VIN, Cowl Tag, and other Numbers Decoding
©1998-2024, Camaro Research Group
Edited by Kurt Sonen and Rich Fields
Version: Friday, 12-Jan-2024 00:38:51 EST
Note that this page uses scripts. Some information will
not display if scripts are turned off.
Cowl Tag Decoder
A program that decodes the VIN and cowl tag information for 67-69 Camaros.
Click (or Shift-Click) to download the
first-generation Camaro Cowl Tag Decoder in zip format, version 3.68.
Drivetrain Decoding
Engine, transmission, and axle decoding information is in the
Drivetrain Decoding section.
VIN Information
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Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Decode
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Partial VIN Definition and Location
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123x7 VIN vs. 124x7 Cowl Tag Code
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VIN compared to Production Date
Cowl Tag Information
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Cowl Tag Decode
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Exterior Color Codes
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Interior Trim Codes
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1967 Cowl Tag - Fisher Body Codes
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1969 Cowl Tag - X Codes
Other Decoding Information
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Protect-o-Plate Decode
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GM Date Code Formats
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Sheetmetal Date Codes
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Julian Calendar Generator
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Numbers Trivia
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Decode
The Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, is stamped on a plate that
is riveted to the vehicle. The thirteen-digit VIN used
during the first-generation Camaro period has the following format:
1967-1969 Camaro VIN Interpretation
12ebbYPxxxxxx e.g. 124379N506070
where
1 = Chevrolet
2 = Camaro
e = 3 for 6-cylinder engine, or
4 for 8-cylinder engine
bb = 37 for coupe body, or
67 for convertible body
Y = 7 for 1967 model,
8 for 1968 model, or
9 for 1969 model
P = N for Norwood, OH assembly plant, or
L for Los Angeles, CA assembly plant
xxxxxx = vehicle serial number sequence
At each plant, the vehicle serial number
started the year at the following number:
100001 for 1967 models
300001 for 1968 models
500001 for 1969 models
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If the first car off the Norwood line in 1968 was an 8-cylinder coupe,
then the VIN for this car would be 124378N300001.
The next car would have been 12xx78N300002 (the xx would be
dependent on whether it was a L6 or V8 and a coupe or convertible).
The first Camaro off the Los Angeles line in 1968 would be 12xx78L300001.
Norwood produced more than 100,000 Camaros per year, so the VINs would continue
to increment to 12xx77N200000, 12xx78N400000, and 12xx79N60000, etc. The
monthly VIN list shows the range of VIN's used
at both plants.
In 1967, the VIN plate is located on the driver-side A-pillar (front
pillar) and is visible when the driver-side door is open.
Starting in 1968, and continuing to the present time, the VIN plate
was relocated to the upper dash panel, on the forward portion of the
drivers side, and is viewable through the windshield glass when
standing at the front edge of the driver's door. The location
is shown in this photo.
Starting in August 1969, the complete VIN was also stamped on a conformance
sticker that was placed on the driver's door, just above the door striker.
The VIN does not provide any information other than what is listed in the
box above. The VIN does not tell if the car is a Z28, SS, RS, etc.
Partial VIN Definition and Location
In addition to the official VIN plate, a partial VIN
should be stamped on the body sheet metal in two places:
- On the cowl in front of the passenger side (underneath the cowl vent panel).
You can see it sometimes if you carefully look with a flashlight through the slots
in the vent panel, but the panel comes off with a few screws and the wiper arms pop
off pretty easily, so this one is not a big deal to get to. The photo below (with
the cowl vent panel removed) shows the typical location for this stamp.
- On the firewall below the fan motor opening (non-AC cars) or below the
heater opening (AC cars). This requires the heater or air conditioning box removal,
and therefore most car buyers will not have an opportunity to view this stamp. The
photo below of the passenger side of the firewall shows the typical location on
a car without air conditioning.
Cowl Partial VIN |
Firewall Partial VIN |
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The format of the partial VIN is:
1967-1969 Camaro Partial VIN Interpretation
YPxxxxxx (1967) e.g. 7L102030
1YPxxxxxx (1968-69) e.g. 18N304050
where
1 = Chevrolet
Y = 7 for 1967 model,
8 for 1968 model, or
9 for 1969 model
P = N for Norwood assembly plant
L for Los Angeles assembly plant
xxxxxx = serial number sequence
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Partial VINs were also stamped on most engines and transmissions
from 1967 on. Not all engines and transmissions in 1967 were stamped
with partial VINs. Details and examples are shown in the Drivetrain Decoding section.
However, be aware that the partial VINs can be "restamped" on engines and
transmissions by machining off the original stamp (or finding one that is
unstamped) and then stamping the desired VIN.
12337 VIN vs 12437 Cowl Tag Code
Though it looks very similar to the first five digits of the VIN,
the body style code on the Fisher Body cowl tag did not have
the same meaning. Fisher Body didn't need the type of engine
coded on the cowl tag, and so stamped the 3rd digit of the Fisher
style code with a different meaning than the 3rd digit of the VIN.
The 3rd digit of the VIN identifies which engine (L6 or V8)
the car had from the factory. A VIN engine digit of 3
indicates a L6 engine, while a VIN engine digit of 4
indicates a V8 engine.
The cowl tags for 1967 Camaros were stamped with a
style code of 12x37 or 12x67, where the
x was set to 4 for standard interior or
6 for custom interior. All 1968-69 Camaros (L6 or V8)
had a style code of 12437 or 12467 on the cowl tag - the 3rd
digit of the firewall style number for these two years was
fixed to 4 and effectively had no meaning.
For related information, see also the Cowl Tag
and Numbers Trivia sections.
Cowl Tag Decode
The cowl tag is a small aluminum tag riveted to the driver's side of the firewall
in the engine compartment, by the master cylinder. The tag was stamped at the Fisher Body
assembly plant (not the Chevrolet vehicle assembly plant, which was a separate entity)
with characters describing basic characteristics of the body build.
Below is a summary of the major cowl tag fields, referred to
below as fields a thru g. Despite several variations of cowl
tag formats and shapes, the bulk of the information remained the same for the
1967-1969 model years. 1967 was the last (and only, for Camaro) year for
inclusion of option related codes. There were also a few other
changes in field content from year to year, as described below.
(These discussions apply only to U.S.-built bodies sold by GM in North America and
are not applicable to models assembled outside of the U.S. Note that 1968
Yenkos and 1968 non-Canadian export models, not requiring the statement of
certification to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, were shipped
with 1959-1963 style
Fisher Body tags that are absent the 1968 certification statement.
And 1969 export tags are often blank on the bottom of the tag.)
