106
General Discussion / Re: Cool Pic
« on: June 22, 2009, 02:55:06 AM »
That is a cool pic! A good friend of mine used to be the truck manager at Lawson Chevrolet. He passed away about 10 or so years ago............RatPack............
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107
Restoration / Re: GM NOS Standard Grille (Silver) for 69 Camaro Z28
« on: June 16, 2009, 01:20:05 PM »
RS grille is always black!
Except on Black cars, then the grill is always silver............RatPack.................
108
Restoration / Re: New tall bumpers guards, they donīt fit!
« on: June 16, 2009, 11:44:14 AM »
Hugger69, I ran into this problem a few years ago and found it wasn't the guards instead it was the bumper. The guards were made to fit the original bumper, not the repro. I have a 69 here that the customer wants me to add the tall front guards to, but I know I am going to have a time fitting them to the bumper as his car has an older repro bumper on it now. I have heard that these guards do fit the top of the line bumper from Goodmark, but I have not confirmed this with a test fit of my own. They did some serious retooling about 5 years ago on all of their bumpers to be more exact on exterior shape as compared to originals, and of the ones for the 67-68 models they are pretty much dead-on. You are doing about the only thing feasible to make them fit, which stinks because now you have to either rechrome them or paint the edges that you grind............................RatPack........................
109
General Discussion / Re: 1969 steering column help
« on: June 16, 2009, 12:44:16 AM »
Aaron, are you running the raised port heads like the ones AFR makes? If so, then you must cut the arm off of the column as there is no way around it when using the Stahl #105 (New design) headers. Can't run a 67-8 column as there is no key provision. If you have stock heads you must use Stahl #106 Original design headers for your car and there are no issues with the column. Myself I would use the Hooker #HOK-2207 headers as there is no issue with using your complete steering column lock out/backdrive linkage. Plus the Hookers are half the price and perform just as well......................RatPack...................
110
General Discussion / Re: Possible '68 DANA Camaro
« on: June 15, 2009, 04:19:16 PM »
I think you are on the right track. I looked at another picture from a different angle and it looks like it is a fairly tight fit for the spring and the eye would drop down to the holes in the bracket and reinstall the bolt. An almost instant lift although I've never seen it done on the front spring mount and don't know what the advantage would be other than raising the rear end for tire clearance. Lets work on identifying the "California gauge package" next. I had a guy tell me that GM built a hawaiian theme Camaro with a similar gauge setup as a GM dream car but I haven't found any pictures of it. Clint
Both the "Waikiki Camaro" and "Californian Camaro" were 67 models and neither had a gauge package like your car has. The console in the Waikiki Camaro had a faux teakwood applique on the top plate instead of the standard Camaro pebble grained finish. The center dash trim also had the same applique on it as did the tops of the doors and quarter panels. I need to find my pictures, but I don't think the California Camaro had a console. I don't know of any 68 Camaro show cars that were built like these two, other than maybe the Caribe which as a mix of 67 & 68's. Maybe JohnZ can add to this topic..........................RatPack..........................
111
Mild Modifications / Re: LocationTemplate for cutting hole in floor tunnel for Hurst shifter...
« on: June 14, 2009, 04:28:34 AM »
Stillwater.....I never saw this post, but the answer is yes. The hole is the same in 67 for any floorshift shifters...........RatPack............
112
Maintenance / Re: 69 dash pad
« on: June 11, 2009, 02:28:13 PM »
The current repros fit okay with a few adjustments with a Dremel tool with a sanding barrel, or even better a deburring bit. They do not fit around the center area of the instrument cluster above the steering column. A little trimming with a Dremel can straighten it right up. Also the sides where they attach to the dash panel you may need to predrill or even redrill each hole and allow for a little extra clearance. Right now that is the only thing out there, and yes they use metal instead of the fiberglass/plastic used originally.
Another thing that makes these dash pads come loose along the edges is the older fiberglass/plastic backing tends to warp causing the vinyl to pull away and then it shrinks. Good luck in whatever route you decide to take..............RatPack............
Another thing that makes these dash pads come loose along the edges is the older fiberglass/plastic backing tends to warp causing the vinyl to pull away and then it shrinks. Good luck in whatever route you decide to take..............RatPack............
113
Originality / Re: Did 1968 cars with AC get Astro Ventilation door glass?
« on: June 11, 2009, 01:50:24 AM »
Even if the car had a/c it still had the "Astro Ventilation" as the door jamb vents in the 1/4 panels were considered part of the Astro Ventilation system. I finished a car two years ago that is an 02D Norwood car with factory a/c, and it has its original door glass with the Astro Ventilation on it................RatPack........................
