Messages

16

Restoration / Re: Magnaflow exhaust - Hotchkis rear sway bar - interference???

« on: February 20, 2022, 09:25:14 PM »

Thanks for the replies. I posted this at Team Camaro at the same time I posted here.

Dave

17

Restoration / Magnaflow exhaust - Hotchkis rear sway bar - interference???

« on: February 19, 2022, 06:45:45 PM »

Has anyone been able to install a Magnaflow dual exhaust system with a Hotchkis rear sway bar also installed.?

This is the Magnaflow part number 15896......2 1/2 inch pipe with dual mufflers with the tail pipes exiting the mufflers and going up and over the axle housing.

The reason I ask is because, unlike any other dual exhaust complete system I have seen out there for first gen Camaros, the Magnaflow system's mufflers are splayed instead of being parallel to each other. The back of the mufflers are pointed slightly outwards.

The Hotchkis sway bar uses vertical "dogbone" connectors to attach the sway bar itself, which is fastened to the axle housing, to the support bracket that is connected to the frame rails. The way the mufflers are splayed outward, it looks like tailpipes coming out of the mufflers are going to come very close to those vertical dogbone connectors if not run right into them.

It also looks like the sway bar support bracket that attaches to the frame rails might interfere with the Magnaflow muffler hangers which bolt to the factory threaded holes in the floor board.

So before I spend $800 on the Magnaflow system only to find out it interferes with the sway bar, I was wondering if anyone has successfully used this combination  or if it's been tried and can't be done.

Thanks.......Dave

18

Restoration / Best seat covers for '68 black deluxe interior ???

« on: February 11, 2022, 12:12:04 AM »

I am looking for any opinions as to who's making the most correct seat covers for a '68 with a black deluxe interior.

I'm needing to recover both my front buckets. After talking to experienced people locally and going on their opinion, I ordered covers from Legendary. When they arrived and I pulled them out of the box, I was amazed at what I saw. Super shiny vinyl! They looked like they had been covered with a gallon of Armour All. I showed them to the upholsterer who is going to recover my seats. He is a top notch guy and very experienced with classic cars. I also showed them to a guy who has been restoring Camaros for 30 plus years.......Both agreed that they looked totally wrong and that I should send them back.....which I am!

I called Legendary and asked them about it. The guy couldn't tell me much other than if I ordered another set from Legendary, that they would look the same. That they had thousands of yards of that material. He did ask me for the date on them which was 8/2021 and said maybe I got a different dye lot.

So to compare, I ordered seat cover material samples from Legendary, PUI, TMI, Distinctive, and Al Knoch. I have all of them in hand except for the PUI. The Legendary sample is almost as glossy as the seat covers they sent me. All the others are what I would have expected. Just a touch of gloss. A satin finish at best....and a much better match to the rest of my original interior.

So Legendary is definitely out and now it's a choice between PUI, TMI, Distinctive, or Al Knoch......except I don't know a thing about any of them as far as quality and how close they are to the originals.......Any opinions would be appreciated.

The Legendary covers sent to me are pictured below. The late afternoon sun is shining on them.....Sorry for the size of the picture. I host my forum photos on Team Camaro. The come out fine over there and huge on this site. I don't know how to fix that.

Thanks .....Dave

19

Restoration / Re: Will this wheel and tire combo work?

« on: February 11, 2022, 12:04:57 AM »

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I'm so late in getting back.

One thing I forgot to mention if it matters, I do have Koni Classic shocks all the way around. Besides the Koni's and the Hotchkis TVS suspension, then all other suspension components are stock.

Prior to this setup, for years I had a Herb Adams lowering kit and sway bars, 15x7 wheels with 4 7/16" back space, the Koni shocks, and 215/65R15's all the way around. I had no interference problems. I know the 4 7/16 backspace played a part in that.

During the many years I have been restoring this car, I have been to dozens of car shows small and large. I always look at the wheels and tire sizes on '67's and '68's to see what people are able squeeze in the front. I see cars with 235's on Torq Thrust D's all of time. I don't know how they are getting away with it. Of course, they may not have lowering springs.....and maybe they are hitting and the owner just doesn't care.

Since starting this restoration years ago, I've had my heart set on Torq Thrust D's (or a similar wheel) when the restoration was finished and I'm almost there. Besides the TTD's, I've looked at the Torque Thrust II, VN309TTO and the Vintage Wheel Works V40's and V45's in 15 and 16 inch wheels, all 7 inch widths. The back space on all of them is 3 3/4 except one which is 4 inches.

I'm not sure why American Racing and Vintage Wheel Works don't offer these classic and wildly popular wheels in different back spacings.

So am I SOL with this style of wheel Or do I have a chance with the 215/65R15? I'd hate to go any narrower. Or are there any similar wheels from a different manufacturer with greater back spacing?

I have posted this at Team Camaro also.

Thanks......Dave

20

Restoration / Will this wheel and tire combo work?

« on: February 01, 2022, 02:17:28 AM »

I was wondering if someone could give an opinion on a wheel and tire combination I would like run.

