Messages

91

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Recommended Reading

« on: June 21, 2011, 09:49:57 AM »

Yes, the Stock Car Racing magazine had some pretty good T/A coverage, surprising as there was a gulf between the attitudes of the stock car racers and T/A (SCCA) who were viewed with suspicion and considered by many of the Soouthern racers as elitist.

I have both the above mags and more, The CP&A look very neat.

Bruce.

92

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Front sway bars

« on: June 21, 2011, 09:44:33 AM »

I guess I assumed the T/G Firebirds had the sway bar over the top of the frame, such as the one seen on Robert Lodewyk's car. I see the chamfer on the aluminum blocks where the sway bar passes through.

Period pics show the T/G cars (anti) sway bar in the stock location. I personally like it there, it is well out of the way of the engine and accessories.
The red is correct too.

Bruce.

93

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Front sway bars

« on: June 20, 2011, 08:49:47 AM »

Robert, you could well be right, but around these parts, we don't waste our typing finger..................

Jon, Yes there is a threaded steel block inside the frame, and good point on the taller spindle that does raise the top A arm, But i have to tell you, it is neat to not have the wheels droop a lot when jacking.

Bruce.

94

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Jones cable drive Tachometer

« on: June 20, 2011, 08:42:36 AM »

It was something I picked with a view to using but since then I found a pic of my interior and courtesy of Chad Raynal, i now have the exact right version.

Bruce,

95

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Jones cable drive Tachometer

« on: June 19, 2011, 03:19:55 AM »

Here are a couple of pics of the above tach, they benefit from not having been reduced for email reasons.
The numbers on the decal on the back are:  Model 5103-B-113  Ratio 1-2 Code EI Counter RAL

Bruce.

96

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Front sway bars

« on: June 19, 2011, 03:11:55 AM »

Here is a pic of the front sway bar as used on the Titus Firebirds in '69. It is 1" dia and uses the factory style ends. It mounts under the front frame rails and keeps a neutral (level) angle on the lever part of the bar.

You can also see the fabricated snubber under the top A arm to limit droop when jacking up the front end, supposedly for quicker pit stops (less pumps of the jack)

97

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Wheels used on Trans-Am Camaros

« on: June 18, 2011, 11:19:38 PM »

Perhaps the C4 is a date code, the 15 114 could represent 15 " diameter and the 114 is PCD (pitch circle diameter) in millimetres which is the same as 4.5"
That is assuming that the Javelin is 4.5" PCD.
BSM, perhaps a British Standard reference, as was/is used as identifying manufacturing standards in certain industries.

Bruce 

98

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Firebird and the Trans-Am series

« on: June 13, 2011, 08:24:48 AM »

Jon, this appears to be one of the Titus cars, either the car Milt Minter drove, or their 'mule' back up car. It would be very early in the season as they would be hoping to still run the 303 Pontiac engine, but it wasn't yet homologated as 1000 units had not been 'sold'.

There were cars using the '69 Firebird front in testing but I have not seen any race pics of the cars using this front until Craig Fisher ran the Todco entry in the '70 T/A season.
 The wheels don't look like the Minilite but more like the American Racing that was common prior to '69.

There is more information coming out all the time on these cars, so the book is still open.

Bruce.

99

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Engine photos

« on: June 09, 2011, 05:01:46 AM »

Bruce,

That is the engine compartment of the first '67 Penske Camaro (the car that Mark drove through the first 8 races of the '67 season) but it is after the car went to Europe. I believe the photo may be from 1969. I received that photo from Jeff Barley in England. I'm not sure if you received it from the same source or if I may have forwarded it to you.

-Jon

Hi Jon,
i don't think I got anything like that from Jeff, We crossed paths on may forums and I have pics of his car but they didn't come from him.
 So this was the Camaro that suffered the trailering accident then ? It was rebuilt piece by piece according to Donohues book.  Reinhart is said to have taken it to Germany, has it been traced after that ?

Bruce.

100

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Engine photos

« on: June 03, 2011, 09:46:27 PM »

Here is a pic I have had for quite some time, but unfortunately I don't know where it was taken or by who.

There are some unique features that should make it readily identifiable.

Bruce.

101

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Stewart-Warner oil pressure sender

« on: June 02, 2011, 10:30:19 AM »

On the power brake booster....there was a story about Penske using a reverse vacuum system that would pull back the brake caliber pistons for a quick brake pad change in a pit stop. not sure if it was true

It was indeed true, and it worked very well, it just used engine vacuum, and they could change pads as quickly as they could grab them.
I know that one of those systems, or the parts to make one, still exist with one of the original T/A drivers.

Bruce.

102

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Front sway bars

« on: June 01, 2011, 06:43:51 AM »

That is a very nicely made piece. I like the positive stop on the slide adjuster.

Oh and J-56 brakes, Nice.
If you get a chance Robert, can you check if yours have a small number on the machined pad that would identify the matching halves.
Mine do, but I'm not sure if it is general or judt mine.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, we should start a Brake thread.

Nice sway bar.

Bruce.

103

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Factory rear sway bar set-up, 1967

« on: May 30, 2011, 09:01:32 AM »

Jon,

The pillow blocks are straight aluminum, no inserts. And while the car may be 40+ years old it had less than 5 years of use. It is possible that there was a smear of grease on the sway bar, but generally dis-similar metals will not gall the way like metals do. 

Thanks Chad for the links to the L9 hardware. They could well have been a later addition, they weren't even drilled for the safety wire.

Bruce.

104

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Factory rear sway bar set-up, 1967

« on: May 29, 2011, 08:25:38 AM »

Ok here is the first gen T/G racing 1969 Pontiac Firebird T/A rear sway bar.  Not as intricate as the Chevrolet part, as it was a race only part.

It is 3/4" solid bar and is attached to a pre-welded base with two aluminum blocks.  The width of the bar is 30" and there is 6 positions each side for fine tuning.
The adjustment points range from 4" leverage to 10.5" .



There are two Heim jointed links that attach to the leaf spring lower plate. The other factor to be considered with any bar is that the lever part is 90 degrees to the direction of the force, or the road surface to put it simply.



The aluminum blocks are both numbered, 13 and 14 in the case of this bar, and the attaching bolts are drilled head "Supertanium' items, and another brand marked L9, maybe someone can identify them. The two halves of the mounting blocks are located with a roll pin.





Bruce.

105

Trans-Am Camaros / Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car

« on: May 28, 2011, 04:56:12 AM »

Robert,

I would love to see your Camaro replicated. It shouldn't cost them too much if they do it as per the original. It's when they start hanging late model engines and transmission off them that it gets out of hand.

Any pic of the progress ?

Bruce.