radiator supports

[GI JOE]

Can anyone tell me if the 1968 Pontiac Firebird (FB) radiator support is the same as the 1968 Camaro's support?
Also are there any differences between BB and SB supports?

Should I find a used OEM one or are the re-pops worth it? I got a lead on a clean FB support...

Thanks for the help.  It takes a Camaro community to raise a (hopefully) great show car.  LOL  J:OE

[firstgenaddict]

The firebird rad supports are different as far as I remember.
As far as accuracy of the current repros...
Has anyone seen a production rad support compared side to side with a reproduction.

[tmodel66]

I ordered 2 from two different venders and sent both of them back. Way to ugly and incorrect to attempt to put on. I ended up buying a NOS one and paying thru the nose.

[MyRed67]

 Looking back now, buying NOS parts "over the counter" back when I first got my car was one of the best moves I made.  Radiator Support was one of those purchases.  I also had a friend "behind the counter" that gave me discount.  I think I paid something like $79.95 + tax, back in '95.  Good luck with your search.

[68camaroz28]

Some very recent info here http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=212527
I like James' idea to have a repro/original side by side for analysis.

[mikefam]

I can't say about the firebird vs camaro part but I will coment on the repro part. I put a repro radiator support in my 68 camaro and it was terrible. It's so bad that I'm considering fixing up my old rust support and swapping them when I change the engine in the near future. The overall width was short so that it was hard to assemble the grille and headlights and the accessory holes are all located badly. The windshield washer reservoir bracket didn't even fit. The fender brace holes were also wrong. Nothing bolted up to this thing.

If you go with a repro I recommend pre-fitting things to see how they fit, drilling and fixing where necessary and then take it apart again for paint.

Mike.

[firstgenaddict]

Looking back now, buying NOS parts "over the counter" back when I first got my car was one of the best moves I made.  Radiator Support was one of those purchases.  I also had a friend "behind the counter" that gave me discount.  I think I paid something like $79.95 + tax, back in '95.  Good luck with your search.

Yea I used to buy 67-69 Fenders with the extensions for $125 each and $225 for Quarters... I should have bought 10 containers of the stuff!

[68camaroz28]

Looking back now, buying NOS parts "over the counter" back when I first got my car was one of the best moves I made.  Radiator Support was one of those purchases.  I also had a friend "behind the counter" that gave me discount.  I think I paid something like $79.95 + tax, back in '95.  Good luck with your search.

James, you must be a old fart like me with those prices.....

Yea I used to buy 67-69 Fenders with the extensions for $125 each and $225 for Quarters... I should have bought 10 containers of the stuff!

[firstgenaddict]

I was a teenager in the 80's, however coming home from being born in a 68 442 must have hatched the car bug. Armed with a screwdriver at 3 years old I would strip the house of electrical outlet covers, striker plates, and doorknobs.

It doesn't hurt that my dad's hobby is restoring Flathead Ford V8's.

Here is his 1940 Ford Woodie Wagon



It looked like this when we picked it up in 1984.

[z28z11]

James,

   Love the Woodie, really love the station, really hate the snow.

   Last NOS quarters I bought were $328.00. Fenders were $225.00 w/ extensions. NOS '69 dash pad was $80.00. First cowl hood I bought for my Z was $85.00. Radiator support was about the same. NOS deck lid was $200.00.

   Yeah, wish I had bought a truckload, like the load a guy (collector, museum owner) near here did - $19,000.00 worth, '80's time period. Of course, he had 24 Yenkos and 1 ZL1 at that time, maybe 4 Pacers. Sold off sheetmetal for years afterward - locally. No lie.

    I agree repop supports are junk. Good way to spot one - you can bend the top rail with your bare hands with a very little bit of pressure. Really cheap -

Regards,
Steve

[rare396bronze]

I looked in my last issue pontiac & chevrolet parts books it list same part#3962940 so firebird should work fine. I also looked in my 69 chevrolet parts book all 67-68 rad had one# 69 non r/s had  a different# 69 r/s had a different # nothing said about b/b or s/b! I have been a gm parts man for 26 years. Gm will sepercede to one part if they find one part will interchage with another#. Hope this helps you.

[69Z28-RS]

I went over to Rick's a few months ago, carried my original rad support with me for comparison.   They handled two different repros; one which doesn't deserve to have a name (awful match to original, although it probably provides something to bolt fenders to.. and 2) a new AMD repro.  I took the AMD to my truck, and laid it side by side with my original and did measurements point to point 

Except for a couple of items (rect weld nuts rotated 90 deg from original, and a missing weldnut under the top rail, the stamping detail of the AMD repro was very close to my original amd I only was able to note those minor differences.   I bought the AMD with intention to 'correct' the missing and mis-welded weldnuts.   While waiting for the AMD unit to be shipped to me, I had opportunity to 'trade' for an NOS rad support.   Comparing the original and the AMD visually and dimensionally, the weldnut issues were the only problems I noted, I mic'ed the metail thickness and there was no difference I could detect... BUT..  when lifting the two parts, there is a detectable difference in weight!    How can that be?   The AMD part had new 'powder coat paint' paint on it and the NOS part had 'almost gone thin factory' paint.  Maybe the actual metal thickness is a bit less with the AMD repro part?  Or can the steel alloy be different enough that the weight is affected?   
I plan to use the NOS one (unless I decide to repair the rusted spt under the battery tray on my original one).   I will give someone a good deal on the AMD one as I've waited longer than the 30 day return period for the part.   It's still in plastic in the original box...

Gary

[Sauron327]

when lifting the two parts, there is a detectable difference in weight!    How can that be?   The AMD part had new 'powder coat paint' paint on it and the NOS part had 'almost gone thin factory' paint.  Maybe the actual metal thickness is a bit less with the AMD repro part?  Or can the steel alloy be different enough that the weight is affected?  

A scale is most accurate but which one did you lift with your dominant arm? AMD powder coats their products or was it EDP? EDP is what's on every panel I've ever used.

[69Z28-RS]

when lifting the two parts, there is a detectable difference in weight!    How can that be?   The AMD part had new 'powder coat paint' paint on it and the NOS part had 'almost gone thin factory' paint.  Maybe the actual metal thickness is a bit less with the AMD repro part?  Or can the steel alloy be different enough that the weight is affected?   

A scale is most accurate but which one did you lift with your dominant arm? AMD powder coats their products or was it EDP? EDP is what's on every panel I've ever used.

  You refreshed my memory; actually the AMD part is EDP....  not powder coat..

[Sauron327]

I have a '67 that was supplied with a Goodmark support and it's plain as day it's wrong, not including flimsiness. All the Goodmark panels on it are bottom of the barrel.