SCCA Camaro

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 17^th, 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 25^th, 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!

 I finished grad school in 2000, and had gotten married in 2002; my wife and I had our first daughter in May of 2004, and I had waited long enough—I was buying a project car, and it was going to be something cool.  I looked at some 40s Chevy hot rods, but wanted something that I could race as well as tour in, and also wanted something a little easier than an old hot rod for my first project car, especially since my time, budget, and experience were limited.  First generation Camaros are supported by an enormous aftermarket, so much so that in fact you can buy every single part of a Camaro from a catalog now, making “crate Camaro” a reality.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this article at HotRod.com.  My love of the first generation Camaro started while I was attending Pinconning High School.  My parents had purchased a 1967 Camaro (Red, RS Convertible) in 1988 and they had been generous enough to let me drive it around quite a bit, so I was partial to the first generation Camaros.  My Father is an old drag racer and had owned a 1961 Corvette upon his return from Viet Nam, so the Chevy apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  In fact, my parents brought me home from the hospital (where Mom was in labor for 49 hours—thanks Mom!) in a 1958 Chevy.

Then late in May 2004 a 1968 Camaro showed up in the classifieds for $5500.  The 1968 Camaro is, in my opinion, the best of the first gens.  There were multiple engineering improvements for ’68, like the staggered shocks that fixed horrendous axle wrap up and resultant wheel hop in the ‘67s, thus eliminating the torque rod used as a bandage on the ‘67s.  Stylistically, the removal of the ventiplane side windows dramatically cleaned up the look of the car while retaining the smooth coke bottle shape of the coupe.  The one year only design of ’69 is the most popular, but is more angular and aggressive looking and therefore lost some of the sex appeal of the ’68, in my opinion. 

I went to look at the car, a red coupe with a small block chevy and 4 speed manual.  It looked like an appropriate canvas—a former drag race car not yet restored with little rust and no interior.  But the performance goodies were all there—a Chevy 350 with a hot cam and headers, a Muncie close ratio four speed (M-21), and a 12 bolt GM rear differential.  After a quick inspection and a conversation with my sainted wife Cris, a deal was struck.  The car was mine for $5000.  It had a burnt out clutch and some rockers that were rattling like crazy and was about 40 miles from home—so I struck the deal for the former owner to deliver it to my house.