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I just recently noticed that when I change the oil and filter cartridge in my 1967 Camaro SS, after adding 5 quarts the dipstick reads about a half quart low.  Is this normal or do I perhaps not have the correct dipstick for the L48 350?   The owner's manual states that the engine should take 5 quarts when changing the oil and filter, and 4 quarts when just changing the oil.   

I am thinking it is time to replace the tires that were on my '67 SS when I bought it as they are 14 years old.  They are 215/70R/14 with a white stripe, Firestone brand.  From what I read on the 1967 Camaro basic info on this site and other places the tires that came on my car from the factory would have been D/70/14 bias ply red stripe with white stripe optional at no cost.  Does the D mean a 195 width?   I want to replace my tires with a 215/70R/14 tire as I like the way they look, they fit my car fine, and I definitely want a radial.  I think 1969 was the first year Camaros came with a white lettered tire, is that correct?  I'm not about to pay $300 or more per tire to get reproduction red stripe radials.  My car isn't entered for judging anywhere.  I don't particularly like black wall tires on first gen Camaros, so I have to decide on white lettered tires or white stripe tires.  Any suggestions appreciated. 

I had just finished installing a new battery in my '67 Camaro, started it to make sure the new battery worked, shut it off, closed the hood, and in the dark garage with just light coming in from the open garage door could see a reflection on the garage floor and looked thru the front grill and saw the engine compartment lit up.  The underhood light was still on with the hood closed.  Then the thought hit me:  no wonder the old battery had died; the underhood light burns all the time.  I had never noticed this before as I think it is a new situation as I've never had batteries run down before like this and die completely.  I looked all around the underhood area expecting to find a spring loaded plunger type system like is used between the doors and the dome light.  What mechanism is used to turn off the underhood light when the hood is closed?  I could find nothing that to me served this purpose.  Thanks guys for your feedback.   

I have wondered for awhile why Chevrolet discontinued the L30 327 engine after the '68 model run and why they stopped having the 327 2bl as the base V8 sometime during the '69 model year and changed it to the 307 2bl.  A lot of Chevy buffs myself included consider the 327 one of the best small blocks Chevy ever made. 
The other question I have is why did they introduce the LM1 350 for 1969 and then discontinue it during the year changing over to the L65 350? 
Did these changes come about because of Chevrolet knowing what was coming down the road, things like stricter emissions controls, gas mileage regs, and changing to low  lead and eventually no  lead gas?   I'm thinking someone on here might know something about why these changes occurred.  Thanks as always guys. 

I am trying to decipher what is causing my car to every so often make a loud banging noise like metal hitting on metal.  It only happens when I brake to a stop, not while driving or just hitting the brakes to slow down.  It seems to be coming from the front of the car.  The car is a 1967 RS/SS with a 350, 2 speed Powerglide, and power drum brakes.  It has the original wheels with wheel covers.  I at first thought it was the transmission downshifting extra hard when I came to a stop; I had a transmission shop go thru the tranny.  They adjusted the bands and replaced some gaskets so it no longer leaks fluid; they could find nothing wrong with the tranny, and of course the loud banging did not occur while they had it.  I had a local shop go thru the brakes and they could find nothing wrong with them.  So now I am stumped.  What do you guys think? 

I was looking thru the wheels section in the CRG options listing and was surprised at the number of wheel covers and hub caps available that I've never seen on a first gen Camaro, either in person or in a photo on the net or in a car magazine. 
It is correct then that in 1967 the rally wheel was only available on a Camaro with disc brakes?
Does anyone know why GM started production of the N66 5 spoke steel wheel (I'm guessing only available as an option on a SS) for the 1969 model year and then stopped production so quickly in early Jan., 1969?  Did they not sell enough to offset production costs or find a design flaw in the wheel? 
I've always liked the styling of that wheel.  Chrysler I know offered a very similar wheel in the late '60's-early '70's that they called a chromed steel road wheel. 

