Hey there,I'm looking at purchasing a 1969 RS camaro of a seller. He tells me the car is a genuine RS.It has all the right parts in the right places,but don't know if it is genuine or not. I only have the vin 124379N532349 and cowl tag(top line) 69 12437 NOR132793 BD. (second line) TR 727 79 79 PN.(bottom line) 10 D.it does not have the original engine in it.it has a 4spd man gearbox.The colour on the car is rally green and the tag says this is the original colour of the car. The question I want to know,Is there any way of telling if this car is a real RS ????? Please does someone know ???? Benny

 

There are no numbers on the VIN or codes on the cowl tag that indicate an RS car. You would need original documentation from the car to know for sure. Look at the firewall where the headlight vacuum hoses run through. There should be a hole specifically for the vacuum lines that non-RS cars do not have. Its not likely that someone would clone an RS and not go ahead and make it RS/Z28 or RS/SS but not impossible.

 

Hey there dynarider,thanks for that info,the car does have Z28 badges too and the correct rear panel with factory holes in the rear panel for the reverse lights, the rear panel is original and no sign of ever being replaced, It also has the correct front fenders with cut outs for the RS front. Its a hard decision to buy this car as there is no real way of telling if it is a real RS or not. I search the net for a bit and found that any RS made in 68 and 69,were not put on any tags on the body.Thats makes it harder. Anyway thanks for your time. Benny from Australia

 

Without any original documentation, all you can do is put the pieces together and determine if it "smells right". A good body shop can change panels and you wouldn't be able to tell, so you can't always go by how the car looks now.
What does this mean "It also has the correct front fenders with cut outs for the RS front"? The difference between standard and RS fenders is the RS has brackets added to the inside edge at the grille area for the headlight assemblies to attach to. Again, that too can be changed.

 

If it is a real RS/Z28, you got yourself a nice car. How many leafs are on the springs? Z's had 4, does it have disc brakes, tach in the dash, gauge cluster in the console, etc.....check for the obvious items that a Z came with.
Is it possible to clone a RS/Z28, yes it is and people do it all the time. If the price is right and it looks to be in good shape, I'd buy it but like other's said, without the factory documentation, it's going to be tough, unless you can track down the original buyer.

 

Hey there,I'm sorry ,I explained it wrong,it has the brackets that your talking about.

 

Hey there Bruce, The rear leafs have 4 leaves,also is has discs front and back,it also has tacho in the dash and gauge cluster in the console along with an RS steering wheel. I'm still deciding weather to buy it or not. The paint code on the cowl tag is 79 79 which is rally green too.

 

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It almost sounds like you got a real RS/Z28 or someone went to a lot of trouble to make a repo one and disc brakes on the back, that's a nice option.

It wouldn't happen to have chambered exhaust would it?

If the price was in your range, I'd buy it just for the options that are on the car and if you really wanted too, you could track down a 302 motor and make the car complete. It wouldn't be a number matching car, but still, a 69 RS/Z28 with a 302, 4 speed would be a nice addition to anyones garage.

 

Hey there Bruce,I don't know if it has a chambered exhaust or not.When I get home next week,I'm putting it up on a hoist to have a good look underneath to make sure there are no nasty surprises and are then going to make a decision, I have also found another 69,it has just been restored to a very high quality,but was just build from a stock 69, rust free for similar dollars...yes what to do ?I will let you know which one I buy.You are right though,an RS/Z28 would be nice sitting in my garage. Benny