Messages

4021

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Ideas to share concerning 1:18 '67-'69 GMP Penske Donohue Camaros.

« on: May 27, 2011, 10:10:36 PM »

The emails I exchanged with them are on my old mothballed computer. I was trying to get them to make changes that I felt were within the realm of possibility. Certainly I felt the black in place of the gray on the '67 model was something that would be a slam dunk but they did not agree with me that the cars were done that way. They said they conversed directly with Penske's representatives and they had signed off on the cars as presented. Right there I knew it was an uphill climb. I was hoping for engine compartment details to be appropriate for each year and for the dashes to be appropriate for each year as well. While they used the '69 dash for all three years, the steering wheel appeared to be from the '67 for all three. An odd mix. I didn't dare go beyond a whole lot more than that because I could see it just wasn't going to get done. They were building models to fit a price range and as such there neded to be shared components to accomplish that feat. Like you have said, they did make some very nice models and that needs to be kept in perspective. They are miles better than other offerings. Could they have been done better and more accurately? Without question, but they would have been much more expensive and that wasn't in the business plan.

Thank you very much for the photos of your other cars. They are quite extraordinary. I'm thinking that '68 Shelby notchback is going to turn out extremely well. I can't even imagine the hours involved with all of those, especially the Challenger and Javelin.

4022

Originality / Re: front spoiler

« on: May 27, 2011, 09:48:18 PM »

When i got my car the original spoiler was gone but what remained was pieces of the plastic under six regular 5/16 head self tapping screws.  All the holes where the support braces would attach were untouched and still had paint in them so i knew i didnt have the second type larger spoiler and replaced it with the short textured one.  My car was in storage for 15 years prior to me getting it and was mostly original & unmolested with 58xxx showing on the speedo so i would guess those self tappers were original but i suppose the original owner could have added the spoiler.  Hope that helps and glad i found this place!!!

Chris
1968 Sequioa Green Camaro SS
396/325 M20

I'm with you, Chris. I think the self-tapping sheet metal screws are the right ones for the early '68 spoiler, not the machine screws and nuts. The few original examples I have seen (pretty hard to find) have had self-tappers.

4023

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Interview with Robert Barg, Trans-Am racer

« on: May 27, 2011, 08:33:57 PM »

Thanks. I'm glad you like it. It was pieced together from numerous emails and made to read like a story rather than an interview but I think it turned out well. Robert is a great guy, a terrific asset to enthusiasts of Trans-Am racing back in the "golden era", and I am really pleased to have his story here on this forum. It gives great insight into what it took to be a dedicated racer back then.

4024

Trans-Am Camaros / Stewart-Warner oil pressure sender

« on: May 27, 2011, 03:43:36 AM »

I have noticed that Penske Camaros used the Stewart-Warner electrical oil pressure sender and thus an electrical gauge, rather than a mechanical one. It seems like most other Camaro racing engines did not use the electrical sender & gauge. Any thoughts as to why the Penske team went with these over the mechanical sender & gauge? Easier to hook up, but same accuracy?


Photo by Andrew Keller

4025

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Ideas to share concerning 1:18 '67-'69 GMP Penske Donohue Camaros.

« on: May 27, 2011, 01:52:15 AM »

Terrific post! Thanks for taking the time to do so. You got an eye for the details and I am certainly a fan of that. I think you'll find some others of the same mind here as well. When I heard that GMP was working on these I contacted them and tried everything I could to get them to not do the gray on the '67 model since it was not authentic for that particular car. Told them about the incorrect dash and numerous other details. In effect, they thanked me for my efforts, sent me several pre-production samples as an extra thank you (which I indeed appreciated), but cranked them out just as they were. I was very tempted to pull my '67 model apart and at least redo the gray to black but that hasn't happened. I'm not a modeler of your caliber but I do enjoy looking at the results of your efforts. I like to think I could do something similar but know that is too far down on my priority list to get to that level of professionalism. Show us some more details! How did the '67 and '68 dashes turn out?

4026

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Moroso products

« on: May 26, 2011, 07:08:32 PM »

Hey Joe, thanks for posting that stuff. I've never seen that early of an example of a Moroso catalog. Rare item there. Can't be from '67 though as even the company website notes that the company started in 1968 and somewhere on the web recently I saw that it was Fall '68. Dick did have several speed shop type places earlier in the '60 but they never untilized his name in the title. Then he was partnered up with Jere Stahl (as Stahl-Moroso) in York, PA for a brief time before that disolved and he moved back to Connecticut in '68 to start the business we all know as Moroso. Most of what I wanted to get across was that Moroso valve covers and aircleaners did not exist in the classic era of the Trans-Am cars. They could have used the tach, degreed balancer and a few other items but Moroso was certainly aimed more at the drag racer. I'll try and find time to post all of the pages from the '73 catalog so people can see what else was available from them in that era. Is it possible for you to post any of the pages from that earlier catalog?

4027

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Engine photos

« on: May 25, 2011, 06:14:06 PM »

Very cool, Chad. I'm glad I asked the question.

4028

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Engine photos

« on: May 25, 2011, 04:26:50 PM »

Roy Woods also used Bob Joehnck engines. I'm not sure if this is a Joehnck or Bartz engine. If someone was wanting to recreate covers like these, would either of you know where they could come up with the pieces to make a cap like that? It seems like it would have been something that was sourced from something else, not made from scratch.

4029

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: TRACO Chrome Small Block Chevy Valve Cover Pictures

« on: May 25, 2011, 04:20:24 PM »

Good info, Chad. Classic Industries offers a reproduction of these, seen here. Part number C482. The only difference I see is the two clips attached to one of the valve covers. I swear I saw them offered as unpainted also, but I didn't see those on their website when I looked earlier today. Maybe somebody else offers them.

4030

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Engine photos

« on: May 25, 2011, 03:46:11 AM »

This engine in Roy Woods' first ARA '69 Camaro appears to have a magnesium crossram too. Note the '67-'68 alternator placement.

4031

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Sonoma Historics (Formerly Wine Country Classic)

« on: May 25, 2011, 03:39:46 AM »

Chad, thanks for drawing attention to the fact that the T/A cars won't be out on the track on Sunday. They will still be at the track, just not racing that day, correct?

4032

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: TRACO Chrome Small Block Chevy Valve Cover Pictures

« on: May 25, 2011, 03:35:45 AM »

Chad, Those are some interesting covers. I haven't seen Traco do chrome before. I'm not really sure of what application might have been original for valve covers such as those but maybe someone else will have an idea. They look like the Chevrolet script valve covers but without the script or like the '68 Z valve covers without the holes. I have noticed that some of the reproduction part vendors have a valve cover like this. I wondered why they did it because I couldn't think of what it might have been original for. Hopefully this mystery will get solved.

4033

Trans-Am Camaros / Sonoma Historics (Formerly Wine Country Classic)

« on: May 23, 2011, 10:40:45 PM »

The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival is less than two weeks away, June 4th and 5th. I'll be up there Friday through Sunday. I hope to see many of you up there. I always have a good time at this event.

4034

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Premier "Supertanium" bolts (a.k.a. fasteners)

« on: May 23, 2011, 08:45:39 PM »

Anybody know who made these? I've had them for maybe 25 years.

4035

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Premier "Supertanium" bolts (a.k.a. fasteners)

« on: May 23, 2011, 08:43:56 PM »

My understanding is the original Supertanium lettered product is no longer available. Lawson bought out
Premier and still produces Supertanium bolts in certain sizes but they have Lawson logos on them. Below
are some Lawson bolts I have.