Histoire Camaro/Firebird de première génération

Rien trouvé de mon côté sur la "Punch 4" mais une tonne d'info sur la Camaro 1st gen. .... en anglais mais beaucoup de stock . Pris sur le Forum www.clubhotrod.com dans ce Topic


Prêt ? j'y vais (1er de 4)

Every thang ya ever wanted to know 'bout Generation 1's and were afraid to ASK:
Q: When were the 1st generation models built?

A: First generation cars were built from the 1967 model year, through the 1969 (which extended well into the 1970 calendar year due to a strike at the assembly plant) model year.


Q: What models were available?

A: The first F-bodies came in two basic models, hardtop and convertible. All cars were 2-doors with 2+2 style seating, although GM claimed 5 adults would fit in the cars (2+3), but in practice, 2+2 was much more workable.


Q: What is the difference between the '67s and '68s?

A: In 1968, side air vents (Astro-ventilation) were added in addition to side marker lights. Turn signal lamps were redesigned to curve around the fender corners, thereby serving as front marker lights as well. The console, tail lights, and grille were all restyled, and the mirrors on the doors were changed from circular to rectangular in shape. Vent windows were eliminated and round dash air outlets were included on all models. Additional padding was added around the pillars and in the armrests.


Q: What is the difference between the '68s and '69s?

A: In 1969, the body was slightly updated along with tail light bezels with triple-lens styling. The rear wheel openings went from a full radius to a horizontal "flat" top radius. Inside, the console and dash were redesigned. The ignition switch moved from the dash to the steering column.


Q: What option packages were available on the Camaro?

A: The Camaro could be ordered in either Convertible or Hardtop models with the following major packages:
Base Model: Standard Suspension, lower performance engine options
SS - Super Sport: Upgraded suspension, higher-performance engines
RS - Rally Sport: Standard Suspension, lower performance engine options, an appearance package, including hideaway headlights and special trim items.
SS/RS - A combination of the SS performance package, and the RS appearance package
Z-28 - A special high-performance version of the Camaro. The Z-28 package COULD NOT be combined with the SS package (i.e. there's no such thing as a SS Z-28 ). When the Z-28 was first offered in 1967, it was as a road racer to compete with the Mustang in the Trans-Am series. General Motors wasn't officially involved in racing, of course; it just happened to offer a production car that would do the job nicely. Due to emmissions and federal safety requirements GM discontinued the Z-28 in 1975 and didn't bring it back until 1977. HP and performance never fully recovered until 1985 when Chevy introduced the 215 Hp LB9 TPI 305. The Z-28 was not available in the convertible body style, although 1 '68 Z-28 Convertible was built on special order for a GM executive. The car still exists today, and is worth its weight in gold.
Z-28 RS - A combination of the Z-28 special high performance package with the RS appearance package.


Q: What were some of the rare options available on the Camaro?

A: Camaros were available with a wide range of options, some of which were obscure or simply not well documented which caused them to be quite rare. Some examples:
Fold Down Rear Seat - A common option on today's cars, but quite rare back then. Allows the back seat to fold down for more cargo carrying capacity. 1st Generation Camaros were notorious for unusually small trunks making this option useful for those that had to carry larger cargo than would fit in the trunk.
Liquid Tire Chain - An option on '69 Camaros that provided a dispenser with nozzles located in the rear tire wheel wells which would spray a special traction-enhancing liquid on the rear tires to help traction on snow and ice. Quite rare.
4-wheel Disc Brakes - Known as RPO JL-8, available on '69 high- performance Camaros. Installed mostly on Z-28 Camaros. Very rare.
Z-28 Cross Ram - Two Holley 4 barrel carbs on a special aluminum cross ram intake manifold. Available from factory on '69 Z-28 Camaros.
Factory Headers - Available on Z-28 Camaros as a dealer-installed item. Supplied from the factory in the trunk of the car for installation by the dealer. 'Vigilite' Lamp Monitors - Special fiber-optic head and tail-lamp and directional signal monitors that allowed the driver to determine that all lights were working properly while sitting in the driver's seat.
L78 396 - Iron-head 375 HP 396 big-block. 4-bolt main block (all other Camaro 396's were 2-bolt mains), 11.0:1 compression forged pistons, high-performance large-port heads, heavy duty rods, special solid- lifter camshaft, aluminum intake manifold, and special Holley carb. Available all years, quite rare in '67 (1,138 made).
RPO L89 Aluminum Head 396 - Available in '68 and '69. Special version of the L78 75HP 396 with Aluminum closed-chamber rectangular port heads. Very rare.
Tic-Tach - dash mounted tachometer that also has clock on the same face.
Wood Steering Wheel - Not very rare, but nice.
160 MPH speedometer - Available in '69.
Front Bench Seat - Crazy looking bench seat equipped in a few (less than 1000, for sure) non-console cars.
Deluxe Houndstooth Interior - Deluxe door panels, with houndstooth seat inserts. In '67, the deluxe interior sometimes included chrome around the interior drip-rails and pillar posts.
Front disc brakes - Not very rare, but the calipers are 4-piston units which are hard to find.
F41 Suspension - Front suspension components which allow tighter cornering and better performance.