114
Maintenance / Re: 69 dash pad
« on: June 11, 2009, 01:33:46 AM »
Very common problem with original dash pads on any Camaro from 69-78. The type of molding process they used was not a very good one for long term use, say after 6 or 7 years, much less 40. It can be repaired, but it will be a temporary fix at best. I have used an industrial contact adhesive to fix original pads before. You need to heat the affected area enough to make it soft, but not too much to loosen anymore of it from the fiberglass backing that it is molded to. Apply a small amount of contact adhesive in the area that needs to be reattached. Now stretch the vinyl portion over the edge of the fiberglass backing, and clamp it down using some spring clamps and paint paddles to distribute the pressure evenly w/o leaving any high/low spots. (See picture for a spring clamp) Let it set at least 24hrs before trying to reinstall the dash pad so to make sure you have a good bond. There is no guarantee that it will not lift and peel as before once the car gets in the hot sun. I hope this helps...........RatPack.........................
115
General Discussion / Re: Possible '68 DANA Camaro
« on: June 10, 2009, 04:48:36 PM »
Dana was not the only west coast supercar builder. Bill Thomas Race Cars out of Anahiem was building them before Dana did. He also built the Nickey 427 converted cars in 67 through early 68, then he and Nickey had a parting of ways. Pictures are going to be a big help here.............RatPack......................
116
General Discussion / Re: Possible '68 DANA Camaro
« on: June 10, 2009, 12:51:03 PM »
All of what you have described is just typical bolt-on parts that could have been added by anyone, and not necessarily a dealer. Not sure what a "California gauge pkg" is, but I have never seen it done by any of the west coast supercar dealers, or any for that matter. That looks more like a home-built job as dealers were not into making custom panels as they wanted to make money quickly, and not have the car sit around waiting for true "custom" work to be done. They would install the aftermarket underdash gauges from Sun, SW, Autometer, RAC, etc. using the gauge manufacturers panels to install them: 2 or 3 screws and you were done. There is only one dealer supercar that I know of that had anykind of custom gauge work and it is a 68 Motion Camaro which had the factory speedo & fuel guage replaced with a Stewart Warner speedo & tach. It was a simple swap done in probably a few hours, nothing like the panel shown in your pictures that required some serious fabrication for proper fitment. I have never heard of any reinforcing plate welded to the driver's side frame-rail for structural reasons, can you post a picture of this item? Also how about some pictures of the other items you are describing: the rev limiter, welded areas on the spring perches, the slapper bars, and maybe some overall pictures of the car. The more information you can provide the better chance that someone will be able to help you identify your car.
If you feel that Dick Harrell had a part in the car also, then you need to contact Valerie Harrell as she has a lot of new found paperwork from her dad's business, and there were two cars that were once undocumented that she found their original paperwork in the boxes. I will send you a private message with her email address .............RatPack......................
If you feel that Dick Harrell had a part in the car also, then you need to contact Valerie Harrell as she has a lot of new found paperwork from her dad's business, and there were two cars that were once undocumented that she found their original paperwork in the boxes. I will send you a private message with her email address .............RatPack......................
117
General Discussion / Re: 1968 Aircon car?
« on: June 08, 2009, 12:35:34 AM »
That car originally had a/c by the pictures you have shown. You can clearly see where the firewall has been welded up at the original a/c heater core opening as the seam is starting to show (blue outline area). The two upper holes that normally bolt the a/c box to the firewall have been poorly filled in (yellow lines), and the cutout area for the plenum vlave has definitely been filled in (red outline area). I does not appear that the dash has been filled in for the air control knobs that are present on non-a/c cars. Though it would require removal of the front clip and doing some interior disassembly, converting the car back may not be that hard as it appears someone did a "hap-hazard" job of removing the a/c without changing the firewall area from a non-a/c car. I would get the stuff from your friend's car and fix yours.........RatPack.............
118
Originality / Re: front grill & bezels
« on: June 05, 2009, 10:09:28 PM »
Mark, the grill "eggcrate" area inside the chrome should be silver. Everything outside the chrome is body color. The headlight bezels will also be silver, and if the car has the Style Trim Group then there will be chrome trim on the bezels that are accented in black, but the bezels are still silver. The grill is the same whether the car has the Style Trim Group or not. I hope this helps...............RatPack..................
See this link also: http://www.camaros.org/exterior.shtml#1969Grille
See this link also: http://www.camaros.org/exterior.shtml#1969Grille
119
Originality / Re: 1969 rear suspension
« on: June 05, 2009, 01:52:02 PM »From what I understand, sway bars are of little to no help on leaf spring suspension.
