4036
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Moroso products
« on: May 23, 2011, 03:11:16 PM »
Your cup of sarcasm doth runneth over, Robert. 
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4037
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Moroso products
« on: May 23, 2011, 06:47:20 AM »
Here's the circa 1970 and earlier logo on a Moroso (Jones) tach.
Here's the '67-'68 Stahl-Moroso tach. One of these was in the Lola that Penske used to win the
Daytona 24-hour in '69. Jere Stahl was on very friendly terms with Penske since supplying him
with headers for the Sunoco Camaros beginning in mid-1968.
Here's the '67-'68 Stahl-Moroso tach. One of these was in the Lola that Penske used to win the
Daytona 24-hour in '69. Jere Stahl was on very friendly terms with Penske since supplying him
with headers for the Sunoco Camaros beginning in mid-1968.
4038
Trans-Am Camaros / Moroso products
« on: May 23, 2011, 06:21:25 AM »
I enjoy looking at vintage race cars where people have gone the extra mile and tried to make their car as
authentic to its original era as possible. Looking over a car where the owner has clearly disregarded the
"old school" stuff and gone totally hog-wild at Summit, Jegs or Speedway Motors just gets me frustrated.
Moroso was a company that was started in 1968 by a drag racer named Dick Moroso after splitting off
from a partnership with Jere Stahl. Moroso was a much smaller organization back then compared to what
we see today. They were a specific drag race oriented company with skinny drag race front tires, deep
sump oil pans, cool cans, and fiberglass hoods and hood scoops as dominant items in their catalog. They
did re-label Jones mechanical tachs and for the purposes of Historic Trans-Am, the tach related items are
of the few things that might be visually appropriate, in my opinion. In the 1973 catalog, of which some
pages are shown below, Moroso valve covers and air cleaners did not exist. They weren't invented yet.
Note also, the company logo is the old style with the arrow head. The black & white block logo so prevalent
with today's Moroso products was also not used back then. I sure would enjoy seeing the cast aluminum
and stamped steel Moroso valve covers and aircleaners find their way to the recycle heap and replaced
with period authentic pieces on the vintage Trans-Am cars. Just my 2-cents worth...
Note that the pulleys are cast and then machined. They're not billet.
authentic to its original era as possible. Looking over a car where the owner has clearly disregarded the
"old school" stuff and gone totally hog-wild at Summit, Jegs or Speedway Motors just gets me frustrated.
Moroso was a company that was started in 1968 by a drag racer named Dick Moroso after splitting off
from a partnership with Jere Stahl. Moroso was a much smaller organization back then compared to what
we see today. They were a specific drag race oriented company with skinny drag race front tires, deep
sump oil pans, cool cans, and fiberglass hoods and hood scoops as dominant items in their catalog. They
did re-label Jones mechanical tachs and for the purposes of Historic Trans-Am, the tach related items are
of the few things that might be visually appropriate, in my opinion. In the 1973 catalog, of which some
pages are shown below, Moroso valve covers and air cleaners did not exist. They weren't invented yet.
Note also, the company logo is the old style with the arrow head. The black & white block logo so prevalent
with today's Moroso products was also not used back then. I sure would enjoy seeing the cast aluminum
and stamped steel Moroso valve covers and aircleaners find their way to the recycle heap and replaced
with period authentic pieces on the vintage Trans-Am cars. Just my 2-cents worth...
Note that the pulleys are cast and then machined. They're not billet.
4039
Trans-Am Camaros / Premier "Supertanium" bolts (a.k.a. fasteners)
« on: May 22, 2011, 09:07:09 PM »
Before ARP fasteners, back in the late '60s and early '70s Trans-Am era, the top of the line fasteners to use were Premier "Supertanium".
These originals are no longer available but you might get lucky scrounging around in military surplus stores or on ebay every once in a
while. Neat period-authentic stuff to find for an old Trans-Am car.
Here are some originals I have from an old Bob Joehnck pulley kit.
These originals are no longer available but you might get lucky scrounging around in military surplus stores or on ebay every once in a
while. Neat period-authentic stuff to find for an old Trans-Am car.
Here are some originals I have from an old Bob Joehnck pulley kit.
4040
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Original T/A racing photographs, late 60's & early 70's
« on: May 22, 2011, 06:15:47 AM »
Ron Fournier was and still is a master fabricator who joined the Penske race team in the fall of '67. He was responsible
for most of the construction of the '68 and '69 Penske Camaro race cars. Here he is sitting in the second '68 race car
prior to it being lettered. This is at the Penske race shop in Newtown Square, PA.
You can read a little more about Ron here.
Ron Fournier Collection
for most of the construction of the '68 and '69 Penske Camaro race cars. Here he is sitting in the second '68 race car
prior to it being lettered. This is at the Penske race shop in Newtown Square, PA.
You can read a little more about Ron here.
Ron Fournier Collection
4041
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Wheels used on Trans-Am Camaros
« on: May 22, 2011, 05:45:46 AM »
Another photo of some magnesium 6-spoke Americans along with some special captive Trans-Am lugnuts.
