Author Topic: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers  (Read 25013 times)

Jerry@CHP

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1512
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #15 on: November 21, 2008, 02:08:13 PM »
We do not track the 1970 valve covers when they come in.  Plus, there's not as much activitly on 1970 valve cover restoration as there is on the 69 Z28s.

Jerry 

69Z28-RS

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5778
  • owner since 4-Apr-1976
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #16 on: January 08, 2009, 07:30:00 PM »
In addition to the late production '69 Z28, I also have a late production '69 Corvette (with the 350hp/350 ci engine.   This car is a 41,000 mile orignal car which I've owned for over 20 yrs, having bought it from the original ower (a lady I worked with at the time).  I had occasion to remove the valvecovers last night, and found that this car also had the 'dripper valve covers'   This car was produced in August of '69, with the engine being assembled on 072569, very similar time-wise to the production of my '69 Z28 (owned for 33 yrs and which was also owned by a lady driver previously).   With both of these cars having 'dripper' type valve covers, I'm thinking either 1)  GM began putting on the dripper valve covers prior to the end of production in late '69, OR 2) these lady drivers couldn't stand having 'dripper less' valve covers on their engines, knowing that the '70 models had 'drippers', so they both purchased replacement valve covers??   (Both of these cars were in extremely original condition even when I purchased them in the 70's and 80's respectively..  I just wish there was some way we could pin down in a documented fashion, exactly when GM began using the dripper VC's..)
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

luv2sixty9

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 199
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2011, 07:16:53 PM »
I have a late 11A Z28 that came factory equipped with the drippers.
1967 Z/28 Butternut Yellow
1969 Z/28 Rally Green
1969 RS Z/28 Lemans Blue
1969 RS Z/28 Olympic Gold
1969 RS SS Pace Car
2010 Aqua Blue 2SS RS

canadair

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 105
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2011, 06:37:47 PM »
this is to luv2sixty9 if the valve covers did have drippers which I believe they did what was the size of the notches cutout for the intake runners where all 4 notches 3'' like the 418 valve covers or the latter with 3.5'' and 5'' cutout.

lynnbilodeau

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 395
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2012, 05:45:00 PM »
I realize this is an old thread.  I also believe some of the late cars could have drippers.  I just bought an all original 350 horse 350 HW code engine assembled for a Corvette in late October (lots of guys don't realize the Camaro wasn't the only extended production in 1969; they did Corvettes all the way into December!).
This engine is standard all the way, and the original valve covers have drippers.  I will have to look at the part numbers, but will post this weekend.

Lynn

keech

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 41
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #20 on: September 25, 2012, 06:52:44 PM »
mines an 11A car.     no drippers.     Jerry restored them for me.  beautiful job.

69Z28-RS

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5778
  • owner since 4-Apr-1976
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #21 on: September 25, 2012, 08:08:33 PM »
a lot of people *restoring* '69 Z28s hunt for and find 'non dripper' VC's because that is what they are told was 'original'...    I'm fairly certain in my own mind that lots of 'late production 1969  350 hp Corvettes and Z28's got dripper type VC's in the factory.   I've had many people with late cars write me and tell me their cars also had dripper VC's, but they had believed they'd been changed (due to the 'common information' that '69's didn't have drippers and '70's did have drippers.    Based on the evidence from many inputs, it is also possible that there was not a 'changeover' date when they switched, but instead at some point in mid-summer '69, the VC was redesigned for the drippers (an improvement but without any other impact or appearance change), and when the new production came in, they began being used (mixed with any leftover dripper-less covers).   There's no reason Chevrolet would have declared ''69's do not get drippers and '70's do get drippers!   The VC design was updated and the parts were used when they came in...
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

enio45

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #22 on: September 30, 2012, 07:01:57 PM »
Further to the late cars with the dripper valve covers....my car is a late 69 build, 10D. I'm the second owner and the orig owner swore up and down those were the orig valve covers that came with the car - HOWEVER, my valve covers are shinny, not the dull finish as seen on other 69Z's.  Any thoughts on the finish?? 

What was the finish on the 70Z28 camaro's?   

Eddie  Montini

lynnbilodeau

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 395
    • View Profile
Re: 'late' '69 Z28 Valve Cover drippers
« Reply #23 on: September 30, 2012, 11:19:14 PM »
I have identified at least 4 different versions of these valve covers in aluminum, not including the black wrinkle finish ones.

The earliest without drippers are the 418.  They were used in 69 only.  I believe the second design, with drippers, but same exact appearance, appeared late 69.  Both were dull finish.  Part numbers on the first ones with drippers ends in 417 instead of 418.

They are exactly the same on the outside, including the reliefs cut on the inside edges to clear alumiinum manifolds.  Those reliefs are each 3 inches long.  The next set has a part number ending in 208 and 207 for rih and lh.  They are the most common and I believe most were polished originally.  Easiest way to id them on a car is the reliefs.  One is 3.5 inches and the other is obviously longer at about 5 inches.  The reliefs on the early ones are sometimes a bit crude, and appear to have been cut by hand.  The later ones are always perfect.

Adding the the confusion is the number of early valve covers, both with and without drippers, that were sanded and polished.  Eddie, you may have a set that someone polished.  If they have the short reliefs and end in part number 417, I think there is a very good chance that they are the originals.   I just took a set off a very original 350 horse 350 assembled 10 18 69.  This engine is so original the main and rod bearings are dated 9 of 69!  Never been apart.


Tried to add pics and more text but it deleted because it is too big.  Will send you pics via email.

 

anything