'68 D91 stripe vs 396 Emblems

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

I've got my car down to the paint shop today to paint the D91 Bumblebee stripe. It's been quite a few years since I saw the original placement of the stripe with the emblems on as the car was stripped to bare metal 20+ years ago.  I purchased replacement "396" emblems, and two sets of Paint stencils (one recently due to being afraid that the glue backing on the older one had gone bad).  Both 396 emblems have the same pin placements on them.  I do not believe that there is a RH or LH emblem... but if anyone knows different, please let me know...  After looking at dozens of photos I'm confident that the stripe stencils are placed accuratley on the car, as referenced by the AIM measurements... the problem I have, is that the emblems are not centered horizonally within the stripe.... Is this how they are supposed to be? Or should they be centered?  My questions rolled up are:
1. Is the 396 emblem supposed to be centered horizonally and vertically in the stripe?
2. Anyone aware of a LH/RH 396 emblem which would place the emblem in the centered position on both sides?
3. Does any anyone have a "survivor" photo of this configuration? 

Thanks a bunch!  Ed

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

Here is what I suspect is an original photo from back in the day... clearly shows it's centered.....

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

FYI... I was incorrect in assuming that there was not a LH/RH side emblem...  I apparently have two LH emblems... Disregard!

[rich69rs]

I just covered the same ground with my '69 RS.  Getting close to finishing a 6 month paint and body project.  In my case I was having the DX1 stripe applied to my car.  I've seen pictures where the bottom of the stripe comes up to the bottom of the engine emblem and then there is a large gap above the engine emblem.  I've also seen pictures of cars where the stripe gap is spaced more or less evenly above and below the engine emblem.  For me it wasn't a question of what is technically correct.  For my money, having an equal gap above and below the engine emblem looks much better than the alternative - but then again that's just my preference, which with a $1.50 might buy you a cup of coffee.

That being said, the aftermarket stencil kit left a lot to be desired.  In several places, edges did not align properly across sheetmetal requiring a lot of finesse with blue tape to not only get the edges correct but to get the gap I wanted.

Pics below show during the stencil "finesse" process and after base coat / clear coat.

Good luck

Richard

[cook_dw]

Great looking car.  Makes me wish I would have put the DX1 back on my 69.

[ZLP955]

Great looking car.  Makes me wish I would have put the DX1 back on my 69.

Agreed, that looks fantastic Rich!

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

Hello Richard, thank you for the response and Pics. Your car and stripe are beautiful!  Unfortunately I did not end up with the same result on my stripe.  I left instruction to the paint shop to paint it using the AIM specifications.  I also provided them with two templates from different sources which matched the AIM.  Your stripe appears to be a lot closer to the hood on the header panel, and maybe a little wider?  My fenders have the original emblem mounting holes, so it's got to be the stripe placement.  Hard lesson learned... I should have gone down to the shop to verify placement, but ASSumed that when they contacted me about it, that it was due to having two LH emblems...  wrong assumption.... I'll have to live with it until I can afford to correct it I suppose.. But what is perplexing, is that it is placed per the AIM...  I'm now wondering if there is a difference in the 67 and 68 placements, as my car is a late 67 build....  So is a DX1 stripe the '69 version of the '68 D91 stripe?

Thanks, Ed

[cook_dw]

Car looks great Ed regardless.  The DX1 is like the D91 but at the peak of the valance panel it turns and runs up the hood as a thick pin stripe.

[Sauron327]

as my car is a late 67 build....  

How late? Are you sure it did not have a D90 on it? The emblem should be centered in the stripe. Your D91 would not be located differently from the AIM dimensions for the emblem to be centered. The stripe would be too far back. Even though you told the shop what to do, they should have stopped when they checked the emblem for placement.

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

Hi Darrell, thank you.  Yeah,  I'm obviously not up to speed on the 69 options/stripes... I saw what you were talking about after a closer look at the pics... Very Cool!

Hey Sauron327,  thanks for your input as well! It's an October 67 build.  100% positive it had the D91.  I've since looked on other threads  and I came across the following link for an untouched 67 with the D91 stripe.  http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=183041
It looks very close to what I had painted... He painstakenly took measurements  of that stripe and included them in his post.  There was also another pic in that same thread which also leads me to believe that the stripe is correct...  I was concerned that my stripe should have been closer to the hood on the header panel, and would have then put  my emblems in the center....  but given the information in that link, I no longer know what to think!!!!     The holes in my fenders are original, as the car has been in the familly since '69..... There are no old holes that were filled, etc...  I wish I would have taken some pics 20 years ago when I pulled the car apart and stripped it bare...  Below are a few pics from that link for the untouched 67...

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

and here's a few from a resto on that same thread...

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

And a closer view of mine....  this suggests that either thats how it came  (not centered), or the factory had applied the stripe differently than what the AIM illustrates?   

[bcmiller]

Ed, I believe all of the original cars that I have seen have had the emblem centered in the stripe.

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

Thanks.  Yes it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't be..... pulled a few other pics off the web which is intereresting... they show the emblem in approximatley the same location as mine... 

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

a few more...

[bcmiller]

Unless you can guarantee those are original paint cars, I would not go by them.  And you have shown both the D90 and D91 stripes.  Your early 1968 model year car (I would not call it a late 1967 build, that is confusing) would have the D91, as you indicate.  I am not sure if the location is the same on both the D91 and D90.  Looking at the AIM, they appear to be different size.

Also see this link.  Images of stripes were taken from the GM Vehicle information kits so they should be "fairly" representative.

http://www.camaros.org/exterior.shtml#stripes

I will also check to see what is show in some other 68 literature.

[cook_dw]

Here is a guaranteed original paint and stripe 68.  Granted, its the D90 stripe which is different than the D91..

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

Thanks again Bryon and Darrell,
The "guaranteed" cars emblem placement definitely seems how it should be...  so even with the D90 stripe, the emblem is closer to the front lip of the fender...... looks like maybe 1" 1/4-1/2".... man...... I'm conflicted knowing (what I think I know) that the emblem holes are exactly where they were when I got the car.... No fill in's for old locations, etc..... and the stripe is placed per he AIM....  Hard for me to draw any conclusions....  From what all the reponses have been, it sure seems like my emblems are in the wrong location   That just seems so unlikely to me, knowing the history of the car....

Granted... the pics I shared above of the other cars with emblem location the same as mine are not guaranteed,  it still  leaves a nagging thought that there were possibly two locations for them 

[cook_dw]

67 not original paint.

[Sauron327]

Gap between wide and thin stripe is incorrect and too large.

67 not original paint.

[cook_dw]

Gap between wide and thin stripe is incorrect and too large.

67 not original paint.

You are correct.

[firstgenaddict]

69 AIM actually shows a .37" gap above and a .25 gap below the CUI callouts.

I know that the 69 307 emblems are called out with different part numbers left to right.
One of the original 396 emblems I have has a different more pronounced "curve" than the later replacement. Does anyone know if production line emblems are different?

[68ashgoldRS/SS]

Hi James, I don't know if the production line emblems have a natural curve in them, but wish the repros did!  I broke two of the reproductions trying to achieve that curve for a tighter fit on the outside edges.... Cheap potmetal... finally gave up and am living with the small airgap between the numeral and body as it was getting expensive beating my thumb with a hammer over and over again....   

[firstgenaddict]

Production line emblems are different left to right.
The reproductions have no curve to them. I ended up cleaning then taping up and spraying the white so I could use the original emblems.


Also here is a photo of an original paint September 1967 built 1968 RS with the 327 emblems and D91 stripe. I apologize for the quality I cropped from the overall of a pic that was sent to me.