I was lucky enough to purchase a 1968 Camaro Coupe Red with black vinyl top this summer.

Sadly the engine is burning oil, about 1 qt per 300 miles. When driving off you can see a slight blue haze coming from the exhaust. The motor was considered to be "built"

I know a few things,

its a SB 350, 750 holley double pumper, mild cam. According to previous owner makes 420 HP, sure feels like it but car has not been on the Dyno.

With that being said, do i wait til' the engine actually goes out, or dig in sooner rather than later?

When i remove the valve cover cap, there is a light puff if that is an indication to anything.

Advise on local reputable shops would be appreciated as well!

 

Hey there fellow Michigander!

Check out The Michigan FBody Association - The Front Page We're a bunch of locals that can point you to the right shop in the area and you'll get a good deal on a dyno.

With a mild cam, that 750 sounds a bit big, but the puff of smoke from the valve cover is another issue. You should have an oil filler on one valve cover and a pcv valve on the other cover. I'd make sure that your getting good vent through the pcv valve first off.

Do you have a pcv valve?

 

Yes, look at these pics

https://camaroforums.com/forum/1st-g...-please-63808/

and i went to that site but not seeing where the local shops to go are.

 

on the oil burning..does it smoke all the time,, or just when taking off from a stop light?

 

I wouldn't wait to do something about it if it's down to a quart every 300 miles. Might be rings that never seated, or are worn, but could be a broken ring too. Have you pulled the plugs to see if any one plug is more oil soaked than another? Do a compression test also, to see how things are. Might just be old tired valve guide seals, but only checking will proove what's wrong, and which direction to go.

 

good point, if its down a qt @300 miles and the block is vented you got a problem.If you wait it mite be ok , or it could do some major damage.

 

Actually im not sure if its burning oil, but im def LOSING oil somehow. Smokes from the exhaust when taking off.

 

My mechanic had changed the spark plugs for me and said they were all fouled. He also suggested it could be worn valve guide seals. I wont be going back to him though.

Will a compression test give me a good idea of if there is life left in the motor?

 

Yes, a compression test will give you a better idea of what's wrong. If all the plugs were fouled, then I'd guess it's more likely the rings are worn, or never seated properly if it was rebuilt.
If it was mine I'd be tearing it down this winter for a rebuild, but I don't have much hesitation when it comes to rebuilding my engines. I enjoy getting them apart and making them new again.