1967-1968 Cowl Tag Fields
Field locations (also clickable
with your cursor on the tags to
the left & described below)
____________________________________
BODY BY FISHER
a b
ST c d BODY
TR e f PAINT
g(67 only)
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1969 Cowl Tag Fields
BODY BY FISHER
ST c d BDY
TR e f PNT
a b(LOS)/g(NOR)
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1967 NOR Cowl Tag |
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1968 LOS Cowl Tag |
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1969 NOR Cowl Tag |
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Field a - body build date code
- This is composed of two digits (01 thru 12
corresponding to each month of the year) and a letter
(A thru E corresponding to the week of the month) and indicates
when the assembly of the body was started. For example,
11C means the body assembly was started during the third week
of November of that model year.
05A would mean the body assembly was started during the first week of May.
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Field b (LOS vs NOR)
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- LOS - Fisher Body body scheduling code
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The LOS (Los Angeles/Van Nuys) body scheduling code is a letter followed by one
to three digits, e.g., F103. Based on data analysis (there is no GM
documentation that describes this code, but the data is consistent across thousands
of datapoints), CRG believes the code was used by LOS
Fisher Body (and other plants that built multiple carlines) to aid in scheduling
the body build order.
The letter indicates the approximate day of the month for
the start of the assembly of the vehicle body.
It is only an approximate date because it appears that the day on the tag was
actually when the vehicle was being scheduled to be built. The actual start of
production could vary by a few days.
The code began with letter "A" on the
first day of the month of the Fisher production calendar, incremented at the
start of each additional production day to the next alphabetic letter, and was
reset to letter "A" at the start of the next production month. (Note that the
Fisher production calendar is known to differ from the calendar month,
and we also do not know exactly how the Fisher production calendar related
to the Chevrolet monthly production reporting calendar.)
The one-to-three digit sequence number that follows the letter was reset to 1 at the
start of each day and generally incremented serially with each body built by the
factory as the day progressed. Due to scheduling requirements, this progression
was not absolute and vehicles chould be built out of tag sequence.
Data analysis indicates that the sequence number at
the LOS plant was assigned regardless of model or body type. By this we mean that
Camaros and full-size passenger cars both incremented the same sequence counter. The
unit counter was reset to 1 the next day as the day-of-the-month code letter
incremented to the next letter. In the example, F103 would indicate approximately
the sixth day of production for a given month and about the 103rd body on that
sixth day of production.
- NOR - (1967 only) NOR interior paint code
-
The NOR (Norwood) interior paint code, used
only during 1967, is a single letter and is the same
character as used on the Protect-o-Plate (POP). See the POP decoding section for other details on
the Norwood interior paint code.
-
Field c - body style code 12xx7 (See also
this explanation of why
the Fisher style and VIN prefix differed.)
- The two digit year ("67," "68," or "69") was followed by a
five-digit "ST" body style code, e.g. 12437. The first two digits of the style
code are the model code ("12") and the last two digits are body code
("37" for coupe and "67" convertible).
While the Fisher style code is often confused with the first
five digits of the VIN, the two codes are different because of the
different meaning of the third digit. In 1967, the third digit of the
style code was set to "4" for standard interior or "6" for
custom interior (e.g. a style code for a 67 convertible with custom interior
would be 12667). In 1968-69, the third digit was fixed at "4" for all
models (L6 and V8) and had no meaning.
-
Field d - assembly plant code
- The next three letters represent the assembly plant ("NOR"
for the Norwood, Ohio factory and "LOS" for the Los Angeles (Van
Nuys), California factory. In mid-December 1968, the "LOS" was changed
to "VN."
The digits that follow, up to six, represent the Fisher body number.
Details on the body number can be found in the
Body Number article. The body number
is not the same as the VIN sequence.
In 67-68, the body number was approximately sequential, increasing
as more cars were built during the model year. In 69, the body
number was assigned when the order was accepted, not when the body when
built. Body numbers from cars that were built at the same time can vary
significantly, depending on how quickly the order was fulfilled.
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Field e - interior trim
code
- The first three digits of the trim ("TR") code are a
unique (for each year) interior color
and type code that
indicate the color and standard or custom interior.
1967 tags also have a hyphenated suffix that indicate seat and headrest type:
Z - standard A50 Strato Bucket seats (no headrest)
Y - RPO AS2 headrest added to the A50 bucket seats
H - RPO AL4 Stato Bench seats (no headrest)
T - RPO AS2 headrests added to the AL4 bench seats
-
Field f - exterior paint
code
- The "PAINT" or "PNT" fields show the body paint color and the top
color, including vinyl or convertible top, if so equipped. For cars
without a vinyl or convertible top, the body paint color was stamped
on the tag twice, e.g. E-E or 69-69.
Paint codes were alphabetic in 1967-68, and numeric in 1969.
Vinyl and convertible top codes were numeric in 1967-68, and alphabetic in 1969. Two-tone
paint was offered only with the 1969 models. Special paint cars
were marked with special codes, as noted in the
special paint
section.
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Field g - body-related option codes (see the 1967 Fisher
Option Codes and the 1969 Norwood X codes)
- In 1967 this was a list of numbered option groups
where each character represented a body-related option that required
some action on the part of Fisher Body to alter the "baseline"
configuration.
This information was eliminated in 1968, but in mid-year 1969, the
Norwood Fisher Body plant began using a new body paint/trim coding scheme - the
famous X codes and other codes including D80, Z10, and
Z11.
1967 "fleet and special order" (F&SO) codes were also stamped in this area of
the tag by both factories to indicate special vehicle order(s).
For example, one of the groups of 1967 Norwood-built Indy Pace Car
replicas used the "-061A" F&SO code.
Exterior Color Codes
Below are the CRG tables, with footnotes, for exterior paint
and vinyl and convertible top colors, and the relationships
between them. Related topics that are also covered below include:
Cowl tags and POP tags in 1967 and 1968 used a letter code
for body paint and a numeric code for the vinyl/convertible
top. Cowl tags changed in 1969 to use of a numeric code for
the body paint (with two-tone paint now a Camaro option) and
a letter code for the vinyl/convertible top color. For cars
without a vinyl or convertible top, the body paint color was stamped
on the tag twice, e.g. E-E or 69-69.
The 1969 colors are presented in the same row as the two-letter
RPO suffix that was added to the 1969 window sticker.
For example, 1969 Dover White, code "50", is shown in the
Exterior
Paints Table in row "C". This means that the cowl tag
would have shown "50-50" and the window sticker, as
shown in the Exterior Paint RPO Codes
Table, would have had "5911CC DOVER WHITE"
printed on it (where the initial "5" is the Chevrolet prefix
indicating Camaro).
Non-standard paint color and striping color could be special ordered, and
such cars were specially marked. See the Special Paint
section for more details.
Stripe colors (white or black, with red added in 1969, and
pace cars being a special exception) were selected based on body color.
In 1967-68, there were three color combination exceptions where top color
overrode that selection. In 1969, stripe color selection
became more complicated as Chevy decided to make the stripe color vary
depending on the top color. 1967-68 stripe colors are shown in the table below.
