When my Camaro was delivered, I did a more complete assessment. It was badged as an SS, but was it a real SS? Hard to tell, because the cowl tag doesn’t indicate all of the options ordered, but it did indicate the car was built in Van Nuys in September of 1967, the first month of production in Van Nuys, and was originally equipped with a V8. It had been painted at least twice, as it was originally delivered Teal Blue, had been painted at one point in a darker blue, and was later painted red (its current color). All this info can be had from decoding your trim tag. I ran the numbers on the Muncie M-21 close ratio transmission, and the 12-Bolt rear differential. For this you need a book like “Chevrolet by the Numbers 1965-1969” by Alan L. Colvin (ISBN 0-8376-0956-9). The transmission had been rebuilt at one point, as it wasn’t original to the car and in fact had been put together from parts from several cars, having date stamps from 1970, 1966, and 1965 on the various parts. It was also leaking, probably onto the clutch disk, which is why the clutch was burnt out and I had to have my flywheel resurfaced. My first pleasant surprise was a Lakewood scattershield mating the transmission to the motor rather than the factory bellhousing. These protect the driver from a shattered clutch shrapnel injuries during high speed launches at the drag strip—a definite plus in any performance build.
The engine code was V1017CRX, which codes to a Chevy 350 mated to an automatic transmission with a 145 HP output cast in Flint, Michigan on October 17th, 1975. The engine still bore the stamp for the car VIN 15N522568, so had never been decked and was placed in a car at the Norwood Assembly in Ohio. The intake manifold was a nothing special cast iron four-barrel intake with casting 14057055. A cast iron water pump (casting number 31264) and AC Delco alternator were the only accessories on the engine which had an aftermarket flexfan behind an original 1968 radiator. It also sported an original GM 12 Bolt rear differential from a first generation Camaro (casting number 3894860NF). The best surprise among the decodings though were the 186 double hump heads—they were casting number 3927186 and a date stamp of F 25 9, or June 25th, 1969. These are some of the most desirable small block Chevy V-8 heads ever cast and were placed on the high output 302 and 350 for 1969. They produce a high static compression ratio with their 64 cc combustion chamber volume and were placed with 2.02 inch intake valves and 1.60 inch exhaust valves in the 1969 Z28 302 (DZ), the 1969 Camaro SS 350 (RPO L48), and the 1969 Corvettes sold with 350 HP 350s (L46). They had already been re-built and included Comp Cam pushrod guides, screw-in studs, and Comp Cams 1.52:1 roller-tipped rockers. Score!