1968 Engine/Trans Production
 

1968 Chevy II: 667

3-spd manual - 52
4-spd manual - 615


1968 Camaro 4575

3-spd manual - 27
4-spd manual - 4548

Paul Winvoices

1969 Camaro production figures can be found in the book "Tailfins & Bowties." The data was obtained directly from Chevrolet in the ‘80s and reprinted in the book. All of the oft-repeated ’69 Camaro production numbers came from this data.

The data lists 1969 Camaro production by engine size; 230, 250, 327 et cetera. No 427 engine is listed but the figures total 243,085, same as 1969 production. COPO 9560 [ZL1] & 9561 [L72] build records always list L78 for some reason but not Z27 [Camaro SS].

Ergo, both COPO 427 options are included in the L78 totals.

The L48 [300/350] was the standard Camaro SS engine; 22,339 built. Camaro SS optional 396 engines; 13,659 built. Data shows 34,932 Camaro SS produced. Adding L48 and 396 totals, 22,339 + 13,659 = 35,998.

That’s 1,066 more than Camaro SS.

There were 69 COPO 9560 Camaros built; 1,066 – 69 = 997 COPO 9561 cars. That means the L78 total of 4,889 is inflated. Actual L78 production would be 3,823.

Just for the record, L89 was not an engine option. It was an aluminum cylinder head option that required ordering the L78 engine. Factory docs for those cars always list both. The L78 total includes the 311 L89 cars.

I had stated for quite some time I had believed the L78 total for 69 to include the 9560 and 9561 programs as they were ordered as L78's to get the suspension then had a substitution list.

How would the L78 suspension be different than the L34-L35 optioned cars? Would not all big block cars share the same suspension parts? The only difference between any BB 69 Camaro that I am aware of, is the L78 single fuel line vs the q-jet variants have 2 lines. Your inference is that the L78 has a unique suspension, right?

Maybe lighter spring rate due to aluminum intake? Personally I think it was driven by the single 3/8 fuel line and throttle linkage due to the common Holley carb between L78 and L72.

1968 L78 Nova production..
 

It has always been my understanding that there were 617 manual trans L78 cars [I assume most were 4spd] and there were 50 TH400 Gibb COPO cars...total run 667. Those numbers have been pretty well known in the hobby.

-wilma