I just acquired a 1967 Camaro with a new vinyl top.  I have never had a car before with one.  Is it alright to use regular soap made for washing cars ( I usually use Eagle 1 or Mequiars brand) to wash the top too or is there a special wash intended for vinyl tops?  The Eagle 1 and Mequiars car washes do not say not for use on vinyl tops, but I just want to be safe.  Also for a vinyl protectant is using the same kind as one would use for interior vinyl work fine for the top too or does the vinyl top need a stronger or different type protectant as it gets so much more sun, dirt, ozone exposure than any vinyl interior does?  Thanks guys. 

I am a bit confused and am asking for you experts to chime in.  My car's VIN is 124377N178723 and the date on the Trim Tag is 01D.  Does this VIN correlate with the time frame on the TT?  The NCRS Shipping Report that I received for this VIN shows the GM official production date as 2/21/67.  It seems to me this is way too long a time frame from the TT date to the production date; or is this within normal time frames? 
Finally on the NCRS report the delivery dealer listed is code 0 in zone 28 and the dealer address as simply Cleveland Zone Office.  Can anyone give me any insight into what exactly this means and if an actual dealership name can be determined.  Thank you. 

When the factory painted the tail panel on big block cars black was the tail panel first painted the body color with the black then painted on top of it, or was the tail panel sealed off when the body was painted and the black then applied over primer?  I am looking at a 1967 SS RS with the L35 396 where the black tail panel is faded with traces of the Bolero Red paint showing thru it.  I am trying to decide if it is original paint or not.  In my own mind I am thinking that if it was repainted the black probably was applied over the old black or primer, not the body color red.  Am I thinking incorrectly here?  I haven't seen the car in person yet, only pictures.  Seller doesn't know for sure if it has been repainted or not. 

I wanted to run this car by you guys and get your opinions as I know most of you are much more experienced than I.  What do you think? A real SS?  How about the trim tag?  One thing I noticed is that it has RS taillights, with no back-up (white) lights, on a non-RS car.  Is this even legal per Calif. vehicle code?  I like the color combo and am hoping that it is a real SS.
My HELP needed is that I don't know how to put the link to this car in my post.  It is advertised in Hemmings under number 1848363.  It is a 1967 SS Royal Plum with white located in Thousand Oaks, CA.  Thanks for your help.       

I wanted to post this info to get some helpful feedback and perhaps new ideas, and just to put my mind at ease.  My 1969 Z/28 seems to me anyway to be running hot even though the temp gauge shows well within the standards, reading barely over the first quarter of the gauge when driving and only going to the halfway point after shutting the engine off when I am guessing heat soak comes into play.  Sometimes when I pull away from a stop after driving for a half hour the car bucks, backfires, and then stalls.  I can't get it restarted for about 15 minutes until it cools down.  When I open the hood it is like I can feel a blast of hot air.  Previously the heat riser valve was stuck closed, but I had the flapper taken out.  Wouldn't this mean that no more hot exhaust gases are being circulated up to the intake manifold anymore to warm the carb at start-up?  When starting the car cold it does take longer to warm up now. 
Is it correct that the sensor for the temp gauge is in the engine block?  Is it possible the heads and intake manifold are getting hot for some reason even though the gauge reads fine?  Could there be gunk blocking a coolant passage in the engine, fan clutch not working,  smog pump or AIR system not working properly, etc.? 
About 2 weeks ago I drove it only about 2 miles at no more than 35-40 mph.  When I got to my driveway and turned the engine off and opened the hood I could see heat waves coming up from the passenger side exhaust manifold.  It was a hot day, in the low to mid 90's.  None of my other cars, or truck, put out anywhere near the heat that my '69 Z does.  And yet the temp gauge still reads fine; could the temp gauge be inaccurate?  My own thought is that I am boiling the fuel in the carburetor even with a heat shield, and that is why it wants to stall or kill and is so hard to restart until it cools down.  Am I overreacting or misinterpreting something?  Thanks guys for any and all help and ideas. 

