How much did a 1968 Camaro with a 396 engine weigh
Executive summary
A 1968 Chevrolet Camaro equipped with a 396 cubic‑inch big‑block typically weighed in the low-to-mid 3,300‑pounds range curb weight, with documented factory examples and option tables clustering around roughly 3,374–3,383 lb; exact figures varied by transmission, accessories, and special options such as aluminum heads that could shave weight [1] [2] [3].
1. What “weight” means and why figures differ
Published Camaro weights are generally curb weights—what the car weighed with standard fluids and partial fuel—and manufacturer/AMA sheets, club records and owner scales produce differing numbers because options (automatic vs. 4‑speed, power steering/brakes, radio, air conditioning, wheel/tire choices, and whether the car is a coupe or convertible) add or subtract pounds; option tables and forum compilations show both a baseline V‑8 coupe and discrete weight adders for the 396, so one must read each source’s definition of “curb” or “factory” weight before comparing numbers [4] [2].
2. Factory documents and an owner‑weighed example
A direct, owner‑reported factory weight from a Team Camaro post cites a 1968 car with an iron‑headed 396, Muncie four‑speed, 12‑bolt rear, no power steering or power brakes, partial fuel and no spare, weighing 3,374 lb with about 59% of the mass on the front axle—this is a real, documented example that illustrates where a typical SS‑396 can land when stripped of many convenience options [1].
3. Option tables and the arithmetic behind the 3,300–3,400 lb range
Option weight tables collected in community references and era AMA data list the base V‑8 coupe curb weight near ~3,135 lb and then list the 396 option as adding roughly 248 lb to that baseline; doing the addition yields about 3,383 lb for a coupe with the 396 and typical factory items, which aligns closely with the owner‑weighed 3,374‑lb example and supports the low‑to‑mid 3,300s as a reasonable range [2] [4] [1].
4. How special options change the picture
Certain factory options materially altered weight: convertibles add roughly 250 lb versus coupes, automatic transmissions and power accessories each add tens of pounds, and the L89 aluminum‑headed 396 option was explicitly noted to remove about 70 lb from the front of the Camaro—so an identical VIN could be several dozen to a few hundred pounds lighter or heavier depending on chosen equipment [2] [3].
5. Contemporary commentary and performance context
Journalistic and enthusiast coverage from Curbside Classic and HowStuffWorks frames the 396 as a heavy engine that pushed the Camaro’s suspension and handling in period perspective, with writers noting that some buyers and dealers even swapped larger engines or lighter components to tune performance; that commentary reinforces why many owners and restorers weigh cars and track option lists carefully rather than relying on a single published number [5] [6].
6. Bottom line, with caveats
For practical purposes, a factory 1968 Camaro equipped with a cast‑iron 396 big‑block most often sits in the ~3,300–3,400 lb curb‑weight window; a documented owner scale reading of 3,374 lb and an option‑table arithmetic result near 3,383 lb provide concrete anchors, while convertibles, heavy automatics, full‑option cars or the aluminum‑headed L89 variant can push the figure down or up by tens to a few hundred pounds [1] [2] [3]. If a precise, certificate‑level weight for a particular car is needed, the factory build sheet/AMA data and a current scale measurement remain the definitive sources, and the reporting available here does not provide a single factory stamp for every possible combination [4] [2].