Photo by Frank Dihartce
Photo by Frank Dihartce
4042
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Scattershields
« on: May 22, 2011, 05:28:02 AM »
A 1967 Simpson ad showing an alternative to the cast steel and hydroformed steel scattershields.
4043
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Original T/A racing photographs, late 60's & early 70's
« on: May 21, 2011, 06:01:18 PM »
Terrific stuff! Todd, your dad was a very good driver. He had some good success with a '63 Z06 Corvette as well as the Camaro. He was good enough to be asked to join the Owens-Corning Corvette team for races at Daytona and Sebring and they were the dominant team at that time. Many thanks for letting us see those neat historical photographs. We'd love to see more or hear more from you as time allows.
4044
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Chevrolet Experimental Oil Pan, Oil Pump and Pickup
« on: May 21, 2011, 02:31:38 AM »
Here's another version of an experimental cast aluminum oil pan done by Chevrolet, courtesy of Dick Lewis. While Dick has moved on to enjoy some
of his other hobbies, when it comes to knowledge of special Chevrolet cars and parts he is right there at the tippy-top as far as I am concerned.
Frank Dihartce has a letter from Dick Lewis from 1984 discussing the oil pan. In the letter to Frank, Dick wrote "... Smokey Yunick told me it was the
last one he had, and that there were six made. It has the numbers "V2 892 872" cast on it, and the pan was discontinued when he rigged up a trick
hidden dry sump system inside the motor."
Photo by Dick Lewis
Photo by Dick Lewis
of his other hobbies, when it comes to knowledge of special Chevrolet cars and parts he is right there at the tippy-top as far as I am concerned.
Frank Dihartce has a letter from Dick Lewis from 1984 discussing the oil pan. In the letter to Frank, Dick wrote "... Smokey Yunick told me it was the
last one he had, and that there were six made. It has the numbers "V2 892 872" cast on it, and the pan was discontinued when he rigged up a trick
hidden dry sump system inside the motor."
Photo by Dick Lewis
Photo by Dick Lewis
4045
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Original T/A racing photographs, late 60's & early 70's
« on: May 20, 2011, 06:49:31 PM »
Craig Fisher sent me this photo from a test session done at Marlboro in December 1967. Note the Goodyear tire on the front of the car and Mark with the Firestone patch on his driving uniform. Roger had been a Firestone dealer but they switched to Goodyears at Kent (Washington) for the Trans-Am finale because Mark cut better lap times with them and they were wanting to close out the season with a win (of course). After Kent and this test session, Roger became a Goodyear racing tire distributor and gave up his Firestone franchise.
L-R, Craig Fisher, Mark Donohue, Peter Reinhart pouring oil, and crew chief Roy Gane.
L-R, Craig Fisher, Mark Donohue, Peter Reinhart pouring oil, and crew chief Roy Gane.
4046
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
« on: May 20, 2011, 03:01:20 PM »
I have no knowledge about the cost of making either hood but with the financial resources of GM and the desire to give the Camaro racer the parts deemed necessary to be competitive and win, I'm sure they didn't sweat the cost in the least.
Regarding the weight of the hoods, Frank relays the following to me...
"I never weighed the hoods, but I remember the fiberglass hood was definitely lighter than the steel hood. Wayne Guinn talks of the weight savings in his 'Camaro Untold Secrets' book on page 98: fiberglass hood 35 pounds vs. steel hood 50 pounds; and then factor in hood springs 8 pounds, ZL2 hood plenum valve 5 pounds, upper and lower latch mechanisims 2 pounds = 30 pounds weight reduction."
Regarding the weight of the hoods, Frank relays the following to me...
"I never weighed the hoods, but I remember the fiberglass hood was definitely lighter than the steel hood. Wayne Guinn talks of the weight savings in his 'Camaro Untold Secrets' book on page 98: fiberglass hood 35 pounds vs. steel hood 50 pounds; and then factor in hood springs 8 pounds, ZL2 hood plenum valve 5 pounds, upper and lower latch mechanisims 2 pounds = 30 pounds weight reduction."
4047
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: '67-'68 Penske Camaro Sunoco Blue
« on: May 20, 2011, 03:14:10 AM »
Update: A member of the '69 (and later) Penske team has informed me through a friend that Deft was the paint manufacturer used by them at that time.
4048
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Chevrolet Experimental Oil Pan, Oil Pump and Pickup
« on: May 19, 2011, 07:52:31 PM »
Chad, that cast oil pan and the trick pump and pickup... all I can say is WOW. Really cool. Thanks for posting it and many, many thanks to Mark for letting it be shown here. The extra photos of the Aviaid pan are a great addition too. I have a photo of another experimental pan I'll try and post in the next day or so.
4049
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Cross Ram Hood - Fiberglass -
« on: May 19, 2011, 07:46:23 PM »
The fiberglass hood would have to be lighter or there would have been no reason to have one. What the weight difference is, I have no idea but I'll ask and see if it can be found out. I think that by acid dipping the hood you would still not get to the weight of the fiberglass version.
4050
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1966-1972 Trans-Am race memorabilia [dash plaques, patches, passes, etc]
« on: May 18, 2011, 08:12:49 PM »
I just like this... 