Could this be the original distributor in my 1968 Z/28?

[1968RSZ28]

Hello Everybody -

I'm a newbie and have a question regarding my 1968 Rally Sport Z/28. I recently towed the car from my parents home, where it has been stored since 1981, to mine as they are about to do some major remodeling. I decided to check the "numbers".  Two parts seem suspicious: the distributor and the water pump. The distributor is stamped 1111266 with a date code of 7A25 and the water pump is cast with the number 3838175 with a date code of D 13 7. According to the book "Chevrolet by the Numbers 1965-69" this distributor was only used in the 1967 model year and the water pump number is not even listed. My car has a build date of 02C from Los Angeles (born and been in California to date). So, the question is do I need to start looking for the correct parts or is it possible these are the factory parts? I've heard that sometimes GM would use parts they had a surplus of on the assembly line (especially in Los Angeles where they did not build as many Z/28s), or are these parts too old? Thanks in advance!

Paul 

[bertfam]

Paul,

That's over a year difference between the distributor date and the date of your car. Also, the 68 302 used the 1111267 distributor and I don't believe the factory would have used a 266 on a 68. I could be wrong though. JohnZ can give us more info on that. What's the assembly date of your engine?

The 3838175 water pump is probably 3839175 and that's a late 1963 or 1964 Corvette 327 pump so it's not original to your car. That date would be an over the counter replacement also.

Ed

[william]

You need to get The Definitive 1967-1968 Camaro Z/28 Fact Book by Jerry MacNeish. There is also a 1969 version.

Jerry states that 1111266 distributors were used in all 1967 and early production 1968 Z/28s. Later '68s received distributor 1111467. The one you have may not be original but could be correct.

www.z28camaro.com

[bertfam]

Bill,

I KNEW loosing that book would come back and bite me some day!!

 

Jerry, you take paypal???

Ed

[1968RSZ28]

Ed and Bill -

Thank you both for your replies.

Ed, your right on the water pump casting number. Take it from me, it's tough trying to read greasy numbers backwards in a mirror that is stuffed behind the water pump pulley. When I remove this water pump will it be of use to anybody trying to restore a Corvette or should I use it as a core?

Bill, thanks for the link. I'll order both those books first thing in the morning. Hopefully, the books will shed some light regarding if this distributor is the correct one.

Thanks again!

Paul

[bertfam]

Paul,

I'm not sure if it has much value since it's a 1967 (or even a 1977) date, but you never know. Heck, put it up on ebay for a buck and see if you get any nibbles.

Ed

[dutch]

Hello Everybody -

I'm a newbie and have a question regarding my 1968 Rally Sport Z/28. I recently towed the car from my parents home, where it has been stored since 1981, to mine as they are about to do some major remodeling. I decided to check the "numbers".  Two parts seem suspicious: the distributor and the water pump. The distributor is stamped 1111266 with a date code of 7A25 and the water pump is cast with the number 3838175 with a date code of D 13 7. According to the book "Chevrolet by the Numbers 1965-69" this distributor was only used in the 1967 model year and the water pump number is not even listed. My car has a build date of 02C from Los Angeles (born and been in California to date). So, the question is do I need to start looking for the correct parts or is it possible these are the factory parts? I've heard that sometimes GM would use parts they had a surplus of on the assembly line (especially in Los Angeles where they did not build as many Z/28s), or are these parts too old? Thanks in advance!

Paul 

Hi Paul:

I was just reading your post and found it quite amazing. I found the numbers you quoted from your distributor quite familiar sounding so I went hunting for my copy of the Definitive 1967-1968 Z/28 book. I had gone through my entire car (a '68 Z also) when I first got a copy of the book and recorded any and all part numbers and cast/date codes that I could find in it for future reference and information.
I always considered my distributor to be the original since most everything else on the car and especially in and around the engine particulairly, checked out according to what Jerry Mac Neish's book stated they should carry part number-wise. The reason I used 'amazing' earlier is that my distributor is also a 1111266 model and it also has the 7A25 date code on it!!
It has the #532 CCW long slot cam which the book described as being specific for Z/28's...My car is a Norwood 02D unit with most of the driveline parts either cast or date stamped in mid to late December '67 which I have been told makes it a fairly early production '68 Z/28 model as most were made a few months later. I never could find the number on the water pump and gave up looking although it may be under a few layers of paint or I'm just not looking in the right place for it.
Interesting distributor coincidence though and I makes me wonder if it is possible that such units were batch produced at some points in time for specific applications like the Z or other specific models...  Randy

[dutch]

Paul,

I'm not sure if it has much value since it's a 1967 (or even a 1977) date, but you never know. Heck, put it up on ebay for a buck and see if you get any nibbles.

Ed

Ed:

Seems to me that I heard on another site (Yenko one I think) where there was one of these 1111266 distributors being sold on Ebay - bid up to a crazy amount of $$'s just a month or two back - something like $2000 or more and climbing.
It was stated as being rare because it was for a '67 Z/28 model. I didn't see the final amount that it got sold for but it did make me consider at one point heading out to the garage wrenches in hand to pry mine out.... Randy

[bertfam]

Randy,

I wasn't telling Paul to put his diestributor on ebay, but his water pump. That's the 1967 or 1977 I was referring to.

