68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

Hi, I live on Long Island. App 25 years ago I bought a 1968 SS 396 Camaro. Drove it for about 3 months & spun a crank bearing. I parked it in a garage & left it for 20 years. I recently started to do some # checking on the motor. The car has an origional Motion sticker on each rear side window. I live about 3 miles from the origional Motion location. I bought the car from a guy in Collage Point N.Y. (Queens) The car is mostly primer. It has a couple of odd thinks that has me thinking it may be a car that was in Motion at one time. Any help would be great. AND NO THE CAR IS NOT FOR SALE. Chris

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

Post some more info on the car, esp pics of the areas that make you think its a Motion car. Also Joel could be contacted with the VIN but its not a free service he provides. Plenty of members here that can try to help.

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

The engine is a 396 375 H.P. 4 bolt main. The suffex # stamped is CE71755. With a date code of E-16-8. This is not like any # I have seen on any B/B Chevy motors I have had. Most start with a T. The one thing I have found is all the freeze out plugs have a wire holding them in. The block & plugs have been drilled to do this. The motor had a factory G.M. aluminum intake with a Holley 3 bbl carb on it. The dist is a Mallory D/P with a Mallory coil on the fender well. Plus the hood is a factory steel with a round circle where the air cleaner sits. It was not cut out with a saw. It is rolled like a factory bend. It has a L-88 fiber glass hood scoop that was molded to it. The rear spoiler has been cut on both trunk lines & the end pieces have been molded to the rear quarters. The car has a 12 bolt rear & is a factory 4 speed. It has a real M-22 in it. All with the proper date codes. I may be wrong but I need to be sure. I do know that I can E-Mail Jole. But I do not want to spend the $$ if I do not have more things that lead me to believe it is infact a Motion car. Or worked on by Motion. I have talked to a guy who worked at Motion back in the 70's. (Eric of mean street in Island park N.Y.) He said he can remember a 68 SS with the same hood & rear spoiler. It was painted red white & blue with stars & strips. It was a stock race car that was street legal. Not saying this is the car. Trying to get more info before I spend the money to I.D. it. The car was built in California (Van Nun). Is it possible it is a Motion car built in Cal ? Any help would be great. Thanks Chris

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

Can you double check your engine stamping of CE71755.
Did you miss a digit or letter?

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

I think it would be highly unlikely that a VN car made it to Long Island as a new car. A "CE" coded block just means the original engine was replaced at one time potentially as a warranty replacement. So far, nothing really says Motion to me, but keep digging.

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think it would be highly unlikely that a VN car made it to Long Island as a new car.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not to take away from the thread but why wouldn't a new car make it that far? I have a 1981 Van Nuys Z/28 that was sold new at English Chevrolet in Lawrence MA. The build sheet that shows that.

Rick H.

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

I would say that a CE block WOULD point towards a motion car. Since a crate 427 would be a CE. How do you know the engine is a 396? Have you checked the casting number and date on the block? Why not sand off some primer to see if it is infact red/white and blue? It you pull the tank you may find a build sheet, if 68 LA cars had them. I know all LA 69's did. What color was the car originally. Maybe it was a special paint car that had to come out of LA. Every competition orange car I have seen has been out of LA. Hopefully you will find good things!

Jason

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

May not have been sold there new but it may have made a trip there after it came east !!! Lot of odd sounding stuff on that car...I would definitely keep digging...something like the molded spoiler would have to be remembered by Joel...

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

Check the casting number on the block by the distributor..

Re: 68 SS 396 CAMARO MAYBE A MOTION CAR
 

The block casting # 3955272. It has 3919840 heads with D-22-8 & E-20-68 date codes. Car build date is June. (06C) The car was striped of all paint before it was primered. Under the L-88 scoop it is Maroon. Cowl tag has it with Gold standard buckets & Cordovan Maroon paint color. Weard color combo. Maybe this is why they painted it.