| Q: |
Ashtray Replacement
|
| |
I am looking for a replacement ashtray for my '68. Will the ones sold in the Ames Performance Engineering or Year One catalog be an exact replacement?
|
| |
| A: |
One more thing - I checked the Year One catalog. Their ashtray has a note,
" Note: 1967-68 models were equipped with rear ashtrays with ribbed covers.
The new part will fit correctly but does not have the ridges on the covers."
|
| |
| A: |
Just one more note - these ashtrays changed size in 68. The 67 ones
are noticeably larger than the 68/69 ones. I know this cuz the 67 set I found
in a junkyard don't fit in my 68 and 69 bird.
|
|
| Q: |
Rearview Mirror Flacking
|
| |
I reinstalled the rearview last night and like some others on the list the silvering has begun to peel off the back of the mirror itself. My housing is in perfect condition, but the mirror looks awful. It looks like the mirror is piece of glass. I was thinking I could disassemble the mirror and get a new piece cut at a glass shop. Anyone ever attempted this?
|
| |
| A: |
Yes, mine is "fading", too. Replacing the glass with standard mirrored
glass might be OK, but you should consider that the day/night effect would
be lost in doing that. You may want to find a day/night mirror to replace
yours or have the original mirror re-silvered. That's the option I might
choose if I can't find a a good quality repro at a reasonable price.
|
|
| Q: |
Kick Panel Removal
|
| |
How do I remove the kick panel? I have tried everything and am worried I am about ready to break them or my knuckles.
|
| |
| A: |
When removing the panels( this is one
thing that is easier to do on an A/C equipted car) I have found ,
as others have said, to use proper force.
However with a proper fulcrum and lever,you can move the world...
or at least the kick panels.
heres how you do this
1.make certain all screws are removed(dont laugh some are hidden)
2.remove complete em.brake assembly (dont cheat here either)
3. gently remove the panels until they are caught by the ribbing,
this will give you at least 3 inches of space between the panel and cowl
4. insert desired lenght of 2x4 against the part of panel that ribbing is at
5.push against the panel at ribbing, towards front of car with 2x4 while also
prying against the cowl as to pop the panel out.
keep in mind that the panel is plastic and is somewhat forgiving in that
it will return to its former shape if excessive force isnt used.
You will then be able to remove kick panels in a matter of seconds,
and with this new found knowledge will frequent junk yards to remove
all that you can find.Well ,maybe.
If you are careful enough and you dont break the upper skinny part,you can
reuse the old panels.Be sure and lube up the flapper cables and reseal the
cowl to kick panel with generous amounts of duct seal. This is neccessary
for a leak proof(water and wind) installation. Installation is much easier as
the panels seem to pop right in . (be careful and dont push on the grille
portion as this will break.)This is also a good time to remove all the leaves
and dead critters from the cowl plenum and rust proof it on the inside.
|
|
| Q: |
Firewall Padding Removal
|
| |
My firewall interior
padding is in sad shape and I think there is some rust back there which I
would like to repair. My question is how do I remove the dash to get to
that area and replace everything. It looks like the dash is welded to the
body without any way to remove it short of cutting it out and welding it
back in?
Another question. How to I remove the parking brake assembly. Is it
riveted into the Firewall, or are there some tricky bolts which are in
some utterly unaccessable location which I need to remove.
|
| |
| A: |
To replace the firewall padding you do NOT need to remove the dash. But, you do need to remove the following:
Air/Heater box, steering column, or anything else that is bolted through the padding and into the firewall.
The Air/Heater box is a difficult task with an assembled car. the bolts located under the passenger side fender is next to impossible to reach without removing the fender. It can be done so just take you time.
The parking brake is bolted in three places: one bolt on the bottom of the dash and two nus on the motor side of the firewall. These two are partially hidden if you have power brakes. look between the booster and slightly under the fender to the right of the wiring block. Once the pedel assembly is loose the cable is easily detached.
|
|
| Q: |
Firewall Gloss Level
|
| |
What is the correct gloss level for the Firewall.
|
| |
| A: |
I sent an E-Mail to Jim Mattison regarding gloss level on the firewall since the High Performance Pontiac articles were unclear. Here is the response he sent me.....
Thanks for the kind words on my '67 Ram Air Firebird.
The car looks much better in person than it does in the
magazine.
