Messages

16

Maintenance / Re: Good God In Heaven ... Please Help Me With These Brakes!!

« on: August 29, 2008, 02:34:40 AM »

Kevin - You know ... As I was writting this - I was thinking to myself that I have never tested the brakes with the car running. I was wondering if the power booster/vaccum would make any differance here.  I'm going to give that shot in the morning.  Do ya' really think that could be it?   Stay tuned ...

17

Maintenance / Good God In Heaven ... Please Help Me With These Brakes!!

« on: August 29, 2008, 01:45:46 AM »

I don't know what else to do or where else to turn anymore.  I have a '69 and after 5+ years of restoring this blasted beast, it wants to fight me to the bitter end!  I have replaced EVERYTHING in the brake system.  Some parts several times.  This is the deal:

All new brake lines - complete front to back.
All new brake hoses
New Front Calipers
New Power Booster
Re-built Original Master Cylinder
Original Proportioning Valve
Original Distribution Block
Long Rod in the Power Booster to the Master

I think that covers everything.  This is an original Big Block Car and original front disc brake car.  The problem I'm having is with the front disc brakes.  What was happening is that I had to pump the brake pedal 6 times before the front brakes would actually grab enough to stop the wheel.  Each pump of the pedal added a bit more restance ... the about 6 pumps of the pedal is what it took before you could not spin the wheel.

I switched out the repro master cylinder and repro proportioning valve and installed a original master cylinder (re-built) and the original proportioning valve.  Now it is 3 pumps of the brake pedal to completely stop the front wheel.  Better, but still not quite right.  I have bleed the master cylinder and the front brakes a million times and the fluid comes out in a nice steady stream ... No air at all.
The back Drums have never been an issue and work fine.

So I'm done here.  I have nothing left to try.  I'm out of bullets.  If anybody out there that is a brake expert and has any advise at all ... I'm all ears.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.

18

Restoration / Re: Radio Speaker

« on: August 27, 2008, 01:48:42 AM »

Most of the part houses (Ground Up, NPD, Rick's, etc.) all sell a Repro of that front speaker.  You can get in the original mono speaker or in a stereo model.  Of couse the setero speaker more $$$.

19

Originality / Re: Lifting Hooks

« on: August 26, 2008, 02:49:34 AM »

Were the lifting hooks different on the big blocks - 396 and 427's? 

In general, would the lifting hooks on a '68 307 Chevelle be the same as a small block or big block Camaro in 1969? 

Guess I'm just curious on the lifting hook thing.

20

Restoration / Automatic Trans dating ...

« on: August 26, 2008, 02:42:43 AM »

How far back did the dates of the transmissions go from the build dates on the 1st gens - 1969 in particular?  Did it matter if it was a th350, th400 or a power glide?  I'm guess that Chevy had tranys pre-built and ready ahead of the cars being built ... But how far ahead were the tranys from the car assembly dates?

21

Originality / Re: Firestone or Goodyear F70-14 tires

« on: August 23, 2008, 01:57:45 AM »

Here is a picture of my original '69 4th week of March car - Spare tire.  It's a Firestone and as mentioned above - even though there is an old school Firestone reproduction tire made, it is NOT the correct Firestone tire.  I believe the repro to be an early '70's tire.



So this sort of puts me in a bit of a quandary.  Since I have the spare tire on my XT rim that came with the car ... How to do I outfit the rest of the wheels?  If I want it to be correct, I can't go with the repro Firestone's as they are not really correct for 1969.  So then do I go with the correct Goodyear F70-14's - The ones with the raised white letters that say "Goodyear Polyglass F70-14" on the side?  Or the bogus Firestones that will match my spare in brand and size?

22

Maintenance / Re: Console gauges problems

« on: August 22, 2008, 05:01:37 PM »

OK - I promised an update, so here it is.  I believe that I have the console gauge and lighing issue 95% solved (Thanks Mark).  I switched the temp gauge wires as Mark suggested and also noticed that I may have an insulator (using Marks picture as my guide) in the wrong place.  Lastly ... there was black ground wire that in the console harness that I wasn't grounding near the shifter.  Once I did a tempory grounding of that, PROOF - the lighting all worked as designed!  AMP and oil gauges seem to be working fine. Still fiddling with the fuel and the temp gauges.

23

Originality / Re: Big Block Radiators

« on: August 22, 2008, 01:48:58 AM »

Some 69 L78 cars got the 4 core curved neck. mine has it and i know some other survivor cars that have the same curved neck.
Not all the 4spd 4.10 rear end cars have them by default either, I have witnessed some survivor cars with 4.10 rear ends with the 3 row radiator, even L89s.
so when one says only bb a/c cars and copos get them, that is not really true as a hard and fast rule.
kurt should back me up on this, but its been a while.

