Messages

1

Maintenance / Re: Halogen headlights with Rally Sport option

« on: July 12, 2013, 09:15:40 PM »

Agreed on the longevity, but I like bright. Better than the "airplane" lights I had on an truck. Bought them at a speed shop, had to change them for inspection.  They ran so hot the solder melted at the terminals. Had to replace them after every inspection. VERY expensive in the day,  close to 100 for the pair.

That's not comforting...

Did it melt the connectors?  

I purchased this harness (which I learned about from the link above) and plan to install it with the Silverstars.  I don't want to have melted plug/connectors or any issues.



It's a pretty cool set up and it can all be hidden (except for the fuseable link back to the battery)...I can even drill holes in the connectors to run my U46 Vigilite optic cables thru...just like the stock connectors.

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Maintenance / Re: Halogen headlights with Rally Sport option

« on: July 08, 2013, 04:56:12 PM »

Thanks guys.   I have had issues with Silver Stars in the past (in modern cars)...the longevity of them stink in my experience.

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Maintenance / Halogen headlights with Rally Sport option

« on: July 03, 2013, 06:41:06 PM »

Howdy folks...long time no post.

I'd like to upgrade the lighting in my 68 RS.  The stock headlights are horrible compared to a modern car (and I'm getting older!).   I've seen some projector style halogen bulbs available.  Are there any fit issues with the RS buckets/brackets?  Any other issues to be concerned with?  Oh yeah...I have the U46 Vigilite option too.    My car is not totally original so I'm not worried about correct headlamps.

Thanks!

-Pete

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Maintenance / Re: chirping birds....

« on: June 08, 2009, 08:12:32 PM »

Have you found the problem yet MMMert?

It went away...for now   

I don't know if it had anything to do with my tinkering, lubing etc... 

We'll see if it comes back.

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General Discussion / Re: Blog compares 1st gens to the new 5th gen and is somewhat unkind...

« on: May 15, 2009, 06:27:59 PM »

Interesting...thanks!   So much for that higher quality and engineering.  

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General Discussion / Re: Blog compares 1st gens to the new 5th gen and is somewhat unkind...

« on: May 15, 2009, 04:02:31 PM »

Excellent post... though I know this guy is a fan of the old cars.  He's GM hard-core to the bone.

Do you have a link to the recall already in effect for the 2010, I'd like to have that. 

   I'd say that blogger had better reserve judgement until the service problems and recalls begin showing up on the 2010. Wait-----there already IS a recall! As far as i know, no 1st-Gen was ever recalled because it might set itself on fire. Is the 2010 a triumph of technical achievment? Absolutely. Is it superior to the 1st-Gens? We don't know yet.
   With all the computers and tires and techno-wizard stuff in cars these days, they could make an anvil run and handle like a '66 Lotus Indy car. Duh.
   My guess is this blogger is an arrogant, wet-behind-the-ears little snot who has never experienced what the 1st-Gens are all about. Will the 2011 win 10 out of 13 races like Penske did with the '68 Sunoco Camaro? I doubt it. Will there be a 2010 mid-year release Z/28 that turns the auto world upside down? I doubt it. Will rogue dealerships like Yenko, Bill Thomas and Fred Gibb stuff a mega-inch engine in some 2010s and create a Frankenstein machine? I doubt it. Will GM ever COPO such machines again? I doubt it.
   Yes--the 1st-Gens handle like plowing pigs compared to today. No--the 1st-Gens were not that sophisticated compared to today. Touche'. But in their day, they threw gasoline on the ponycar fire that Ford started with the Mustang, and the F-body Muscle Car wars were born. You could WORK on a 1st-Gen and create your own Frankenstein without having to earn a college degree in electronics. That is their charm, their allure and their grace. Z/28s could be ordered with headers in the trunk in a burlap bag...a dual-Holley crossram could be bought over-the-counter...396s could be ordered with exotic aluminum heads and solid-lifter cams. All in the window of about a year and a half, by the way.
   I've had a first-hand look at a 2010. If you want to talk about quality control, well, GM must be skimping on paint, because most of the underhood and trunk areas were barely covered and showing primer and there is no clearcoat on the thin paint there. The interior is mostly plastic trim that will warp in the hot sun.
   So, the 2010 shares quality control issues the 1st-Gens did. They are not perfect by any means.
   Like maroman said---when they sell over 200,000 2010s, they'll be legitimate. If, and until they do, they're just pretenders. Very nice cars--but a couple of years from now we'll know if they've been accepted with the frenzy the 1st-Gens were.
  

