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Factory sunroof in a Camaro?? I'd never heard of this!

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25K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  3forme  
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#1 ·
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#2 ·
I found it very interesting and would like to learn more!

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70 z/28 4sp,71 camaro hugger orange/white stripes,2000 v8 Grand cherokee.
 
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#4 ·
Me thinks we are right. There weren't any American first gen's made with sun roofs.

Hows a body ta know they were produced although only put together in Europe with a sun roof option. Hope nobody got offended over at that site due to American ignorance. GM musta really been proud off them not ta let us in on the story, uh. IMHO!! pdq67
 
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#6 ·
I saw such a car, it was in the for sale area at Gainesville Super Chevy last year. It was a '67 RS/SS B/B car, with a factory sunroof. The cowl tag had an export # on it, and stated, G.M. of France. It was unusual to say the least. it was the first one I had ever seen. Kinda compared to those Novas with the sliding sunroof option, odd looking.

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Many Used Parts for Chevelles, and Camaros- Just ask!
 
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#10 ·
You're not kidding Mike, I posted the return link over there at Chevytalk becuase I remembered the the discussiont that Kurt and the guys had over here back then. This is one aspect of the first gen's that many people dispute. I would really like to know the truth. I wonder how we could find it out ... hummmmmmmmmmm

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Bryan Shook
Favorite Quote - Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.
My Father's 1968 RS 327!
My First Generation Camaro site
 
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#11 ·
I don't know if any of you are thinking of doing a conversion once u get the info, ill tell ya its probably not worth it on a classic camaro. I have an '89 Bonneville SSE, well actually its an LE, and i bought a totalled SSE, and totally rewirec mine, swaped entire interiors and all the options and body panels. But anyways, then it had all the options i wanted accept the full power sunroof. So i picked up a factory sunroof unit for like $50, and set out to install it. I did a lot of homework and was very meticulous and carefull about doing this, but i got it done and it basically works, but it does leak a bit, although not into the car it all drains like it is supposed to. But the main problem is that the roof is messed up now, its not bad by any means, but u can deffinately tell. Anyways i don't know if anyone is gonna try it even, but just thought this might help if anyone is gonna try it. My uncle who is a body man was just recently visiting, and he said it actually looked damned good, so im not dissapointed with it at all, i just would not try it on my classic camaro.

'69 Z28/RS
'89 Bonneville SSE
 
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#12 ·
I have one of these cars that was assembled in Belgium, minus the sunroof. I bought this car because of how unique it is. NO one else has one. I'm not near done restoring mine. I don't know much else about these cars, as Kurt S. has previously stated, no one knows that much about these cars.

I bought an original K/M speedo last summer from a guy in Sweden. Luckily, he had a speedo. laying around from a car he dismantled 15 years ago. He told me that most of the cars that came from the Antwerp, Belgium plant were highly optioned cars (SS, RS, etc.) He asked if mine had a sunroof, and if it had the original engine. He told me a lot of the camaros came out of the plant with 283's. Keep in mind, this is what he said, not something that was actually documented. He owns a '67 RS convertible from the plant w/ power windows and disc brakes.

My car is a '68 SS small block car, originally white on the outside. Black Deluxe interior with fold down rear seat, tach/gauges, power brakes, rear window defroster, remote mirror (missing), and the "flash to pass" option. The seat belts are very different from my other '68.

I've given my info. to Kurt S. and he told me he only has a few in his database.

I doubted that these cars existed, as does most everyone else, but they are alive and well. I know mine was bought new in Germany and shipped back to the states in the early seventies. I know that this is true because of the amount of German money I've found under the carpet, as well as the dates on the coins. 1972 was the latest.Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation to back this up, just a story.

[This message has been edited by BelgianSS (edited 01-23-2001).]
 
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#13 ·
Oh Yes
They really do exist ....

Ive owned mine since 1976 , purchased it in England at that time I was a younger person and required my Father to register it
The Camaro was first registered in Belgium in March '67 and remained there until a month or so prior to our purchase
We visited many shows in the UK thoughout the 80s and I imported the car to the US when I relocated in 1999

As best as I can determine, the body was sent as assembled SKD kit
and there the body was offered upto the running gear etc
Due to the 'non high volume' probably almost hand assembled in one of the GM Antwerpen ( GM Continental SA ) assembly halls that for the most part was specific to its native Opel product.

Typically Antwerpen Camaros had unusual features that generally dont jive with the regular US format
Most of the Belgium cars ( and that figure is approx 6 - 7 that I have seen in last 35 years ) have L6 250 or 327
Not sure if these are 'export' engines though
Fold down rear seats, deluxe interiors and often manual steering but
power disc brakes seams to have been the norm with rally wheels
I have 14 x 6 rallys and still have the original 7.35 x 14 made in Belgium Uniroyal , displaying the European method of cross lining the
digit 7.......this is really unusual on a tyre

Oh , also 200 speedo ( calibrated - but not stated in KPH )

Not all , but some were equipped with the 'factory sunroof' this was of a manual - non electric operation

My own has the sunroof ,
I have seen another 2 cars with the exact same roof , which in general terms is pretty large in comparison with the flat area of the roof.
I have also seen retro roofs on early Camaros and the Paris Auto show car certainly had a different type of sunroof.
The Paris car may actually have been completely built in the US and adapted to French regs ...... really not sure - this was in the Volo museum some 4 years ago

My Camaro Does Not have any vynle roof covering to mask a conversion or retro package, in fact the roof is ultra straight and a metallic !
I took the car down in the early eighties and could see evidence from paint that the sunrooof system was installed in the factory ahead of any paint application. well that was 25 years ago and I will plan on doing the same thing again in the future and will have someone appraise the car as it gets dissassembled to veryfy what I am stating here.

