1968 RS SS Camaro Convertible Original Engine & Trans

Description

1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Convertible

Serial #124678N452135

HISTORY:

Ford’s phenomenally successful introduction of the Mustang in April of 1964 caught General Motors completely off guard. It was not until September of 1966 that Chevrolet was able to responded with a mid-size, two-door, four-passenger sport model of its own. Designated the XP-836 during development, the new car was christened Camaro and based on GM’s new F platform. Available as a coupe or convertible and offered with a host of appearance and performance options, the Camaro (and its sister car, the Pontiac Firebird) quickly made up ground in the growing “pony car” market.

The Camaro’s lean and aggressive, long hood/short rear deck body was of semi- unitized construction with a separate steel subframe from the cowl forward. This allowed for a fully independent A-arm suspension up front and semi-elliptic leaf springs in the rear. Four-wheel drum brakes, manual steering and Chevy’s rugged 230-cid, 140-hp inline-six mated to a three-speed manual transmission were all standard equipment. However, buyers could opt for five other more powerful engine options, all the way up to a 375-hp, 396-cid V8, as well as three further transmissions. With all of these possibilities, the 1967 Camaro was a versatile model that was appealing to a wide range of customers.

Chevrolet also offered plenty of comfort and cosmetic options on the first-generation (1967-69) Camaros, including eighty that could be ordered from the factory as well as an additional forty that could be dealer installed. These included the popular Rally Sport package that included a blacked-out grille with hidden headlights, revised parking and taillights, upgraded interior trim and special RS badging.

Only minor changes were made to the Camaro for 1968. Most noticeably, front vent windows were eliminated with the introduction of Astro Ventilation system. Additionally, the front grille was made more pointed and side marker lights were added to comply with new NTSA safety regulations.

The subject car (#...452135) is a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS; one of 16,927 eight cylinder convertibles built that year. According to its cowl tag, the car was originally Le Mans Blue with a black top and interior. It is equipped with both the RS appearance and the SS performance packages. As such it is has the blacked-out grille with hidden headlights and the Super Sport hood louvers. The car is powered by Chevrolet’s L48 350-cid V8 rated at 295 horsepower. This example has a 3-speed manual transmission and has been fitted with Rally Sport wheels by the current owner.

CONDITION:

Very good to excellent black paint and brightwork, showing only very light surface scratching. The black vinyl convertible top is in excellent condition with only slight wrinkling. Very good to excellent black vinyl seats exhibiting only minor wear to the outside of the driver’s seat back. The interior trim, carpets and headliner are all in excellent condition. The engine bay is very clean and appears to be in good working order. The air cleaner and valve covers are not original to the car. The trunk is tidy, although no spare was present at time of inspection. Very good silver painted Chevrolet Rally Sport style wheels, with trim rings and hubcaps, fitted with newer P215/65 R15 BF Goodrich tires up front and P245/60 R15s in the rear.