I'm going to buy a '68 Camaro project car, probably tomorrow. It's probably an SS car since it has 12-bolt rear and disc brakes.

How do I tell the difference between a regular 8-cylinder Camaro and an SS 350 and a big block?

How do I tell if it came with an automatic or a 4-speed?

What kind of Camaro would a 12-bolt rear have come in?

Roberta welcome to Team Camaro. The 12 bolt could be ordered with several engines. Disc brakes also could be ordered and do not by themselves mean a car is an SS. Slide into the Tag section and use the 'search' feature where you can read up on how others went thru the same process. There are so many ways to clone or fake a camaro these days, and 68 and 69 can be the hardest to decode since the cowl tag and VIN dont tell you if its an SS or not, with a few exceptions.
If you are buying it because the seller says its an SS without POP card or dealer invoice etc, take notes about it, take pics and see if the seller will hold it while you research the info. before you buy it.
An auto. car will only have the brake and gas pedal, a 4 speed will have the clutch pedal in addition to a smaller size brake pedal and gas pedal. 12 bolts came in many different kinds of camaros so dont let that be a determining factor in much of anything, but it along with other factors help add up at times to what a car was or is.
The tag section would like the VIN and cowl numbers and engine and tranny and axle codes too if you can get them.
Good luck, if you want an extra set of eyes to help you, ask in the Bench section for help.
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68's are tough, because there's little documentation on the car itself.

There is a code on the front of the pass side of the block which tells all (or most) regarding the powertrain. Info here includes: partial VIN (does it match the car?) 2 letter code for engine size, hp, and manual or automatic trans, assemby date of engine (should be within a few weeks before Aassy dayte of car (on cowl tag)

Check http://www.camaros.org for casting numbers and stuff. The article below, while not specifically about the SS, goes into it pretty deep. with lots of pictures.

http://www.camaro-untoldsecrets.com/articles/article_fs.htm

If you'll be paying a premium for an SS, be very careful. It seems there are MORE 68 SS's on the road today than chevy ever really built....lol

The cast date on the motor will not always be within a few weeks of the build on the car in 1968. Mine is a LOS car with the original motor with the partial VIN matching, carb, heads, intake, and exhaust manifolds. The car was built the 3rd week of July 1968. However, the block has a casting date of November 1967. The heads were cast with a date code of I and J of 1967.

Confused, I contacted a tech at Year One who stated that many 68's were fitted this way due to the carryover of motors from 67. Seemed to make sense since there were not as many SS 350's built in 68.

As for the SS, check the springs on the hood. SS cars had 28 coils versus 26. You can also check for the brake proportioning valve on the frame rail underneath the drivers seat. If it exists, look at the tire pressure sticker on the glove box door. If I remember correctly the SS 350 stickers should list F70x14 tires. Someone correct me if I am wrong.