I am not too sure on colours available, I have seen a cream and a dark green ( I think darker than Forest Green )
My Camaro is metallc Silver from the get go , the firewall painted at the same time as exterior and silver all the way down to the floor pan seam.
The trunk has never seen any spatter paint and is finished the same colour but a more lighter color mist .


I provided pretty well the same details to Kurt S some 5 years ago
I also drove my car to the North East Camaro Nats in NH in 2000 where it was very well received

Probably the most famous 'sunroof; was the white car that was urchase new in Germany by a member of the USAF , this has spot lights and a black vynel roof , featured in Super Chevy in circe 1987 and I understand went through an auction in FL in the late 90s

Hope this provides some light on this interesting subject

All the best
Robin
 
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#14 ·
Robin, that was a great first post! What a fascinating subject. Any chance of seeing photos of this car of yours, particularly the sunroof and tires? I also felt the posting from BelgianSS was right on, but he's saying the V8 cars were mostly 283ci whereas you're saying 327ci--personally, I'd have to agree with the 283ci figure from the few samples available.
 
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#15 ·
I have a 200 KMPH speedo from a 1967 Camaro given to me by a Dutch friend who had brought his cars to Australia, then took them back to Holland when he returned to his home country. We have KMPH now and I intend to use the speedo in my 67 Rag. All good things to add to the collection!!!
 
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#17 ·
My pics are on a not so old laptop that has issues
Once I extract them I will post

In the meantime I am really knocked over by the enthusiasm and comments on this Belgium - Export - Euro subject

I also should say for the most part I beleive that Belgium V8 camaros were 327 cu in ....... However if the Swedes state that they were for the most part 283 then that is what they were !

Coming from the UK , its a well known fact you dont argue with the Swedish guys in terms of Bowtie performance , infact any type of performance - they are the most proffesional out there
Any one who gets chance to be in England during September should make a point of visiting Santa Pod raceway to see the FIA European Finals ( what really is / was the real - World Finals )
Scandanavians know exactly what they talk about and can dominate !





Back on track
I was interested in seeing the pics of the green sunroof car in Sweden , this was previously yellow - I have pics

Also the ex Swiss car pics,
As best as I understand, cars in ,more recent times were imported into Switzerland as a pretty well complete car exported from the US , and converted to local ( very stringent regs ) in the Bienne facility located in the western, French speaking area .
At that time the Swiss style Vin tag is fitted .
In the 20s - 40s think there may have been actually partial assembly performed in Beinne
Remember Louis Chevrolet was from this part of Switzerland !
I think he generated local employment, ie maybe rubbing noises of swiss upper democracy that he should have been producing cars in their country from the get go and not being forced to head to the US to make it happen !

I have been interested in these topic for too many years ......

Oh,
on the ex Swiss car, I see the inspection tag displayed the town of Langental, this is just up the road from my parent Swiss company.

The Swiss also very serious with their cars despite Mega high taxation tarrifs for cars over 1 Litre ! they do cruise the streets to a reasonable degree .
I have opertunity to visit their annual show in May in Zuchwill ( Solothurn Kanton ) the standard of restored , but probably moreso unrestored cars i saw last year was very high.

check the follwing site
I will post some more pics of this show
http://www.fnc.ch/American Live/seite_american_live.htm


All the best
Robin
 
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#19 ·
I think I may have posted this before: I worked at a Chevrolet Dealer in New Jersey from April of 68 to Dec of 68 as a Line Tech. I had the misfortune of trying to fix a leaking Sunroof on a 68 Camaro that was special ordered and the owner a young Lady was very upset because the top leaked and made noise on the hyway. The Car was so bad from the top they wound up giving her another Camaro and I think Chevrolet took the Car back and scrapped it. I am not sure but I think it was Made by Hess and Eisenhardt the same people who built Limos and Funeral Cars. I had the Car back in My stall three times and couldn't get it to stop leaking. The Sunroof looked just like the ones on the Early 70s GM cars. It was alot of years ago and this is the best I can remember about it. One last thing I remember it had a vynl roof
 
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#20 ·
I have a 1968 RS 327 275hp.Matador Red with black vinyl top.The car came from Paris,France.Trim tag on rt side says GM of FRANCE. Does come with a sunroof. ALOT OF OPTIONS: power windows,fold down seat,center console with gauges,deluxe interior,rear defroster,posi,deluxe bumper guards,200klh with tic-toc-tach ,power disc brake,tilt,tinted glass, power steering,and etc.
 
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