JL8 Camaro

[Kent]

Hello!

My friend just bought a Camaro that has been sitting in a garage for several years. We used to stand an look at it when we were kids.

A couple of months ago my friend saw the guy that own the car and asked him if he still had it and if it was for sale and the guy said yes he still had it an that he would think about selling it. a few months has now passed and he got to buy the car.

The plan was to put a modern drive line in the car and all the other resto mod stuff. But now we have stumbled upon some things that suggest that the car is a JL8 Camaro…….

SOOO, how do you determine this except for the rear axel?

The car was original red with a vinyl top.

/Kent

[Joseph Marconi]

Kent,

According to CRG , 1969 JL8 cars were only assembled between February 1969 to May 1969, so the trim tag on the firewall would need to show the assembly date between
02A up to up 05E.

There was also a difference in the master cylinders, quote from CRG

“1969 J52 disc brakes used the US-stamped master cylinder. 1969 JL8 four wheel disc brakes used a similar master cylinder, though the stamped code is unconfirmed at this time. The only difference between the master cylinders was the J52 master cylinder had a check valve in the outlet for the rear drum brakes, whereas the JL8 master cylinder did not have any check valves.

Check CRG website out as it has plenty of info to keep you occupied!

If a real JL8 he hit the jackpot with only 206 made in 69. Good luck.
http://www.camaros.org/suspen.shtml#JL8

Is that your 70 Chevelle? I want one!

Joe

[Kent]

Thank you Joe!

So here is the update… even the master cylinder is the right one but, the cars assembly date is 08C so I guess that puts the nail in the coffin for the car being a JL8 Camaro?

The car is also missing the pressure regulator valve as the JL8 cars did….. What to do, it all seems to be right but not the build date.

The Chevelle is mine, I have been working on it for 6 years and finally last summer I got it on the road. Doing some miner adjustments to it right now.

It is a Pro touring car with Umi A-arms and adjustable rear arms an coilover. The engine is a Ls1 connected to a 4L60E transmisson.

I see you have a Camaro? That is my next car to be bought and given a makeover!

/Thanks!

[V8 Staff]

Very interesting!

I guess the question is about the other items on the car and the overall condition. It might not be a real JL8, but if it has other goodies it might be better to keep original than modify.

Of course, you can always do bolt-ons and reversible mods…

Check out:
V8 Radio Podcast: https://www.v8radio.com
V8TV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/V8TV

[Joseph Marconi]

Very nice Kent, 6 years!, I don’t think I would have the patience to work on a car for that long before I could drive it. Also appears we have the same tastes except we have each others car…If you have more pics or photobucket account etc. I would love to see more of it.

I’ve had my 69 for over 10 years now and slowly changing, upgrading things as I go along. Nothing too radical, 350 cu.in naturally aspirated with turbo 350 trans. Next steps will be Hotchkis springs and leafs, going to 12 bolt 3:73 posi from Moser and then dropping in Tremec 5 speed. Last upgrade will be 383 stroker but you know things could change. Would love to clone her into a COPO (it is an X44 car) but I think the money would be better spent getting my 70 Chevelle, Here is a link to a few pics.

http://s10.photobucket.com/user/z282nv/library/?sort=2&page=1

Joe

[Frank Szymkowski]

I remember as a kid seeing a 69 Camaro that was a few years old(it was about 1975) that had the JL8 brakes AND cross ram. I never seen it again. it was black and instilled in my memory for 40 years now. I wonder the story on that car

[Kent]

Very nice Kent, 6 years!, I don’t think I would have the patience to work on a car for that long before I could drive it. Also appears we have the same tastes except we have each others car…If you have more pics or photobucket account etc. I would love to see more of it.

