28 years, didn't make it a clone.  In fact, he took off the original SS hood and sold it as he needed the current cowl hood in order to clear the high rise Edelbrock manifold he put on.  If he were trying to clone an SS, he would have kept the SS hood.

2

General Discussion / Where Do I Start to Authenticate My New 68 SS?

« on: September 25, 2023, 03:11:11 PM »

Hi everyone!  My name is Michelle and I'm a new 1st gen Camaro owner, as well as new to this site.  I bought my lifelong dream car last month, a Butternut Yellow, 1968 Camaro 396 SS/RS and I've done much research, but I am looking to definitively authenticate the fact that it is an original SS.  The car has a 396, but not matching numbers.  The transmission, a TH400, is also not original to the car (came out of a 1969 Camaro).  The car originally came with a 4 speed, I believe (based on evidence looking under the car and the fact that my car has a small manual transmission brake pedal).  The rear end, a 12 bolt posi with 331 gears, is however, original to the car.  Through my research, I've learned that without the matching number engine in a 1968, it is very hard to authenticate an SS as the body trim tag does not indicate an SS trim code.  I have a lot of evidence to suggest that the car IS an original SS, but I'm looking for the "smoking gun" evidence so to speak.  I've considered getting a Jerry MacNeisch report, but I don't think it's worth it as the car does not have a matching number engine.  Other than the engine and trans, the car is almost all original, down to the original rear quarterpanels.  Any help or advice on authenticating my 68 SS would be greatly appreciated.  Also, I apologize in advance if this topic has already been covered in another thread, I couldn't find it.  If there is another thread addressing this exact topic, please share it with me.  Thanks!!