Topics

1

Decoding/Numbers / Checking out a car, someting seems odd

« on: October 27, 2018, 03:21:20 AM »

I have a 67 350 RS SS, 4MT camaro here, for all intents and purposes it is all matching numbers etc.
The engine casting date is K 11 6 ( November 11 66) and casting number is 3892657.
The Car trim tag says 11E ( November 5th week ) 4p (SS or L30 M20)
So far so good. Now for the bit that has me stumped.
The VIN plate is 124377L159786 , production records show that VIN was produced in June 67.
Seems to be off quite a bit compared to the engine build dates???
The partial VIN on the front pad is 159786 VIII4MV (November 14 auto w air & smog)
I note that the stamp looks all uniform in font and height on the partial VIN and the Engine code and the "7L" is missing.
The car has a 12 bolt rearend with the tramp rod.
Am I getting something wrong with my decode?
I have yet to see the car in person, working off pics.

Thanks
Wayne

2

Maintenance / 12 bolt rear brake drums, a story about "experts"

« on: April 09, 2016, 12:16:24 AM »

Hi there everyone.

I have had an issue with my rear drums. A brief story:

Went to a brake specialist to have my master cylinder overhauled as I believed it was not returning the rear line pressure causing the rear brakes to partially stay on from time to time which caused the diff oil to overheat and bleed past the seal filling the left side brakes with diff oil.
It turned out to be the flexible line from the body to the diff was blocked with 40 + years of crud.
I had all the lines flushed, everything renewd or repaired and I was told that I had the wrong rear drums.
According to him ( and I have seen the thread regarding drums ) a 12 bolt camaro diff should have the finned drums and I had the plain ones. As he was an "expert" I took his advice and he fitted a pair of finned drums. Excellent I thought.
The car is back in that shop again now after two weeks as I still had the oil leak and was going to replace the seal but found that I couldnt remove the drum. It looked as if the wheel had been a bit loose and had been wobbling about a bit and had mooshed up the centre of the drum into the end of the axle shaft.
They had to destroy the drums to get them off again.
I have a C clip elemination kit on my diff and a set of Moser axles as when I got the car the diff was in a very bad state and it was the only way I cold make it serviceable.
On closer inspection there is a small raised step on the axle where the drum mounts against the hub. The axle is about 0.7mm thicker here, hence the finned drum wont go on the last bit of the axle. Thats a bit odd I thought.
I went to a reputable diff repair shop, this guy is a walking diff encyclopedia, he tells me that all 68 camaros he has ever seen all has the plain rear drums.
He dug out an unmolested 68 camaro original axle and a selection of finned drums from various chevs.
The original axle although it is a bit tapered also had a very hardly noticeable step right in close to the hub. Not as wide as the Moser but there never the less.
Not one of the finned drums would go all the way on. Various plain ones he had did however.
What had happened was the brake guy was either wrong or supplied the wrong finned drum which did not go all the way on.
Even when he tightened it there was still the last bit, about 4mm,  that it was not fitting on to. After driving around for a bit it worked loose enough to mangle itself on to the step and them the wheel was loose as well.
All in all a complete bunch of crap.

SO

Was there really  a correct finned drum fitted to any 68 camaro from the factory?
If so what is the part number?

My feeling is that they were all plain drums and anyone with finned ones probably either doesnt have the correct axles or the drums dont fit correctly and they will end up with my problem.


Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Cheers
Wayne

3

General Discussion / temperature sender help

« on: November 25, 2015, 06:08:20 PM »

In my 68 camaro is a Classic Industries U17 console guage kit that works fine.
I have changed my manifold and now dont have a 1/2" NPT threaded hole for the sender but I do have a 3/8" hole.
I do have 1/2" holes in the heads but dont want to use them.
I have been in touch with Classic and they cant tell me the specs on the sender or the guage.
I want to find a 3/8" NPT sender to suit the guage that will go in the 3/8" hole.
Would anyone here know:
,,, if the repro guage has the same impedence as the original?
,,, if so what is ithe impedence?
... if there is a 3/8 sender that will do the job?
,,, or have any clever ideas on how to figure out the value of sender I need?

Thanks in advance

Wayne

4

General Discussion / A little help needed

« on: March 13, 2015, 02:14:42 AM »

Hello everyone.
I need to borrow someones eyes.

I have been looking at buying a Pro-Street 68 and have been looking online for ages as I dont want to cut my baby up.
I have found two cadidates so far, one is in New York somewhere ( yeah I know its a big place ) and the other is in Port Colborne in Canada.
As yet I have not heard from the guy in NY about whether I can arrange to have the car inspected but the guy in Canada is ok with it.

I am reaching out to members to see if there is anyone that is close to Port Colborne that would  be willing to take the time to inspect this car.
I would like to get an honest report on things like RUST & VIN and whether everything works etc etc.
I may be able to arrange a hoist as well if all goes well.
I would like some pictures taken of the car especially showing the rear 4 link, roll cage and chassis etc.