The 1969 Stripe Color table shows
the 1969 stripe color (W=White, B=Black, R=Red) as a function of top color and type;
the legend for the top color codes are shown in the Convertible Top Colors
and Vinyl Top Colors tables.
Stripe colors were painted as follows:
White stripes were painted with Ermine White or Dover White, black stripes with a
black that was different than Tuxedo Black, red stripes with Monza Red, and 69
pacer stripes with Hugger Orange. The various
stripe designs and usage are shown in the Exterior section.
1967-1969 Camaro Exterior Paint Color Codes
1967 1968 1969
Code Body Color / Stripe Code Body Color / Stripe Code Body Color (3)
---- ------------------ ---- ------------------- ---- ---------------
A Tuxedo Black / W A Tuxedo Black(del) / W 10 Tuxedo Black
B -- -- 69 Cortez Silver
C Ermine White / B C Ermine White / B 50 Dover White
D Nantucket Blue / W D Grotto Blue / W 53 Glacier Blue
E Deepwater Blue / W E Fathom Blue(del) / W 51 Dusk Blue
F Marina Blue / W (1) F Island Teal / W 71 LeMans Blue
G Granada Gold / B G Ash Gold / B 65 Olympic Gold
H Mountain Green / B H Grecian Green(del) / B -- --
J -- J Rallye Green(add) / W 79 Rallye Green
K Emerald Turquoise / B K Tripoli Turquoise / B 55 Azure Turquoise
L Tahoe Turquoise / W L Teal Blue / W -- --
M Royal Plum / W -- 63 Champagne
N Madeira Maroon / W N Cordovan Maroon / W 67 Burgundy
O -- O Corvette Bronze(add) / B -- --
P -- P Seafrost Green / B 76 Daytona Yellow
Q -- -- 72 Hugger Orange
R Bolero Red / W (1) R Matador Red / W (2) 52 Garnet Red
S Sierra Fawn / B S -- 61 Burnished Brown
T Capri Cream / B T Palomino Ivory(del) / B -- --
U -- U LeMans Blue(add) / W -- --
V -- V Sequoia Green / W 57 Fathom Green
W -- -- 59 Frost Green (4)
Y Butternut Yellow / B Y Butternut Yellow / B 40 Butternut Yellow
Z -- Z British Green(add) / W -- --
As of Jan 68, colors A, E, H, and T were deleted, and colors J, O, U, and Z were added.
Stripe Color: W=White, B=Black
1969 Two-Tone Coupe Colors
DC -- -- 53-50 Glacier Blue/Dover White
KC -- -- 55-50 Azure Turquoise/Dover White
DE -- -- 53-51 Glacier Blue/Dusk Blue
ED -- -- 51-53 Dusk Blue/Glacier Blue
GC -- -- 65-50 Olympic Gold/Dover White
SM -- -- 61-63 Burnished Brown/Champagne
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Table Footnotes:
- 1967: Marina Blue and Bolero Red have Black stripes with Black
vinyl/convertible tops.
- 1968: Matador Red have Black stripe with Black vinyl/convertible
top.
- 1969: Colors 10, 67, 40, 61, 51, 53/51, 51/53, and
61/63 were initially special order from LOS/VN. 40,
63, 61/63 were initially special order from NOR. The special
order restriction was lifted circa January 1969. Note that
"special order" is different from "special paint."
- 1969: 59 Frost Green was also called Frost Lime in some
references.
1969 Camaro Stripe Color vs Top Color
Vinyl Convertible
1969 Body Color top code top code
Code Body Color (no top) B E F C S B A
---- --------------- ----- --------- ------
10 Tuxedo Black W(1) W W - - W W W
40 Butternut Yellow B B B B - - B B
50 Dover White B(2) B B - B B B B
51 Dusk Blue W W W - W - W W
52 Garnet Red B B W - - - B W
53 Glacier Blue B B W - B - B W
55 Azure Turquoise B B W - - - B W
57 Fathom Green W W W - - W W W
59 Frost Green B B W - - B B W
61 Burnished Brown W W W W - - W W
63 Champagne B B W B - - B W
65 Olympic Gold B B W B - - B W
67 Burgundy R(3) R W - - - R W
69 Cortez Silver B(2) B W - B - B W
71 LeMans Blue W(4) B W - - - B W
72 Hugger Orange W B W - - - B W
76 Daytona Yellow B B B - - - B B
79 Rallye Green W B W - - B(5) B W
Stripe Color: W=White, B=Black, R=Red
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Table Footnotes:
- 1969: Tuxedo Black coupes with Black interior and D90, DX1, or D96 stripe
(not Z28) and with* or without a black vinyl top received a Red stripe. Some early
production black with black interior cars received white stripes - it's not
known when the production stripe color changed to red.
(* Note: GM documentation incorrectly states that black cars with black vinyl tops would
have a white stripe).
- 1969: Cortez Silver and Dover White coupes with Red interior and D90, DX1, or D96 stripe
(not Z28) and without vinyl top received a Red stripe.
- 1969: The default stripe color for Burgundy was initially red. However, the "Camaro
Striping Color Application Chart" dated 4/1/69 clarified that Burgundy Z28's and non-Z28's
with either Parchment vinyl top or white convertible top received white stripes.
- 1969: While the dealer literature reports that a black
stripe is the default color with LeMans Blue, only white
stripes have been observed in practice, except for special orders.
- 1969: 79 Rallye Green was added as allowable color for the
Midnight Green Vinyl Roof circa January 1969.
1967-1969 Camaro Convertible Top Colors and Quantities
1967 1968 1969
Code Color Qty Code Color Qty Code Color Qty#
---- ---------- ----- ---- -------- ---- ---- ------- ----
1 White 9290 1 White 6825 A White 8126
2 Black 14505 2 Black 12356 B Black 8970
4 Med Blue 1346 4 Blue 1259
* The default convertible top was white. Black or blue (67-68)
had to be specially designated.
# 1969 totals are through Sept 69 - missing the last 5 weeks
of production (477 more convertibles).
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1967-1969 Camaro Vinyl Top Colors
1967 1968 1969
Code Top Code Top Code Top 1969 Body Colors *
---- ------ ---- ------ ---- ----------- ----------------
2 Black 2 Black B Black All colors
-- -- C Dark Blue 50, 51, 53, 69
6 Beige / 6 White E Parchment All colors
Light Fawn F Dark Brown 40, 61, 63, 65
(off-white) S Midnight Green 10, 50, 57, 59, 79(Jan)
* Other 1969 body colors could be ordered with the non-Black and
non-Parchment top colors, but would require confirmation (via ZP2
color override) before the order would be accepted into the system.
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SPECIAL PAINT DESIGNATION
Special paint cars were identified with a unique paint code on the cowl tag and
were ordered via the Fleet and Special Order (F&SO) system.
