[travlinz28]

I bought this car last year from a backyard in Southern California where it had been sitting in the same spot since 1986. Upon getting it home I confirmed my suspicion that it is a real JL8 car with every factory component still on it. The car isn't for sale but I would like to get some opinions. I have friends who say this car has more value parted out since it has every original JL8 component and it would take $20,000 just in body and paint work to restore it. I am a purist and don't think I could bring myself to part a car that is 1 of 206 made. What makes it even more unusual is the car was not a Z/28 or a Super Sport. It was a factory a/c with 4 speed plain jane. The original steering wheel shroud has the bowtie on it. It is an X11 car built the fifth week of May.

The car needs quarters, floors, trunk pan, a roof skin, and fenders. The frame rails are mint. The cowl and firewall are excellent. The subframe is very nice. The original engine and trans are gone.

So here are the questions: 1. Would you part it and if so what is the value of the JL8 stuff? 2. Would you restore it and what do you think it would be worth with a nut/bolt restoration?

[travlinz28]

Here is a pic.

[JimM]

That's a toughie. It's very possibly an L30/M20 car, reasonably desireable even without the JL8. With those brakes and factory air, it's indeed a special car, and it would be wonderful to preserve it.

Problem is docs. To build any kind of resale value on a highly optioned plain jane 68, you need a buildsheet, pop, and owner history.

Once it's done, the "value" that is obvious to you now would be covered over in new paint, and without that pedigree it's just another "over-restored car"

[Fred Ficarra]

That body work is a nightmare. I believe, through the wheel flairs, that it's a 69. If you part it, give me a call. I nearly bought the JL8. Sad story. I was ordering my car and asked how much for the 4 wheel disc's. The TWO salesmen left the room and were gone for the longest time. They came back with a piece of paper with the sum of $512.00 written on it. That was more than my 375 hp 396 or any other option but I hemmed and hawed for at least 10 minutes trying to figure out a way to pull it off. It was also nearly 2 months pay. I passed. My SS brakes are great and still original. Only been turned once but as Hotrod said 20 years ago, the JL8 is the #1 Camaro option of all time. ZL1 owners would argue.

[RPOL72]

Personally, I think the JL8 is associated with the Z cars in most people's minds, so it would take a real enthusiast to pay big $ for a non-Z JL8 car. I liken it to the yellow '69 COPO Chevelle that was sold at B-J last year. The car had Malibu trim, which made it extremely rare and unique, and something I'd have paid a premium for if I had been in the market. But I think most bidders saw the Malibu trim as a negative and the car brought (IMO) relatively disappointing money. To me, your car is unbelievably cool (I remember when you discovered it and posted pics here) but to others its uniqueness may be lost because there's no '302' or 'SS' badge. For the love of god, though, don't part it out! I have saved worse, even when I lived in southern Cal.

[Gary L]

I may get some flack here, but who is to say what engine it came with. It probably did not come with a 307. Does it have the Muncie hole in the firewall? Does it have the dual exhaust hanger reinforcement? I say make it a correct LM1 restoration. It will be a very cool car. Just mho.

[HawaiianCamaro]

I vote for restoring it and keeping it as sold new. Yes the 69 Zs had them but with this one not being a Z thats one less of the 206 units made and i would say rarer than a JL8 Z car. They JL8 Z car would sell for more but this one restored would sell for more than others with the same engine size

[travlinz28]

It is a single exhaust car with no Muncie hole. The car was used for trailering so my guess is it had the low hp 350. Since it probably had a Saginaw, did they use the same Hurst linkage as the Muncie?

[DjD]

Gregg - Don't let some of these guy saying part it sway you... There may be 1 or 2 cars like it in existance. To me that's rare and if you do a proper restoral on the car I think it will pay for itself as time goes by. Most of the really rare super cars that have survived have been discovered already. BB ragtops, pace cars and now Z/28s are all getting snatched up restored and are traded on the market at record prices. What's next in the camaro world? I think the guy with an orig paint & drivetrain survivor I6 will find his pot of gold some day because nobody will have one. Where does that leave a 4-speed AC car with JL-8 brakes? It's a V8, 4-speed, posi rearend from the factory and it's got factory 4 wheel disks... What a great combination!!

Now all that said I looked at all the pic's of teh brakes and now the shots here in this thread and will caution you. It could be an orig car but the wheel wells and western cyclone wheels lead me to wonder about it. In the 70's I would have died to have Sam Foose (ya Chips dad) pull flairs on my 69 and if I would have come across a jl-8 setup I would have put it to use... That said the picture make things look like they have been there forever but could have been added and still had time to look as they do. I'd be on a hunt for doc's or other proof if at all possible. It could be 100% factory but once restored if you can't prove it rolled off the assembly line that way it will be questioned big time...

If the car were mine, I'd be thinking about bringing the car back with the flairs and wheels etc. That's the time frame when I was really opening my eyes to custom cars. In fact I put those wheels on my first Camaro.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by travlinz28

It is a single exhaust car with no Muncie hole. The car was used for trailering so my guess is it had the low hp 350. Since it probably had a Saginaw, did they use the same Hurst linkage as the Muncie?

Pretty sure all 69's used the Hurst shifter/GM rod combo. The guy that ordered it must have felt safer towing with the rear disks.

[JimM]

that is a 69, isn't it?
Those nasty flairs screwed me up!

[sharpie]

Originally Posted by DjD

Gregg - Don't let some of these guy saying part it sway you... There may be 1 or 2 cars like it in existance. To me that's rare and if you do a proper restoral on the car I think it will pay for itself as time goes by. Most of the really rare super cars that have survived have been discovered already. BB ragtops, pace cars and now Z/28s are all getting snatched up restored and are traded on the market at record prices. What's next in the camaro world? I think the guy with an orig paint & drivetrain survivor I6 will find his pot of gold some day because nobody will have one.

Do you Really think the I6 will be worth leaving as is, I have 2 #'s cars, I6 verts I have been debating the same, Do I cut it up or restore as is????

[Gary L]

I know you asked DJD, but never cut up a convertible.

[wagonman]

its a 1968? from what i understand the jl-8 option wasnt even available untill mid 1969! as a matter of fact it wasnt even considered in 1968.the option code was named jl-8 in 69. all 206 jl-8 cars are the 69 model year!

it was called a service package in 67-68. it started in k 15 67.there is a diffrence in the two rear end housings..

the service package rear end housing has larger bearings and axle tubes on the ends.

the j-l8 used a "normal" tube similar to a regular 12 rear end.the tubes tapered down on the ends and used regular size axle bearings.

[RamAirDave]

Its a 69.