The following photos show original 1968 Pontiac Firebird hardware and new hardware represented by Inline Tube as exact OEM restoration parts.

In the first photo showing the double clip, the original firebird part should have two retention barbs but one is broken off. The Inline Tube part has no retention barbs to retain it in the frame.

The other photos show the clip mounting holes that are nearly as large as the head size of the original mounting bolt. The hole sizes, shapes and overall size is incorrect.

Another photo shows how bolt thread pitch of the original part compared with the Inline Tube "exact OEM replacement".

i know a lot of the same stuff a bought from them i did'nt even use i wasted a few dollars
with them but i'm really happy with the brake and fuel lines all stainless i bought from them
and if you need something custom ask for al
he's good

Aint it pathetic? I noticed in the Ames catalouge, they sell front sheet metal bolts, and they point out that "some may not match origionals." I could tell that by looking at the bolts, but at least they are honest about it.

There is a place in South Baltimore called Lenord Jed that wholesale/reatil sells all types of fasteners. It's pretty much that if he doesn't stock it, it's a good chance that it cannot be found. Because the owner is a local guy, I think that the reatail, non commercial sales are more of a community service than a money maker.

Before I buy any fasteners, I'm going to gather samples of what I need and do a head count, and I'm going to swing by and see what he has in stock.

I really need to get the fastener project in gear, so I'll update you on the results.

Amervo, there are some bolts in the Ames front end hardware kit that aren't right. Most are correct and at least they tell you up front.

In this instance, Inline Tube advertises that their parts are absolutely correct OEM. These parts are indexed by Inline Tube part numbers for the 1968 Firebird. This claim is from their web page:

"Inline tube is your exclusive source for all your brake and fuel line clips. All clips match the OEM specifications. ~ ~ snip ~ ~ Inline tube has reproduced over 60 different hard to find clips. All these clips are made identical to the factory originals with the correct thickness metal and the exact detail you have come to expect from inline tube products."

Exact detail? Matching OEM? You see the photos.

If everyone pays for this sort of stuff, accepts it, sets it aside quietly and moves on without a word, folks like me come along and repeat the mistake. I spent $96 on this stuff and none of it is right. I'm letting folks know. Save your money.

I can't help you on the single clips. I was able to clean up mine. However, I did find a close double clip. I will have to check my receipts if you would like to know where I got them. I keep thinking PY but I'm not sure. They do have an ear on both sides that was not on the original but that grinds right off.

I looked through my receipts and found out that I purchased them from Ames, Part FR185 on 11/15/01. I see them still in their F11 Catalog. And they have an assortment of the single clip sizes.

Thanks very much Jim.

i'm telling you brother

i can count on my fingers and toes how many time i was thinking i was getting the correct part
and boy what a kick in the a$$ boy my butt is getting sore along with my pocket book
if i ever get together with my fellow firebird junkies and we be come friends atleast i know i have a few christmas gifts for them

68Bigbird, are these the ones populating Ebay recently? If so, we should demand they correct their sale postings.

I know a few folks that have bought those "complete resto kits" on Ebay and most have said the correctly cut and measured tubing alone is worth the price. But if the hardware isn't right, they need to say so up front.

Just takes a half-dozen or so emails to Ebay to set this straight. The seller will modify if Ebay shows him the evidence.

I ordered the kit as well. I was mainly after the brake line clips more than the fasteners, so it was no big deal for me.

I talked to them before ordering so I did get the correct clips for a 68 bird. The only differance is they were not painted. No big deal, I went to Home Depot and got a can of paint that was almost an exact match to the original green color.

Here is the best pic that I have right now of the clip in place.

Nash, I bought these directly from www.inlinetube.com packaged in their brake clip and fuel clip kits. These kits are identified on their web site for the 1968 Firebird. Not a single item in the kits was correct.

John has offered me some double clips he has and I'll get the rest from Ames Performance. Ames has never let me down. Ames even swapped parts without charge when I put down the A/C version part number for the heater core and needed the other.

In the for what its worth category, we faxed a print for a custom choke tube (the one inside the crossover of the intake manifold) that is not available. They responded with a quote, we ordered the parts.

Parts came in TOTALLY incorrect, not even close to the dimensioned print. We called, they were courteous, said return and we will take care of it. Two weeks later, no contact. Called, was told they have credited my card (we paid with a credit card) because they had cut exactly what we had sent in the print, and since we weren't happy, they were refunding the purchase. Have not yet seen the credit card results; so don't know what was credited.