Special paint was any non-standard Camaro color; it could be a GM color or
any other color. (The Cadillac Firemist colors were the only colors not available.
Since they had such a coarse metallic, the Firemist colors needed to be sprayed
through a special paint gun.)
In 1968-69, either deletion of a stripe or use of a
non-standard stripe color was also considered to be special paint.
In 68, if any of the four colors (A, E, H, T)
that were deleted mid-year (see
note in the Exterior Color table) were ordered in the latter part
of the year, the cowl tag was coded as special paint on Norwood cars
(though Los Angeles cars normally used the cancelled color code).
On the window sticker and on broadcast copy sheets, "1001AA"
and "1001HA" have been observed as designating special paint cars.
Note that all cars were painted, no Camaros were
shipped from the assembly plant in primer.
Cowl Tag Coding
1967 special paint cars used the letter "O" instead of the normal color code.
For early model year 1968, the designation for special paint cars changed to the
letter "Z". However, the new mid-year colors were assigned codes and
starting January 1968, the letter "Z" paint code was used to denote the new
Camaro color called British Green, and simultaneously the notation of special
order paint was changed to a dash "-". The "-" special paint code continued for
the rest of the 1968 model year as well as for the entire 1969 model year. Due
to changes and differences in how the factories marked the paint codes
(especially differences in 1968 factory formats), the special paint formats are
easier to illustrate in the examples in the Special Paint
Table below than to describe in words.
Cowl Tag Examples for Special Paint
Paint Vinyl Top/Convertible
----- ---------------------
1967
NOR/LOS O-O O-2
1968 early
NOR Z Z Z 2
LOS Z-Z Z-2
1968 late
NOR - - - 2
LOS --- --2
1969
NOR/LOS - - - B
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(1) Note that black tops are shown in all the examples.
(2) CRG isn't clear at this time how a 1967 "stripe delete"
car was marked. Stripe delete was considered "special
paint" in 1968-69.
(3) In 1967 only, a dash can follow the standard option
codes at the bottom of the cowl tag. This dash may
appear by itself or it may precede the Fleet & Special
Order (F&SO) code. This dash has been observed on all
known special paint cars. This dash indicated that there
were special instructions (the F&SO paperwork) for the
vehicle. The dash would also be on vehicles ordered as
part of a fleet.
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WINDOW STICKER PAINT CODES
The paint code format on the window sticker was similar for all three years. It was
related to the cowl tag and POP paint codes but in a slightly different format.
For example, Tuxedo Black (coded as A in 67 and 68, and 10 in 1969) appeared this way
on window stickers:
1967: 5900AA TUXEDO BLACK
1968: 5900AA TUXEDO BLACK
1969: 5910AA TUXEDO BLACK
While the "900 code" in 1969 was 910, and the cowl tag code
was also a 10, this appears to have been coincidence. As you can see from the
table below, no other colors had this equivalence in 1969.
The initial 5 in the code represented the Camaro carline. The color code in 67 and
68 was represented in the two-letter suffix. In 1969, numeric codes were used for the
paint colors and the "900 code" became a unique code for each color and still included
an alphabetic suffix similar to those used in 1967 and 1968.
1967-1969 Camaro Exterior Color
Window Sticker RPO Codes
Window Sticker RPO Code
-----------------------
Body Color 1967 1968 1969
---------- ------ ------ ------
A or 10 5900AA 5900AA 5910AA
B or 69 -- -- 5912BB
C or 50 5900CC 5900CC 5911CC
D or 53 5900DD 5900DD 5922DD
E or 51 5900EE 5900EE 5923EE
F or 71 5900FF 5900FF 5924FF
G or 65 5900GG 5900GG 5915GG
H 5900HH 5900HH --
J or 79 -- 5900JJ 5925JJ
K or 55 5900KK 5900KK 5921KK
L 5900LL 5900LL --
M or 63 5900MM -- 5917MM
N or 67 5900NN 5900NN 5914NN
O -- 5900OO --
P or 76 -- 5900PP 5926PP
Q or 72 -- -- 5927QQ
R or 52 5900RR 5900RR 5913RR
S or 61 5900SS -- 5918SS
T 5900TT 5900TT --
U -- 5900UU --
V or 57 -- 5900VV 5920VV
W or 59 -- -- 5919WW
Y or 40 5900YY 5900YY 5916YY
Z -- 5900ZZ --
53/50 -- -- 5954DC
53/51 -- -- 5955DE
51/53 -- -- 5956ED
65/50 -- -- 5957GC
55/50 -- -- 5958KC
61/63 -- -- 5959SM
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Interior Trim Codes
The 1967-1969 first-generation Camaro interior trim codes are summarized in the tables
below. Note that the first column is the interior paint code that was used on the
67-68 Protect-o-Plate and the 1967 Norwood cowl tag.
1967 Camaro Interior Trim Codes
Int.
Paint Interior Standard Standard Custom Custom
Code Color Bucket Bench(1) Bucket Bench(1)
----- ----------------- -------- -------- ------ --------
E Black 760 756 765 767
B Blue 717 739
D Red 741 742
G Gold 709 796 711 712
K Parchment/Black(2) 797
R Bright Blue 732 716
T Turquoise 779
Y Yellow 707
Y Yellow/Black (3) 706
-------------------
(1) Bench seat not available in convertible.
(2) Carpet, instrument panel, and steering wheel are black.
(3) Alternate yellow/black custom interior offered late in the model
year. Most 706 lower interior parts were black instead of the gold
in a 707 interior: carpet, lower doors, kick panels, dash, etc.
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1967 interior codes also have a hyphenated suffix that indicate seat and headrest type:
"Z" indicated standard A50 Strato Bucket seats (no headrest)
"Y" indicated RPO AS2 headrest added to the A50 bucket seats
"H" indicated RPO AL4 Stato Bench seats (no headrest)
"T" indicated RPO AS2 headrests added to the AL4 bench seats.
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1968 Camaro Interior Trim Codes
Int.
Paint Interior Standard Standard Custom Custom
Code Color Bucket Bench(1) Bucket Bench(1)
----- ----------------- -------- -------- ------ --------
E Black 712 713 714 715
B Blue 717 718 719 720
D Red 724 725
G Gold 722 723 721
K Parchment/Black (3) 730
K Ivory/Black (3) 711
Q Black Houndstooth (2) 749
V Ivory Houndstooth (2,3,4) 716
T Turquoise 726 727
-------------------
(1) Bench seat not available in convertible.
(2) Houndstooth not available in convertible.
(3) 730 Parchment was early and was a brighter white than
the Ivory. 711/716 were later production (after March)
and both used the same Ivory color.
(4) 716 was also referred to as "Dalmation White Trim" on
documentation for late 68 NOR cars.
