Messages

Steve, the one you spotted on eBay is from Classic Headquarters and the fonts are to small, I got one hoping to replace mine and did not like it, so I found one like your original one and cleaned it up.  Note the lettering on your original is greenish, I think it is Krylon that has a pistachio paint that matches the color of the lettering spot on as far as I could tell.  If someone is looking to restore theirs, take note though that the lettering is very shallow and molded from the back of the piece so getting the paint to stay is hard.  The one you show as an NOS piece from the 80's looks like the lettering is white along with the obvious difference.

Regards,
Jerry K.

[Z]

Just in case someone is not familiar with how the back of the emblem looks and what is molded to guide in the placement here is a visual.  Cars built by humans but some of those humans might have had a little bit of a good time the night before :-), if there were no guides in the emblem ok, but there is no denying the Z is split by a vertical AND centered on the horizontal just look at the back.

Hi Scott,  If you still have your alternator apart and want to get really detailed, here is a before and after of my diodes, I wanted to match the fonts and look as close as possible to the original one. So through trial and error I think I got it pretty close. The fonts are different within the numbers and letters on the original and spacing is important and getting a stamp would probably need to be custom made. What I found involves decal paper, an ink jet printer, and super glue. Might be over kill but I figured while I have it a part, why not.

Regards,
Jerry K.

blackss69,  Love that car!!!  One thing I've found to get a picture that is to large to a manageable size for posting is to pull it up on your screen then hit the SNIPPING tool save that file and it cuts the size without affecting quality.

Dave, thanks for checking in, I know your website is a point of reference for a lot of people.

blackss69,   Sweet, would you recommend putting that N44 gear in or leave it out?

William,

So if you go with that percentage though the end of production, that would roughly come out to about 360-370 Z/28s for 1969 ( total RPO N44s - 2161 x .17).  And from what I've been reading it was not fun to drive so I wonder how many ended up in a ditch. 

On a side note, have you, or anyone else, ever seen that part I have - 5678504 (or equivalent if part number was later updated)?

William,

Appreciate it and thank you so much, and to everyone else who contributed, I have learned a ton about an issue that, at least to me, was very convoluted and confusing.   Now to decide if I want to install the N44 gear or put it in a display case as an interesting piece of Camaro history 

Regards,
Jerry

Almost there I think, TRUE or FALSE - my car as built has "quick-ratio" but is not an N44 car?  And that question when we get right down to it, was the main reason for starting this thread :-)

Mike, You might be able to deduce that from William's post, I would either get it wrong or just confuse the situation :-)

Hi Mike, I believe you have to take it apart and compare the worm gear it to the picture I posted, if I'm correct in my assumption, if the gear looks like the top one then it would be an N44, but again it would not be an "N44 box" all the manual boxes are the same.

[HAD]

#2. The standard Z/28 manual steering ratio was 24.8:1 [gear] 21.4:1 [overall]. 3.5 turns L-L. Standard production steering gear, 5.75” pitman arm, short steering arms.
[/quote]

Nice info William!!!

Just so I'm clear -

1. My car, 1969 Z/28 with the manual box and steering gear as shown (standard production) in earlier posts, with the 227 (5.75 inch) pitman arm, and short steering arms did not come ordered or would be considered having RPO N44?

2. If my car HAD come with the other steering gear (part 5678504) and 227 pitman arm and short steering arms then the original buyer ordered it with RPO N44?

If both of the answers above are true, then I believe I am good 

Thanks all,
Jerry

I've added some photos of the box itself and the pitman arm.  If someone can denote a RPO N44 based on the box, let me (us) know, but I don't think it is determined by the box, at least not on mine. Though if you ordered N44 maybe they have a box which has a mark or stamp that indicated it, but you would think that information would have surfaced after all these years.  Note the date stamp, car is a late June car and date stamp is 160 with the 9 indicating 1969.  Pitman arm is the longer 227, correct for the 1969 Z/28. 

So far I'm starting to think my original thought is correct (so far  ), N44 is based on the gearing within the box giving a fast(er) turn ratio when coupled with the 227 pitman and shorter steering arms but not a part of the RPO Z28 package.  But that is what makes this hobby fun and interesting, even 50 years on there are riddles that need answers. 

Hi Rick, Not that I am aware of and have never seen any information about that, if others know and can advise, I will certainly look.  The gear on the bottom in my picture is the gear that came with the car.  And the gear in it now is exactly the same as that one.

To add some more information to the discussion.  I knew I was going to have to replace my worm gear because my original one was bent, yes this thing was damaged on the driver's side, but worth saving the car, because it had the original 302 and M21!! So I found another subframe and it had a manual box, I took the worm gear from it and rebuilt my original box.  Luck would have it I kept the factory gear and was able to find it, I've attached photos of it next to the 5678504 part, ok I might be becoming a hoarder   It's easy to see the difference. So that is why I question the RPO N44 as being part of the Z/28 package, I have the original Pitman arm, 227, need to get the shorter steering arms and taking into account my factory worm gear thus making up the "quick ratio" steering.  Though now I'm thinking I might want to put the 5678504 gear in, sounds extremely rare and its an NOS piece. Done Google searches on that part and just getting info on it is sparse much less seeing another one, though like I've said the part might be out there but under another number.  Any others with info, I welcome any and all feedback.

Regards,
Jerry K.

I've looked at that site, lots and lots of information. But I never see any discussion about part 5678504 anywhere, not just that site, unless that number changed as the years went by. I think what I'm trying to distinguish is does Quick ratio mean RPO N44?  Attached is another picture of the part I have, and what I think makes N44 different from Quick ratio.  Also I came across a PDF from GM heritage with all the RPO codes and how they listed them -- N44 Steering, special - not described as quick ratio.  Maybe I'm over thinking it, but I guess really what I'd like to know is if I have a 1969 Z/28 does my car have the RPO N44 by default, and really I don't think so, I have quick ratio but not N44.  If I install that gear then I would have an RPO N44 option.

Jerry K.