Messages

316

Maintenance / Re: 69 Z Manual steering

« on: June 07, 2020, 01:29:36 AM »

I don't believe that your manual steering box was rebuilt correctly if you still have slop.  Although you can make some adjustments to the steering box, this should not be necessary as this should have been done when it was rebuilt.  The ball joints are probably okay as your car has been driven only 44k miles.

317

General Discussion / Re: Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: March 27, 2020, 12:14:35 AM »

The California license plate for my friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro was XCR771 and he sold it to a private party in Los Angeles in 1973.  Unfortunately, we have no information on the VIN number of the Z28.

318

General Discussion / Re: Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: December 16, 2019, 10:25:22 PM »

I remember when we built 1979 Z28s for the California Highway Patrol.  I also own a 1979 Trans Am that was built at Van Nuys, although I bought it used in 1986 as it wasn't available new in California as it had the Pontiac 400 engine that wasn't certified for sale in the state.  The Pontiac engines were built in the previous model year and stored at the plant.  I would walk by the area and watch as the inventory of engines gradually go down as the Pontiac 400 engines had chrome valve covers.

319

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Caveat Emptor...another repro window sticker

« on: December 14, 2019, 11:58:44 PM »

My prior posting was really about that the new California black license plates do not have any date stamped on the right side:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/06/25/deliveries-of-retro-california-black-plates-stamped-from-original-molds-to-begin-soon/

320

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Caveat Emptor...another repro window sticker

« on: December 14, 2019, 06:21:31 PM »

On California black license plates issued between 1963 - 1969, the year was stamped on the top right hand side of the  plate.  The California DMV has an on-line function where you can look up the license fees for a particular vehicle if you know the license number and the last 5 digits of the VIN number:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/FeeCalculatorWeb/vlfForm.do

321

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Caveat Emptor...another repro window sticker

« on: December 13, 2019, 05:07:41 PM »

Interesting to see an invoice for this 1969 Z28 being from a dealer on the east coast, but showing a California black plate. 

322

General Discussion / Re: Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: December 13, 2019, 05:01:37 PM »

Scott - I'm sure your friend and I crossed paths at the plant as I covered the paint shop dept. 15, trim dept. 17, cushion dept. 18, inspection dept. 70, and emissions lab dept. 71, which meant I had to walk just about every area of the facility.  I also replaced the only female timekeeper and for months, everyone kept asking me what happened to Connie! - Mark

323

General Discussion / Re: Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: December 12, 2019, 04:16:12 PM »

crossboss - Where did Francisco Reyes work in the Van Nuys Plant?  Was he a hourly or salary employee?  I still remember the names of a lot of people I worked with as I started in the financial department in hourly payroll. - Mark

324

General Discussion / Re: Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: December 12, 2019, 04:10:41 PM »

Jim - My friend's 1968 Z28 was not a RS.  It did have a M-21 transmission and no console.  I unfortunately never drove the Z28 as I didn't have a driver's license as the family was struggling financially.  Many years later, my friend drove a motor home to Crowley Lake which is near Mammoth Lakes, CA for his parents and I followed him with my 1998 Z28 to bring him back to Los Angeles.  I was amazed that the Z28 got about 30 mpg, even though we certainly didn't drive it economically.  The LS-1 engine with the T-56 6-speed is a fun car on the freeway when there is no traffic, but will only get about 13 mpg driving on surface streets. - Mark   

325

General Discussion / Re: Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: December 12, 2019, 03:44:15 AM »

I know my friend remembers the license plate number as we've talked about it, but I didn't write it down and will have to contact him, and will also ask if he has any photos of the Z28.  I was there when they switched the differentials and didn't know at the time that it took a special order to get a 4.56 ratio on a 1968 Camaro.  The original owner also didn't like the stripes and had them painted over. - Mark

326

General Discussion / Friend's 1968 Z28 Camaro

« on: December 11, 2019, 11:59:56 PM »

My oldest friend bought a 1968 Z28 Camaro from someone who worked with him at his uncle's Union 76 gas station in Los Angeles in 1970.  I believe the Z28 was ordered from Harry Mann Chevrolet and was British Green with a black interior.  The owner had modified the Z28 for road racing and had changed the camshaft, installed headers, with Goodyear F60-15 tires mounted on American Racing alloy wheels.  As this was my friend's first car, he had the camshaft changed back to the original one as it was not suited for the street and the 4.56 gears were switched with someone who owned a 1969 Z28 which had a 4.10 rear end.  Although I am quite certain that the Z28 was built at the Van Nuys Assembly Plant, neither of us ever looked at the data plate as back in those days no one paid attentions to such things. 

My friend sold the Z28 for $1200 and bought a new 1973 Z28 Camaro, which had an automatic transmission and air conditioning.  We both wonder what happened to the 1968 Z28!

My first real job out of college was at the GMAD Van Nuys Plant in 1978 and although I wasn't there when the first generation F-cars came off the assembly line, I was there for the second and third generation cars.  Wish I could have bought my friend's 1968 Z28, but didn't have the money! - Mark