The "400" designation referred to the all-new 340 hp 400 CID V8 that replaced the long-running 401 CID "Nailhead" V8. The famous 1967-only air cleaner that has come to be known as the "Star Wars" air cleaner was used on this car and on the Riviera GS. NOS examples are worth quite a bit today.

Several GTOs in Class 36A.

1967 Pontiac GTO Ram Air.

A total of 751 GTOs were ordered with the Ram Air engine, with 596 of them having a manual transmission. The "1 of 64 Built" designation seen on the sign in the photo above refers to the number of cars built with California emissions and the "YR" code engine.

The great thing about owning a Pontiac muscle car is PHS - Pontiac Historical Services. PHS can provide Pontiac owners with detailed VIN information and copies of production documents such as the dealer order form, factory invoice, and original window sticker.

Along with the foam gasket that sealed against the underside of the functional hood scoop, the 400 CID 'Ram Air' V8 also had stronger valve springs and a longer duration camshaft. The result was an underrated 360 hp, (the display sign with the car says 405 hp).

1969 Pontiac GTO Judge.

1969 Pontiac GTO Judge.

A legit Judge is actually a rare car, (6,725 were produced in 1969). This car was displayed with a copy of the original window sticker that confirms the Judge option. The "Ram Air" engine, otherwise known as the RAIII, was standard on the Judge.

1961 Pontiac Ventura.

The Ventura was the upper-level trim option, (ahead of the entry-level Catalina), for the full-sized B-Body platform. This Sport Coupe is one of 13,297 made that year.

This a radio-delete car with bucket seats.

Power comes from Pontiac's 389 CID V8 in "Tri-Power" form. Many stages of tune were available. But once again, using the guidelines for Class 36A, this has to be the 348 hp version. Otherwise, this car would be in Production Vehicles Class 27D.

1967 Buick GS 400 convertible.

This is another 1967 Buick GS400 on display. The convertible version is quite rare. This car is one of 2,140 produced that year.

Power comes from Buick's new-for-1967 400 CID V8 that makes 340 hp. The "Star Wars" air cleaner was a 1967-only feature.

Class 36B: Factory High Performance, Chevrolet and Oldsmobile, 1957 - 1969.

Class 36B was quite large and filled mainly with Chevelles and Camaros. But the first three cars I encountered were all full-sized 409 Chevrolets. The black car on the left side of the photo above is a 1962 Chevrolet Impala.

1962 Chevrolet Impala.

Power comes from Chevrolet's legendary 409 CID V8. In two 4-bbl carburetor trim, this engine makes 409 hp.

The second 409 Chevrolet was a 1962 Bel Air.

Like the previous 1962 Impala, power comes from Chevrolet's 409 hp 409 CID V8 with two 4-bbl carburetors.

Rounding out the trio of 409 Chevrolets was a 1964 Impala SS.

This car was displayed with documentation that included the original window sticker. According to the display sign, the car owner has actually owned the car twice, (first as the original owner in 1964, and again beginning in 1990).

This car has the single 4-bbl version of the 409 CID V8 that made 400 hp.

According to the window sticker, this car also has a close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission and a 4:11 positraction rear end.

1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396.

1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396.

The Chevelle SS was a very popular car back in the day. A total of 63,006 were produced in 1967, 59,685 hardtops and 3,321 convertibles.

For 1967, Chevelle buyers had a choice of three big-block engines. This car is equipped with RPO L35, the base version of the 396 CID V8 that makes 325 hp, (350 hp and 375 hp were also available).

1968 Chevrolet Camaro Z28.

The 1968 Z is the hardest of the first generation cars to document. In some cases, it's possible to identify Z28s from 1967 and 1969 via information on the cowl tag. This is not possible for 1968 cars which can only be documented with an original window sticker, build sheet, or via a matching-numbers MO-code 302 CID engine, (only available in the Z28).

Power comes from Chevrolet's 302 CID V8 that makes 290 hp. All 1968 Z28s will have an "MO" engine code and a 4-speed manual transmission. A total of 7,199 were produced that year.

1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS396.

This is an original owner car. The information displayed tells an interesting story.

The car owner was in the military in 1968 and decided he wanted a new Camaro SS after his tour of duty ended. Since he was stationed in Vietnam, he had his father order the car from the local Chevrolet dealer in November 1968. He gave his dad specific instructions on what model to order, a color combination, and a list of options with one of those being RPO L78, (375 hp 396 CID V8).

Production delays, (including a strike at GM in December 1968), cause the car to be delivered late. But when the car did arrive, the car owner discovered that the salesman talked his dad into ordering RPO L35 (325 hp 396 CID V8), instead of RPO L78 for "insurance reasons."

The car became a daily driver for a few years after his military service ended in July 1970. Subsequent car purchases caused the Camaro to be driven less and less until it was parked in 1981. Twenty-seven years later, the numbers-matching original owner car was treated to a frame-off restoration.

1958 Chevrolet Impala.

1958 Chevrolet Impala.

This was the introductory year for the Chevy Impala. The four slanted trim pieces on the front fender behind the headlamps identifies this car as an upper-level Bel Air, (ahead of the entry-level Delray and mid-level Biscayne). The Impala was the top trim option for the Bel Air line. So technically, this car is a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala, the only year for this combination of names. The Impala became a separate series beginning in 1959.

Power comes from Chevrolet's 348 CID V8.

The tri-carb version was available in two stages of tune making either 280 hp or 315 hp. Since this car is being displayed in Class 36B, it should have the 315 hp version.

1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 convertible.

1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 convertible.

I saw several 1967 Chevelle SS396s on display. This car is one of 3,321 convertibles made that year.

This car was presented as a numbers-matching original car with 60k original miles. Power comes from the RPO L35 325 hp version of the 396 CID V8.

1968 Chevrolet Nova SS350.

1968 Chevrolet Nova SS350.

The exterior identification of the Super Sport was intentionally designed to be subtle. Two "SS" badges and two "Super Sport" emblems were the only clues to the high-performance nature of this car.