If you have this information, you'll be will armed in the fight against automotive fraud, learn how to decode a Z/28 vin tag, and RPO number, so you know what equipment you have in your car. If you know how to decode your vin number, then you can't get ripped of in any way, the vin and rpo cades are the two biggest factors on a Camaro in determining it's authenticity.
We've added two new features to our community, a engine block rpo code decoder and a casting number decoder located here Decoders . Also added a Mopar vin decoder. Now we have a Automotive classified ad board be sure to check it out.
 |
|
1969 Camaro Z/28 Identification
Do your homework and save big bucks
By: Jim McGowan/autoMedia.com
The Chevrolet Z/28 is genuinely a legend in its own time. Conceived by
Chevrolet engineer Vince Piggins, the car was Chevy's entry into the new
Trans-Am racing series in the mid-Sixties. Battling against the Mustang Boss
302, Mercury Cougar, AMX and other muscle cars, it won the Trans-Am
Championship in 1969. Today, the street versions are highly prized by Camaro
collectors and restorers. But there is a caveat-the really valuable examples
must be numbers-matching and factory-stock.
By doing some simple research prior to searching for a '69 Z/28, you can
avoid buying a vehicle that's been altered or-even worse-cloned. All '69
Z/28s were Sport Coupe body styles with the model number 12437 on the cowl
tag. They were manufactured at either the Norwood, Ohio, or Los Angeles,
California, assembly plants. No Z/28s were equipped with air conditioning,
all were four-speeds and the name badge was derived from the Chevrolet RPO
(regular production order) number, which was Z/28. A few were ordered with
the very rare four-wheel disc-brake option, Code JL8. Another little-known
fact is that the car could have been ordered with the body stripes deleted.
Most buyers wanted these stripes, though-it was the visual clue that you had
a very special Camaro.
Here are some important numbers and codes that must be present for a Z/28 to
be verified as original. This is part of-but not all-the research you should
do before spending $15,000-$25,000 for a '69 Z/28. Do it right, do it once
and be happy with your purchase.
Cowl Tag 
The small metal plate attached to the firewall is called the cowl tag. It
has the body-style number (12437), the assembly plant, date of manufacture
and the all-important X33 (without style trim group) or X77 (with style trim
group) ID code. For cars with a spoiler, the code D80 will also appear,
along with the interior and exterior trim codes. This tag shows the X33 and
build-date code 05A, which translates to the first week of May. The NOR at
the top right signifies the Norwood assembly plant.
Carb ID
The stock Z/28 carburetor is a Holley #4053, GM part number 3923289-DZ. Like
the intake, many times this part has been replaced with a different Holley
or a rival-brand carburetor. The DZ code appears again on the carb's air
horn, which distinguishes the unit as a specific Z/28 carburetor. You must
remove the air cleaner assembly to find this code. Anything different means
that the carb is incorrect for the 290-hp Turbo-Fire 302 engine.
|
|
This is some good info to learn and know if your considering buying a car on the net.
Block Casting ID
The next critical ID number is cast into the block at the driver's side rear
of the block. Three different numbers were used in 1969, and all are correct
for the Z/28: 3932386, 3956618 and 3970010.
This example shows 3956618,
which is correct. While the number code with the DZ could be re-stamped on
the pad out front, this casting number can never be counterfeited. It might
be difficult to see with the hood on the vehicle, but a flashlight and a
little patience will bring it to light and help put your mind at rest.
Gearing
A few more tidbits of information that should be of interest surround the
transmission and rearend options. Three four-speed Muncie options were
available: the wide-ratio M20, the close-ratio M21 and the heavy-duty
close-ratio M22 (called the "rock crusher"). Standard rearend gearing
options were 3.73, 3.55 and 4.10; 3.07 and 3.31 were available by special
order.
Head ID
The cylinder-head casting is upside down in this photo because that's the
way the factory set it up. All '69 Z/28 heads carry the same number:
3927186. These heads have 11:1 compression. (The roller-tip rockers shown
here are not stock.) Depending on which head you're looking at, the number
is between the last two sets of rockers on the driver's side or the first
two sets on the passenger's side. A shrewd buyer will ask the seller to
remove the valve covers to verify these numbers. A motivated seller should cooperate unless he has a reason not to.
|
Try it now, learn American muscle cars. It's time to get involved with American cars, learn how to build them and how to hot rod them. If you'd like to learn more about these cars, please sign up for our ezine.
|
