Author Topic: Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag  (Read 5700 times)

daveh

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Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag
« on: June 28, 2007, 01:26:43 PM »
Hey guys,

I am looking at purchasing a 69 convertible.  The owner has said that he knows the original owner and so all of his info is accurate because it's first hand.  He has a fair amount of documentation which is great but my questions are:

1.  It's an early build date camaro with a 327 how rare is that?  I know they were just using up the engines from 68 and as I said this owner knows the original owner.

2.  The cowl tag says NOR for build in Norward but is is the thinner style tag and there is no X code on it.  Is this possible?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Dave

RJ_RS_SS_350

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Re: Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2007, 03:33:00 PM »
Hi, Dave, there were nearly 45,000 327's in the 69 model year, phased out mid-year. http://www.camaros.org/numbers.shtml#XnnCodes This research report states that the X-codes started in the 12B week. So, yes, it's likely that a 327 car would not have an x-code. I don't know anything about a 'thinner' cowl tag, maybe someone else can answer. If you can get a picture of the tag, post it for the experts to see, that goes for any pics you can get, VIN tag, engine stamp, etc.   

Steve Shauger

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Re: Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2007, 04:39:39 PM »
The pre X coded tags were dimensionally smaller. This is the point daveh is making. What is the build date of the car your looking at? 
Steve Shauger
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baldeaglemtnman

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Re: Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2007, 09:07:41 PM »
Cars built from August through late November of 68 at Norwood are the pre-X code or "short tag" cars.  The tags measure about 1 3/4" tall and not quite 4" long.  Some time around the last week of November/first week of December they phased in the larger X coded tags. They measure about 2 1/8" tall and 3 1/2" long.  Some of the first "later" style tags did not have X codes.  All cars from LA were short tag cars. I'm not 100% sure on the time frame but this is close. Hope it's of some help.

 
Steve

69 Z/28

rich69rs

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Re: Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2007, 09:36:46 PM »
1.  It's an early build date camaro with a 327 how rare is that?  I know they were just using up the engines from 68 and as I said this owner knows the original owner.

As of December '05, the following was the latest update that the CRG had on the 327 to 307 (LF7 to L14) engine transition during the 1969 model year.  I am very interested in that issue and asked for their input.

"......we have on the LF7/L14 transition.  However, normally the factory does establish at least a soft cut-off date (date of last order of parts for anticipated use by a given date), if not a hard one (with excess parts being moved to spares).  This doesn't mean that an isolated example of either type couldn't have escaped either slightly before or after that date, but it does create a normative date, and exceptions would have to be well documented to be accepted.  The transition process for something like this would normally occur within a day.  We (CRG) have documented L14s from 01A, 01B, 01C.  In contrast, the last documented LF7 we have is 12C.  A couple of undocumented LF7s from 12D.  Nothing substantive after that."

Personally, I've seen more 307's than 327's in 1969 Camaros, but they are getting more scarce.  A lot of these cars are being cloned into something else.  Kind of like how rare is a 6 cyl 1969 Camaro?  See even less of them.  As someone else put it, value is what you put on it, not necessarily what the market price is, unless of course it is a business to you instead of a hobby.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2007, 09:46:08 PM by rich69rs »
Richard Thomas
1969 RS

KurtS

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Re: Help with 1969 convertible Cowl Tag
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2007, 05:00:58 AM »
I'm convinced the changeover was Jan 1. I have not seen any data that conflicts with that date.

And they were not just using up the 68 engines. They built the engines to a schedule and did not stockpile them.
Kurt S
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