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1969 Camaro Interior Trim Codes
Interior Standard Custom
Color Bucket Bucket
---------------------- -------- --------
Black 711 712
Dark Blue 715 716
Medium Red 718 719
Medium Green 721 722
Midnight Green 723 725
Ivory/Black 727
Black Houndstooth (1) 713
Ivory Houndstooth (1) 729
Orange Houndstooth (1,2) 720
Yellow Houndstooth (1,2) 714
-------------------
(1) Houndstooth not available for convertible except
for RPO Z11 pace cars/replicas.
(2) 720 Orange Houndstooth normally available only with 72
Hugger Orange. 714 Yellow Houndstooth normally available
only with 76 Daytona Yellow. Other exterior colors, such
as 10 Tuxedo Black and 50 Dover White, have been observed
with both interiors, but in limited quantities.
At this time, it isn't clear if these color combinations
required a special order, or were routinely available.
|
1967 Cowl Tag - Fisher Body Codes
(Note: See the Cowl Tag section for other
details on the cowl tag.)
A table of the known 1967 Camaro Fisher Body option codes is below.
Fisher factory documentation for these codes is not available.
Nevertheless, a large number of the code meanings
have been confirmed via a Fisher production form called the
Uniform Option Identification Tag (UOIT) that was sometimes
(fortunately for us) left in the car during build -
often under the carpet or inside the headliner.
Those codes that have been confirmed via available UOITs are
so noted - and the exact wording of the UOIT description is
shown in capital letters. The remaining codes have been
decoded via statistical analysis, and are therefore not
known exactly, but by inference. The CRG would appreciate
a contact from anyone that has found an original UOIT
form so that different versions (even of codes we already
know) can be compared, and inferred codes determined
exactly.
At the LOS factory, the 2M code was used for either the Powerglide or
the TH400 automatic transmission, i.e. the 2Z code was not used at LOS.
Early TH400 cars didn't have the 2M on the tag until mid-March.
At the NOR factory, the 2M code and the 2Z code only applied to
automatic transmissions that were in combination with the D55 console (2G).
Early cars with TH400's and consoles don't have 2Z notated on the tag until
mid-April.
The 4P code was not used at the start of production at either the
Van Nuys plant or the Norwood plant.
Van Nuys started using the 4P code on the SS350 cars in September,
but Norwood didn't start using the 4P code until October.
Early Van Nuys SS350 cars and Norwood SS350 cars built before
October will not have the 4P code to verify that they are SS's.
The 4P code can indicate either a SS350 or a L30/M20.
Usage of the 4P code with the L30/M20 is
believed to have started in the late December 1966 / January 1967 timeframe.
The very first 1967 Z28's and L78's were also coded 4P; the 4L and
4K codes were then used on the remainder of 1967 Z28 and L78 production.
The lack of a 4P, 4L, 4N, or 4K code indicates the car originally had a
327 (assuming the car had a V8, as indicated by the VIN). The only
exception is the early SS350's noted above.
Fleet and Special Order (F&SO) codes (e.g. L181A) were also stamped in this area of
the tag by both factories to indicate a special vehicle order. In most cases,
these special orders were special paint
instructions.
|
This tag decodes as having the following options:
756-H = (AL4) Strato Back Bench Seat -
black standard interior
1E = (A01) Tinted All Glass
1X = (A31) Power Windows
1L = (A67) Fold-down rear seat
2E = (C60) Air Conditioner
2M = (M35) Powerglide Transmission
4F = (D33) Mirror Remote Control
5C = (AS1) Shoulder harness - regular
1967 Cowl Tag Fisher Option Codes
Group Number |
Code |
RPO Equivalent |
UOIT |
Description * |
Interior Suffix Codes |
H |
AL4 |
|
Strato Back (bench seat) without headrests |
T |
AL4 & AS2 |
|
Strato Back (bench seat) with headrests |
Z |
A50 |
yes |
STRATO BUCKETS (without headrests)
(The A50 Strato-bucket without headrest was the
default seat and was not specifically noted on an order.) |
Y |
A50 & AS2 |
yes |
BUCKETS & HEAD REST
Strato-bucket seats with optional headrests. |
|
(1) implied, the "1" is not on the tag |
E |
A01 |
yes |
TINTED ALL GLASS |
W |
A02 |
yes |
TINTED W/S ONLY |
X |
A31 |
yes |
POWER WINDOWS |
L |
A67 |
yes |
FOLDING REAR SEAT |
D |
C06 |
yes |
POWER TOP CONVERT |
2 |
G |
D55 |
yes |
CONSOLE FRT COMPT |
M |
M35 |
yes |
PWR GLIDE AUTOMATIC
(NOR - only used in combination with D55 console)
(LOS - Powerglide or TH400) |
Z |
M40 |
|
TH400 3-speed automatic transmission
(NOR only, with D55 console) |
L |
M20 (or M21) |
yes |
4-SPEED FLR SHIFT |
B |
M11 |
|
3-speed floor shifter for M15 or M13 |
H |
C48 |
yes |
HEATER *DELETE* |
E |
C60 |
yes |
AIR COND |
U |
U57 |
yes |
TAPE PLAYER |
S |
U73 |
yes |
ANTENNA MANUAL-RR |
R |
U80 |
yes |
SPEAKER REAR |
3 |
L |
Z22 |
yes |
RALLY SPORT PKG |
D |
U29 |
yes |
LAMP COURTESY
(coupe-only underdash lights) |
B |
C50 |
yes |
DEFOGGER REAR WDO |
S |
Z23 |
yes |
INTERIOR DECOR GRP |
K |
Z21 |
yes |
EXT MOLDG GROUP |
4 |
P |
L48 or L30/M20 |
yes |
ENGINE REINF ASY
SS350 or L30/M20 -
Non-SS396/Z28 paint with radius rod
(See note above on early Norwood use.) |
N |
L35 |
yes |
ENGINE REINF ASY
SS396/325hp - Black tailpan with radius rod |
K |
L78 |
yes |
ENGINE REINF ASY
SS396/375hp - Black tailpan with radius rod |
L |
Z28 |
yes |
ENGINE REINF ASY
Z28 - Rally stripes with radius rod |
F |
D33 |
yes |
MIRROR REM CONT |
5 |
C |
AS1 |
yes |
SHOULDER HARN-REG |
Y |
A39 |
yes |
BELTS ALL DELUXE |
B |
V32 |
yes |
BUMPER GUARDS R(ear) |
Z |
A85 |
yes |
SHOULDER HARN-DELX |
O |
A48 |
|
Seatbelt delete
Used on export models for countries for which U.S.
belts were not compliant with local requirements
(compliant belts were added after importation). |
* Fisher option codes that have been confirmed (via UOIT's)
are shown with their UOIT descriptions in capital courier font letters. |
1969 Cowl Tag - X Codes
The Xnn codes were a mid-1969 model
addition to the Fisher Body cowl tags of Norwood-built
Camaros, starting with the 12B (second week of December)
build week. (CRG has found 12B cars both with and without
these codes. Our data for all cars in prior weeks is absent
this code, and our data for all cars in weeks following
contain this code.) These codes were an aid for Fisher body
assembly workers to identify body trim and paint
changes required for different Camaro models. The codes
are divided into two groups: those with the Z21 style trim
option and those without the Z21 style trim option.
