[JohnZ]

Re: How do you spot a True SS without orig. engine, trans or rear axle?

While I have your ear, let me take advantage of your knowledge. What year was the X body car moved to Norwood? I’m pretty sure the Firebirds were moved there in mid year ’69 as the Lordstown plant was being tooled for the H body cars; I’m thinking it was a strike year, maybe ’72? I think they were only there for a couple of years while the X body plant was retooled for the new body style in ’75.

Norwood built the 1st-generation Chevy II prior to 1967; after that all they built was F-bodies; Firebird was added in April, 1969. The X-body cars were built at Willow Run from 1963 until it was converted to B-body Caprice in the early 90's.

 

[JohnZ]

Re: How do you spot a True SS without orig. engine, trans or rear axle?

During strike years all bets were off, especially when the executives ran the lines.

The executives never "ran the lines" - that's another "urban legend"; where do you suppose they'd find 4,000 executives to "run the lines"?

Every year was some kind of "strike year" at Norwood; they had the most backward, ignorant, intransigent, stubborn, radical, and short-sighted local union leadership in all of General Motors. That's why we closed the plant and launched the 4th-generation product at Ste. Therese. The workforce and their local union leadership dug their own grave.

 

[Kurt S]

Re: How do you spot a True SS without orig. engine, trans or rear axle?

In ‘69 due to the extended model change over problems many ‘70 coded engines and transmissions found their way into 69 Camaro’s along with ‘70 Nova rear ends among other parts.

Z28’s never had headers in their trunk from the factory, they were dealer items and not supplied with, or on the cars. In the early ‘70’s for a short time, Oldsmobile cars went down the line, (test period? Is that an Olds rear end, or steering box, or spring in your car? It can’t be correct, right?) Some late ’69 small block SS cars got 10-bolt rear ends, and some got 4-leaf springs due to supply/parts issues in the extended model run.

Interesting, but this has been documented.
The late 69's received the 1970 axle coding (70 Nova and 69 Camaro axles are the same).
67-8 Z28's did have headers in the trunk.
I think there are service bulletins on the useage of Olds parts (Olds cars were not built there to my knowledge).
The only 69 SS cars to get 10 bolts were those with Powerglides. 4 leaf springs were used on several models, depending on weight and options.

 

[RonM]

Re: How do you spot a True SS without orig. engine, trans or rear axle?

A few years ago I had my car ( "68" L30/M20 ) at a local show and two gentlemen were looking it over fairly close. After a while one of them asked if the car came with the tach and guages. I told him the dates line up with the rest of the car but the tach has the wrong redline. ( I have since found out the redline is correct and the catalogs are wrong ). He said he and his buddy used to work at Norwood and his reason for asking was they did'nt remember the 327 cars having the tach and guages just the SS's and the Z28's. But he said if the dates line up they probably are original and he would'nt worry about the redline because if they ran out of the correct part they would use what they had to keep the cars moving along. RonM