1968 SS number matching motor

[jin1481]

im currently working a deal for a 1968 Camaro SS with a numbers matching 427/425 corvette motor and munci 4speed with a 4.11 rear. its goin to cost me my 1994 Z28 and $16500. I love being in north carolina.

[JL8Jeff]

Are you saying it's a 427 Corvette engine that's in a 68 Camaro? If the original engine is gone from the Camaro, be careful, without paperwork or the original motor it's almost impossible to prove it's a real SS. Is it supposed to be an original SS350 or SS396? Do you have any pictures of the engine compartment to try and help prove either one? The factory did not put 427 engines in any 1968 Camaro but they did in 69. I would suggest taking it slowly to make sure you think the car really is what the seller claims.

[johnjzjz]

the only 69 Camaro with a 427 motor from GM and their were only 250 to 300 of them were COPOs and if it were to be a matching # COPO $ 250.000.00 is an average price today --- now having said that Baldwin Motors in LINY custom built 427 Camaros as did Nicky's Chevy and a list of others --- its all in the paper work not in the conversion--- proof not smoaking mirrors -- jz

[JL8Jeff]

Actually, there were 69 ZL1 aluminum 427 Camaros in 69 and roughly 800-1000 COPO iron 427 Camaros made. I have a list of over 400 VIN numbers of 427 cars. But no 427 factory Camaros in 68.

[johnjzjz]

the guy who is in MD who is the guy as they say i talked to and said what i put in the answer --- he is the guy when you buy one who is reconized buy all thre insurance companys to go to court to atest to an original car or not -- this is what i am going on and what he told me when a cuctomer and friend just a month ago was looking to buy a so called copo and that is what he told me one the phone the iron head car that is in jersey is a fake -- jz

[1QWIKBIRD]

Are you saying it's a 427 Corvette engine that's in a 68 Camaro? If the original engine is gone from the Camaro, be careful, without paperwork or the original motor it's almost impossible to prove it's a real SS. Is it supposed to be an original SS350 or SS396? Do you have any pictures of the engine compartment to try and help prove either one? The factory did not put 427 engines in any 1968 Camaro but they did in 69. I would suggest taking it slowly to make sure you think the car really is what the seller claims.


this very good advice.........and even if you could prove its an authentic big block SS car with an authentic numbers matching big block vette motor its still a risky deal at that price level unless both the car and the motor are 100% because the value of both the motor and the car is compromised in the current state (mismatched - not the original motor to the car). But any first gen big block car that is clean and done right is still kick ass....

Don't let the price get out of control based on "numbers matching" though, because that single phrase in itself means different things to different people. Are date codes correct? original starter? water pump? fuel pump? intake? carb? distributor? heads? ex manifolds? smog equip? I personally think when people throw that phrase out there it immediately causes a red flag to go up. A truly numbers matching engine takes enormous amounts of work to pull off.....Original block and heads a little more likely, maybe original intake, beyond that I would guess most of the original stuff is gone but that stuff is the most difficult to track down....

One quick way to tell if its a big block car is look at the heater box, if the heater hoses come out from behind the valve covers on the passenger side..its a fake. Few people who swap a big block in will also swap out and change the heater core properly. Its not a guarantee, but it is a quick tell take sign. A big block car should have the heater hoses coming straight out of the heater box, well clear of the valve covers....Small block cars had the hoses coming out down lower and close to the valve covers, when you drop a big block in a small block car and don't swap the heater core its almost impossible to put heater hoses on because they are obstructed by the motor.

Be careful...and good luck

Got any pics of this beast???

Chris....

[JL8Jeff]

the guy who is in MD who is the guy as they say i talked to and said what i put in the answer --- he is the guy when you buy one who is reconized buy all thre insurance companys to go to court to atest to an original car or not -- this is what i am going on and what he told me when a cuctomer and friend just a month ago was looking to buy a so called copo and that is what he told me one the phone the iron head car that is in jersey is a fake -- jz

Yeah, Jerry MacNeish is pretty much the expert when it comes to the first gen Camaros. But the initial estimates on the COPO 427 cars was low as more than 400 have been found already and others keep popping up. Most led a rough life as race cars that got pulled apart after their racing days were done. There's a lot of COPO clones out there as well so you have to be careful with them too.

[johnjzjz]

thank you -- jz

[WildBillyT]

There were no 427 SS Camaros ever, in any year. Without the proper doc you won't be able to prove it's a true SS.

[jin1481]

well thanks for all the advice, this car is very clean, its cleaner then my 1991 and 1994, and he is selling it as a copo clone. i dont know how matching the engine is but it is at least all the big parts, and it is the L72 427/425 from a corvette with the muncie 4-speed. based on what the car is whats it worth?

[BonzoHansen]

Pics would help. Nice 68s probably run mid teens to mid 20s. What do you think Billy & Jeff?

Just stop using the term numbers matching. Nothing matches. :)

[WildBillyT]

Pics would help. Nice 68s probably run mid teens to mid 20s. What do you think Billy & Jeff?

Just stop using the term numbers matching. Nothing matches. :)

I agree. You need detailed pics of the car and as much history and doc as you can find.

"Numbers Matching" is a wash in this case since it's obviously not the original motor. That's a relative term anyway, 1QWIKBIRD pretty much nailed it. And depending on how much you know about older stuff, be damn sure that you know what you are buying- not that you pay for an M22 that's acutally a Saginaw, etc...

[JL8Jeff]

Make sure you check the car over real closely for any hidden bondo or rusty floors or trunk. I would look at it as if it's an SS clone with a 427 in it. If the body is rock solid with a really nice paint job and everything looks good mechanically then it might be a decent deal.

[jin1481]

thanks guys, ill have some pics of it by this weekend.