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General Discussion / Re: Blog compares 1st gens to the new 5th gen and is somewhat unkind...

« on: May 14, 2009, 06:01:12 PM »

I agree...40 years of engineering will make the newer version a better performer and tighter car.  However, he makes the 1st gens sound like junk...and that's where I took offense.

My comments  (you can leave your comments on the blog too):

You're off base in regards to the 1st gens.


"Let’s face it; an early Camaro is not among the highest-quality rides ever made." - Theres something to be said about these cars being on the road 42 years later...lets see where the societal throw-away 2010 Camaro is in 42 years.

"But if you’re being truly objective, they’re also cheap and tinny". - Hardly...a Kia is cheap and tinny. GM cars of the 60's were made with thicker steel skins...not the lean on and dent body panels of today.

"The seats are as thin as a stadium cushion and the trunk shuts with an unsatisfying clang". - Not in my experience.

"And those brakes—let’s just say, brace yourself", - My 68's discs work just fine. No ABS is the only drawback I can see.

A 5th or even 4th gen may be faster, handle better and stop quicker...but they will NEVER be a 1st gen. 67-69 1st gens will always be the best and most coveted Camaros.

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General Discussion / Blog compares 1st gens to the new 5th gen and is somewhat unkind...

« on: May 14, 2009, 02:58:34 PM »

http://www.examiner.com/x-10974-Kansas-City-Classic-Cars-Examiner~y2009m5d13-Driven--2010-Camaro-SS

Let him know what you think...

Driven! 2010 Camaro SS
May 13, 7:19 PM
         

Suddenly, it's 1969.  It looks similar, but it isn't.
I recently had a chance to drive the 2010 Camaro in both the V6 and SS versions, and the experience certainly was an eye-opener.

“But, Craig, why are you talking about this in the ‘classic car’ section?”  Good question.  And the answer really is pretty much skin deep.  Clearly, the styling of the 2010 Camaro was directly influenced by the ’69 model, and as a former owner of a nice first-generation Camaro, the comparison is inevitable.

And a little one-sided.  The only thing these two cars really have in common is the amount of attention they draw.  Let’s face it; an early Camaro is not among the highest-quality rides ever made.  Don’t get me wrong; the cool factor is out of this world.  Equipped right, they can sound mean, run fast, and look awesome.  They are everything you would ever want and expect a muscle car to be.  But if you’re being truly objective, they’re also cheap and tinny.  The seats are as thin as a stadium cushion and the trunk shuts with an unsatisfying clang.  And those brakes—let’s just say, brace yourself, ‘cause this is gonna hurt.

Not so with the new version.  This thing just oozes quality.  So much so, it not only surpasses the ’69 version, but it completely outclasses the last Camaro produced in 2002 in nearly every subjective and objective measure.  Just look at the details—the instrument panel, the seats, the fit and finish.  It’s all loosely retro, but completely modern at the same time.

The driving experience was equally as impressive.  Not a rattle, shake, or shimmy to be found.  The 6.2-liter V8, armed with more than 400-hp, is just as delicious as you would expect it to be.  The 300-hp V6 is no slouch either.  It’s not as satisfying as the V8, of course, but it can achieve 26-mpg on the highway, and blow the doors off of most cars on the road.

The new Camaro represents a different kind of history than those of the past.  One of the appealing parts of an old car is that you can imagine someone looking our over the hood all those years ago, watching the world change through the view of the windshield.  Where had the people been that sat in that seat?  Where had those hands worked that touched that steering wheel.  That car represents history, and you are a part of it.

On the other hand, the new Camaro shows what Chevrolet and General Motors has learned in forty years.  While giving a nod to tradition, it showcases the greatest in technology and engineering.  The idea that a company could take the same basic package and improve it to this extent says a lot about how far their products have come.  The ’69 Camaro will always be the favorite, but the 2010 is the best.