Q: What else was special about a Camaro Z-28?

A: All 1st Generation Z-28's must have power front disc brakes, and a 4 speed manual (Muncie) transmission. Air conditioning and automatic transmission simply were not available. If you see something that says Z-28 on it, and it has an automatic or A/C, it's fake.


Q: When was the first Trans Am available?

A: In March of 1969, the Firebird Trans Am became available. In its first year of production, the Trans Am was an option package, WS4, available on the coupe or convertible. It consisted of the 400 HO engine, three-speed manual transmission, heavy-duty suspension with front and rear sway bars, power steering and brakes, and Safe-T-Track rear. Visually, the Trans Am could be identified by the functional front fender air extractors, Cameo White paint (only color for the Trans Am), dual blue hood-roof-deck stripes, a hood that had wider scoops located just behind the bumper, a blacked-out grill and a rear deck spoiler. In the interior, the TA got a three-spoke wood-grain steering wheel. Optional, was the 400 Ram Air IV engine with a four-speed manual or Turbo Hydra-matic automatic transmission. Trans Am decals were located on the front fenders.

A total of 689 Trans Am coupes were built, 634 with the 400 HO engine (114 with the stick and 520 the automatic). Of the 55 Ram Air IV powered Trans Ams produced, 46 had the stick and 9 had the automatic. 8 convertibles were built, all powered by the 400 HO, and split evenly between manual and automatic transmissions.


Q: What are Pace Car Camaros?

A: In 1967 and 1969, the Camaro was chosen as the Pace Car for the famous Indy 500 car race. Special Camaros were built to actually serve as the Pace Car for the race, and others to serve as cars for dignitaries to use at the track. Along with the actual cars that paced the race, and the festival cars (the ones used by dignitaries), Chevy offered Pace Car replicas to dealers for sale. Pace Cars were always SS/RS Convertible Camaros, with either 350 or 396 engines. In '67, the color scheme was a white Camaro, with blue "Bumblebee" stripe (around the nose), and blue deluxe interior, with a white convertible top. In '69, the pace car was white, with Hugger Orange Z-28-style stripes (the Z-10 hardtop and the Pace Car were the only way to get stripes like on a '69 Z-28 without it being a Z-28 ), with special Hugger Orange interior, and a white convertible top. Pace Car Camaros are very desirable collector cars today. In '69, there was also a special run of Camaros called Z-10's, which were equipped like '69 Pace Cars, but were hardtops instead of convertibles. They were mostly offered to dealers in the southwest as a special promotional deal around race time. These are quite rare today. Even though they seemed to deviate from the standard pace car configuration more than the convertables, they are still legitimate pace cars (although some don't believe so). There were no records kept at Chevy Motor Division offices, but it is believed that somewhere between 200 and 300 of the cars were built at the Norwood plant between 3rd week of April (04C) and 1st week of May (05A), possibly longer. Some of the cars have a 04L date code (bizarre - possible broken die, or part of the Z10 mystique). All seemed to have had the Z10 code on the cowl tag.

