Big-Block Roller: 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396
Is an SS396 Camaro still an SS396 when the 396 is gone? I’d give it a definitive “sort of”. There are those who will say yes and those that will say no. Anyway, and for further discussion, that’s exactly what we have today, a 1968 Camaro SS396 roller, so let the debate begin. This Camaro is located in Loomis, California and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $15,600, five bids tendered so far.
Most Camaro SS’s from ’68 came equipped with a 295 gross HP, 350 CI V8 engine. Also available was the L35, a 325HP, big-block 396 CI engine. What the sales brochure won’t tell you is that the 350, and uber collectible 375 HP engines, were also available. GM Corporate still had a restriction requiring a minimum of ten lbs. of curb weight for each gross HP in ’68 and that’s probably the reason that the two more powerful engines weren’t publically listed as options – but they hid in plain sight.
This is a Van Nuys, California-built car that harbored a 396 CI engine of either 325 or 350 HP output. How do we know for certain? We really don’t. The VIN won’t state emphatically; the build sheet is the only source of accurate information. The listing is confusing as the seller claims that the car ran in the ’90s when he purchased it. So what happened to the original engine and why are that engine’s specifics unknown? It’s a mystery. Nevertheless, the seller states that he has a period-correct 396 engine block, cylinder heads, and intake manifold. Also included in the sale is a wide-ratio, Muncie four-speed manual transmission. As is usually the case, a 12-bolt, limited-slip differential is under the rear of the car containing, what the seller believes to be, a 3.55 gear set.
The seller states that this Chevy was originally finished in British Racing Green known as code Z and the trim tag verifies that assertion. These days, it’s looking a bit like faded pea green. The body is basically straight, except for the rear roll pan, but rust and cracked Bondo has settled in around the rear-right wheel opening. Curiously, the wheel opening moldings are missing from the front openings but not the rear. There are other dings and contusions but the body seems to be in pretty reasonable condition. Ubiquitous rally wheels anchor all four corners.
The interior is fair. The driver’s seat is split and the carpet has clearly seen better days but the remainder is passable. Nice to see are the console-mounted rally gauges. Not nice to see is the generic steering wheel that started life in a Vega – this is a modified version that looks like it’s out of a ’78 Z28 Camaro.
The engine parts that are included are helpful, but there’s a lot more that is going to be needed to bring this Camaro back to motoring life. And a big-block, first-gen Camaro is always a draw, even if the engine is not original. Nevertheless, I’m going to call this car a “Yousetabee” as it used to have a 396 engine but this one has redemption thanks to the engine parts that are included. What’s your call, a true SS396 Camaro or one that was one at one time and maybe will be again?
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Comments
No original engine? Just saves me the moral dilemma of putting what I want under the hood! Sure, an EFI LS is ubiquitous at this point, but it sure makes a good plant for a DD.
Why pay a premium for this body? It has significant rust and damage in the rear valance. It has RS taillights and backup lights, yet no picture of the grill and headlights to verify those expensive parts are there.
I’d pass on this on, not enough upside and no way to document if it’s an original big block car.
Steve R
There are tell tale signs which 396 variant it could have came with. # and diameter of Fuel lines, tach redline, possibly the Munci trans ratio and more…either way, this Camaro appears to be in decent shape and it’s British Racing Green. Will make a solid Resto project.
Is the heater box a tell tell ?
The easiest telltale sign is the heater core. All BB Camaros and Nova came with the hoses routing in the middle of the heater box. Tought call without docs.
I had several friends install big block heater cores in the small block Camaros when they installed performance engines. The local Camaro restoration supplier stocked on his shelf and recommended it whenever a customer installed tall valve covers on their small block. He sold it as a kit, heater core, firewall box, seals, everything, all brand new GM parts, I think it cost around $50 in the mid-80’s. I wouldn’t pay extra based on that alone.
Steve R
It’s pretty expensive to plant in your driveway, sit behind the wheel and go “VROOM, VROOM”.
Based on what is shown it looks like a 68 396 SS car but ,with no cowl tag picture and 68’s are a little harder to show the exact options on the car -vs- a 67 . Because 68-69 cowl tags are more a packaged option number unless it carried a X-33 (69- Z-28 ) . Looks like someone added the RS reverse light valance to this car because the badges (emblems) of the 396 and Camaro SS are in the correct spot if they haven’t been moved . Protect -o- Plates tell more of the car for warranty purposes . Original paperwork is hard to get with 67-69 Camaro’s as 68-69 are harder to decipher than 67’s for basic RS ,SS and options . Paint and interior , vinyl tops are like 67’s and easy to see on the cowl tag , but you have to dig deeper on 68-69 with the info and ideas within this comment for 68-69 Camaro’s . Then you can verify the car correctly . Engine codes , suffix codes and production dates differ per year of car by letters and numbers .
Am I wrong to think that the 396 cars had a slightly different sub-frame in addition to the heater core variations already discussed.
The subframe is the same.
Steve R
Drop a 502 in it and go play. Paint it later.
Another note about the SS and Z28s of that era is multi leaf rear springs. The article states 12 bolt, so I’m sure the heavy springs are there. It is most likely a big block car, and an SS, RS. Just get it for best $ and drop something in it to drive while looking for a correct engine.
It should make a nice car. Probably has front disc’s as well.
If the car truly left the factory as an SS396, then yes the Camaro is still an SS 396 Camaro whether it still has the big block or not. Maybe no longer a numbers matching big ticket item, but one that got driven to the point of failure. Just put another one in there, and make it work. Maybe a 427 or 454 this time. Would have really liked this in that fresh British racing green paint with black interior. Sharp.
Anyone care to guess what it will sell for?
I say……$21,000
You should by a lotto ticket, lol.
I made a post asking what people thought the sale price would end up at. It was promptly removed. I didn’t think that was a violation of rules?
No, not at all. Your post, for whatever reason, ended up in the spam filter and I had to fish it out.
JO
In San Antonio in the 70s, the 68 rs with the 275 horse 327 and four speed was the first gen we all went after. Fairly plentiful and cheap to insure. All you had to do was add a $97 cowl hood, bolt on some Cragars, and take off the front bumper.
A 68 396 Camaro without the original engine and with no documentation to prove its heritage, is no longer an original 396 car. Even if it is; it isn’t. Sorry, but all the 396 specific parts can be added. This still seems to be a solid car, well worth the current bid. Just the facts ma’am.