1968 Rally Sport grille research

[Steve68]

Thanks Rich!  We will hope for the best.  I'm catching some R&R myself.      Have a safe trip.

Steve

[Steve68]

Rich

Just checking in to see if you were able to send out the inquiry.

Steve

[Rich]

Just sent out the first note tonight - to 17 owners with email address and 68 RS cars built in April or May that were logged as having some supporting documentation.  This is a subset, but generally the best to start with.  We'll see what this cast of the net brings up.  I've already gotten three bounced email messages so far; very typical (how many of you have changed at least one email address in the past 5 years!).  If they actually get the message and reply that is key.  Then all I will ask of them is agreement to allow me to give you their email - you can take it from there, if we get any replies.  If we don't, or if very few, we'll try some of the balance of less documented cars. Rich

[Steve68]

Sounds like a good plan.     Thanks Rich.

Steve

[Steve68]

Just a note to let everyone know that, through Rich, I have established contact with two folks and I'm waiting on their replies.  I also thought that it might be good to re-post an updated survey so that new members and anyone just acquainting themselves with the thread could add their data without going back through all the previous posts to see what we needed.

1.  Does your car currently have an original center grille?
     A. I am positive.
     B. Almost certain it does
     C. Not sure but it appears to be
     D. No
2.  Rivets holding center to upper/lower grilles
     A. Yes
     B. No (Describe – are they nuts & bolts?)
3.  The center grille currently is:
     A. Black with horizontal chrome stripes
     B. Black
4.  My center grille was replaced in:
     A. 1968
     B. 1969
     C. 1970
     D. 1971
     E. 1972
     F. After 1972
     G. Not sure
     H. Never - Go to question 7
5.  The replacement center grille came from:
     A. GM dealership parts department
     B. NPD, Year One, Ricks, Classic Ind, etc.
     C. Other (Delineate where it came from if you know.)
6.  The replacement part number was GM 3919060
     A. Yes
     B. No
     C. Don't know
7.  Part number or cavity mold number (see the following link for the exact spot to look). http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=1087.msg7428#msg7428
8.  Driver side headlight (HL) cover number & year (remove 4 screws and look on back side for part number or single number). http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=1087.msg6271#msg6271
9.  Passenger side HL cover number & year.
10.  My vehicle was build in NOR/LOS (choose one).
11.  The build date of my vehicle is___.
12.  If known, the original engine size is/was____ (cu in/hp or “L” designation).
13.  VIN if you are comfortable in providing this.

Steve

[firstgenaddict]

Here is a 68 RS Z that has a silver bar grille... it claims 20k miles.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Camaro-RS-Z-28-1968-Camaro-RS-Z28-Museum-Quality-Rotis-Resto-NICE-LOOK_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6161QQihZ011QQitemZ320064559861QQrdZ1

[bertfam]

From the auction:

This Z-28 has received a complete rotisserie restoration a few years ago

Unfortunately, it's been "messed with" so it's not a good candidate for the research Steve's doing. A lot of cars that get "restored" end up getting restored wrong because of misconceptions. (Remember the Bowtie mirror?)

How many folks would have looked at Steve's (or my) car and said: "You've got the wrong grille on there buddy. It's a 67." I would have said the same thing (and did) until this thread started and we discovered there are too many original cars out there with the black grille.

Of course, this grille could still be wrong, but without more folks chiming in, we'll never know "for sure". What we need are a lot more "original" cars dating in the 04A to 06D range to come forward.

I'm still not 100 percent convinced that the black grille was used after the 04A date, but I have to admit, with the information we have so far (replies to this thread, the strange indications in the parts manuals, etc...), I'm not 100 percent against the idea either.

Ed

[firstgenaddict]

It may be restored but it is only a 20k mile car... it still has the original door panels, headliner, and looks to have original seat covers...  I would be willing to bet that it has an original grille... and it is a 3rd week of June car... with the horizontal silver bars. It is worth a shot...
They may be willing to help...

[Steve68]

Rich has been providing me with cars from the CRG data base that the owners believe still have original parts and have some "traceability" to that claim.  I have sent a request for info to a handful of them so far and have received responses from all.  However, all have failed to provide any actual data back to me at this time (one is waiting to hear back from the previous owner on a point he needs clarification on before he provides his data - "soon").  The research is slow and I will admit frustrating to me at times.  Frustrating because I know that there are cars out there, original ones, that have original grilles in them that are within the time frames we are interested in and we just can't get our hands on them.  But that's just the way it is......got to live with it.  We will plug away with the research the best way we can and be patient.  I doubt that the folks selling the car would be willing to provide the info we want anyway.......to start pulling the headlight covers off and to look for mold cavity numbers etc is not likely.  It's not that I would not love to go on eBay and start pulling the ones out that look like they would help us.  It just boils down to the originally and traceability issue in the end and how difficult that would be to prove with those vehicles.  Firstgens heart is in the right place and he has been very helpful to us....we appreciate him.  This research requires us to review each cars data with a critical eye and the eBay cars are there to be sold not to help us with research.....so I agree with Ed, we need to concentrate on cars we can be more certain to have their original parts.  Being the original owner of my car I am certain as I can be that my car came with a black grille and headlight covers.  From where I sit Ed's grille and related data is a prime example that supports the theory but I must keep an open mind.  I also think that we may be looking at a block of time in 68 where the grille was black instead of being black to the end of production.  By that I mean the grille started out with the chrome bars, went just black for a short period, and then went back to the chrome (the black grille being painted with chrome horz bars at the plant).  If you have a 68 RS car in or near the range we are looking for then PLEASE provide us with the data requested in the above post (questions 1-13).  Thanks.

Steve

[firstgenaddict]

I don't have a horse in this race although I have a fondness in my heart for 68 RS/SS's as it was my first firstgen. I also thoroughly enjoy the process of documenting and researching to figure out EXACTLY what is and is not correct... most people could care less though... I can not for the life of me understand their way of thinking... and they probably can not understand mine... it takes all sorts to make this world go round...

Good luck with your research guys... I will continue to help out when I see something...

[Steve68]

ccargo

Would you be kind enough to take a picture of your original 04A RS silver grille similar to the one in Ed's reply post #27 for me and post it?  Thanks!

Steve

[Kev 68]

here is my 68 rs/ss 396. #'s were checked by an appaiser he said they are correct. no major resto . pass door and fender are not orig. due to accident. still has orig. floor and trunk.
survey questions are 1b 2a 3a 4g 7 have#1 same place 10 nor 11 feb(i have to confirm) I'll pull the cover off and offically answer survey this weekend.

[Steve68]

Thanks Kev, it's appreciated!

Steve

[Kev 68]

Steve,
 my survey: 1a, 2a, 3b, 4g ,7#1, 8#1, 9 #3 10 nor , 11 02d , 12 396/ 325 hp not sure , 13124378n3896xx. Is it o.k. to put vin#s on board?
 Kevin

[Steve68]

Kevin

Thanks for the info and for taking the time and effort to get it to us.  Yea, it's OK to post vin's on the board but what you provided in your post is good enough for our purposes in this thread.  Thanks again!

Steve