The two pace cars (#1 and #2) which actually paced the race, had 396 ci (375 HP) engines. This started out as an L89 aluminum headed engine, but was converted by the factory Special Engineering Department to the L78 cast iron heads (although it's not exactly known why this was done). Other than blueprinting the engine to factory specs, engineering did NOTHING else to ensure the engine could produce the 130 MPH speeds required for the Pace Car duties except Zyglo or Magnaflux the mechanical parts. In order to stop the cars, a heavy-duty JL8 rear disc brake option was added. A 3.31 rear axle ratio was also added. With the four-wheel disc brakes went 15"x7" rally wheels sporting Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires. Other modifications made by Engineering included adding a balanced driveshaft and heavy-duty battery/ alternator (63 amp). All critical suspension and steering parts were magnafluxed along with the axle shafts and wheel studs.

2e de 4 sur l'histoire de la 1ere génération Camaro/Firebird

Q: What is a COPO Camaro?

A: COPO stands for Central Office Production Order. This is the process used by Chevrolet (and other divisions of GM) for internal orders for 'special' cars under limited production. The COPO process was used to produce special cars for special occasions. The Pace Car Camaros that actually paced the Indy 500 (because of modifications needed to the cars to meet the special requirements of reliability and safety for race duty) were ordered via the COPO process. The COPO process was also used to build special show cars, and sometimes, for special competition-oriented cars. The most famous 1st Generation COPO Camaros were COPO 9560 and COPO 9561. COPO 9560 involved making a special run of 1969 Camaros equipped with the SS package (minus the SS badges) and a 427 cubic inch aluminum block engine (ZL-1) (like that in the Corvette) making 430 HP. Only 69 of these were built. COPO 9561 was another special run of 1969 Camaros equipped with a cast iron block version of the 427 cubic inch engine (L-72). While there is no documented number of COPO 9561 Camaros built, it's estimated that the number is somewhere between 500 and 600 cars. Many went to specialty high-performance Chevy dealers like Yenko. COPO Camaros are worth small fortunes today and are very desirable collectors' pieces.

Additionally, there was COPO 9737, the sports car conversion which added a 140 MPH speedometer, a 1" stabilizer shaft, and E70x15 Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires. Cars built after May of 1969 also got a center gas gauge and a factory tachometer.

Q: What is a Yenko Camaro?

A: Yenko Chevrolet was one of a number of Chevy dealers that made special performance-oriented versions of the Camaro outside of the normal Chevrolet factory options. In '67, when the Camaro was first introduced, the hottest engine was the 295HP 350 available in the Camaro SS. Some of these performance-oriented dealerships started transplanting more powerful 396 and 427 big-block motors into these early Camaros making for real street/strip performers. Later, in '69, Chevrolet started doing this from the factory with the COPO Camaros, and furthered the cause of these special dealerships. Yenko made special "Super Yenko Camaros" which could be ordered with Vette 425 HP 427's with options like dual quads, aluminum heads, high performance clutches with scattershields, and things like special racing suspension modifications, and appearance packages which really added punch to the Camaro. A number of dealerships, including Motion Performance, Dana Chevrolet, Nickey Chevrolet, Berger Chevrolet, and others did similar things to Camaros and offered literally complete turnkey race-prepped cars for sale to the public through their dealerships. These special dealer cars are very desirable and rare today, and worth major sums of money in collector circles.


Q: Which Camaros are worth the most?

A: Just about any 1st generation Camaro in good, original condition, is worth well more today than it cost back when it was new. However, certain models and option combinations are the most valuable, and demand premium prices on the collector car market. Of most value are the 1969 COPO Camaros, followed closely by the Pace Cars and Z-28 Camaros. The '67 Z-28 was produced in very limited quantity (602) and is thus worth more, though many people prefer the 1969 Z-28's styling and refinement, which has escalated the prices on these cars. Any SS Camaro, especially when combined with the RS package is a bonus. Convertibles, combined with SS and/or RS packages are always worth a premium. A big-block motor adds significant value. Typically 4 speed cars demand better sales prices than automatic cars, and cars with rare options or many options add value. Cars with special performance powertrains, like the 375HP 396 big-block demand significantly higher prices due to their performance appeal, and relatively limited production. Even base-model convertibles are becoming very popular with 6-cylinder, automatic convertibles in very nice restored condition selling for well over $6,000. Camaros which are modified from original stock condition, such as engine swaps, interior changes, body modifications, etc., typically are not worth as much due to the modifications. The cars with the most value in any category are those that are in documented, original condition, with a minimum of modifications.


