Messages

631

Originality / Re: 69 Head Rest Bottom Cover Hardware?

« on: February 28, 2010, 02:15:21 AM »

I agree with the plastic, I have never seen a screw in there.  BTW, the plastic retainers are the same as the door weatherstrip ones, available in the repro catalogs.

632

Restoration / Re: Weather shield sealant

« on: February 19, 2010, 03:07:19 AM »

For the black dum dum putty, use electrical service caulk (in a brick) used for sealing where home service wire goes into the meter box.  

633

Restoration / Re: Advice on interior Restoration

« on: January 29, 2010, 05:39:43 PM »

69s used rosewood accents, 68s used walnut, cherrywood is something else

I got mine on ebay a number of years ago,  Here is an auction, but I do not have a review of this vendor, but for $8, it is worth the gamble. Ask for a pic.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ROSEWOOD-WOODGRAIN-DECAL-VINYL-MATERIAL7-5X12-INCHES_W0QQitemZ310100391122QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item48336c74d2

Door panel curl is an easy fix, you can do it.  Lay towels on the floor in your basement.  Lay the door vinyl side down on the towel.  Make sure the loose vinyl edges are not folded or creased underneath.  Take a wet washcloth and repeatedly wipe curled area with water until the cardboard is soaked.  Take a small peice of flat wood that fits the curled area and place it on top of door panel.  Then put a weight on top of the board.  Wait until dry, 4-7 days.  remove weights and see if cardboard remains flat, if not repeat.  Once cardboard holds its flatness, use weldwood contact cement to glue vinyl down again.  the cardboard will need two coats of cement (its porous).  stand back and admire

Get a repro steering wheels, 3" missing chunks are too big to fill. I have the repro cushioned rim, nice part, I recommend it (then you dont need the rosewood sheet!).  I cannot comment on the standard rim quality.  Trim parts or ACC on the Carpet.  I cant comment about the package tray (I have convertibles )

  

634

Originality / Re: Valve covers Timing covers and Balancers how are they

« on: January 29, 2010, 12:58:04 PM »

Best is to post pics and get opinions.  searching ebay for matching ones also helps

635

Restoration / Re: Advice on interior Restoration

« on: January 29, 2010, 12:56:48 PM »

OK, now we have a list to work with!   replace the package tray, carpet.  try to clean and flitz polish the console and if the scuffs are minimized, coat with a wax type coating.  If not, use fusion satin black paint, same goes for scuff on the seat backs.  Dash pads are not repairable, you need a new one (but generally the repros are not the best, but thats all there is)  The repro standard door panels look different than originals, I would try to fix them, same with the steering wheel.  What is exactly wrong with them? door panel warps can be straightened and trim reglued.  rips, chome wear or delamination of the center cannot.  steering wheel cracks can be epoxied and painted.  shrouds can be epoxied and inlay can be recovered with new rosewood contact sheets.   

636

Restoration / Re: Advice on interior Restoration

« on: January 28, 2010, 08:15:01 PM »

It depends on what year and which parts are bad.  front seat re-cover is a no brainer, just get quality covers and pads.  Other parts can be repaired.

637

Decoding/Numbers / Re: XCode LM1 Vert.

« on: January 27, 2010, 12:07:06 PM »

Nice!  You can save the kickpanels!  I just converted some rounds holes in my kickpanels to the fatory 4x6 ones with a little plastic welding with a soldering iron and black fusion paint.  You will havbe to find matching blue paint though   luck on your project!

