Messages

166

General Discussion / Re: anyone know who manufactures the 67-68 Z28 reproduction headers?

« on: April 08, 2009, 01:41:42 AM »

Aaron, I have not had any of the issues you are talking about with the Hookers I mentioned because they are the big tube primaries of 2". I don't know of any header that you can run the heat shields on, and I have a set of the Bill Thomas headers here for comparison. Here is a picture of the #2207 Hookers installed on a 68 SS350 Camaro with power steering. We ended up chaning the headers because they would not clear the factory a/c box on the passenger side w/o serious modifications, but you can see the clearance we had with them around the steering box. I also never had any issue with the headers hanging too low, had about an inch gap at the top of the collector flange, and those are 3-1/2" diameter collectors...........................RatPack......................

167

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Cowl Tag

« on: April 02, 2009, 06:31:42 PM »

lisatrent04, it is obvious from that picture the tag has not been removed for "restoration" as you state above because the engine compartment was never restored. The numbers of the car line up with the vin and build date, the color on the car as it is now is wrong, and other than a missing rear antenna all else is correct per the trim tag: tinted windshield, RS, dlx blue interior, interior chrome pkg, powerglide trans, and console. So I don't know why 1968RSZ28 is asking for opinions about the tag as nothing is out of place...........RatPack...........

168

Mild Modifications / Re: 1969 Camaro fuel door conversion

« on: April 02, 2009, 06:10:08 PM »

I have seen this done before and it is not an easy conversion. Trying to use 67/8 parts requires extensive sheetmetal modification to the tailpanel and center trunk floor areas they are different between the 67/8 & 69 models. You could mount a flip top lid from a Challenger or Charger to the tailpanel and then fabricate a fuel filler neck/hose to connect to the gas tank, but still there is going to be some fabrication and sheetmetal work involved...................RatPack........

169

General Discussion / Re: anyone know who manufactures the 67-68 Z28 reproduction headers?

« on: April 02, 2009, 04:51:55 PM »

Bill Thomas had his headers made by Douglass Manufacturing then he sold them to GM for the 67 Z's, and according to Bill he did not supply them in 68. That is why Kustom started making them for GM. Bill had two designs of the headers, the early version used a slip fit design collector like a race car, and then he went to the common 3-bolt flange style. The first design were sold in his catalaogs as "race" headers only, but there was a cone shaped adapter supplied with them to connect to the factory exhaust when ordered from GM. He listed those in his catalogs as #H536 for the Z-28 and road race applications. The other set with the flanges were sold as #H527 and used a 3-bolt flange adapter to connect to the headpipes. The ones Larry is reproducing are the first design and appear to be correct. The only notable difference is in the head flange as they are "cut" and not stamped like the originals, otherwise they are almost "dead-on".

The set of Stahl's are good headers, but the Hooker #2207 Super Comps fit great and breath just as well on a street Z. I installed them on a friends 67 that has manual steering, and they both went in from the top with no clearance issues. Then I put them on a loaded 68 with ps and a/c and had no clearance issues, but the driver's side had to be laying in the frame before the engine was set in to keep from getting them scratched or dinged up. Now they are close, really close on the driver's side at the steering box. The plus side is they are about half the price of the Stahl headers, and a grand less than the repro's from Larry. It is your choice................good luck.....RatPack....................

*** Jerry, Larry must be giving you a heckuva deal as they sell them for $1600 uncoated and and $1700.00 coated, and that is for the 67 BT version or the 68 Kustom version.

170

Maintenance / Re: Disc Drum Brake Master Cyl

« on: March 31, 2009, 06:56:27 PM »

Do both master cylinders have the same depth for the pushrod coming from the pedal? I have seen rebuilt master cylinders get the wrong piston and the pushrod needs to be changed. The car wouldn't really start to stop until the pedal got closer to the floor. Also I would assume he bled the master cylinder before installing it, and did he bleed the brakes after he was finished? ............RatPack.............

171

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Help with identifying 1967 RS/SS

« on: March 31, 2009, 06:46:42 PM »

As for price, you gave about $4k more than what I would have wanted to give considering the car is not an SS. Other than the fact it is not an SS there are a lot of things that need corrected and can get expensive to fix. I know of a #'s matching SS car locally that needed nothing that just sold for $20k, it was a loaded car with a/c, RS, tilt, tach & gauges, dlx interior......etc... I am not a lawyer but I would try and back out of this deal as this guy has misrepresented this car as being a true SS. One thing I want to know is why you are waiting until AFTER the auction to ask these questions? Everything could have been answered on the CRG homepage, and most of it answered here, especially the exhaust:  http://camaros.org/diffs67.shtml   . I wonder what he is talking about the "welded" brackets for dual exhausts?.......................RatPack....................

172

Originality / Re: 69 Trunk Divider

« on: March 28, 2009, 06:47:35 AM »

Bill is correct. The repro trunk divider is not made of the same material as the original thus they add the jute padding to the back or "seat side" of the board. Awhile back there were some put out with the padding put on the wrong side thus causing the problem Mike was/is having above. I have a couple here that are like that and the manufacturer (I think iit is R.E.M.) sent me two new ones with the padding on the correct side. Though it is not correct the padding actually adds some sound deadening behind the seat, and it is not seen once installed. From the trunk side it appears correct............RatPack..........

