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    1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 4
    1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 4
    1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 4
    Ebook191 pages1 hour

    1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 4

    By Bobby Kimbrough

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Author and muscle car expert Bobby Kimbrough provides a comprehensive examination of the all-time classic 1969 Camaro SS in Volume No. 4 of CarTech's In Detail series. He delves into the design, manufacturing, and equipment of Chevrolet's premier pony car.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCar Tech
    Release dateApr 17, 2017
    ISBN9781613254011
    1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 4
    Author

    Bobby Kimbrough

    As a senior technical editor at Chevy Hardcore online, Bobby Kimbrough is an authority on Camaro and Chevy muscle cars. Kimbrough proudly served as a helicopter mechanic in the Marine Corps, race car mechanic and builder, and currently serves as editor-in-chief of Street Rod Authority. His strong technical background gives him insight into the comprehensive nuts-and-bolts story of the Camaro.

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    Reviews for 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS

    4.5/5

    15 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      While I have read several of CarTech's publications this is the first I've read in the In Detail series. As with all of their publications this one is chock full of color photographs and design concepts in addition to some historical overview to put it all in perspective. CarTech has come through with a detailed account of the 69 Chevrolet Camaro SS that will appeal to all car enthusiasts including those who want to get into the nitty gritty details of hardware, options, and production numbers. It's all there and begs the reader to take a look at the other books in the series.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful photography, accompanied by everything you need to know about as classic American muscle car. This is an excellent addition for both collectors and enthusiasts.
    • 5/5
      Bobby Kimbrough's book on the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS is a comprehensive reference book on production models. In both print, photography and tables the author present what variations were available for offer and what was purchased. I owned a Firebird and these two cars are so similar muscle car that this was of particular interest to me. This is a perfect marketing tool and wish it was available when the car was for sale. I look forward to reading the other books in this series as well. A wonderful addition to my automotive library section.
    • 5/5
      Very informative and hubby loves it.
    • 5/5
      I selected this book since I love the 60's Camaros but have not owned one yet. I was afraid this book would be slow and too technical but luckily this book is not. It is an easy read with lots of color pictures and tables on transmission combinations and so on. This book specifically discusses the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS. There are six chapters and they are divided by information on the 1-Camaro SS, 2-Special Edition cars, 3-engine options, 4-drivetrain and chassis, 5 interior, and 6-exterior. A great book for sports car fans that wants a general overview of the car with lots of color pictures.
    • 5/5
      1969 CHEVROLET CAMERO SS: MUSCLE CARS IN DETAIL NO. 4 by Bobby Kimbrough is yet another in a growing line of outstanding car books. Although the Camaro SS is almost 50 years old, it is still a beautiful piece of art. With a great selection of photos detailing both the sleek lines of the outer skin and the rich inner details of the dash, seats and complete interior, this is a handy lok atone of the great muscle cars of the past. Camaro SS is a perfect book for owners, details or dreamers. This is another fine book from the CarTech folks that I won through LibraryThing.
    • 4/5
      My husband and I both share a love for classic muscle cars and this Muscle Cars in Detail series absolutely hits the spot. Unlike a lot of cars books out there this one manages to have great pictures and great detail. Take page 10 for instance, I love how it has a chart to break down the 1969 Camaro by the numbers, and it talks about the major changes to the 69 version. There are chapters about the engine, the drive train the interior and exterior options, and the history of the Camaro. You can enjoy this book for the full color photos or for the rich information (that's not too dry) or both!
    • 5/5
      The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS by Bobby Kimbrough is an excellent book about the special first-generation Chevrolet Camaro.The book provides information on the history of the Super Sports brand by Chevrolet. Also, the sites where they were manufactured, available engines, transmissions, exterior colors, interior colors and much, much more.For many years I thought the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS was only available with the small block engine but I learned it was available with both small and big block versions.The book also discussed the COPO 427s and the many dealer options added by Motion Performance in New York and Nicky’s Chevrolet in Chicago, Ill. Dealers like these two added a plethora of options to the SS performance package of 350 or 396 cu in V8 engine to the 427 cubic inch engines and chassis upgrades for better handling and to deal with the additional power. These SS models featured non-functional air inlets on the hood, special striping, and SS badging.If you are a muscle car lover and especially a 69 Camaro SS lover this is a book you must add to your collection. It is chocked full of information.
    • 5/5
      Must have for 1969 Camaro collectors, restorers, and fans.CarTech's "in Detail" series are pretty much all "must have" books for those interested in specific models and specific years. In this case (duh - considering the title) the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS. This specific book has nice production value photographs of this car from almost every angle, and including all aspects from engine blocks to carburetors to paint and trim configurations. The book itself is nicely organized with sections specific to engine options, drivetrain/chassis, interior and exterior. The author, Bobby Kimbrough, is a typical CarTech expert on this specific vehicle. The level of detail is quite high as exemplified by giving numerous tables on parts such as the casting numbers of various engine blocks. The various iterations and options of all parts of the car are thoroughly covered allowing the conscientious collector/restorer to verify the authenticity of an entire vehicle from bow to stern.This is a no brainer recommendation for all Camaro-ites.Note: Free copy of book supplied by publisher for review purposes.

    Book preview

    1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS - Bobby Kimbrough

    INTRODUCTION

    While the Camaro was under development...

    While the Camaro was under development, it was known internally as the Panther. Sources in General Motors have claim that as many as 2,000 names were considered before settling on the Camaro name. Of the first-generation Camaro models, muscle car enthusiasts consider the 1969 models the most desirable.