I’ve had my 69 for over 10 years now and slowly changing, upgrading things as I go along. Nothing too radical, 350 cu.in naturally aspirated with turbo 350 trans. Next steps will be Hotchkis springs and leafs, going to 12 bolt 3:73 posi from Moser and then dropping in Tremec 5 speed. Last upgrade will be 383 stroker but you know things could change. Would love to clone her into a COPO (it is an X44 car) but I think the money would be better spent getting my 70 Chevelle, Here is a link to a few pics.

http://s10.photobucket.com/user/z282nv/library/?sort=2&page=1

Joe

I bought the car as a empty body on the frame. I even had too buy spindles for it to roll it out of the garage it had been in. The previous owner had painted it 8 years earlier but never started putting it back together.

It took 6 years to rebuild because during the rebuild I have had 2 children and a also bought a old house that I totally restored and built up from the ground up. It started with me telling me girlfriend that the kitchen had to be remodeled, one month later the whole house was empty…. :whistle: It´s like cars… i´m just going to…… and X years later it is totally rebuilt.

I have a photobucket, its 428 pictures……. all from the build:
http://s651.photobucket.com/user/Chevelle_LS/library/?sort=3&page=1

I´m in the progress now of putting in 3 point rear seatbelts so that the kids can come and enjoy the car with me.

/Kent

[Kent]

So, the Camaro!

I´m starting to think that it actually is a JL8 car even if the build date is later then 05E. We have looked thru the car and all the numers on it are the same August, even the axel and it is a true JL8 axel. The axel “tubes” are tapered at the end like the Jl8 axel.

I have also found 2 cars for sale with later dates then 05E one on mecum and the should know what they are selling…….

https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail.cfm?lot_id=DA0913-165418 go thru the pictures and when you come to the body fisher plate it clearly says 09A = September 1 week even later then the car my friend has.

There seems to be no end to this…. :unsure:

[Joseph Marconi]

Kent,

I have not checked your photbucket account yet as is it down right now. But I will.

On the chance that the Camaro is a JL8 I would highly recommend that you have your buddy take pictures of the features pointing towards JL8 include the trim tag and send them to Kurt Sonen. He has the resources to figure out these things and you never know it could lead to changing the time frame beyond 5E or it could lead to just someone putting in a JL8 rear end in the car at one time. You can reach Kurt at his email address:

KurtS2@gmail.com

More on Kurt and the crew at CRG here.

http://www.camaros.org/aboutcrg.shtml

Trust me these guys know their Camaro’s.

All the best, Joe

[Kent]

Thanks once again Joe!

I looked thru your photobucket and all I can say is that your Camaro is in great shape! But I was even more impressed by the number of awards that you had, I guess they are from winning different car events. I’m still waiting for my first award. I got close last summer when my car was had picked to compete in the 10 most outstanding category at a show I went to only 30 cars were allowed to compete. My car was the only one that was home built all the others had project leaders and a whole crew behind them. So my take on it was that I had already won when the judges came to look att the car and they interviewed me infront of all those people 🙂

I will forward the mail address to my buddy so that he can contact Kurt and get to the bottom of this.

I will check in with the progress.

[Joseph Marconi]

No problem Kent, hope it checks out for your buddy and another JL8 is found.

Finally got a chance to look at all your pictures…whew you sure had a lot of work on your plate. The car turned out great. Don’t let the trophy thing bother you. I would trade all of mine in for only 1/4 the skills you posses. My wife complains that I keep bringing home another dust collector……she has a point but I can’t let her know that she’s right.

Hope you find your 69 Camaro soon, I keep looking for the right 70 Chevelle but I have to save a few more pennies first.

Joe

[Kent]

Thank´s Joe!

My buddy went on a 10 day snowmobile trip yesterday so nothing is going to happen before he gets back from playing in the snow.

My hunt for a 69 Camaro is in the same state as you, finding the right one and having the money to pay for it…. It will take a ahwile before I am there I think.

/Kent

[V8 Staff]

Any updates?

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V8TV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/V8TV

[Kent]

Hello!

Nothing yet, I gave the address to my buddy but after he got home from his trip he has been neck dip in work and family.

We had lunch the other day and he just shook his head and said that he has not been out to the garage since he got home.

I will update as soon as something happens.

[V8 Staff]

Thanks! Sounds like a really cool car, I look forward to hearing the latest!

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V8TV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/V8TV

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