Q: Which Firebirds are worth the most?

A: Like the Camaros, most 1st generation Firebirds in good, original condition, are worth a lot of money today. There were no special COPO-like features that could be ordered on the Pontiacs like the Chevys. Obviously, the 1969 Trans Ams fetch a high price as only 689 were ever built. But of those 689, the 8 convertibles (with the standard 400 ci engine) and the 55 coupes (with the Ram Air IV engine) are the highlights of the bunch. With such rarity, it's hard to even put a price tag on these. Next on the list are probably the 102 (or so) '69 Firebirds (85 coupes and 17 convertibles) which came with the RA IV engine. But in close contention, is the 200 or so Ram Air II '68 Firebird of which only around 200 were built. These cars were known to run low 13's easily on stock tires and 12's with a good pair of slicks. Even in the Pontiacs, the engine plays a big part in the desirability game.


1.2 Engine/Induction/Exhaust

Q: What engines were available for the Camaros?

A: Part of the success of the Camaro was the wide variety of engine options that were available. To enumerate all possibilities here is beyond the scope of this document, but here's a basic summary of the available engines, not including the variants of each type of engine.:

230 ci Inline 6 - Not available on SS
250 ci Inline 6 - Not available on SS
302 ci V8 - Z-28 Only, 290HP (underrated!)
307 ci V8 - 2 barrel only, 1969 only, not available on SS
327 ci V8 - 2 or 4 barrel versions, not available on SS
350 ci V8 - 2 or 4 barrel version, 300HP 350 only in SS
396 ci V8 - Big Block, 4 barrel only, SS only.
427 ci V8 - Big Block, Factory COPO cars, VERY RARE

Q: What engines were available for the Firebirds?

A: The standard engine was a 230 ci six-cylinder rated at 165 HP. Unlike other GM six-cylinders, the Pontiac featured an overhead camshaft. Firebirds that were equipped with the engine got 3.8L OHC lettering on both sides of the hood bulge. An optional version of this engine, the W53 rated at 215 HP, was offered on the Firebird Sprint models. It came with a hotter camshaft and a 4-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. In addition to the hood bulge badging, Sprint models got OHC-six emblems on the front part of the rocker panels. Bodyside tape stripes were optional. In 1968 and 1969, the engine was stroked to 250 ci with power climbing to 175 HP. But no change in power of the W53 was noted. The engine used the crankshaft and connecting rods from the Chevrolet six-cylinder engine for the first year, but switched to Pontiac parts in 1968.

The Firebird 326 ci models got a two-barrel version of Pontiac's 326 ci V8, the L30, rated 250 HP. The '326' on the hood and trunk lid identified the Firebird as such. High Outputs (Firebird HOs) got the same engine, the L76, but with higher compression, a four-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, and dual exhausts making 285 HP. The engine was officially known as the 326 HO cars equipped with it got unique HO side stripes for identification. For 1968 and 1969, the 326 was replaced by the 350 ci V8, rated at 265 HP. A 350 HO version was also available, rated at 320 HP in '68 and 325 HP in '69 (different cam and heads). In 1968, Pontiac introduced redesigned cylinder heads on all V8s which featured an open combustion chamber design and larger valves.

The biggest engine, the W66, was 400 ci and came in the 400 Firebird . It was rated at 325 HP and came with a unique twin-scoop hood. Transforming the 400 Firebird was the optional Ram Air (RA) Package which made the hood scoop functional and also changed the engine's designation to L67. The package also included a hotter camshaft, stronger valvetrain, and low-restriction cast-iron exhaust manifolds. Power remained at 325 HP, but at higher RPM of 5200. All 400's came with chrome valve covers, air cleaner, and oil filler cap. All 400 engines had a throttle restrictor that stopped the secondary carburetor barrels from opening all the way. This limited HP and kept the Firebird within the 10-pound-to-1-HP GM corporate edict. However, for 1968 and 1969, power increased to 335 HP. Also in those years, a 400 HO engine (335 HP too), the L74, became available. In March of 1968, the Ram Air was replaced by Ram Air II and rated at 340 HP (although the same exact engine in the GTO was rated at 366 HP). As with the '67 RA, a throttle restrictor limited the secondaries from opening all the way.