What is the preferred or best way to store a set of  tires?  I plan on keeping a set of reproduction Goodyear bias ply tires in my cellar where they will not be exposed to any sunlight.  The cellar is also ventilated and not a lot of moisture accumulates even in the winter.  Is it best to store them upright not touching each other like they commonly do in tire stores?  Should they be rotated every so often?  Is it better to store them mounted on wheels than not mounted?  And if so, how is the best way to store the wheel-tire combination?  Stacked, upright, etc.?  Thank you.   

I am trying to determine if the Hurst shifter in my '69 Z/28 is the original one that came from the factory or not.  The handle is riveted to the shifter rather than bolted.  On the shifter it says:  Hurst Competition/Plus, has a number, 128D11C stamped on it, and the following US patent number, 3216274, also stamped on it.  I am thinking that this is not an original shifter that was installed at the factory but would like to know for sure.  Thank you. 

I have a couple of questions regarding the vacuum advance and the hose hook-ups for a 1969 Z/28 with the 30-30 cam.  I had the valve lash settings done using JohnZ's guide from this website.  My cars initial and mechanical advance settings have been set to 11 degrees initial and 36 total all in at 2,800 rpm.  My car currently does not have vacuum advance hooked up, and I want to set it up as JohnZ describes in his article using manifold vacuum. 

First question:  When I set my car up like this the idle went up to around 1,400-1,500 rpm.  Is this normal?  Without the vacuum advance it is between 900-1,000.  Is all I have to do is adjust the idle speed to 900-1,000 with the manifold vacuum hook-up?

Second question:  What do I do with the nipple on the AIR diverter valve?  As far as I know my AIR system is operational.  Can I leave the nipple exposed or should I put a plug over it?  Is their something else I need to do regarding the AIR system?

Thank you.

Would a Holley 4053 carb with a date of 913 be too close to have come originally on an 01C Z/28?  Car was built at Van Nuys assembly plant if that would make any difference.  Thank you. 

My 1969 Z/28 may be in need of a new transmission given the worst case scenario.  When I was driving it this morning it seemed to be much rougher than normal, sort of like the tires were out of balance or some kind of vibration was happening.  When I went to put the tranny into  first gear to pull away from a stop sign it wouldn't go into gear, any gear.  It was like the shifter was hung up in the neutral position.  I finally was able to get it to go into the position where reverse is, but the car would not move.  When the tow truck driver got there and couldn't winch it onto the flat bed he said that it was stuck in gear.  After fooling around with the linkages from under the car and with my riding in the car and depressing the clutch he was able to get it loaded onto his truck.  My car is currently at the transmission shop, but they haven't got back to me yet with any findings. 
I know that the current tranny in my car is not the original one.  As far as I know it is a M21 from 1966.  I know my car came originallly with a Muncie M21 from the factory.  Now for my questions as I wanted to give as much info as I could.

1.  If it is recommended that I get a new or rebuilt transmission should I get another M21?  Since I cannot get the original one would now be a good time to put a M22 in my car?  I have been thinking about doing this for a couple of years now.
2.  Where is the best place to look into a new M21 or M22?  I have been thinking about Medatronics?
Thanks for any and all input.

I don't know the correct term for this part of the rear springs.  It is the plate right at the bottom of the leafs with 4 bolts in it that holds the springs to the axle, also where the rear shocks attach.  Did these originally come from the factory on '69 Z/28's about the same width as the leaf springs, maybe a little wider?  That is all I have ever seen.  My '69 Z/28 has these with an extra length facing toward the rear end with 2 holes in the extra length.  I tried to show what mine look like in the photos.  I have never seen these before on any other '69 Camaro.  Does anyone have any idea what this extra width and set of holes were for and if this type of spring holder did come as original on '69 Z/28's?  Thank you. 