As you know a choke heat tube in the crossover is one tube which simply goes in, is bent, and then comes out. Inline tube sent to tubes, no bend!

Will be trying a different tubing bending company. I will grant that their returns (customer service) was good (although no communication), but their print reader needs some help!

Jon.

Someone was asking about this vendor on the email list. I noticed that my photo references earlier in this post are gone now. So I am uploading them again so people can make informed purchase decisions. In my opinion, these parts are unsuitable for restoration. They are not the advertised "OEM specification" parts fabricated "with attention to every detail"

This photo shows the bright zinc plated air plenum duct sheetmetal punched to form straps of wrong size and fabricated with excessively large hardware holes. This is the Inline Tube zinc plated part next to a Pontiac OEM strap fabricated with manganeese phosphate corrosion protection. The OEM parts were never bright plated.



Here is a Pontiac OEM machine thread strap retainer bolt (right) next to the "exact OEM spec" bolt Inline Tube sold me.



Here is the double line clip. The correct part has two barbs that lock it into the chassis. My example has one barb broken off and that was my reason for wanting to replace it. The Inline Tube part requires some sort of installation rivet tool. And it is very red. Maybe for a Tonka Toy?



The rear brake hose supplied for 1968 Firebird is for a Camaro 12-bolt application. The Pontiac 10 bolt requires a shorter hose. It is too long and could rub against the floor.

Regarding the double line clip sold by Inline Tube:

It is an EXACT replica of the double line clip found along the rocker panels and on the rear side of the subframe where it is used to attach the fuel line and the brake crossover line. I pulled factory installed clips from two 1968 Firebirds for comparison. Installation is simple, just push the clip firmly into the hole then drive a #2 Phillips screwdriver into the hole. Then angle the screwdriver while halfway into the subframe and run it around once. The barbs will expand like a rivet and hold the clip very firmly in place.

The clips on the front side of the subframe which hold the fuel vapor return line are the other style, shown with the broken barb.

The screws and brake line clips are not up to spec.

The first time I ordered a set of Firebird brake lines they did pull a Camaro rubber line by accident. It was marked Camaro, not Firebird. They immediately replaced it, with an apology. 2 sets ordered since then were correct.

The '68 clips you removed at the rocker attachments must differ from mine if you say these red ones are exactly the same. These red reproduction clips are not an exact copy of any clip found anywhere on my 1968 Firebird. My car is down to labeled bags of hardware. There aren't any holes along the tube routing along the rockers large enough to accept that red double clip.

On mine there are two double clips that mounted with hex head screws. One is on the rocker and the other is next to the rear hose. Where the lines cross the frame rail, one metal double saddle clamp held lines securely with a fastener through the center. On the subframe, the barbed clips were used for double lines. There was also a double clip holding the speedo cable. For single lines, there were several styles of strap fasteners with machine thead hardware. There wasn't anything identical in the replacement kit. Here are photos of the double clip that uses the hex head screw.

[img][IMG]http://i3.tinypic.com/5zoh4c1.jpg[/img][/img]

Here are two examples of brake line clips which I believe are orginal to the car.





Here is a collection of some original clips and hardware from my '68 to the left of the black line and the Inline tube replacement parts to the right.



The stub sticking out from the red clips was larger than the mounting holes in the subframe. I had just painted the subframe, so forcing these to work where barbed clips belonged was out of the question. Threading wrong thead pitch into the subframe wouldn't be quality work either. (Comparison photo)



If you go to their online catalog and look up the replacement rear brake hose, they list PH-586 as their part number. Here is the part I received.



If you look up the rear brake hose for a '69 Camaro with a different vendor, you'll find a Raybestos replacement part BH36586 with an overall lenth listed of 14-1/4". If you look up the rear brake hose for a 1968 Firebird, the listing is Raybestos BH36527 with an overall length of 13-5/16". The similarity in part numbering methods might be coincidental, but the PH-586 I received is an inch longer than the original hose from my car.

These fit the backside of the engine cradle:



I have two '68s that have the same clips in this location. The holes in the subframe are sized perfectly for the stub.

My '68's original clips look just like yours 68Bigbird. Most of mine I cleaned up. Some I cleaned up and some I replaced. I believe the new double fuel line clips I got from PY. Don't recall any on my '68 like the ones you have Vikki.

That style of clip, with the barbs, is on the front side of the engine cradle on both '68s I have here, retaining the fuel return line. They are colored with gold/tan paint. One is a very early build, the other is also early.