In 1969, under the L67 designation, the 400 Ram Air IV became available. It pumped out 345 HP and differed from the previous Ram Air II as it had an aluminum intake manifold, 1.65:1 rocker arms, and oblong combustion chambers for better flow. It also had the 4-bolt mains, as did the 400 HO.

As for the Ram Air package, three types of hoods were offered, the first of which was introduced as a mid-1968 modification. It let the driver control the intake of outside air by means of cable-operated flapper valves. This was standard with the L67 Ram Air IV and optional with the L74 400 ci V8s. The second system included underhood-grill-mounted air intakes to complement the hood-mounted system. The Trans Am got the third one with forward-mounted scoops.

3e de 4 ......

Q: Why was a 302 motor available for the Camaro Z-28?

A: The 302 engine was only available in 1st generation Z-28's (they switched to the 350 LT-1 in 2nd generation Z-28s), and came about as a result of a Trans Am racing limitation on the displacement of engines used in that type of racing to 305 Cubic Inches. The 302 grew out of using a crank-shaft from a 283 engine, in a 327 CID block, resulting in 302 CI. This just fit the Trans Am limitation, and this combination (with modifications for high- performance use) resulted in the 302 CI engine that made the Z-28 what it was. The 302 was the ONLY engine available in the 1st generation Z-28. If you see a car with a 6-banger or a big block that says Z-28 on it, it's not an original Z-28.


Q: What was the largest available engine for the Firebird?

A: The 400 cubic inch was the largest available from the factory, but if you knew the right people, you could have a 428 engine put in at some dealerships.

Q: When was the Ram Air I option available?

A: It was offered for the Firebird in 1968. There weren't many ordered or made and those which were, sometimes never came with the actual equipment to make the car a "Ram Air". It was mainly due to a "security" problem. The bolt on underhood attachment and special air cleaner were placed into the boot of the car and supposed to be fitted by the dealer. The security guards who checked over the vehicles before shipping to dealers were confiscating these items thinking that factory employees were trying to steal extra air cleaner assemblies. It was only after some time, and inquiries by dealers, that the problem was rectified. But in the meantime, many first production Ram Air cars ended up on the road without the Ram Air equipment attaching the air cleaner to the hood. Current figures show only 321 manual and 93 automatic Ram Air I cars were built.


Q: What are the specs for Crane's 'S' and 'T' cams for the Pontiacs?

A: The "S" cam, P/N 9779068, is commonly refered to as the Ram Air III cam. It was orginially installed, by the factory, in the 1966 Ram Air GTO. Only a handful of these cars were made. Later applications included the Ram Air I and Ram Air III. All factory installs came with 1.5 rockers and all factory specs are measured with them. This is THE best factory cam for a Pontiac V-8. The specs are:
Int Dur Ext Dur Lift
288 302 0.410
The "T" cam, P/N 9794041, is commonly refered to as the Ram Air IV cam. It was orginally installed, by the factory, in the 1968 Ram Air II and the 1969-1970 Ram Air IV. The Ram Air II application used 1.5 rockers and the Ram Air IV app used 1.65 rockers. This cam is a poor street cam due to its poor idle and lack of mid-range power. It was really designed for drag racing and has all of its potential at the high end. Its a fine cam for serious racers and restorers. It is designed for use with the RA IV heads and works best with them. The specs are:
Int Dur Ext Dur Lift (RAII) Lift (RAIV)
308 320 0.470 0.518
Be careful with cam grinders that don't provide you with specs. Make sure that you get the spec sheet BEFORE you give them any money. Once you've purchased the cam verify that what you recieved is what you expected. Cams can be measured different ways and the numbers provided above may not match the manufacturers specs. A rule of thumb: ALL factory Pontiac cams have about 10 degrees more exhaust duration to make up for the reduced flow on the exhaust side of the head.