If anyone can help me out please let me know, I am happy to cover reasonable costs.

Thanks
Wayne

5

Decoding/Numbers / Vin check

« on: January 12, 2015, 07:32:07 AM »

Hello everyone, I trust you all have had a very relaxing festive season.

I have a quick question or two about a '68 Camaro I am looking at here in NZ.
The VIN is 124378N394854
Now I have to admit it is "tacked on" to a drag car here that i am considering purchasing, and I am pretty sure that apart from the body not much else is original so I'm not even going to bother with a picture of the VIN tag and the Fisher Body Tag is gone.
That said however there are no side marker lights and it has a 67 grille but it does have '68 front doors.
I was unable to get to the partial VIN #s as I had no tools when I looked at it.

So my questions are:
Is there a record of the VIN in the database?
Do '68 doors fit a '67 body?
If the quarter panesl were replaced at some stage do the '68 ones come with the side marker holes stamped out or do you have to cut them out?

My intention is to partially restore it to a Pro Street car but I am curious if there was a record of what this VIN originally was.
I am also a bit unsure whether iit a '68 or '67.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Cheers
Wayne

6

General Discussion / National Geographic magazine

« on: December 17, 2012, 06:15:48 PM »

This is a little off topic but can anyone here help out with a strange request?

I have a friend here in NZ that is 57 chev MAD.
He has just about anything you can think of that relates to the 57 Chev. There is memorabilia in just about every crevice in his garage.
Over a beer one day I brought this up in conversation with him and he told me that he was looking for the 1957 edition of National Geographic magazine.
Aparantly there is a write up and/or an article or adverticement or something covering the release of the 57 year model Chevs which he has been trying to locate for ages.
It has become an obsession with him I think. He is a top bloke and has helped me out plety of times with my Camaro so I would like to do something nice for him.
Can I impose on all you good people to help me find him a copy?
Could you please copy, link, repost on any other forums that you are members of?
Surely somewhere out there I can find him a copy?

Happy holidays everyone

Wayne

7

Maintenance / Front axles, Spindles

« on: November 02, 2010, 07:05:04 AM »

Hi all I need a bit of help.

I noticed a bit if a low rumble about a week or two ago and it seemed to be coming from the diff. Seeing as how I had patched up a rough one to begin with, ( no money at the time ), and it had a weepy seal it seemed to make sense.
I have had new axles and bearings fitted and that didnt fix it.
I have now found that the front wheel bearings are completely worn out on both sides.
My steering guy called me to tell me that at some time it looks as if the bearings may have spun on the spindles  and had been attacked wiith a grinder and that they really should be replaced.

PROBLEM........
not a common part down here in NZ.

Question..........
I can get my hands on some second hand parts here that are in good condition but they are from different cars.
My car is a 68 that has had 69 front disc brakes fitted.
I can get spindles from a 67 drum brake car or a 66 drum brake Chevelle. Was GM smart enough back then to use multifit parts?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers

8

Decoding/Numbers / Rare Cowl Tag in NZ

« on: January 29, 2010, 05:25:17 AM »

Hi guys, I hope the new year has been kind to you all.

Seeing as we are talking about odd cowl tags I thought I might add this one into the mix. (sorry for hijacking the thread)
A friend of mine here in NZ has  68 RSSS matching #s coupe that he imported from Japan with a strange tag,
There is none of the usual info on the tag.
what it does have however is the following stamped on the bottom part :

"This car finished with magic mirror acrylic lacquer."

The car is painted in Sea frost green (code P2)
 I will go and get a pic tomorrow and post it here.

It has electric windows, fold down rear seat, air con, U17 guage package with tic-toc-tach,

All partial vins match on the body and block etc.

Also interesting is that it has a speedometer that is marked up to 200 (Kph I assume)
The tacho yellow line is at 4700 to 5000 and then redline is 5000 to 7000RPM ( will look for identifying numbers or part numbers )

9

General Discussion / 1968 Aircon car?

« on: June 05, 2009, 07:26:31 AM »

Hello again everyone.
While trying to get the "ball vents" in the dash going I seem to have discovered that my  car may have originally had AC.
There are no penetrations from the cabin to the wiper cowl area up behind the dash for the ball vent ducting to connect to , similarly the ball vents do not have the little knob and lever to open and close the "flap" which turns on and off or restricts the air flow.
The heater controils are all out of whack.
There is no central vent in the radio trim panel.
It appears to have a standard heater box fitted in the engine bay and all looks as it should be for a non AC car in that respect.
All the windows have a green tint to them.
A panelbeater here has started all this when he mentioned to me that there was been a small patch or "AC Delete" plate welded into the firewall ( which I cant see ) up by the wiper cowl panel.
My problem is, I would like to get the venting system working correctly.

I have a couple of options.
1: Drill the holes in the firewall for the ball vent connections, I have not been able to get the plastic parts to mount to the firewall however.
2: Resurrect the original AC system, I can acquire a complete system from a firends car here who is making a hot rod and will be removing his AC
3: Install an aftermarket AC system, vintage air or similar.

