1968 RS/SS L89

[1968 RS/SS L89]

How can I verify my '68 L89 Camaro is just that?
All the normal stuff lines up ie. casting numbers and dates, stampings, vin matches etc. It is one of those cases where everything is there but there are no docs. and I bought it at a time, the early 80's, when no one built fakes. Except of course 69 Z/28s, I think every '69 Camaro owner in Southern CA had been to GM and bought a tail panel and grill emblem back then. Point is when I bought this car no one was building fakes yet. Muscle cars were still being scraped at junk yards and cut up for drag racing.

I have been able to track down all the previous owners, I think. It was first purchased in Ohio and registered to a man in Cuyahoga Falls. Then made it's way to CA. and that owner did see the car in 2000. He had no paperwork but did remember it being an RS with the highest hp available for a 68 Camaro and mentioned something about those engines having no warranty?

So where would you guys go next? Are these vins getting to be like COPO where I could have it checked out or is that still a ways off, if ever.
Not interested in selling but I can provide other info to help.
Thanks, any help is appreciated.

[PeteLeathersac]

Are you saying the car has its original engine and stampings w/ MT Suffix?.
Have you exhausted all possibilities of finding original paperwork in the car?.

Welcome aboard!.
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[1968 RS/SS L89]

Pete,
Yes the engine block that came from the car did have the stamping for aluminum heads. I'm not sure if it was MT because it isn't in front of me and I thought I remember there being a few different suffix depending on trans or clutch options.

I've contacted all the previous owners I have been able to get in touch with but that was sometime ago. Seems the 2nd owner knew a little bit about the car but really not much of value and the 1 before me seemed to know quite a bit about Camaros but wasn't able to doc anything other then the normal things most everyone looks at.

I'll add a shot of the data tag if that helps? Not sure how though.

Thanks for the welcome.

[PeteLeathersac]

Don't knock yourself out posting cowl tag pics as '68 tags contain nothing to authenticate what you want also have less useful info than the '67 or '69 tags..

There's lots of great and knowledgable guys here that want to help you so posting details including shots of engine stampings/pad may be one of your best bets to help determine possibilities of this being an original L89 car!.
Just keep in mind and be well beware that sometimes the truth hurts so please don't take it personally if the outcome's not a positive one..
Is the trans original and stamped also do you have the rear axle tube stamping info available too?.

Dumb question maybe but you don't by chance have a winery do you?.
I seem to recall us looking at a '68 here a year or three ago that from what info was supplied the L89 seemed a true possibility?.
Again is there any chance of still finding original paperwork in the car itself?.


[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

[1968 RS/SS L89]

Thanks Paul,
I'm not shy about what it turns out to be, either way, but I'm pretty certain it is correct; I'd just like a real bullet proof way to say yes or no.
I'm finding it difficult to post pics to this site. So I'll work on figuring that out.
No chance there is any paperwork hiding in any nook or cranny of this car: I went over everything.
I've had all the stamping looked at multiple times by many others and everyone so far believes them to be authentic but as I've heard many times all those and documents can be duplicated.
I was hoping the LOS cowl tags had been decoded and that it would contain some useful info.
I won't be with the car for a couple of weeks so I'll work on getting some pics posted then.

[TimG]

Please post good, close up pictures of the Tonawanda stamp with no paint on the pad. I'm sure your car has all the L78 signs, so there really is no way to verify the L89 option aside from the pad stamp or paperwork. With no paperwork, your only option is the pad stamp.

[mockingbird812]

Send yr photos to me and I will post them.

griffithjs.ap@mac.com