638

Restoration / Re: convertable top coloring

« on: January 10, 2010, 03:01:02 PM »

Jimbo, I would not recommend dyeing the top.  I am pretty sure the finish on the top is waterproofed, so the dye may come out blotchy.  Also, the top going up and down might wear through the dye after a while.  I recommend replacing the top.  I have replaced a top, you need 2 people, plenty of time, warm weather, the Fisher body manual, a good stapler (air would be the best) and plenty of patience.  It took a buddy and I many weekends to get it done in a heated garage in the winter.  You have to have the top frame PERFECTLY adjusted to the windows before you start.  Once in place you cannot adjust the frame anymore or you put wrinkles in the top.  Other than that, putting s top on is only staples, screws and contact cement. the hardest part is to get it centered on the frame and work the wrinkles out (follow the manual!).  One of the trickest parts is the rear trim sticks, those 3 layers (well liner, rear plastic and top) on the corners was a bear to get right.  But if you staple the well liner first, then the rear plastic portion and get that tight (test fit the top latched) , then you staple the top.

also get the rear top well stainless polished first, make sure your top drip pan is solid.  You cannot get to those items once the top is installled.  Also make sure your trim stick screws and holes are in good shape.  You dont want the screws to no hold AFTER you have the top finished and are tighening the trims sticks for the last time.   Luck! 

639

Originality / Re: Making a coupe into a convertible

« on: January 04, 2010, 05:17:44 PM »

Hi Kevin
I went under the car and it does not have the x brace, but the factory threaded holes are there. I wonder if they put those holes on all the 67 coupes and rags or just on the rags? It does have the h re enforcing ribs.
Thanks for all your time and info, this is an excellent venue.
Jimbo

Jimbo, the H re-enforcements were only installed on verts.  The AIM does show the X plate as an optional thing (standard on verts), but if they bolted the plate to the floor of a coupe (with square nuts in the floor per the drawing) the exhaust would have NO ROOM in the tunnel.

640

Originality / Re: Making a coupe into a convertible

« on: January 04, 2010, 05:14:06 PM »

Ok now let me ask this , are there some welds on convertibles that are done after the fact with mig welders ? Like in the rear inner quarterpanel reinforcments , the rear seat support etc. ? The reason I ask this is because you can visibly tell that these parts look to have been welded after the fact , not spot welded from the factory , I can see that the front posts look original(with fenders on) but I can clearly see that at the bottom where they meet the rockers there is mig welds , so after I have the fenders off I'll be able to see if the cowl has indeed been tampered with . The vin tag is the same as the number stamped in the upper cowl section which tells me that the whole cowl is correct but is it from another car ? We will see when oit comes apart.

Yes, there are sections that were MIG or stick welded (not spot welded).  This was done either for strength or seperate part attachment at the factory.

641

Originality / Re: Making a coupe into a convertible

« on: January 02, 2010, 06:02:06 PM »

Thanks Kevin. The car we are looking at is a 67.

Jimbo

Jimbo, the pics I posted (and Johns) are the same for 67-69 camaros.  Only the outer skins were different.  Real 1st gens Convertibles also had thicker metal than coupes (rockers, rear frame rails, hinge pillars too I think).  On Johns pic, please note the "H" re-enforcing ribs the "X" plate bolts onto, that is only used on vert. 

642

Originality / Re: Making a coupe into a convertible

« on: January 02, 2010, 04:40:15 PM »

Just to be clear, the pics I posted above are from real 69 convertibles.  You can use them to compare to the suspected conversion car.

643

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Need reproduction VIN

« on: January 02, 2010, 01:47:28 PM »

How bad is the vin damaged? If it is just bent, straighten and re-install.  Most states allow vin R&R for "normal" sheet metal repairs.

644

Originality / Re: Making a coupe into a convertible

« on: January 02, 2010, 01:43:21 PM »

outlaw, To make a coupe into a vert takes a lot of work and almost every panel is a little different. He are some pics to help you compare.

windshield frame


inside rocker construction


qtr window and top hinge point (looking forward on the pass side)


rear corner, pay close attention to the opening for the qtr window guts (kidney pan)


Luck!

645

Originality / Re: 1969 Base car

« on: December 27, 2009, 01:51:30 PM »

As Kurt says, a "base" car is a car without options. You get a 6-cyl, standard interior, manual 3 speed on the column.   Your car was not a "base" car, because the 307 was an option.