Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - 69-er

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4
31
Restoration / Re: Headlight Grounds
« on: December 22, 2010, 08:26:31 PM »
Thanks, I really need to find my AIM.  It's somewhwere in the the storage room!

32
Restoration / Headlight Grounds
« on: December 21, 2010, 06:05:47 PM »
Can someone tell me where the headlight ground terminals are located on a 68? I know I can attach them anywhere, but if I'm able to know the correct location, I might as well do it right as the factory had it.

Thanks!

Larry

33
General Discussion / Leaf Springs Too High
« on: November 13, 2010, 02:45:00 PM »
I've run into an interesting problem. On my 68 Firebird the leaf springs were replaced at one point in it's life from the factory (I think) 5 leaves, to 6 leaves. This didn't leave enough room inside the perch and shock plate. They torqued the hell out of the bolts until the plates were bent and the rubber squeezed to nothing. There was still a considerable gap between the plate and perch.

I removed one leaf, about 12" long, from the bottom, and added a 1/4" shim between the perch and plate. Now, the new rubber has a nice clamping pressure without too much distortion.

I also sandblasted the springs and painted them. I didn't take the leaves apart. You can see the before and after pics below.

Now the car sits way too high. They are almost at the limits of the shock travel. The shackle and front mount bolts are still loose.

That's all I did. I can't think of any reason why the springs are not compressing like they used to. Anybody have some suggestions as to why this is happening?

34
General Discussion / Re: Bracket on Evaporator Housing?
« on: October 10, 2010, 05:49:41 AM »
That's what I figured too, but the bracket is lined up to the port on the valve.  If it was a little lower, a clamp would work quite well.  I can't visualize how a clamp could wrap around the valve in my situation.  I don't have any reason to believe the valve is in the wrong location.  The tubes coming out the evaporator all seem to be properly positioned.

35
General Discussion / Bracket on Evaporator Housing?
« on: October 09, 2010, 01:58:28 PM »
Would someone possibly know what this bracket is for that is riveted to the housing next to the expansion valve? I can't remember if I ever saw anything attached to it. All my pre dis-assembly pictures show it to be unused.

Also, is there anything that keeps the coiled copper lines on the expansion valve from vibrating? They are pretty flimsy. They are just hanging out in the middle of nowhere. I haven't seen any pictures that show what would hold them.

36
Restoration / Re: Evaporator Housing Color
« on: October 05, 2010, 09:41:32 PM »
Cool, that was my plan.  I figured it would have been that way.

37
Restoration / Evaporator Housing Color
« on: October 05, 2010, 03:48:47 PM »
I am rebuilding the evaporator asembly on the 68. Could someone check their original and see if the housing is painted? My original plan was to remove what I thought was someone elses repairs and paint job and leave it bare.

So far, I used paint stripper and then scuffed the surface with red scotch-brite. After spraying on a satin clear coat, it looks very nice. The bare surface is a very dark gray color with the fibers showing.

Thanks!

Larry

38
Originality / Bumper Jack Stoage Brackets
« on: October 01, 2010, 04:13:46 PM »
I am trying to determine how the jack in stored in a 68 Firebird with a space saver tire.  I have read about references to brackets that are welded to the trunk floor that properly locate the jack, but haven't seen any pictures.  I don't have any brackets in the trunk of the 68 I'm working on.

I have a 69 AIM somewhere but don't know if it would be the same for 68.

39
Originality / 68 Space Saver Tire Wheel Color
« on: October 01, 2010, 04:06:02 PM »
I have seen a couple references that the Camaro's wheel is gray.  But, it seems that the Firebirds are tan, according to the First Gen Firebird site.

Did they really go to the trouble of installing different color spares in the Camaro and Firebird? Seems like this would be one of those universal parts for both cars.

I have a 68 Firebird and I am trying to determine if it should be gray or tan.

40
Originality / Re: Undercoating On Inside Quarter Panels In Trunk
« on: September 29, 2010, 06:58:15 PM »
This is interesting.  This question is in regards to a 68 Firebird, so I figured it would also apply to a Camaro.

While I got more responses here, the couple of responses I got from the "First Gen Firebird" site said there was no undercoating applied.  I find it hard to believe there would be a different process at the Fisher plant for Camaros and Firebirds.

I am waiting for a response from a guy who has an original, unmolested Firebird.  Curious to see what he comes up with.

Thanks everyone!

41
Originality / Re: Tail Light Housing Finish
« on: September 29, 2010, 02:09:18 AM »
Never thought of that.  If that's the case, I would have to say the entire housing would have been galvanized.

I know what you mean by galvanized surfaces being pretty shiny when new.  The reflectors sure seem bright, even for galvanized.  I wonder if it could have been a different type, one that's not common.  It would have to be a fragile type because even inside the trunk it's all gone on the outside of the housing except for the small areas of remnants.

42
Originality / Re: Tail Light Housing Finish
« on: September 29, 2010, 12:51:25 AM »
UPDATE:

Upon inspecting the cleaned and dry housings, I can see remnants of the plating on the exterior lip, and some of it on the main body of the housing. Most of it is on the bottom where it would have been more protected.  There is especially a good amount on the surfaces of the mounting tabs that were against the sheetmetal openings)

I tried to take pictures, but no matter how I tried to change the lighting and camera settings, it was hard to tell where the plating remnants were.

I'm beginning to think the whole housing had this dull chrome plating, inside and out.

Can anybody look at their housings and tell what you find?

43
Originality / Tail Light Housing Finish
« on: September 28, 2010, 03:22:09 AM »
What is the finish of the tail light housings on a 68 non-RS?

The reflectors inside of my housings are a dull chrome/aluminized plating.  Was the entire housing finished this way?

After stripping the exterior of the housing of paint and other crud with paint stripper, I was left with a dull, bare metal surface.  The interior reflector finish was unaffected by the stripper.

44
Originality / Undercoating On Inside Quarter Panels In Trunk
« on: September 25, 2010, 11:30:50 PM »
Were the inside of the quarter panels in the trunk undercoated before the spatter paint was applied?

45
Originality / 68 Gas Filler Hose Cover Paint
« on: September 25, 2010, 11:18:57 PM »
In the trunk of a 68, on the sheetmetal cover and the gas filler pipe and its rubber sleeve, which is covered by the sheetmetal piece, what color should they be?

I referred to the Camaro Assembly Process.

It states that the trunk was spatter painted then, later, the gas tank was installed. Depending on when the filler pipe was installed, the cover may or may not have been installed in the trunk when spatter painted.

The fuel hose clamps can be accessed through the hole behind the license plate, but with this sheetmetal cover in place, it seems like it would be hard to line up the pipe to the hose.

Anybody have good pictures of an original trunk?

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4