Got it!  Thanks Kurt.

24

Originality / Re: Big Block Radiators

« on: August 21, 2008, 07:06:57 PM »

Final answer: CRG (ALWAYS!!)

The curved neck was only used in 69, and only for big block AC cars and COPO's.

Ed

Ed - My '69 COPO (of course no A/C) has the cruved neck radiator just as you state.  I'm just wondering why the COPO's automaticly came with the cruve necked model rather the straight neck.  It seems other BB block non-Air cars got the straight neck radiator.
Thanks.

25

Maintenance / Re: Console gauges problems

« on: August 21, 2008, 02:41:54 AM »

Hey Mark - Thanks a million for the response.  I'll check that wiring SNAFU tomorrow!  If that turns out to be the root of problems on this puppy ... I owe you!  Stay tuned ...

26

Maintenance / Re: Console gauges problems

« on: August 20, 2008, 09:02:28 PM »

Ok, here is my situation ... I have a new wire harness, new gauges new bulbs, pretty much new everything in my original console. I'm having two issues (that I'm aware of) and I'm sure getting tired of taking the console apart, especially since the seats are in the car.

1.) Temp gauge not working - new wiring new temp sensor. I think eventually this one will get figured out since it is really only one wire, but please feel free to comment.

2.) This is the one that really has me stumped. There are four gage pods, each with it's own light bulb. 2 of them seem to be working normally. But the lower 2 pods the lights "glow" when the ignition key is turned to the ON position. The others do not. But when you pull the lights switch to on, they all (4) come on bright.

I'm thinking that I must have a short some where in maybe a ground. Does anyone have pictures of the wiring of the console gages? Is there some sort "felt" washer that I'm missing?  Also, do both of the metal mounting plates need be grounded?  Right now I have the black ground wire that is coming from the harness grounded to the rear plate.  There is no ground on the front plate (the ones "glowing") as I would have thought that the black harness ground might have taken care of that too.
When I put this all together, I just had a pile of parts and no instructions. But it seem like it should be pretty straight forward.

Oh, one more thing ... I also have a low fuel sensor warning in this. Could that maybe some issue.

I'm scratching my head ...

OK - I believe I have number 1 above working now.  But Number 2 ... The issue with the gauge cluster Pod lights is not going away. What I have done is jumped the ground from the top pod metal plate to the bottom pod metal plate.   When I have the Ignition turned to the ON position, all four (4) gauge lights light up bright!!  I am pretty certain that the console gauge lights should light up when the head light switch is pulled. When the car is off and the key out of the ignition and the head light switch is pulled, the dash lights and the console gauge lights all come on as they should. 

So, I have no idea as to why the dang console gauge lights come on bright when the ignition key is turned to the ON position or when the car is started.  I'm wiped out of ideas.  below are some pictures as to how I have the console gauges wired up.  I'm hoping that someone might be able to spot a wiring mistake.  I know it's hard to see it all in the pics, but it's sort of my last resort.  Do the insulators look OK?  Also, there is a low fuel sensor in there too!
Thanks.

27

General Discussion / Re: Major announcement, ...Camaro reveal 7/21/08

« on: August 20, 2008, 04:26:31 AM »

I was sure hoping for a 2009 model, since I have a 69. I was gonna buy one. now they are gonna be 2010 models they wont have as much appeal to me.I may still buy one but my intrest is fading fast. Just tired of waiting to be quite honest.

2010 model year?  I'll believe it when I see it ...  This song is getting old.

28

General Discussion / Re: 1969 camaro restoration

« on: August 20, 2008, 04:15:05 AM »

Are you in it for the sheer joy of saving a piece of auto history ... or because you want to build the car of your dreams?  I think only you can answer that.  Good luck with which ever way you go.

29

General Discussion / Re: rust conversion

« on: August 15, 2008, 07:30:35 PM »

While I have never used the product ... Think the one you might be referring to was Rust Bullet - http://www.rustbullet.com/  That seems to ring a bell to me.

firstgenaddict - Thanks for the tip on "safest rust remover".  I'll look into it for my next project.

30

Maintenance / Re: Console gauges problems

« on: August 15, 2008, 07:26:02 PM »

Quick update on this ...
When I jumped the ground to both console gauge pod metal plates, I now get the all Four gauge lights come on BRIGHT - as in full on - when the ignition key is turned to he "ON" position.  They also come full bright on if I should pull the head lights switch on.

My question is - Is this correct?  Should the gauge lights all come ON when the ignition is turned to the ON position? I mean it is sort of dark under the dash there were they are, so maybe the console lights are ON when driving without the head lights turned on ...