Messages

121

General Discussion / Re: Camaros at AACA Grand Nationals Last Friday

« on: June 16, 2014, 12:32:45 AM »

AACA Grand National meet is always a "must see"!  Muscle cars are becoming more & more popular there.  Also, even if you don't have a particular interest in the brass era cars - you'll appreciate the incredible level of detail & workmanship.  Next year it's going to be in AZ, so the participation will probably be down a bit - the membership is not as heavily concentrated out west.  They try to move it around the country so that everyone is within reasonable driving distance at some point.  It's a very friendly group of car people!
Chick - you'll be in the Hershey Region - bring you car(s) to Fall Hershey!

122

General Discussion / Re: Chevrolet's process for having another run of parts manufactured

« on: June 01, 2014, 08:01:39 PM »

That's really the "Cliffs Notes" version of a process that typically took 3 to 12 months (or more)   :-)       There were quite a few steps between the pattern shop receiving a new part drawing and "first run" that took a lot of time.  The very first run was just an internal production of one or two castings to get the masters verified.  It was an iterative process.

123

Originality / Re: 1969 12 Bolt Vent Tube

« on: May 19, 2014, 01:45:20 AM »

Thanks Chick!

124

Originality / 1969 12 Bolt Vent Tube

« on: May 18, 2014, 06:59:24 PM »

This topic might be too far into the weeds, but is this the correct 1969 rear end vent tube?  I see them with green tops, black tops, etc.  This one appears as if it was all ivory or white color.

125

General Discussion / Re: Now that you know what dealer originally sold your car....

« on: May 10, 2014, 07:39:45 PM »

Here's one from the delivering dealer of my Camaro.  Ewing delivered 10 1969 COPO Camaros.

126

General Discussion / Re: Well My Camaro online Compadres, Time for a fight of my Life!

« on: March 08, 2014, 05:47:09 PM »

Prayin' for you danny!

127

General Discussion / Re: Someone is having a birthday...? :)

« on: March 02, 2014, 02:06:22 PM »

Cavalier's are COOL!  Here's mine

128

General Discussion / Re: Someone is having a birthday...? :)

« on: February 28, 2014, 02:21:23 PM »

Happy day after your birthday John!

129

General Discussion / Re: 1967 Metal Seatbacks

« on: February 13, 2014, 11:16:40 AM »

Nice work Darrell!  Please pardon me for interrupting your thread, but I was just thinking that some members might need metal seat backs & I have a few in storage that I have no use for.  They are NOT perfect, but PM me if you need some.  I have no idea what they are worth - just trying to get them back on a car that needs them!  Moderators - just eliminate this post if I'm violating a rule - I don't usually sell stuff - just thought I could help someone.

130

Maintenance / Re: Acid Rain Spots

« on: December 11, 2013, 11:57:18 AM »

If metal oxides are involved - acid wash might help.  Try HCl or even HF on a very small area first.  Be very careful not to breath the fumes and, of course, protect skin.  Don't get acid on any metal parts.  We wet sanded right through the paint when trying to remove metal oxide spots (problem is that metal oxides are harder then the old paint).  Tried acid & it dissolved them.  Might not work on your problem, but worth a try - be careful though!

131

Decoding/Numbers / Re: 69 Camaro 396 Exhaust manifolds

« on: November 12, 2013, 04:31:04 PM »

May be interesting to note that BB exhaust manifolds were cast 4 to a mold (2 RH and 2 LH) on lines 5 and 6.  Big block cases were cast one in a mold on line 1.  There wasn't a lot of room for rough casting inventory at the motor plant, so casting over-runs had to be stored at the foundry.  Parts that wound up in foundry inventory were stored "first in - last out", so castings that went into inventory tended to stay there for quite a while.  Most of the inventory area at the foundry was located outside and was such a mess (particularly in the winter in western New York) that scheduling would often cast new parts rather then try to find the previously cast parts located in inventory.  Soooo - if you find a nice set of exhaust manifolds that are within 6 months before the engine build date - no one should cry foul!

132

Restoration / Re: welding on cast iron

« on: November 04, 2013, 09:13:55 PM »

" they're there to provide exit holes for the internal refractory sand cores after the cope and drag were split and dumped on the shake-out table" -

 the freeze plug holes certainly helped with sand and steel shot extraction, but the water jacket core extended out of those holes and printed into the drag mold to hold the jacket cores in proper orientation during molding & pouring.  The jacket cores were each held "up" by those "freeze plug" drag prints and "down" by 3 steel chaplets that pressed against the cope in the oil galley. Fore and aft jacket position was maintained by the water jackets printing into the housing cores.  That's why "freeze plugs" are also required at rear housing.  during solidification, water jacket cores became pretty unstable - so they had to be held in place securely.

133

Restoration / Re: welding on cast iron

« on: November 03, 2013, 01:05:52 PM »

ZLP955 - that's the way it was done at the Tonawanda foundry - not exhaust manifolds, but heads & blocks in non-stress areas.  Weld repairman would line up about 20 castings needing welding - heat the area to be welded - stick weld the repair area - immediately cover the repair with asbestos blanket - uncover it the next day - grind the repair flush.  Most commonly done on intake manifold rest area on blocks and on valve cover rail on heads.

134

General Discussion / Re: Production Schedule around Holidays

« on: October 30, 2013, 11:12:59 AM »

Unfortunately, it took witnessing some awful accidents to imprint the importance of safety indelibly in my mind.  Even after leaving GM - our plants in PA often worked 1,000,000 man hours without a lost time accident - and those are foundry man hours.

135

General Discussion / Re: Production Schedule around Holidays

« on: October 28, 2013, 12:03:19 AM »

I agree Kurt - the time between Christmas and New Years was always a big maintenance period.  However, if Christmas fell on a Monday, it would not have been unusual to run production lines on the Saturday prior to Christmas (at least at Tonawanda).  It just depended on demand.  I could get sufficient manpower to run lines on December 23rd - it wasn't like asking people to work Christmas Eve.  My comments were just to clarify that there was no contractual prohibition from working on holidays.