I have a '68 coupe that has a Hotchkis TVS suspension kit on it. It has the 2 inch lowering coils in the front and 1 1/2 lowering leafs in the back with front and rear sway bars. All other  suspension components are stock.

I want to run P235/60R 15 BF Goodrich Radial T/A's on 15x7 Torq Thrust D's all around. The Torq Thrust D's have a backspace of 3 3/4.

I don't think there is any trouble with the rear tire interference but with the 2 inch lowering springs in the front, I am concerned about interference in the front.

Has anyone run this combination or something similar and can comment on it?

Thanks.....Dave

21

Restoration / Inspection cover - 403 bellhousing - one piece rear main seal?

« on: June 25, 2021, 11:40:49 PM »

Do they make a flywheel inspection cover that will work with a "403" bellhousing mated to a one piece rear main seal engine?

When I tried to install my original cover from the two piece seal engine on my new one piece, the cutout on the cover that goes around the crank seems to be hitting the housing of the one piece seal before you can push it all of the way up.

If they don't make a cover that works with this combination, are people trimming their original covers to fit around the one piece seal housing?

Thanks......Dave

22

Restoration / Re: Header recommendation.....'68 small block with factory power steering

« on: June 24, 2021, 04:42:25 PM »

Thanks for the reply.

I posted the same question over at TC. After looking over all the different recommendations here and there, considering price, and how soon I could get them. I am going to give the Doug's D308's a try.

Dave

23

Restoration / Re: 1969 Horns - Need Quality replacements

« on: June 22, 2021, 07:21:27 PM »

I used Gary at The Horn Works to restore the original horns on my '68. He did a great job!

One of my horns was correct but the other was not. He had an original correct core for the horn I was missing and restored that for me.

That being said, he may have correct cores for your car that can be restored.

https://www.carhornrestoration.com/

24

Restoration / Header recommendation.....'68 small block with factory power steering

« on: June 22, 2021, 07:14:04 PM »

I am looking for a recommendation on headers for my '68 with power steering and the original Saginaw power steering box.....I am looking for 1 5/8" primary tubes in ceramic coated or stainless ( some protection other than just paint)

I have a new small block crate motor, and a Flowmaster American Thunder exhaust system in 2 1/2 diameter stainless steel sitting here in the box waiting for headers so that I can install it.

I know of the problems people sometimes have with headers clearing the power steering box. I have searched the site for recommendations but most of the post are several years old.

In these posts, I did see Hooker Competition and Hooker Super Competition mentioned as clearing the power steering box without problem. Hooker also states in their description that they will work with power steering.

When I looked at the Hookers on Summit though, I was pretty discouraged by the reviews. There are some good reviews but an equal number of bad ones. Some regarding fitment but more so regarding the poor quality of the finish!......One reviewer mentioned that one header is lower to the ground than the other one by a couple of inches. I read somewhere in the product description that one side is lower than the other so that these headers will work for multiple applications but it never said by how much.......If that difference is actually two inches, that is something I wouldn't want and I'm not sure how I would mate the pre-bent Flowmaster pipes to one header that much lower than the other one anyhow.

So just looking for a recommendation on a header that will clear the power steering box, has a decent finish on it, and will mate well to the Flowmaster system.

25

Restoration / CONSOLE GAUGE AMMETER TO VOLT METER CONVERSION.

« on: March 31, 2021, 03:06:48 AM »

Over a year ago, I purchased a volt meter to replace the ammeter in my '68 console gauge set up but am just getting to it now. I am using the original factory harness.

There are at least two versions of this volt meter. There is the one made by American Autowire and there is another made by AC Delco. I went with the AC Delco that I bought from Heartbeat City for two reasons. One, it was less than half the price of the AAW, and two, the font looked closer to the original gauges. In pictures I've seen of the AAW version, the font seemed a little thinner than the originals. Not quite as bold. Maybe that's just my perception.

Today was the first time I compared the AC Delco volt meter to the original ammeter I want to replace and two things bothered me. One, the brushed aluminum face of the AC Delco is lighter in color than the original gauges and I think it's going to stand out.....And two, there are three studs/terminals on the back of the new volt meter (at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock) and there are only two on the original ammeter (at 12 and 6 o'clock). This means I would have to drill the gauge mounting plate at 3 and 9 o'clock to mount the new volt meter. AC Delco knows this and gives you a template to do so but I'm not so crazy about doing that.

So my questions are to anyone who has used the AAW version....

1) Was the brushed aluminum face of the AAW the same color and shade as your other three original gauges? (So that it didn't stand out!)

2) Did the font on the AAW match your other three original gauges? (So that it didn't stand out!)

3) Did you have to drill your gauge mounting plate to mount the AAW?

Thanks......Dave

26

Restoration / Re: New disc needed for Hays Borg and Beck clutch

« on: March 31, 2021, 02:58:24 AM »

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread.....Thanks for all the replies.

It seems like the LUK clutches get good marks. How are they on feel? Can you tell there's something there when you press into it or is it effortless. I know that's subjective question and that ten people can have ten different opinions of the same clutch.

Like I mentioned before, I like a clutch that feels like you have to put at least a little effort into it. I don't like it when you press a clutch and it goes effortlessly to the floor. That's just my preference.