To answer your question concerning engine compartment
detailing, the gloss level on the firewall area is a 85% black.
I hope that this information is helpful!
|
|
| Q: |
68 assist handle, hoodlight and compass location, and headrests questions
|
| |
Was the assist handle over the glovebox an option on any Firebird? Or only on custom Interior equiped Birds? Where exactly were trunklight and under -the- hood light mounted (dimentions?) Where was compas mounted? Was there headrests available on 68 models?
|
| |
| A: |
Yes, custom interior equiped Firebirds received the assist handle over the glovebox. These cars also had the Instrument panel emblem on the glovebox door. Headrests were an optional addition on the '68 (Code 572). I will have to ask around or wait for someone to tell me before I can answer the questions where the hood light and compass were mounted.
|
|
| Q: |
Colors of Interior Parts
|
| |
Anyone out there with a '68 Parchment-colored Custom Interior. I have some
questions.
1. What color is the carpet in your car ? Is it black or parchment ? Mine is missing.
2. What color are the kickpanels ? Mine are black
3. What color is the U-shaped (in cross-section) strip that goes in the door jam ? Mine is missing also ?
|
| |
| A: |
1. The carpet should be black.
2. As with the carpet, the kickpanels should be black also.
3. That should be parchment in color.
|
|
| Q: |
'68 Correct Interior Colors
|
| |
Does anyone know the original color of the rear speaker grilles in the 68
coupe and other interior parts? I need to repaint and want to get it correct.
|
| |
| A: |
Flat colors : Upper instrument panel,rear window defroster grille,radio speaker grille.
DuPont # for Flat Black is 4428L
Semi-gloss: Lower instrument panel,rear seat folding back panel assembly, air outlet bushing.
Black 88L
Dark Red 9201LM
Dark Blu Met 94520H
Dark Teal met 9453LH
Dark Turq.met 9454LH
Dark Gold met 9456L
Dark Saddle met 9458L
Note: Rear package tray is FLAT not semi Gloss.
Black would be black
Parchment(white) would be black
Red would be Red
|
| |
| A: |
The '68 Pontiac Dealer Service Information Bulletin varied slightly for the color codes mentioned above. I would want to use them first: http://FirstGenFirebird.org/dtb/docs/68-I-12.pdf
|
|
| Q: |
Plastic Part Paint Stripping and Painting
|
| |
Once the dash is a beautiful new
rich deep color of black, what's the best method of adding the chrome trim
back on? Or even retouching the chrome? I've tried model chrome paint but
that looked very ugly (could have been the shaky hands!)
Does anyone have any advice for stripping paint off of plastic parts? I
attempted to repaint my dash and let's just say the first attempt didn't go so
well. Can I use off the shelf paint stripper?
|
| |
| A: |
paint stripper is too harsh for plastic. It will soften the plastic
and even
melt the edges. A mixture of Xylene and lacquer thinner will remove just
about any
paint, but it too can damage plastic if not applied and removed quickly.
Chemical strippers are tricky on metal and far worse on plastics.
As for the chrome trim around the bezels, I've used a silver paint marker
made by Testors(as in model paint). This looks almost like a magic
marker but uses paint instead. Be sure to wet the felt of the paint marker
real good by pressing down on a hard surface. If you don't have plenty of
paint and stop you will see the seam.
I m current working on another project of using chrome vinyl to refinish
the chrome trim on the bezels.
This will look just as the factory did but can be applied after the dash
panel is painted.
|
|
| Q: |
Headliner Installation
|
| |
I am about ready to install a headliner but I wonder how to approach this and have a few other quesitons ... How many bows should I have? My old headliner is missing but there are four bows in place on the roof. Is there no center bow? My new headliner has a bow pocket in the center. But the car (67) looks like no centerbow existed. The interior light is there and there is a wide rail running across the roof at that point. Also there are some pointed barbs along side this rail. Do I connect the center bow pocket to these barb-hooks somehow?
|
| |
| A: |
Yes there should be a bow in the center. It's different than the others
(shorter) and does not hook into the side roof rail. Those barbs hold it
(center bow and headliner) in place and give you a starting point. The
center bow threads thru that pocket in your new liner. Installation is
impossible without this bow.
Tips:
Strip the interior(yes, everything) windshield and back glass, package tray
and all weather moulding retainers etc..
