Body Dampers
Short answer: The trunk and front “cocktail shakers” are vibration dampers used only on convertibles — there are four, one per corner (the front ones sit behind the headlights). Each is a sealed steel canister with a spring and a weighted ball in fluid; they noticeably reduce body shake and improve the ride.
When Pontiac got the Camaro chassis, engineers disliked how the convertible shook at speed and, late in the 1967 cycle, added these spring-and-weight dampers as a quick fix (Chevy then added them to the Camaro too). Front dampers weigh ~25 lb, rear ~50 lb each (three bolts). The rear ones bolt to a support brace between the trunk floor and gutter: one bolt through the brace, two through the trunk floor into a thick steel backing plate with welded nuts (often rusted away). 1968 mountings may differ slightly. Camaro shakers aren’t believed compatible with the Firebird, so replace missing ones with Firebird units.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
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I am restoring a 1968 Firebird convertible wihich still has the original vibration dampeners installed. Does anybody know what paint finish was used on these heavy cans from the factory?