Thanks.....Dave

27

Restoration / Re: New disc needed for Hays Borg and Beck clutch

« on: March 07, 2021, 02:15:34 PM »

Thanks for the suggestions on the LUK clutches. I'm not familiar with them. The engine I am getting is 420 HP, 450 FT LBS of torque. Will the LUK clutch handle that OK?

How are the LUK clutches on feel? One of the things I like about my Hays is that it has somewhat of a heavy feel. Not too heavy but when you press it, you definitely know there's something there!...I like that!!! I don't like a clutch that feels like a powder puff when you press it down.

Even though my Hays is 30 plus years old, it doesn't have very many miles on it...... I would still like to try to find a new disc for it, if possible, before resorting to a whole new clutch.

Thanks......Dave

28

Restoration / New disc needed for Hays Borg and Beck clutch

« on: March 06, 2021, 09:05:29 PM »

I have a Hays Borg and Beck style three finger 10.5 inch clutch that was bought back in the mid 80's. The clutch itself is fine but it needs a new disc.

What I need is a disc for a 10.5 inch GM clutch with a 1 1/8 inch diameter 10 spline shaft.

I went to Hayes' website and looked on their clutch disc page for a replacement. There is no such disc shown! They do however, offer a GM Classic Street Clutch kit, Borg and Beck style, disc included, that is 10.5 inches, and also for a 1 1/8 inch, 10 spline shaft.

So I called the Hays tech support line and asked why they don't offer this disc alone when they make a clutch kit that includes what appears to be the disc I am looking for. The guy there said the disc from the kit is not offered as a stand alone part  and  even though the dimensions match, it still might not be correct for a clutch from the mid 80's.
I have no paperwork from my clutch showing the part number of the disc and there is no part number stamped on it. It's only stamped "Made in the USA" and has a letter "C" all by itself. It does have six springs where as most discs I see have only five.

Doing some research, I do see some Hays discs for sale from vendors other than Hays that look like they may be what I'm looking for. They have the six springs and are Hays part number 55-111. Even though, you have it listed, some vendors say not available or sold out so it may be the last of some NOS stuff.

Can anyone verify if P/N 55-111 would be correct for this clutch, or if not, what would be a suitable replacement f or it?

Thanks......Dave

29

Restoration / Re: Fan shroud plastic identification ???

« on: July 03, 2020, 05:58:28 PM »

I received my new GM shroud a couple of weeks ago and it has almost identical scratches and blemishes as 169INDY's. The worst of which is on the top passenger side. This is not a scratch, it's a gouge at least a 1/16 inch deep. Nothing you are going to polish or buff out. If it was in the inside or the bottom, I wouldn't mind so much, but not on top where everyone will see it.

After going through the trouble of contacting GM Parts Giant, writing a letter of explanation, sending them photos they asked for,  and obtaining an RMA number, I sent it back and they are going to send me another one.

I was hoping that I just got a bad one and that the replacement would be better. After seeing what they sent 169INDY,  now I'm thinking they're are going to send  me the same as what I got originally or maybe worse. I'll just have to wait and see.

And 169INDY, you're expectations are not too high! When you spend good money for a brand new item, it should not come to you looking beat up.

Dave

30

Restoration / Re: Steering coupler / rag joint help !!!

« on: May 31, 2020, 04:27:29 PM »

It took some hard looking but I ended up getting the rag joint that I wanted after receiving the two that were nothing like what the suppliers had pictured on their websites.

You can see in the earlier pictures I posted what I had wanted and then what I had ended up getting.....twice!

I started looking around on Ebay and saw a few sellers advertising the power steering RG I wanted and using the picture of what I wanted. They all said they were OER part# 7828871. One of them listed a phone number you could call with questions. This was Ebay trading name STMCSS396. They have a physical store called South Texas Muscle and Classics. I called and got a guy who was working alone, trying to handle a bunch of phone calls, and a little stressed out. I told him what happened twice before and said I won't buy another one of these till someone actually pulls one off the shelf and tells me it matches the advertised picture.  Despite being very busy, he was nice enough to do that, confirmed that it matched, and that's exactly what he sent me!

This RG is not 100% factory correct but it's 90 or 95%. It has the four ply reinforced rubber disc. It has the correct diamter shouldered bolts like the original. One 5/16 dia. and one 3/8 dia. The 5/16 bolt had the correct copper plated finish. The two studs that are opposite of the bolts are actually riveted like the original. On the two RG's I had received previously, they were threaded into the housing. One of the plies of the rubber disc has the wire mesh embedded in which I believe is for horn grounding. (Correct me if I'm wrong on that.) The one noticeable difference between this rag joint and an original is the round bolt head extensions on this one. I'm not sure the purpose of that but I can live with it.

Interestingly, the first two RG's I received were in a plain brown cardboard box with OER stickers (third pic). This one came in a nice box with all of the OER graphics on it (fourth pic). Maybe the first two RG's are more current where they're using a generic RG and plain boxes to cut costs and the RG I just received is an older one made before cost cutting measures. I don't know......just a thought.

Anyhow, I'm happy with what I got.

Dave