Re: 1969 SS/RS L89 info

[DuLad9396L789?]

Ok, so not confirmed as 1 of 311. Gonna throw out a question here, was all 311 ordered per se drag racers or dealer ordered just because for special interest sales? Just wondering in research purposes. In particular mines, which was sold in ChicagoLand. Original owner of my X66 L78 vividly remembers what he paid for car. Gonna throw it out here to debate, 5800.00! Wow mighty high for a L78 factory SS 396 4-speed car. No documents whatsoever only long time ownership and original engine out of car back in 1973, but found what I thought was my original engine back in the mid 90's and yes it even had a suffix code still on the front pad, the code KE. NEED some help on guidelines as far as research, i.e. Illinois Department of Transportation, and the possibility of title application. The dealership that sold the car is no longer there, was Cellozi-Ettelson Chevrolet in Elmhurst, Illinois.

[bcmiller]

I split this out to a separate thread.

Going to give you my honest opinion on this.

I don't know the answer to your first question. Probably available to everyone but not many people or dealers knew about the L89.

I have doubts that the original owner remembered the price from that long ago. $5800 would be a very high price for a 69, even an L89. What all options did the car have? The owner remembers the price but not if it truly had aluminum heads?

There are no production numbers for the KE engine code, so NONE are know to have been produced. CRG does not recognize the KE code as valid. Even by the 80s there were restamped blocks, sad but true.

I wish you luck in your search.

[DuLad9396L789?]

Thanks Byron, just the X66 code, no special options best I can tell. Guess I need to get back with original owner and ask him if he has any proof of paying 5800.00 new and he assured me that it did not have aluminum heads. He did drive it off dealership lot and to drag strip and raced it and let me know that he had heads off a couple times porting and polishing. And I just did not make up the KE code, it was burned into my memory of the engine I found in the mid 90's. Big mistake on my part of not purchasing the vehicle the engine was in. Correct 69' plain jane El Camino that I knew back in 1973 my engine out of my Camaro went into this El Camino. Now remember I was looking for a JH code engine. Thanks for your response. Have a Blessed day.

[bcmiller]

The KE stamped block you saw in the 90s was a restamp. They were restamping blocks long before that. Sad, but true.

[bcmiller]

I collect Protect-o-Plates and original dealer paperwork. I share the VINs in the Orphan section, along with any engines and transmissions that I own from Camaros. Hopefully others do the same. Maybe someday something will show up for your car.

[DuLad9396L789?]

Bryon if I could find that engine again, then I would be able to see if by chance it has a partial VIN on the vertical pad by the oil filter, then by chance it was my VIN, would that discount it as genuine suffix code and not a restamp, and why would they re-stamp an engine code not knowing what it was, and that being in a non SS El Camino, again correct car that my engine went into back in the early 70's. I have somewhere in my notes of a CRG member buying up some vehicles as projects, and 1 of those was an El Camino with a 396 in it that he thought was a Camaro 396. But like the finding of the vehicle, this person can't be found as active any longer. If I find his name I'll pm it to you. Thanks.

[bcmiller]

The KE code has been incorrectly listed in old books for many years. There was another block with KE code posted in the forum in the past, and it was determined to be a restamp.

You posted that the original owner said it did not originally have aluminum heads, so it was not an L89.

[bcmiller]

https://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=21940.msg197903#msg197903

[maroman]

How could it be a L 89 if it did not have aluminum heads from new? Unless the heads were taken off at the dealer which did happen on occasion at a local dealership I know of.

[DuLad9396L789?]

Thanks MAROMAN, that's what I'm trying to say. Guess I'm gonna have to try and see if the original owner will sign a statement affidavit to the sales total of car purchased. I tryed to drill him on the correct price more in line of 5200.00 for a L89 but he was adamant that he paid 5800.00 new for a basic L78 SuperSport 69'.

[bcmiller]

I think it would be difficult to prove anything 57 years after the fact unless there is documentation. Memories fade with time.

[David K]

No documents...no proof. A signed affidavit means nothing to anyone but you.