Actually Gary according to Bill Thomas they were a big help in the first Gen cars, especially in cars with single leaf springs. It actually would stiffen the rear suspesion up in all directions, but was a big help in up and down movement of the axle. The way most of those aftermarket kits mounted are like the ones in the pictures above. This is the first one I have seen with the springs at the end links, but they still mount to the rear frame rails in a solid fashion, thus limiting the movement of the axle. A rear sway (anti roll) bar on a leaf spring car can actually improve traction over a car without one. My 68 had one of Bill Thomas' bars on it, and man did the car handle like it was on rails! The car also launched differently with that bar on there by allowing the suspension to "lift" when hammered from a dead stop. I removed it in favor of the original traction bars that were never installed by the owner or Bill. He told me not to use the two together as both have different purposes and combined they would cause the car to be unstable in a turn. Right now there is absolutely no suspension travel up and down, or lets put it this way, it may move a 1/2" or so.........
68Tom, personally I would have all of the components sand blasted to see if you can make out the manufacturer as there are usually some stampings in the parts used. Also I would probably install it on the car when doing the restoration as it is a very neat "Day 2" part...........................RatPack...............
120
General Discussion / Re: 1968 Aircon car?
« on: June 05, 2009, 01:18:08 PM »
Wayne, is your car already restored or is it in a condition that needs restoration and where you can remove some parts to inspect this a little further? I think some pictures would be of a big help here as some of what you describe is a car that was originally equipped a/c from the factory. The holes not being stamped into the cowl plenum for the vents, no holes in the dash for the flapper controls at the vents are the only clues present for this to be an a/c car originally. As you are aware, the firewalls are totally different between an a/c and non-a/c car as to the stamped holes for the heater core body and the tube location. So if you have the non-a/c heater box under the hood, then you need to look and see if the firewall has been modified for it to fit. This is not an easy conversion to do as it requires a lot of welding, relocating of a couple holes, and redrilling for the heater box mounting. Most of the time the holes where the heater core tubes come out on a non-a/c V8 (non big block) cannot be duplicated exactly as the factory did it due to the shape of the lower hole. A picture of this area would be good. Also the top of the cowl panel would have to be repaired in the lower corner of the passenger side opening to fill in the cutout area for the plenum valve that is only present on a/c cars, again not an easy proper fix as the underside is not easily repaired w/o some clues showing it being repaired.
What is specifically wrong with the heater controls? Heat operates when it shouldn't, no blower fan speed control, flapper door for vent/defrost does not work...? As for the choices as to how to fix this, well that is up to you and your expertise in working on these systems. Personally if was a factory a/c car then that is the way it needs to go back no matter how much work is required. Since your friend is converting his car to a hot rod then I would get everything from him, including the firewall area and have him repair his to a smooth finish. I have used the Vintage Air systems and honestly they suck. You cannot use your glovebox, the fitment and ease of installation is fair at best. I don't know what you mean as they don't use a pump? Are you saying they don't use a compressor? Well they do, and it does not use factory style brackets to hang it on the engine. The systems do cool well, they tend to have a little more noise from the blower than the factory system, and usually they only use the front center vents for the a/c. I think they now offer a system where it will use the outer vents like the factory system, and you just use two block off plates on the cowl. I just quit using them entirely years ago because of the issues we always had installing them. The last car I restored with a/c was an old drag car and we put the factory stuff right back on there. The owner went with a "Day 2" restoration with period correct speed partsSee attached picture of the engine compartment during the restoration............
If you can take a few pictures of the heater core outlet openings, and of the lower corner of the passenger side cowl plenum opening we might be able to tell what you had originally......................betting it was an a/c car..............RatPack.......................
What is specifically wrong with the heater controls? Heat operates when it shouldn't, no blower fan speed control, flapper door for vent/defrost does not work...? As for the choices as to how to fix this, well that is up to you and your expertise in working on these systems. Personally if was a factory a/c car then that is the way it needs to go back no matter how much work is required. Since your friend is converting his car to a hot rod then I would get everything from him, including the firewall area and have him repair his to a smooth finish. I have used the Vintage Air systems and honestly they suck. You cannot use your glovebox, the fitment and ease of installation is fair at best. I don't know what you mean as they don't use a pump? Are you saying they don't use a compressor? Well they do, and it does not use factory style brackets to hang it on the engine. The systems do cool well, they tend to have a little more noise from the blower than the factory system, and usually they only use the front center vents for the a/c. I think they now offer a system where it will use the outer vents like the factory system, and you just use two block off plates on the cowl. I just quit using them entirely years ago because of the issues we always had installing them. The last car I restored with a/c was an old drag car and we put the factory stuff right back on there. The owner went with a "Day 2" restoration with period correct speed partsSee attached picture of the engine compartment during the restoration............
If you can take a few pictures of the heater core outlet openings, and of the lower corner of the passenger side cowl plenum opening we might be able to tell what you had originally......................betting it was an a/c car..............RatPack.......................