Option 1 would be pretty much impracticle as I would have to tear the car apart.
Option 2 would be the best option as it retains all the correct parts but again means some serious surgery to undo what has been done.
Option 3 would appear to be the way to go as I understand they dont require a pump and would retro fit to my car fairly easily. Has anyone fitted one of these?

Before I do anything I want to make sure that I am not "barking up the wrong tree", so to speak.

Are there any other tell tale clues as to whether my car really did have AC fitted?
Were there any models that did not have the air vents ducted to the firewall

Thanks
Wayne

10

Maintenance / Door weatherstripping

« on: September 07, 2008, 07:31:36 AM »

Hi all.
I have had problems with closing the doors.
Basically I have had to open the door and with a hearty push swing them quite hard to get them to latch properly.
I have tried soaking the seals with Wurth rubber conditioner which didnt really make a lot of difference.
The car has been beautifully restored and in desperation I have removed the "new" seals that had been fitted.
I beieve they were bought from a classic industries agent down here.
I have a panelbeater freind who has had a similar problem and it seems to be the very end of the seal where it is flattened out whereby it is too hard to compress properly when closing the door.
We cut away this part and it was an improvement. However when we removed the entire seal we found that the door closes perfectly.... click....
All of the gaps are near perfect so it would seem that the seal is definately the problem
I have had a browse through the forums and it appears that the general consensus would be that the Metro brand seals provide teh best fit and cushioning when closing the doors.
I am proposing to replace only the seal that goes around the door. Would it be better to replace the door frame seals as well?
I would appreciate any input from other forum members as I am reluctant to place an internet order only to find out that I am no better off.
Thanks in advance
Wayne

11

Mild Modifications / Wheel clearnces

« on: June 28, 2008, 05:07:19 AM »

Can anyone help me out here.

I have just fitted a pair of 15x8 rally wheels to the back of my 68 and now I am not too happy with the "look".
The wheels I fitted are Classic Industries reproductions with a 4 1/4" backspacing, which I assume is a standard backspacing.
The problem is that now I want to have them altered so that the extra 1" is on the inside of the wheel arch instead of the outside as it looks a bit odd as it is now.
Also I have the car lowered a bit and I think with the extra inch on the outside I will have issues with the tyres rubbing on the inside of the wheel arch trim.
If I alter them they way I want I can also then use the original wheel trim riings and it would appear to be the same as the front and not have a gaping gap between the ring and the centre of the wheel but still have an 8" wheel.
The tyres on the back are BF Goodrich 245x60x15.

Any clues anyone?

Thanks

12

Test Drive / test2

« on: May 06, 2008, 10:37:45 AM »

more test

13

Test Drive / test

« on: May 06, 2008, 10:34:48 AM »

test

14

Decoding/Numbers / I have seached the site........but.........

« on: October 04, 2007, 06:35:43 AM »

Hello all.

Right, time to decode my 68SS.
I suspect it does not have the original engine, but would like to find out what it is anyway.

No partial VIN as I would expect on the engine pad in front of the passenger side head.
What I found was : 01884 ER VO828HO. The "O" is very faint and may be a "G" or "C" or "Q". I have figured out the VO828, just not sure on the suffix.
I can make no refernce to the "ER".
The VIN of theh car is 124378L338993, so the "01884" is a mystery also. The stamping of the "01884" also seems a little odd. A couple of the digits look as if they have been double stamped, as if someone had another go at them because the first attempt wasn't hard enough. Has anyone struck this before?
I have had a look for the casting Nos.
All I can find at the back of the engine is : "14GM" cast above the oil filter on the block behind the inlet manifold on the drivers side;
and: an "x" inside a circle, followed by"H18" cast on the passenger side .

I have not found any other cast numbers or stamped numbers at the back of the engine YET.
There is what appears to be a bracket that supports either the accelerator or the kickdown rods that runs right at the back of the block on the drivers side where the bell housing bolts up. There may be more under there. I will investigate this weekend.

Any help  would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Wayne

15

General Discussion / Hello from New Zealand

« on: October 01, 2007, 09:16:08 AM »

Hello to all.
Firstly I would like to congratulate you all for a fantastic website full of information.
I have been searching for a camaro for some time and found this site invaluable when figuring out what I was (and wasn't) about to buy.
There are a lot of 6cyl camaros down here that have has V8's fitted to them along with a few stripes and are getting passed off as SS or what have you.

I have recently purchased a nice black 68 SS which the owner was quite reluctant to sell as he has restored it as a keeper. Unfortunately for him money problems forced a sale. Fortunately for me I was able to afford it.
Funny thing though, He was offered A LOT MORE by other people once word got out about it being up for sale, but still he honoured our agreement. As he said, " I know its going to a good home".
In short this is a quick note to say hi.
I will bombard you with questions soon, once I have found all the other numbers I want to check out.
I dont think its matching numbers but for now the VIN is 124378L338993.
So thanks again for the wealth of information.
See you in the other forum topics.

Wayne