hey guys
i was just wondering what are tale signs of a car being a 400 car orig ? or might of been one ?

A 400 engine.

An arrowhead on the front bumper.

And:

1 400 badge on the rear deck lid
2 400 badges on the hood
2 air scoops on the hood
2 "hockey sticks" on the front grille

Anything else?

Exhaust hanger brackets on both rear frame rails.
TH-400 if it's an automatic.
multi leaf springs on '68 and '69
4 row radiator
filler panels between core support and bumper
400 hood and 400 emblem on decklid
chrome valve covers
chrome trim in grilles is different for 400's

chrome air cleaner lid
PHS docs

Does anyone have a clear picture of the exhaust brackets on the rear frame rails? I have what I think are remnents of them on my frame, but need verification.

http://tinyurl.com/d7s24

http://tinyurl.com/92kh6

chrome trim rings around the grills, in a 69...

Jim, I have the hanger you show on mine, but further back on the frame rail is another set of cut off brackets that I am curious about. Probably 15" further back. Looks like about 1/4" plates on both sides of the frame rail that have been torched off some years ago.

Catalina, The exhaust hanger and the axle bumper, as visible in the picture, are the only things the factory placed on the frame rails on my '68. Only the spring at each end and a small brace for the brake are on it. That exhaust hanger is only about 15" from the rear spring.

does any one have pics of the filler panels on the core support ?

Here you go 5150: (These were on both AC equipped and 400's.)
Upper Two Baffles



Lower Baffle (AKA Air Dam)



Left Filler (rubber material)


The right filler is too difficult to see in my picture because it is behind some AC stuff.

how hard is it to find the lower baffle/air dam , or do they make repros?

The lower air dams are seen occasionally on evilbay, since they are not being reproduced the originals go for anything from $200 and up. Nice one without dents or rust-through sold recently for $360.

Year One has a fiber glass repro, purchased it for my 69 and it fit pretty well, although cosmetically it looks somewhat out of place.

I took notice of front grills at the T/A Nats. Not all 400 birds got the chrome trim in the grills. The ol' supply and demand rule applied here. Same with deluxe seat belts I've found. If they didn't have them that day of production, they used what was available.

Tom