The Z21 Style Trim group was part of the Z22 Rally Sport option,
so RS cars are part of the group with the Z21 style trim option.
Thus RS cars can only be X11, X22, or X33.
X11, X22, or X33 cars have to have style trim, but from the code
you can't tell if the car also had RS.
X44, X55, X66, and X77 cars cannot have the Rally Sport
(or style trim) option.
1969 Norwood Camaro Fisher Code Interpretation
with Z21 Style Trim without Z21 Style Trim
(or Z22 Rally Sport) (or Z22 Rally Sport)
----------------------- ----------------------
X11* non-SS396, non-Z28, X44* non-SS, non-Z28
includes SS350 X55 SS350
X22 SS396 X66 SS396
X33 Z28 X77 Z28
* COPO Camaros were an exception, as most COPOs
were built out of bodies coded with X11 or X44.
Some early COPOs had X22 or X66-coded bodies.
Additional 1969 Norwood Fisher codes that were
used instead of the X-codes include:
Z10 - Indy Pace Car replica coupe
Z11 - Indy Pace Car replica convertible
Additional 1969 Norwood Fisher codes that could be
combined with the X-codes include:
D80 - signifies the car was equipped with D80
spoilers, but the code was not always used.
A - signifies the car was equipped with power
windows, but the code was not always used.
|
1969 non-SS convertibles without style trim, built after Feb 69, did not have
X44 stamped on the cowl tag. It is unknown why this occurred.
Note that X11 and X44 codes also included L26 230ci/130HP and L22
250ci/155HP 6-cylinder engine cars, as well as models equipped
with the LF7 327ci/210HP, L14 307ci/200HP, L65 350ci/250HP,
or LM1 350ci/255HP engines.
So, how many cars were coded X11?
Some quick math yields that 77% of 1969 Camaros were non-SS and non-Z28.
After Dec 68, these cars would be coded X11 and X44.
Multiplying the that percentage with the percentage
of cars that had style trim or RS (58%) yields a little more than 44% of X-coded
69's were non-SS X11's. A similar calculation on the SS350 (9% of 69's)
production quantity yield that less than half would be X55, the balance
would be X11, about 5%. Adding these totals together
shows the total of X11-coded cars to be approximately 50% of all 1969 X-codes.
The corollary is that only about one in ten of X11-coded cars are actually
SS350's.
X-code explanation
The following will help explain why the
X-codes were arranged that way and their specific purpose.
The need for this organization revolves around the
elements of the Z21 Style Trim option in 1969, which included the
following items:
- Bright vertical bars in taillamp lenses
- Bright driprail moldings (except convertible)
- Black body sill (except certain colors)
- Bright wheel opening moldings
- Wheel opening paint pinstripes (n/a with D90 stripe)
- Bright rear quarter simulated louver moldings
- Bright headlamp bezel face moldings
So what specific features did the X-codes imply; what did the
codes mean to the workers on the Fisher assembly line? The X22, X33,
X66, and X77 code differences are easily explained by paint
differences (Z28 stripe and 396 tailpan), so it is the X11, X44, and
X55 codes that require greater analysis. To further confuse matters,
the non-Z21/Z22 1969 SS cars did incorporate a subset of
Z21. To understand the differences between the X11, X44, and X55
codes, examine the comparative table below:
X11, X44, and X55 Body Trim and Paint Features
Non-SS SS
----------------- ------------------
Code X44 X11 X11 X11 X11 X55
no Z21 no Z21
Option no Z22 Z21 Z22 Z21 Z22 no Z22
------ --- --- --- --- ------
Black body sill no yes yes yes yes yes
Rear quarter moldings no yes yes yes yes yes
Driprail molding no yes yes yes yes no
Wheel opening moldings no yes yes yes yes no
Wheel opening pinstripes no yes yes no no no
Bright taillamp trim no yes no yes no yes
Bright headlamp bezel trim no yes no yes no yes
Z21 = Style Trim
Z22 = Rally Sport
|
As can be seen from the table above, the X11 code always includes the
first four features: the use of black body sill paint and the use of the
trim moldings (rear quarter louver, driprail, and wheel opening). The
difference between X11 and X55 is that X55 does not apply the driprail
and wheel opening moldings.
From this table, we can deduce that the wheel opening stripes,
headlamp bezels, and taillamp lenses were not a factor in the X-codes.
The table also show that the addition of Z22 (which
eliminates the bright taillamp and headlamp trim, since the Rally Sport
lamps are different) has the same effect on the X-codes as Z21.
Going back to the X22, X33, X66, and X77 codes, their meanings are now
clear. X22 and X33 codes have the same meaning as the related X11 code,
but with an added blacked-out tailpan for X22, and with an added Z28 stripe
for X33. The X66 code has the same meaning as X55, but with a blacked-out
tailpan. The X77 code has the same meaning as X44, but with a Z28
stripe. Including these meanings in a table covering most of the major
trim features for all of the X-codes, and adding in the related Z10 &
Z11 codes, we get the following result:
Body Trim and Paint Features of the 1969 X & Z Codes
with Z21 or Z22 without Z21 or Z22
----------------------------- ------------------------
non-SS396/Z SS396 Z28 non-SS/Z SS350 SS396 Z28
Features X11 X22 X33 Z10 Z11 X44 X55 X66 X77
------------------- --------- ----- --- --- --- ------- ----- ----- ---
black body sill yes yes yes no no no yes yes no
rear qtr moldings yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes no
driprail molding yes yes yes yes no no no no no
wheel open moldings yes yes yes yes yes no no no no
blacked-out tailpan no yes no no no no no yes no
Z28 rally stripe no no yes yes yes no no no yes
|
Protect-o-Plate Decode
The Protect-o-Plate (POP) is a small stamped metal plate
that was provided with each vehicle by the factory as part
of the warranty and service package. It was atttached to
the vehicle's warranty booklet. When the vehicle was
sold, the dealer added the customer's data name and address
to the metal plate via Dymo-type stamped plastic adhesive
labeling. Note that the data is stamped on the POP as a mirror
image, so that the imprint from POP was correctly oriented.
The POP contains basic ID data about the powertrain
components (engine and carburetor, transmission, and rear
axle) as well as selected factory installed options, and the
month of manufacture. 1967-68 POPs also showed the exterior
colors from the cowl tag as well as the interior paint color
(the interior paint color is also shown on the 1967
Norwood cowl tag, but not on the Los Angeles cowl tag).
