General Motors was pushed into the pony car wars by the success of
the Ford Mustang. They arrived late but responded with two cars
that would become icons of American muscle cars, the Pontiac
Firebird and the Chevrolet Camaro.
The Camaro was intended to be marketed as a 4 seat Corvette and
hence a wide array of performance options and drive train choices.
It was the fourth new line of cars that was introduced from 1959
on. The Corvair, Chevy II, Chevelle and Camaro were all designed to
fill a specific niche in the marketplace. The Camaro was described
as a go as well as show machine.
The 1968 Camaro carried over the styling clues of the 1967 models.
Very little changes were made in terms of sheet metal and luxury
options. The introductory model had sold well and there was no need
to embark on a full styling exercise. The biggest change was the
front Ό windows being replaced by Astro Ventilation.
What had really changed was the addition of high performance options
that included the L89 option and auxiliary hardware.
Super Sport models carried on the long tradition of Chevy
performance and the SS options include a potent 350 cid engine and a
companion 396 in various stages of tune.
This Camaro SS-396 was sold in Canada and includes General Motors of
Canada documentation. It is a real SS and a real numbers matching
L78 car. Many cars purport to be numbers matching or date code
correct but very few can lay claim to all major component pieces
being numbers matching. This is that car.
It
was shipped to Canada from Norwood, Ohio on December 19, 1967 and
was sold new by Lefty Automobiles in Rockland, Ontario. The car was
shipped with the following options:
·D55
Front Compartment Floor Console,
·G80
Rear Axle Positraction,
·H05
Rear Axle - 4.10 ratio,
·L78
Engine: 396 Cu. In. Special Hi Performance - 375 H.P. V8,
·M22
4-speed H.D. Transmission Close Ratio,
·U17
Front Compartment Console Instrument Cluster,
The restoration for
this car started with a rust and damage free body that retains its
original sheet metal including Ό panels. There are no filler or
patch panels. The underside of the car has been finished and
detailed fully. The body was completely stripped, sealed and
painted to the original paint color, Tripoli Turquoise (code K).
It comes with its
original mint interior including carpet, glass and bright work. The
interior is RPO Code 712, Black Deluxe Interior. The gauges, wiring
harness door hinges etc. have all been correctly restored to the
highest standard. This is a rotisserie restoration and beautifully
presented car.
The 396, M22 Rock
Crusher and 12 bolt rear end are original to the car and numbers
matching. The mechanical components of the car have been
professionally rebuilt and include brakes, suspension, drive train,
etc. The motor has been balanced and is still on a break in
regimen.
The icing on the cake
with this car is the installation of date code correct L89 heads
that have enjoyed a professional rebuild. Included with the car are
the original cast iron heads that are also fully rebuilt. This is
not an L89 clone but it is a high output muscle car that has had a
performance upgrade, just as it would have been done at the
delivering dealer.
This car has been fully
detailed and restored correctly including tower hose clamps, a Delco
style battery, and all the right emblems. It looks just like it
rolled off the show room floor on its Firestone Wide Oval F70 14
Red Line tires. NOS and OEM parts highlight the restoration.
In the day a 1968
Camaro with the L78 option and a 4 speed ran 113.39 MPH with an ET
of 12.474 in the Ό mile. This squarely put the car as the third
fastest muscle car ever.
This is a low option
car that remains true to that high performance legacy. With the
exception of the radio, all the options are about GO!
It has been finished as
it arrived from the factory with coke bottle style hub caps, red
line tires, no spoilers. Its all business, plain Jane C.O.P.O.
style.
For the classic car
enthusiast that is looking for a documented, correctly restored, no
story car, this is the one. We have seen many Camaros and very few
would surpass this car.
It is a treat to drive
with smooth power. It stops and goes as if new. The paint is
striking and the car never fails to attract a crowd.
