The following is a copy of a letter someone wrote to the magazine Chevrolet High Performance and the magazine's reply. I'm amazed that a major magazine could be so uninformed about their subject! Following their reply is a letter I sent them outlining their errors. Think they'll actually publish it? :}

Question:
I have a '69 Camaro that I'm restoring with the X11 code. I believe that all this X11 code means is that the car came with a style trim package that included chrome molding around the wheel opening, a black body sill, simulated rear fender louvers, and roof drip molding. Just for reference, the cowl tag and VIN are included. How do you tell if this car is a '68 or '69? Judging from the VIN code, I would say September 1969, but from the cowl, I'm not sure. Does the unit number (NOR113313) mean anything?

Phil Lowder
Dallas TX

It appears that the reader knows more than the editor. He's right (for the most part) about the X11 code, and his question is reasonable - he wants to know if his '69 was built in '69 or in '68. Here's the answer from Chevrolet High Performance:

ANSWER:

I would say your Camaro is a '68 build by the early number of the VIN, 113313. The "09A" date code, then, would be for September, 1968, the first week. As you know,the '69 model year production carried into February of 1970. The last 53,526 of the '69 Camaros had a "0" as the sixth digit of the VIN for 1970. The body style was 1969, but they were 1970s by number. Chevrolet had already replaced the four-barrel 327 with a four-barrel 350 as the base SS engine. We don't know the change-over date. (Does anybody out there know?) We do know that Chevy replaced the 327 two-barrel on February 14, 1970 with the 307. Your car has a 350. The early Camaro X11's got 327s, and when they ran out of their supply of 327s, they phased in the 350ci engines.
CHP

Wow! Their answer is totally and completely wrong! Here's my response:

Performance Q&A
Chevy High Performance
Peterson Publishing Co.
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515

Gentlemen,

I picked up a newstand copy of your July 1999 issue for the first time today and was shocked at your answer to one of the tech questions. There were nine separate errors in your answer! In fact, every part of your answer was completely wrong.
The reader wanted to know if his ‘69 Camaro was built in ‘68 or ‘69. You replied that it was a ‘68 build by the early number of the VIN, but you confused the VIN with the Fisher Body number. The VIN is 681892 and the Fisher Body number is 113313. The Fisher Body number started over at 100000 in August, 1969, while the VIN’s continued in sequence from the 500000 starting number. This car was built the first week of September, 1969.
You state that the ‘69 model year production carried into February, 1970. This is incorrect. The last ‘69 models were built at the end of November, 1969, and the new 1970 model was introduced in February.
You state that the last ‘69 Camaros had a "0" as the sixth digit of the VIN indicating 1970. This is an old myth that was put to rest 20 years ago. All 1969 Camaros were tagged, titled, and sold as 1969 models. There were no 1969 body style Camaros sold as 1970 cars.
Then you state that Chevy had replaced the 327 4-barrel with the 350 as the base SS engine. Chevy never put a 327 into an SS at any time. They were all 350's or 396's. In fact, until 1969 you could only get a 350 in the SS – it was not available with any other model Camaro. You say you don’t know the change-over date, and that is because it never happened.
You say that Chevy replaced the 327 4-barrel with the 307 on February 14, 1970, which is also incorrect. The 327 was replaced as the Camaro base V8 in November or December of 1968. The only engine that was changed in February of 1970 was in the Z28, when the 302 was dropped and the 350 LT1 debuted in the new 1970 model.
You informed the reader that his car came with a 350, but there is no way to determine that from the information provided. The Norwood code of "X11" means either a base car with Style Trim or an SS350 with Style Trim. Without the original engine it can never be determined if his car is an SS350 and he has to rely on pointers such as the presence of other required SS options, such as disc brakes, 5-leaf springs, and a 12-bolt rear end.
Finally, when Chevy ran out of 327's (in 1968, not 1970,) they phased in the 307, not the 350. There are also a few other things you missed. The body code listed on the cowl tag is incorrect. It should probably read 12437 which decodes as a V8 Camaro coupe. A "3" as the third digit would indicate a six cylinder (meaning the car couldn't be an SS) but there is no code of "47," only "37" or "67" for coupe or convertible.
It is disheartening to see an automotive magazine so badly misinformed about the hobby. Perhaps you should stick to hot rods and leave the restoration questions to someone else, like the US Camaro Club.

Sincerely,

Greg McGann

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