Yes, 266 distributors go for huge $$$, so I'm not surprised on the 2k price you stated. These parts just keep getting more and more expensive.

And yes, the high performance distributors were built in batches, just like the Holley carbs, the L89 aluminum heads, etc.... But it's nice to see that your distributor date and Paul's is the same, considering your cars are so close in assembly dates.

Just proves Jerry is right yet again (gee, there's a surprise!!)

 

Ed

[dutch]

Sorry Ed - I misunderstood you reply - should read a little closer before I post I guess.
Can or should I gather you concur that both of our distributors (Paul's and mine) are probably original even though the dates seem so far off from the accepted norm?
If so, I guess it might or could tell us that Chevy intended the Z/28 model to be a lot more popular than it turned out to be in the first go-around and there were some left over distributors specifically built for those '67 models than languished in the parts bin until the start of the next year's production. That wouldn't be all that surprising since they never really advertised the '67 model from what I know, and only half way into the '68 year did the RPO become the actual model name and advertised as 'The Next Thing To The Corvette' from the ads I have seen.
Sometimes I wonder if parting out one of these things wouldn't be a lot more profiable than selling one intact from some of the EBay pricing I see going on - as I said crazy....    Randy

[1968RSZ28]

Hi Randy -

Wow! I think "quite amazing" is an appropriate expression considering the coincidence! I too felt my distributor was original due to the low mileage on the car when I bought it in 1980. I just started checking the "numbers" on the vehicle and when I saw the date code on the distributor, I said "Oh No!" (censored version). That's why I started this post. I wonder how many other early 1968 Z/28s have this distributor number and date code in them? Is there any way to find out? Would Jerry MacNeish know? Please tell me where I can find this 532 CCW number you mention? And, as far as the $2000.00 plus price for this distributor, I paid $1000.00 for the whole car! Of course, that was 27 years ago.

As for the water pump, it would be "quite amazing" all over again if your casting number and date code matched mine! If you start at the end of the lower radiator hose where it is attached to the water pump and go straight toward the water pump hub (bearing) about 3 inches in you will find the casting number on the front side of the water pump. I had to stick a small mirror behind the water pump pulley to read it. The date code is on the other side (driver's side) about 2 inches in from the two bolts that mount the water pump to the block. It's much easier to read. If you can, please check the numbers on your pump and let me know.

Thanks again for posting your info, without it I might have done something stupid with my distributor!

Paul

   
     

[dutch]

Hi Paul:

Yes I'm sure Jerry would know - probably better than anyone out there, but having said that there are still quite a few things that don't always fit 'the norm' when it comes to these first gen cars especially lower volume or specialty models like the Z's etc. but he surely has seen a lot of them and restores these units for customers all the time.
My car is now away in storage and will be for the next 5 months so checking for the water pump numbers isn't at all an easy deal for me at this point. Apparently according to my scribbled notes in my Definitive book (I added my own notes to each part listing in the book as I was searching) I see I found and discerned only part of a date code of G??8 on it when I was originally looking and I guess I never got back to try and find or clairify more than that...
The distributor point cam is the unit that sits on top of the actual distributor shaft itself and has the springs and weights on top, allowing more timing advance than normal due to the longer limiting slot cut into it. The 532 CCW is stamped on the underside of one the the wings of it and you might be able to see it with a small mirror squeezed in and aimed over the points or condensor. Obviously it is much easier to see with the distributor pulled out and held upside down.   - Randy 

[Jerry@CHP]

There was actually a memo from Chevrolet that stated 1111266 distributors would be used in 1968 Z28 engines until the supply ran out.  My 11E built 68 Z28 has a 266 dated July 67.  Although the 266's were used pretty much through the end of the 1967 year, the 467's don't start showing up until about Jan, 8A3 and 8B8 to be exact.  However, I have documented an original 1111467 distributor that was made in Oct 1967.  Very rare and have only seen one.

While we're on this subject, there has been talk about an 1112003 distributor being used in late 1969 Z28 production but there has never been any paperwork from GM to back up this theory.  Our belief is that the 003's were issued as warrantee replacements.  I have one original owner in the area and another customer who had their distributors replaced under warrantee and the unit installed was an 1112003 dated July 1969. 

Jerry

[dutch]

Good info Jerry... Just curious was the 7A25 a fairly common date for many of these distributors to be coded and if so how many other groups of them have you found other than the 8A & 8B examples that you make reference to?
In other words is the theory that they were produced in batches a workable one and do you have any idea how often did it occur? I always felt my distributor was original to the car but some doubt did linger considering the obvious duration of time the date code displayed. Guess to start this thread off Paul was as well! Thanks again - Randy

 

[1968RSZ28]

Hi Jerry -

   Thanks for the info. Based on this info, the fact that your's and Randy's distributors have the same number (1111266) as mine, plus the fact that my car's build date (02C) falls between your's (11E) and Randy's (02D), I'm going to declare my distributor as being factory original. Would that be a fair conclusion?

Paul