Hey guys, I noticed that the 1968 Camaro's used different wheelwell mouldings for the RS and the RS/SS as compared to the SS or the z/28. The RS and the RS/SS used a three piece lower body side moulding that would have interfered with the front wheel well mouldings that extended down competely to the bottom of the fender. The Z/28 and the regular SS's used a one piece lower body side moulding that ended clear enough from the front fender well to allow for the front whell well trim to extend down to the bottom of the opening.
You may ask how I came about this. At the All GM Nationals in Carlisle, PA. this year while cleaning my father's 1968 Rally Sport on the showfield after some horrific rains, I noticed that his cars wheel well mouldings did not extend down as far as the '68 SS that was parked next to him. I told my dad about it and we both agreed. (He purchased the car in 1993 and it was painted in the around 1984 and hadn't been on the road until 2001.) So we were just browsing the barn where the judges just so happened to be certifying a 1968 RS/SS on a lift (they were checking tranny numbers) and my dad pointed out it's wheel well mouldings did not extend the entire way down, just like his on his RS. The RS/SS was a low milage car and also had the 3 piece lower body side moulding. In the building a little further down there was a 1968 Z/28 and it had a one piece body moulding and it had the same wheel well opening mouldinds that the SS did that was out on the showfield, the ones that reached the bottom of the fenders. I approached the judges about this and to get some clarification. The one I asked didn't have a clue what I was talking about until I showed him on the '68 Z/28 and the '68 RS/SS. He was amazed and asked the other judges. Well none of them had ever noticed before and began to scrounge through their books and didnt' come up with anything. The assembly manual they looked in didn't offer much insight with the Z/28 mouldings, but they all agreed that there was a major difference in the wheel well trim of the 3 cars (RS and RS/SS share the shorter wheel well trim and the Z/28 and the SS share the longer wheel well trim). After this conversation we found that one of the cars in the building (I'm not going to say which one, had repo mouldings that were trimmed to look like genuine RS mouldings. You could see the cut marks, he didn't file down his work very well.) Out on the show field we found plenty of examples of 1968 RS Camaros using the longer wheel well trim that was incorrect. For the most part, the RS's using the 3 piece lower side moulding and the longer wheel well trim (the only style that is Repo'd) there was an interference issue with the front of the first piece of the lower body moulding.
Here are pictures of what I'm talking about
First one - 1968 Camaro RS/SS -
![Image]()
Second one - 1968 Camaro RS/SS (The low milage car) -
![Image]()
Third One - 1968 Camaro Z/28 (almost perfect example of a '68 Z, this car had factory headers, plenum air intake, etc. -
![Image]()
Now that you see the differences, I have looked in my Chevrolet Ilustration Catalog Models thru 1975 (effective October 1976) and the Chevrolet Parts Manual - Models thru 1975 (effective October 1976)
The illustration book shows on page 8-45 that the Moulding (RS) was part number 3928529 and 3928530 and lists these mouldings as group 8.132. So I checked out my parts catalog, group 8.132. It shows part number 9785881 as the left hand one for 1967 and 1968 w/ ext. trim, R.S. The right hand one is also listed for 1967 and 1968 w/ ext. trim, R.S. and it's part number is 9785880. There is a note with each of these and the note reads "It may be necessary to rework as required using old parts as a guide."
The illustration manual lists part numbers 9785880 and 9785881 as fitting 1967 R.S..
It would be interesting in hearing from anyone with a parts or illustration catalog that predates mine. Such as one from 1968 or one of the ones published in 1970 or 1971.
Either way, this is just another thing to ponder. BTW, 9785881 and 9785880 are still availible through GM and www.partszoneonline.com are selling them for $36.78 each. Doing a seach over at www.partsvoice.com shows that some 3928529 and 3928530 are still availible from a few dealers. Probably just left of NOS stock.
This may already be common knowledge, but if it is, lot's of regular guys out there do not know this becuase I've seen many Rally Sports with the wrong moldings and the same with RS/SS's. Any insights?
------------------
Bryan Shook
Favorite Quote - Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.
My Father's 1968 RS 327!
My First Generation Camaro site
You may ask how I came about this. At the All GM Nationals in Carlisle, PA. this year while cleaning my father's 1968 Rally Sport on the showfield after some horrific rains, I noticed that his cars wheel well mouldings did not extend down as far as the '68 SS that was parked next to him. I told my dad about it and we both agreed. (He purchased the car in 1993 and it was painted in the around 1984 and hadn't been on the road until 2001.) So we were just browsing the barn where the judges just so happened to be certifying a 1968 RS/SS on a lift (they were checking tranny numbers) and my dad pointed out it's wheel well mouldings did not extend the entire way down, just like his on his RS. The RS/SS was a low milage car and also had the 3 piece lower body side moulding. In the building a little further down there was a 1968 Z/28 and it had a one piece body moulding and it had the same wheel well opening mouldinds that the SS did that was out on the showfield, the ones that reached the bottom of the fenders. I approached the judges about this and to get some clarification. The one I asked didn't have a clue what I was talking about until I showed him on the '68 Z/28 and the '68 RS/SS. He was amazed and asked the other judges. Well none of them had ever noticed before and began to scrounge through their books and didnt' come up with anything. The assembly manual they looked in didn't offer much insight with the Z/28 mouldings, but they all agreed that there was a major difference in the wheel well trim of the 3 cars (RS and RS/SS share the shorter wheel well trim and the Z/28 and the SS share the longer wheel well trim). After this conversation we found that one of the cars in the building (I'm not going to say which one, had repo mouldings that were trimmed to look like genuine RS mouldings. You could see the cut marks, he didn't file down his work very well.) Out on the show field we found plenty of examples of 1968 RS Camaros using the longer wheel well trim that was incorrect. For the most part, the RS's using the 3 piece lower side moulding and the longer wheel well trim (the only style that is Repo'd) there was an interference issue with the front of the first piece of the lower body moulding.
Here are pictures of what I'm talking about
First one - 1968 Camaro RS/SS -
Second one - 1968 Camaro RS/SS (The low milage car) -
Third One - 1968 Camaro Z/28 (almost perfect example of a '68 Z, this car had factory headers, plenum air intake, etc. -
Now that you see the differences, I have looked in my Chevrolet Ilustration Catalog Models thru 1975 (effective October 1976) and the Chevrolet Parts Manual - Models thru 1975 (effective October 1976)
The illustration book shows on page 8-45 that the Moulding (RS) was part number 3928529 and 3928530 and lists these mouldings as group 8.132. So I checked out my parts catalog, group 8.132. It shows part number 9785881 as the left hand one for 1967 and 1968 w/ ext. trim, R.S. The right hand one is also listed for 1967 and 1968 w/ ext. trim, R.S. and it's part number is 9785880. There is a note with each of these and the note reads "It may be necessary to rework as required using old parts as a guide."
The illustration manual lists part numbers 9785880 and 9785881 as fitting 1967 R.S..
It would be interesting in hearing from anyone with a parts or illustration catalog that predates mine. Such as one from 1968 or one of the ones published in 1970 or 1971.
Either way, this is just another thing to ponder. BTW, 9785881 and 9785880 are still availible through GM and www.partszoneonline.com are selling them for $36.78 each. Doing a seach over at www.partsvoice.com shows that some 3928529 and 3928530 are still availible from a few dealers. Probably just left of NOS stock.
This may already be common knowledge, but if it is, lot's of regular guys out there do not know this becuase I've seen many Rally Sports with the wrong moldings and the same with RS/SS's. Any insights?
------------------
Bryan Shook
Favorite Quote - Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.
My Father's 1968 RS 327!
My First Generation Camaro site