Do most of you guys do all of your own maintenance, etc. on your first gen Camaros?  I can do the basic, simple stuff but am unknowledgeable with more complicated stuff or don't have the right area or tools to do the job.  Any suggestions on finding a reputable, trustworthy mechanic or shop to work on a 1969 Z/28?  Thank you.

Hi guys,

     I would like your opinions on this.  I have a set of reproduction Goodyear Wide Tread GT's E70-15 that were manufactured in Nov., 2003 that I put on my '69Z for less than a year in April, 2004.  Since then they have been stored in my basement where it is cool, damp in the winter, and of course they were not exposed to sunlight.  I want to replace the Eagle GT II's on my Z that are 14 years old.  I drive my Z about every 2-3 months for about 30 miles of freeway speed, the rest being around town at 25-45 mph.  Are my old Wide Tread GT's alright to put back on my Z now, or are they too old where I should buy new ones?  I have read articles mentioning tires should be replaced with everywhere from 6-10 years being mentioned.  Thanks for your input. 

I learned on this site that the carburetor was installed on the engine at the assembly plant, not on the engine when it was built at the engine plant.  My car was built the 3rd week in Jan., 1969 at the Van Nuys plant; date on trim tag is 01C.  My engine stamp is V0110DZ.  The date on my 4053 Holley carb is 913, which I'm deciphering as built the 3rd week in Jan., 1969.  Could this be the original carb for my engine or is it too late to have made it onto a 01C car?  Thank you.   

I have searched the CRG website but could find no info on steering boxes and what the numbers on them mean.  I have a 1969 Z/28 RS with factory power steering.  I am trying to determine if the steering box is the original one or not.  The numbers I could find on it are as follows:  56865 then either a 3 or a 5 followed by a 5, 913  4, and 339  8.  Any help with what any of these numbers mean or designate would be appreciated.  Thank you. 

I'm only going by memory here so bear with me.  I am under the impression that the original engine decals that went on the air cleaner tops circa 1960's and early 1970's, that had the engine cid, turbo fire for small blocks, turbo jet for big blocks, and the horsepower, had the adhesive on the back of a thin piece of cardboard something like the thickness of one side of a manila folder.  On the top of the cardboard was a silver foil with the info in red.   Does this sound correct?  It seems all new repos are just mylar with the lettering on the top and adhesive on the back but no cardboard in between.  Does anyone know where I might be able to get an original decal or a repo one with the thin cardboard in between?  I need one for a 1969 Z/28.  Thank you. 

In every picture I've seen of the codes stamped on the plate in front of the passenger side head on the block it shows the nine character code first followed by the seven character engine production code (reading from left to right).  On my engine the seven character code comes first followed by just the 6 digits from the VIN, or I haven't been able to see the 1,9, and then a N or L.  Is this possible, a mistake on the assembly line, or is my engine probably a restamp that was done incorrectly?  My car is a Los Angeles car built the 3rd week in Jan., 1969.  Thanks guys for all your helpful knowledge.   

I've been the owner of a 1969 Z/28 RS for 12 years now but only recently began checking the numbers and coding in great detail.  I have been able to decode my VIN, trim tag, protect-o-plate, chassis broadcast sheet, engine stamping, and rear end stamping.  They all point to the car being a real Z with the RS option, original engine, and original rearend.  I'm sure the tranny is not original though as I could find no number on it that matched the one on the POP. 

Here are the numbers I was able to get of the passenger side of the trans:

3857584 GM
3885, then either a O, C, or G, followed by 10
3858403
P0207

Thanks guys for your help.  I enjoy this website, read it almost daily, and have learned a lot about Camaros from the experts on here. 

Did anyone here grow up in or live in Southern California, the greater Los Angeles area, in the 1970's?  If you were into drag racing as a participant or spectator do you remember a 1969 Z/28, Fathom Green with white stripes, RS option, flat hood, no spoilers being drag raced from around 1972 on?  Thank you.