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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?
ST 69 |
12347 |
NOR |
113313 |
BDY |
721 |
57 |
PNT |
|
09A |
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|
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X11 |
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VIN is N681892 |
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 VINs 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 dont 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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