173

Originality / Re: Tire Question

« on: March 27, 2009, 09:42:29 PM »

I am not 100% sure which tire supplier was being used at that point in time for the SS, but I know that Firestones were used on some of the early cars in the 68 model year. My Dad's 68 SS he bought new in November of 67 had Firestone redlines on it. Somewhere around here I have some pictures showing the car when he bought it new and the Firestone can be seen in the sidewall. He removed the factory steel wheels within a few days and replaced them with Cragar G/T's but he had the factory redlines mounted on them. Come to think of it I have a complete set of wheels with original white stripe tires from a drum brake 68 that was a February built car, and I think they are Firestones or Uniroyals, not sure, but I'll check them tomorrow.................Maybe some of the others can chime in........................RatPack.............

174

Restoration / Re: 68 standard grille headlamp mounting.

« on: March 27, 2009, 02:46:22 PM »

Check your private messages........RatPack......

175

Decoding/Numbers / Re: Possible Matching Number MO Block Surfaced, What Are the Odds?

« on: March 25, 2009, 03:14:01 PM »

There is your answer.  A friend of mine bought a hood off of Ebay from him that was supposed to be NOS with the stickers on it. What arrived was a repro that came in damaged I think, and there were not any GM stickers on it. The Ebay ad clearly showed a GM hood, but he was sent something else........ I would definitely want pictures, but I doubt that is going to happen as he will make up some excuse to keep from having to send them to you. He might tell you what is stamped & cast on the block, but I doubt you will get actual pictures of the stampings...........RatPack................

176

Originality / Re: Ground Straps

« on: March 19, 2009, 03:23:45 PM »

Bill, it would have to be dealer installed as a rear antenna was not available with any Camaro with factory installed spoilers. Since the D80 option was standard equipment on the Z11 then your car came without a radio originally................RatPack..................

Another note was that a lot of dealers installed Motorola radios as they were the most common "cheaper" brand. The local dealer had about 15-20 for all years of 1st gen Camaro's as left over inventory when they moved to their new location in late 1985. Wish I had gotten all of them......................

177

Originality / Re: 1967 California License plate Numbers??

« on: March 19, 2009, 03:15:50 PM »

Bruce,
I just dug out a copy of the last California smog inspection report on my 68 done in May of 1997 and it lists the tag number as UTD###. My car has a build date of 10E from the LA plant, and originally delivered to Community Chevrolet in Las Vegas. The couple that brought the car into California did so in either late Dec 67 or early January 68. Her memory was not very good the last time we talked due to late stages of brain cancer. She said they bought the car on vacation in Vegas around Christmas of 67, but she didn't remember if they returned home before New Years or not............RatPack..................

178

Restoration / Re: Fisher Body Paint Shop

« on: January 20, 2009, 02:12:18 PM »

If that Rally Green car is a Z then it is a Norwood car. I couldn't find it on their site anymore. Where did you find the underside of the Lemans Blue car on their site? Thanks for the pictures.....RatPack.........

Pex68, were your inner wheelhouses undercoated at the rear? My 10E LOS car had no undercoating the rear wheelwells and the runs in the primer were unbelievable! I have the same amount of runs on the bottom of the car as yours does and my floors and drain plugs were Seafrost Green. Check your private messages..................Thanks!!!

179

Mild Modifications / Re: LocationTemplate for cutting hole in floor tunnel for Hurst shifter...

« on: January 06, 2009, 04:41:15 PM »

Camaroon, before you make any cuts you need to determine which shifter you are going to use. The hole location is different in 69 than in 67-68 and the shifter mounting kit applications for the Hurst Competition Plus are different for that reason. It is the easiest to use the 67-68 shifter because then if you decide to install a console it will come out in the correct location. Besides, the dimples for the shift boot retainer are already in the top of your tunnel.  Aligin the retainer to the dimples, mark the hole, then cut. No measuring and hoping it is correct. One thing to note though, if you are using a 69-up shift forks that use the bolt to attach the shift levers, then you will have to order those from Hurst seperately because the ones for the 68-earlier transmissions will not fit the later transmissions. Other than that it is a straight forward installation..................RatPack............

180

Restoration / Re: 69 front fenders

« on: January 05, 2009, 08:11:22 PM »

You will want to buy nos (new old stock). They are expensive but the repo's will require a skilled and very experienced body man several hours to fit on the car so the price will come out the same. You can find them on ebay if you keep checking. Original fenders should have a blue GM sticker and may have a bar code. Repo's will come in a box not marked "GM".
Good Luck

Actually the repro fenders for the 69's are great in comparison to some NOS GM fenders I have come across lately. What is not known in the hobby is that the very first repro fender for the 69's did not fit and had incorrect body lines at the leading edge above the grill/headlight area. Those fenders were flooded into the market by a West Coast vendor where they ended up being bought by National Parts Depot and The Paddock. Those fenders do require extensive amounts of work to make them fit by splitting them and welding in small pie shaped pieces of metal to recontour them. Those fenders are usually the ones priced dirt cheap at around $125.00 or less per fender. The second run of these fenders that came out in 1995 to present day are very good and only require removal of the extra tab for RS cars if used on a standard car. The car pictured below is a daily driver belonging to a friend of mine and it has a pair of the Goodmark fenders on it and they were installed 8 years ago

As for identifying them at a swap meet, the hood hinge bolt nuts are a good indicator, but the date coding is not. There are numerous GM fenders that do not have any "run" or date stamps on them, I have a pair here that don't have any. The repros have been out long enough that they might be hard to tell from an NOS one especially if there is a GM sticker on it. A guy at Charlotte a few years ago got caught selling repro fenders as NOS because he had GM stickers stuck to them that he had reproduced. Depending upon the cars "rarity" I would opt for the current repros from Goodmark, but if GM fenders were to be my only route then I would find a good set of used ones that may need a little rust repair before spending big $$$ on NOS ones.............................RatPack.......................