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Maintenance / Re: chirping birds....

« on: May 05, 2009, 05:15:13 PM »

Well...it's not the u-joint...it wasn't dry.  I pumped some grease in just for good measure.

Still chirping.  ARrrrrghhh.

hotrod...these are the front perch spring eye bushings that are collapsed...do they make those in poly?   Also, I'm wondering if any of the spring eye bushing replacements will fit in aftermarket springs.     

A set of new AF springs is around $130.00...GM replacement bushings are around $80.00 for a set.    I can't see paying $400.00 for the "correct" looking springs, especially since my car is not totally original.

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Maintenance / Re: chirping birds....

« on: May 03, 2009, 10:09:40 PM »

Thanks for the input guys...  I will check the u-joing also...though I only have put less than 20K on the car since I put in a new U-joint...but that was back in 94.   There is no vibration in the drivetrain...she's a pretty tight car.

Upon closer inspection...I did notice that my spring eye bushings are collapsed...meaning the spring eye bolt is not at the center of the leaf spring eye any longer.     THese are after market repro springs (also installed in 94)...but I never had any problem up until about 9 months ago.   Do I put in new bushings...or should I just buy new springs again?   


Sauron..thanks for the input also...but the sound definetely seems to be coming from below.

11

Maintenance / chirping birds....

« on: May 02, 2009, 11:42:03 PM »

All right experts...I'm at my wits end...(not a long drive to get there)

I have a chirping sound coming from the pass rear of the car.  At first I thought it was suspension, so I silicone lubed all pivot points.  Still chirping.  I pulled all the rear interior out...still chirping.  I checked for squeeks with the trunk pivot points and lubed them also.  Still chirping.  I've checked all fuel lines, exhaust clearances, brake lines etc etc etc...  I even looked inside the quarter window housings, body area.   . 

I seems to do it on the freeway which let me to believe it was suspension.  It comes and goes.  It is now doing it at low speeds where a "bump" in the road will interupt the chirping...but then it goes back to normal.  I've stood in the trunk and jumped up and down...no squeak.     Could it be wheel bearings?

It's really ruining the driving experience.

 Help???

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Maintenance / Re: 68 Camaro (V8) Idler Arm question

« on: March 24, 2009, 10:19:12 PM »

Moog has been around since dirt--I can't imagine any quality or safety issues regarding them. Steering components are along the most scrutinized for quality replacement parts on a car. If originality doesn't matter to you, just go to any CarQuest or NAPA or Auto Zone and buy one. Moog is of the highest quality, but most any replacement from the auto chain stores will work just fine. Just make sure it has a Zerk so you can grease it. Good luck!

Thanks for the input!    It just concerned me what was said on the pozziracing link, that there was some possible "binding" with the Moog part.

I know Moog makes quality stuff.

I usually shoot for originality if I can...though my car is not 100% original anyway. 

13

Maintenance / Re: 68 Camaro (V8) Idler Arm question

« on: March 23, 2009, 06:11:24 PM »

I did a littlel further searching.  It seems www.HeartbeatCity.com carries an exact reproduction for the 68-69 Idler Arm @ $65.00  (p/n FEP 1089)

I don't care so much about the exact looking issue...but I want to put something on that is functionally exact.  ...and of course it has to be of excellent quality/safety.

Doesn't sound like anyone has any input on this topic...

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Maintenance / Re: 68 Camaro (V8) Idler Arm question

« on: March 22, 2009, 09:42:50 PM »

http://www.pozziracing.com/camaro_steering.htm

Paul

Thanks,

I had found that after doing a search of this site.  It does not really say that the Moog is okay to use...just that it's not the same as stock.

Anyone have any other input on what they've used?

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Maintenance / 68 Camaro (V8) Idler Arm question

« on: March 22, 2009, 03:54:45 PM »

Guys and Gals...

THe Idler Arm on my 68 is bad... It seems theres an AC Delco part (45C1013) and theres a few other brands like Moog.

Any suggestions on which brand to get or places to purchase.  I see a lot of "reproductions" at the usual resto sites.

Oh yeah...I have power steering too.

Thanks!

-Pete