POP data were stamped on a 8 row by 30 column grid at
predefined coordinates. Instructions for stamping the POP
data were contained in the assembly manual for each year,
and decoding instructions were included in parts manuals and
service manuals and bulletins. There are nine basic fields -
illustrated in the POP transcription below and summarized
field by field in the following list. For each data item,
the row/column positions of the starting and ending cells on
the plate are noted, with rows being labeled A thru H, and
columns as 1 thru 30.
In the simulated 1968 POP (below left), each of the bold-faced monospace characters
in the field of the plate is selectable and leads to a more detailed
description of that field, which, in turn, often has a link to even
more detail. The example describes a 1968 Camaro with a gold interior
and British Green body with a white vinyl top. After the VIN is the
code for a Carter carburetor. The engine is a L30 327ci/275HP for a
manual transmission, the axle a 3.07:1 ratio 12-bolt, the vehicle was
assembled in January, and the transmission is a Saginaw 4-speed.
The details of the specific component decodes can be found in the
links to the Drivetrain Decoding page in
the descriptions that follow.
The 1969 POP pictured (below right) decodes as a Norwood-built car that was assembled in
March with a Bay City carburetor, 307/200hp engine, Powerglide transmission,
2.73 10-bolt axle, and a radio (via the 3 option code under the axle code).
1967-1969 Camaro Protect-o-Plate Format
|
Columns |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
0 |
|
R o w s |
A |
|
G |
|
Z |
6 |
|
1 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
L |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
C |
|
B |
T |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
E |
A |
|
B |
L |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
G |
|
1 |
|
C |
R |
8 |
S |
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
|
4 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
♦ |
|
D |
|
E |
(this area for use by the dealer for |
F |
adding the owner's name and address |
G |
via Dymo embossed adhesive tape label) |
H |
|
|
|
1969 Protect-o-Plate
|
|
The option field in the 68 POP example above decodes as follows.
The first option position at C-15, the "3", indicates power steering (N40)
and power brakes (J50). The second option position at C-16 was unused in
1968. The third position at C-17 indicates AM radio (U63) with rear
speaker (U80). The fourth position at C-18 indicates F41 suspension with
disc brakes (J52). The fifth position at C-19 indicates air
conditioning (C60). And the option code in the sixth position at C-20
shows electric windows (A31).
The coordinates and details of each of the nine fields follow:
- A-1
Interior Paint (1967-68 only)
One-character code that is also used on the 1967 Norwood
Cowl Tag, and is described in detail
in the Interior
Colors section.
- A-5 to A-6
Exterior Paint (1967-68 only)
Two-character code that is also used on the
Cowl Tag, and is described in detail in the
Exterior Colors section.
The first character describes the lower body color and the
second character describes the upper body color. For 1967-68
the upper body color was always the same as the lower body
unless a vinyl top was installed or the car was a convertible.
- A-15 to A-27
Vehicle ID Number
The 13-character code that is the same as is
used on the vehicle VIN plate.
- A-29
Carburetor Code
One-character code that describes the source for the carburetor.
B = Bay City (1 bbl/2 bbl)
C = Carter (2nd source for Rochester)
R = Rochester (2bbl/4bbl Quadra-Jet)
H = Holley (4bbl)
- B-1 to B-7
Engine Assembly/Application Code
Seven-character code that begins with the engine factory code letter
and is followed by the assembly date as a 2-digit month
and a 2-digit day of month, then ends in a 2-letter
application code. This entire code is the same code stamped
on the front of the engine block.
- B-15 to B-21
Rear Axle Assembly Code
Seven-character code that begins with the 2-letter axle
factory application code, is followed by the assembly
date as a 2-digit month and a 2-digit day of month, and
ends in a 1-letter factory code. This entire code is the
same code stamped on the axle, except for the absence on the
POP of any shift suffix or positraction code. Note that
when faced with an axle of uncertain vintage, the year of
manufacture must be derived from the axle center section
calendar year casting date.
- B-29
Vehicle Build Month
One-character code from the following table.
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
1967 V L R K Z S P W N Y T X
1968 8 9 O N D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1969 8 9 O N D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
late 1969 8 9 O N
- C-1 to C-5
Transmission Assembly Code
This five-character (typically) code begins with the transmission factory code
letter and is followed by the last digit of the model year (not the
calendar year) and the assembly date as a 1-character month
and a 2-digit day of month. This code is the same code stamped on the transmission
(on the trans pad, flange, pan, and/or tag). The shift code is stamped on some transmission
models and often is included on the POP. The Muncie model (ratio) suffix, which started in
late October 1968, was never stamped on the POP.
The TH400 uses a different code format - see the tranmission decode page.
- C-15 to C-21
POP Option Codes
The first digit of the POP option codes starts immediately under the
first digit of the axle code. The digits are position-significant and
interpretation also changes as a function of model year. Note that some
1968 codes were used for vehicles built late in the 1967 model year.
In the table below, the locations are noted as positions a through g.
The meaning of the RPO codes (such as J50 and J63) listed are available in the
downloadable option spreadsheet.
Also, see the further explanatory notes below the table.
- C-29 Chevrolet Symbol - vertically oriented
1967 Camaro POP Option Fields
POP Position and Meaning
POP POP
Year Value a b c d e f g
---- ----- ------ ------- ------- ------ --- ------ ---
1967 1 N40 U35/U63* U80 --- C60 A31 ---
2 J50 --- --- F41 --- --- A67
3 N40/J50 --- U63 J52 --- --- ---
4 --- --- U63/U80 --- C48 B93 ---
5 --- --- U69 J52/F41 --- A31/B93 ---
6 --- --- U69/U80 --- --- --- ---
7 --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
8 --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
9 --- --- --- J52/J56 --- --- ---
_______________________________________________________________
* aka Radio/Clock Group
|
|
1968 Camaro POP Option Fields
POP Position and Meaning
POP POP
Year Value a b c d e f g
---- ----- ------ ------- ------- ------ --- ------ ---
1968 1 N40 B37# U80 F40 C60 A31 ---
2 J50 --- U79 F41 --- --- A67
3 N40/J50 U35# U63 J52 --- --- ---
4 --- B37/U35# U63/U80 J52/F40 C48 N65 ---
5 --- --- U69 J52/F41 --- A31/N65 ---
6 --- --- U69/U80 % --- --- ---
7 --- --- U69/U79 % --- --- ---
8 --- --- --- % --- --- ---
9 --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
_______________________________________________________________
# LOS use only, previously undocumented. It appears that only
B37 is indicated in this field, though B93 is often ordered
with B37.