Mark and number the bows to so they go back in original holes. Mark which
hole they come out of too.
Put small screws in place before installing headliner. It makes it easier to
find the holes after the headliner is installed. You dont need to do this
for the visors, mirror or shoulder belt anchor bolts if you have them. But,
make sure to cut a big enough hole for them or you could break them when
reinstalling like I did. That's a bear!
Start in the center and work your way out, forward, and then to the back. At
front and rear, start at the center and work toward corners.
The glue is very forgiving of mistakes even though it sets up quickly. You
will need more glue than supplied with the kit. You can take your empty can
to the local auto upholstry shop for a refill, their's come in 3 gallon cans.
When done, either steam it or spray water on it to shrink it up tight as a
drum.
|
| |
| A: |
Just thought I'd pass along a success story... this weekend I installed a new head liner in my 69. Whew!!! What a job. ( I feel like the guy in the commercial who holds up a sign in front of the camera at the football game).
This is definitely a job that was made easier by having an extra set of hands. A buddy came over to assist but neither of us had a clue how to start. What we decided to do was to start at the front middle and pull it tight toward the corner (I applied a thin coat of 3M adhesive in the areas to be pulled) and slipped on the pinch molding as we went along.
We then started on the side at the second rib and pulled out. At each point we would slip the pinch molding on to hold it tight while working toward the front. When we pulled at the corner from the side we pulled out and toward the front again slipping on the pinch molding to hold it in place.
We then moved to the back middle, pulled it tight and moved toward the corner. We moved to the next to last rib and pulled it down tight. We used the tack strip that is located behind the sail panels to hold the fabric tight. At the last rib we pulled it tight under the tach strip and used a screw and washer to secure it tight.
After both side were complete the results were great. Not perfect but very nice. The car is coming together and I hope to have the interior completed in a couple of weeks. By the way, I can't imagine how this is done with the windshield and rear window in place.
|
|
| Q: |
Carpet Installation (One Piece)
|
| |
Has anyone installed the one piece reproduction carpet? If so, do you have any tips.
|
| |
| A: |
I installed a black carpet kit from ACC and was pleased with the quality.
All the backing was good. I positioned the carpet over the high beam switch
and the rest pretty much fell into place. It fit better than the original.
One tip: Dont cut holes in the carpet to mount the seat brackets through in
the rear seat area, just cut three sided slots about 1 1/2 by 11/2 inch and
fold them back so that you can screw in the bolt, then fold the flap back
over the bolt. Looks better than factory.
|
| |
| A: |
Thats funny all the factory installed carpet I've pulled out
had flaps over the rear of front seat brackets.
Another tip is not to cut the slots at all but use a scratch awl
to locate center of holes then make a small incision just
where the bolts go.Another tricky one is the boot area
around a manual trans. Be sure and cut just enough for the shifter to
work ok and leave the rest.Its very easy to cut too large a hole here.
It wont hurt to have a little extra around the shifter hole.
|
|
| Q: |
Key Replacement
|
| |
I have lost the keys to my Firebird. Is there anyway to replace these or do I need to replace all my locks?
|
| |
| A: |
If you have the billing history for your car from PHS it lists the four digit ignition
key and trunk key codes. Take this to a GM dealer and they can look up the code
in the key code book and get the 6 cuts and punch a key with the curtis
keycutter they all have.
If you don't have the codes the four digit codes are
stamped on the original door lock and trunk lock cylinders also. The door
matches the ignition (unless someone changed something) and the trunk matches
the glove box.
Their are six cuts on the keys with 5 possibilties for each.
Example, my 67 bird ignition and doors are 7W05, in key cuts this is 532242.
The trunk and glove box was 2X52, which is 431132. The cuts are from the head
to tip holding the head to the right. The dealers use a punch or knotching tool
which you set the dials to those numbers in that order. They did not use the
grinders you see in hardware stores, it is a simple hand tool.
The correct key
blanks for 67 are A blank for door and ignition and B blank for trunk and glove
box, the ignition has a octagon head with the Briggs and Stratton logo and the
trunk is more of a rounded scallopped head with the logo. Dealers also have the
tumblers to code any of the cylinders also.
If anyone needs to know their key
cuts I have a hole box of key code books as well as the punch tool and key
blanks, and tumblers I bought from an old dealer closing. (Kane kmorrow@socket.net)
|
|
