Hey all! I finally bought my dream 68 Camaro!!!She hasa 396, the normal Super Sport insignia (as so many now days do), appears to be all original interior etc. My plan is to restoreit to mostly original condition. I am new to this and have been online for two weeks trying to figure out the following questions:

1. How can I figure outthe exact enginethis carcame off the line with?

2. Is there a website that I canenter my Vin#, Trim, engine, protect codesetc to getmoreinfo?Such asthe originalhood? Extras on production? Whether I actually have a SS? Or is it a RS/Z28 etc?

3. How can Ifind out if all my numbers are matching?

I amobviously new and need all the help I can get! Thank you in advance for any advice given!!!

Rob

 

This website is a good starting point:
http://www.chevy-camaro.com/

 

kona, welcome to the site. What info do you have now? You mentioned the 'protect codes' do you have the protecto plate? If so you will get alot of info from it. The trim tag will tell you some but not really what you want to know, but its a start. There really isnt a site to plug your vin into, these cars are older and the vin's on them arent as informative as ones today.
Do you have any pictures? WHat does the front end look like? this will tell if its an RS or not. we can help you narrow it down, but without the protecto plate there will be a lot of unanswered questions.

 

PS, I almost forgot, there is a build sheet. It well tell you everything you want to know. Check above the fuel tank or behind the rear seat for it. Good luck.

 

Thanks Cplthomas! I appreciate allhelp. There is a Build Sheet! So, excitedly, I will get back to you shortly with more info. What I do know is that my car was a Big Block 396 off of the line...so the mysteries are slowly revealing themselves.

Take care,

Rob

 

Ok folks- I have a "build number", but can't find a way to decode?Any help would be great! The number follows:
1J147 640

What do youthink? Any ideas etc?

Thanks!

Rob

 

This should help. https://camaroforums.com/m_79309/tm.htm

Where did this 'build number' come from? I am looking through some publications and cant referance it fully. Is it off the build sheet? did you have the protecto plate?

 

Cpl,

Yep! That number is not the build#. It is worn out, so now I need to pull the seat out and hope for a sheet. I did get a better read on the Engine number, which is TI 026 JQ. Im not sure if the first two are TI, or T1...again the numbers are worn out, but the Suffix is clear and is a 1969 396/402 Chevy big block.

Also- I think I have the build number correct...tell me what you think,again it is hard to make out all the numbers:

19J147640 Does this look like the build number toyou?

The Casting number is 39(or 38)55272.

Long and short...I do not have the original engine,but the matching numbers on the body and Vin tell meI do have a 1968big-block. So it's a good start! Right?

 

Well... Right now those just look like some numbers and letters. Where did you get the numbers from? You also said the numbers on the body and vin match? Which body numbers match?
I found the casting numbers (3955272) to be for a 1969 Big Block 393 with either a 2 or 4 bolt main. The other numbers have me stumped.

 

Hey Cplthomas,

Yep,I have a buddy who has been helping me that knows more than I and he mis-spoke when saying "build number". The numbers given are actually the engine code and partial vin. I also have the trim tag and casting. The suffix number in the partial vin, according to
www.chevy-camaro.com, says the following"





JQ
1969
396
265
Chevrolet

The castingnumber, according to the same site,indicates the following:




3955272
1969
396/402
2/4
Camaro, Chevelle, Chevy II, passenger

Combined with the Vin# I know I have a 1968 coupthat came with a V8,manufactured at the Van Nuys plant, without the original engine in it.

So the same question- How can I find out if my car was originally a 396?

I believe a base Camaro could be bought with a V8, but a SS/RS would not come with a V6?However I can't tell if my car was actually a SS, or simply a base Camaro with a V8 engine. I guess without theactual build sheet there is no way to tell?

We will be removing the rear seat in hopes of finding a Build Sheet. I am not sure of the odds of actually stil having that, but I am interested; Has anyone ever found the actual Build Sheet on this site?

Thanks, again,for all of your help!

Rob