    Although it may have been rushed to the market at the outset, few automobiles left a mark on history as did the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. Officials at General Motors declared several times that the iconic Camaro was initially rushed to market in 1967 to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro should not have been a design success, said Ed Welburn, GM’s vice president of global design, as it was based on existing architecture and admittedly hurried to market to address the personal coupe revolution occurring with the baby boomer customers. Welburn’s comments came in the form of a GM press release during the Camaro’s 2009 re-launch. The 1969 model is the iconic Camaro to me, Welburn added, From the dual-plane grille design and speed lines stamped into the fenders and doors, it was original and distinctive.

    Before the fifth-generation Camaros were re-introduced after an eight-year hiatus, General Motors began releasing reviews from its engineering and design crews discussing the early-model Camaros, paying close attention to the 1969. It is one of the most popular and sought after Camaros of all time, GM Heritage Center manager Greg Wallace said. Like the 1957 Chevy, this Camaro will go down as a styling highpoint for General Motors and Chevrolet. To no one’s surprise, the 2010 Camaro was released heavily loaded with those 1969 styling cues. Wallace confirmed the observation by saying, When you look at the generation-five Camaro concept car, there’s no secret that it looks like the 1969 Camaro.

    When the 1969 Camaro was originally offered, it was met with great public adoration of its timeless rounded body design, sharp waist, and simplistic form that was lower and wider than previous models. Performance enthusiasts were infatuated with the engine options while the rest of the car buying public lusted for the sporty design and feel of Chevrolet’s contribution to the pony car wars.

    General Motor’s conventional strategy of planned obsolescence ordained a strategic overhaul of the Camaro’s appearance and chassis for the 1970 model year. The company’s initial decision to go market with a simple exterior design surprised many executives within General Motors when the car became a big hit with buyers. This gave the engineers at Chevrolet time to refine the exterior without the criticism of a failed launch. They unleashed a surprise of their own by making considerable changes in the 1969 release, an uncommon move at the time, especially one year before a major redesign. The 1969 design became the most popular first-generation Camaro.

    If Camaro was a home run in the first two years, the 1969 model was a walk-off grand slam. Most mechanical components were carried over from the previous years, while the exterior sheet metal was freshened up and reshaped with a sportier look. From nose to tail, the design looked more angled and aggressive. Inset headlights on the grille gave it a wedge-like shape. The sheet metal was formed to give the car a lower and wider appearance. This stance became known as the hugger model. The restyled dash and redesigned seats provided driver comfort at speed, but the biggest selling point was the staggering array of performance options. The five basic models supported 14 engine options.

    For the second time in three...

    For the second time in three years, the Camaro SS model was selected as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 race, an unprecedented but well-liked decision.

    This new look fit the racing image Chevrolet was carving out for its pony car. To avoid direct competition with other racing Chevrolets, Camaro targeted sports car racing. The Corvette was competing in the Le Mans series and the Chevelle had NASCAR tied up, so the Camaro was introduced into the SCCA Trans-Am racing series. Penske Racing’s Mark Donohue won three races with the race-prepped version in 1967 before his domination of the series in 1968, winning 10 races out of a 13-race season. Chevrolet knew that sales improved with each victory; it designed the 1969 Camaro to do even more damage in the Trans-Am series.

    The 1969 Camaro backed up the Penske and Donohue 1968 championship by winning 8 of 12 races against a talent-filled field, including the Mustang team of Parnelli Jones and George Follmer. The public took notice of the Camaro’s winning nature, which helped the 1969 model set production records that stood for a decade. On the dragstrip, Bill Grumpy Jenkins and Dick Mr. Chevrolet Harrell campaigned the Camaro SS from coast to coast with legendary success. The Camaro SS was chosen as the official pace car of the Indianapolis 500 for the second time, and pace car replicas were offered.

    Although the Camaro was initially rushed to the showroom, these sporty coupes left a lasting legacy. Of the first-generation models, the final year is the automotive enthusiasts’ favorite. Many experts consider the 1969 Camaro models the best of all time. Welburn surmised, It didn’t borrow from any other design and all these years later, it still looks fresh.

    This book was written to help Camaro enthusiasts identify the high-performance SS Camaro models and the options available during the 1969 campaign. Understanding what parts were available, how they were numbered and identified, and which options were outfitted with those available parts is critical in appreciating this iconic machine.

    The following chapters peel back the layers of the 1969 Camaro SS model, from the base SS 350 model to the legendary L89 special high-performance 396 Camaro SS, whose creation became the stuff of legend. Explaining the GM parts used, the documentation and codes on the cars, as well as what parts to look for, make this book a detailed look at the Camaro SS nameplate. The magic of the 1969 Camaro continues to breathe life into the latest iterations of the pony car, making it one of America’s most beloved car styles.

    CHAPTER 1

    ADVENT OF THE CAMARO SS

    The 1969 Camaro was the highest...

    The 1969 Camaro was the highest volume first-generation Camaro, selling 243,085 units in a long model run that extended from September 26, 1968, through the end of November 1969. Of those, 34,932 were SS models.

    By the end of the 1960s, the Camaro concept cars of 1965 were just a dot in the Chevrolet designer’s rearview mirror and the model was forging its own path through the world of auto styling. Unveiling a refined exterior for the new model year in 1969, Chevrolet left the horizontal panels of the roof and trunk lid virtually the same but added character lines on the body that gave the new model a streamlined look. Widening the fenders and quarter panels made the new Camaro appear lower and wider. Angular creases and modifications at the nose, fenders, and quarter panels along with molded creases from the rear of each wheel opening down

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