% Documented as J56 Camaro codes Camaro in CDSIB 68-1-1,
but not applicable to Camaro. See comments below.
|
|
1969 Camaro POP Option Fields
POP Position and Meaning
POP POP
Year Value a b c d e f g
---- ----- ------ ------- ------- ------ --- ------ ---
1969 1 N40 J50 --- --- C60 --- ---
2 --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
3 --- --- (any radio) J52 C75 A31 ---
4 --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
|
Again, the option field (i.e. 3 4511) under the axle code in the 68 POP example shown
at the top of this section translates as follows:
The first option position at C-15, the "3", indicates power steering (N40)
and power brakes (J50). The second option position at C-16 was unused in
1968. The third position at C-17 indicates AM radio (U63) with rear
speaker (U80). The fourth position at C-18 indicates F41 suspension with
disc brakes (J52). The fifth position at C-19 indicates air
conditioning (C60). And the option code in the sixth position at C-20
shows electric windows (A31).
The option field in the 69 POP example shown above indicates the car had
a radio (3rd character over under the axle code).
Options were tracked more fully in 1967 and 1968 than in 1969. In 1967-68,
codes were generally selected such that option combinations, in keeping
with efficient computer coding practices of the day, could be obtained by adding
together the codes of each single option. Several options and their
permutations could be recorded with a single digit. For example, in position d
for 1968, J52=3 and F41=2, so the combination of J52/F41 was assigned the value
of 2+3=5. From this practice we can infer the existence of codes that do not
actually appear in the Chevrolet Service News Bulletins. For example, in
earlier CRG research, the 1967 code for B93 Door Edge Guards was inferred to be 4
in position f, since A31 was known to be 1 and the A31/B93 combination was known
to be 5. The inferred value for B93 without A31 was later confirmed by other GM
records, which also confirmed the previously inferred A67 code in field "g" for
1967.
There are a few items of note about position d (Brake / Suspension) in the
option field:
- While the F40 heavy-duty suspension is not listed as
a 1968 Camaro RPO in the US, it was supposedly available to
Canadians. While CRG has not yet seen a 68 Camaro with this RPO (F40
was an available RPO in 1969), it is included in the POP option codes for
completeness.
- With regard to RPO J56,
the "Heavy Duty Brake" option, GM has
noted this as a 1968 POP code, despite J56 being a 1967-only option.
We list it in the above table as a 1967 code, since it is not applicable
to 68 models.
-
For position d in 1968, CRG believes that values 6, 7, and 8 refer
to the Corvette J56 four-wheel disc
(4WD) brake setup. This brake system was available for the 68 Camaro only as
an over-the-counter Service Package. The 4WD setup is referred to
in the 68 Camaro Assembly Manual initially as J56 but is changed
to JL8 circa Feb/Mar 68. The four-wheel disc brake system was never installed
in a 68 Camaro by the factory, and we have never seen the 6, 7, and 8 codes on
a POP. These codes appear to have been included for 1968
either in preparation for a proposed option release that never
occurred, or as part of a subterfuge for convincing racing
authorities that the 4WD brakes were a factory option and
thus should be homologated for SCCA racing use. The 68 4WD Service
Package was modified and finally made available in 1969 as
a true factory option, RPO JL8.
1969 Warranty Protect-o-Plate
|
Warranty and Canadian Protect-o-plates
Replacement POP's obtained when the warranty was tranferred to
an new owner did not contain any drivetrain data. Warranty POP's contain very
limited data, mainly only the VIN, the new owner's name, and on the bottom line:
the warranty period (normally 5/50, 5 years/50,000 miles), the vehicle mileage
(written in 100's, so add two zeros), and the warranty start date.
Canadian-sold vehicles were provided with unique Canadian warranty booklets.
1967 Canadian vehicles have a plastic protect-o-plate that is
only stamped with minimal information like the VIN, the buyer's name, and
the zone and dealer's number.
GM Date Code Formats
The internal GM convention for date-coding parts used two
formats for the month. Both started with the letter "A" for January and
progressed through the alphabet ("B" for February, "C" for
March, etc.). The two formats differed in the usage
of the letter "I".
For cast-in date codes on GM-produced iron and aluminum
castings (engine blocks, heads, intakes, water pumps, etc.),
the letter "I" was used for September, and the last month of
the calendar year (December) was the letter "L". For
stamped-in date codes on GM-produced components
(alternators, distributors, starters, etc.), the letter "I"
was not used - "I" was skipped, and "J" became
September, with December being "M".
(See the Casting codes article for more
information on casting dates and codes.)
To summarize: For GM-produced parts, the month code for
calendar year dates that are cast into parts runs from "A"
through "L" (including the letter "I"), while the month code
for calendar year dates that are stamped onto parts runs
from "A" through "M" (skipping the letter "I").
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Cast Date A B C D E F G H I J K L
Stamped Date A B C D E F G H J K L M
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A common stamped date code format is (year)(month)(day).
8C26 would decode as 8=1968, C=March, and 26=26th day.
A common cast date code format is (month)(day)(year).
B129 would decode as B=February, 12=12th day, 9=1969.
"M"-Coded Blocks
There is one exception to this convention that has been
observed: some blocks have been seen with "M" cast codes. Research
by the Saginaw Metal Casting Operations of GM Powertrain Division
has found that these "M" codes are not date codes, but
actually a foundry code used to indentify parts that were
made to evaluate a casting process change. After evaluating
the parts, the blocks would either be destroyed or released into
production. There is no way to determine the date an "M"-coded
block was poured.
Sheetmetal Date Codes
Sheetmetal was stamped with a Fisher Body "run number" by
the stamping plant that produced the part. The run numbers were inserts in
the draw die to identify the plant and the week of production and also served as
proof marks to verify full die travel to closure. Almost every panel
on the body will have a run number. The first letter (occasionally
2 letters) of the run number identifies the stamping plant
and the number is the week (e.g. 40th week) of the calendar year
when the panel was stamped.
Chevrolet-stamped parts (hoods, fenders, header panels, etc) only have the production
week stamped on them.
Chevrolet Date Stamps
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Julian Calendar Generator
GM dated some components using a Julian type of calendar,
where the days are counted continuously, starting on January
1st. For example, February 1st would be day 32. The calculator
below will generate the Julian calendar for the 1966
through 1969 calendar years.
Numbers Trivia
Some GM documentation indicates that the first-generation Camaro
GM series designation, at some point, had a somewhat
different meaning than what was finally executed on the
VIN plate and cowl tag. This "original" meaning involved
the third digit of the VIN, and the choices were given as:
3 or 4 for standard Camaro
5 or 6 for deluxe Camaro
The actual forms, as executed on the VIN plate and cowl tag, were
subvariants of this more complete version. On the VIN plate, 3 and 4 were
used on the VIN to indicate the number of engine cylinders - with no
indication of interior. In 1967, the first year, Fisher Body used 4
and 6 on the cowl tag to denote standard or deluxe interior. The
original plan in its entirety was probably the following (though we
have only incomplete documentation of this final version):
3 = L6 standard
4 = V8 standard
5 = L6 deluxe
6 = V8 deluxe
For whatever reason, this format was not followed in full in the U.S. But some
of the foreign assembled Camaros did use this
format.