Q: Can I install an High Energy Ignition (HEI) with major modifications?

A: Yes, and you should not need to modify the firewall in any way. It's quite simple. The tach lead that used to go to the negative (-) side of the coil gets connected to the "tach" connector on the underside of the HEI cap. The positive (+) coil lead gets connected to the "bat" or "ign" terminal of the HEI cap. IMPORTANT - You need to eliminate any ballast resistor in the old points system. The HEI must have a full +12 volts from the battery to be effective.

Otherwise, the distributor is self contained. You may want to put in a supercoil or MSD box with the magnetic pickup, but the stock HEI setup should work great for a normally aspirated engine running under 6000 RPM. With a volt/ohmmeter, you can diagnose the computer module, but that will be unnecessary.

Setup the base timing like you would in a points distributor, but remember that the HEIs tend to have more vaccum advance and less mechanical advance than a points distributor. So you will probably need to go with a more radical base timing to get the full 36-38 degrees timing. As with a points distributor, you can change the springs to suit your timing needs, but remember that HEI springs are heavier so don't try interchanging them.

One last thing to do before you install the HEI, is pop the cap and make sure the mechanical advance mechanism works smoothly. HEI's can "lock up".


Tranny/Drivetrain/Rearend

Q: What is a Powerglide transmission?

A: It was the "base" 2-speed automatic tranny on the small-block Camaros. Many base Camaros were ordered up with the Powerglide. It's a good transmission and capable of very respectable performance. The Powerglide in 'built' form was the preferred drag-race transmission for quite a few years until the TH350s and TH400s came around.

The Powerglide was available on SS350 (295/300HP) Camaros, and fairly common though many SS buyers opted for the 3-speed TH350 in 1969 if they wanted an automatic.


Q: When was the TH350 transmission first offered?

A: The TH350 wasn't officially offered as an option (RPO) until 1969, although some 1968 327/275 Camaros did manage to get the 3-speed TH350 as they were part of an internal GM test fleet. The only way to identify if your 1968 car has an original TH350, would be by a date code. Surprisingly enough in 1969, when the TH350 did become available, consumers really must have really liked it as the it outsold the Powerglide 78,849 units to 66,423. Mostly 6 cylinder and small block cars got the tranny. It was never used on the big blocks as it wasn't powerful enough (350 lb-ft of torque, hence the "350"). The big blocks got the TH400 (400 lb-ft of torque capacity).


Q: When was the TH400 transmission first offered?

A: The TH400 first appeared on GM passenger cars in 1965. It was available on all first gen big block Camaros. Although, it was also used in some small block applications.


Q: What were the stock tranny gear ratios for the Muncies?

A: They were as follows:
Series Gear Ratios Input Grooves Output
(Ratio) Years 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Spline (Input) Spline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
M20 (Wide) 63-65 2.56 1.91 1.48 1.00 10 None-7/8" clust pin 27
M20 (Wide) 66-71 2.52 1.88 1.46 1.00 10 2 - 1" cluster pin 27
M21 (Close) 63-71 2.20 1.64 1.28 1.00 10 1 - 1" cluster pin 27
M20 (Wide) 71-74 2.52 1.88 1.46 1.00 26 2 - 1" cluster pin 32
M21 (Close) 71-74 2.20 1.64 1.28 1.00 26 1 - 1" cluster pin 32
M22 (Close) 65-69 2.20 1.64 1.28 1.00 10 None-1" cluster pin 27
M22 (Close) 70-74 2.20 1.64 1.28 1.00 26 None-1" cluster pin 32



Q: What is that whining noise coming from my Muncie M22?

A: This noise is normal and has to do with the angle at which the gears mesh. You'll usually hear in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear (but not 4th) after you've accelerated and you then release the gas pedal, letting the car slow down with the engine force. It almost the same sound as when you're in reverse.

The M22 has a shallower mesh angle which causes the "whine". The reason for the angle change is that it increases the load carrying capacity of the gears. The disadvantage is the increased noise. Those who selected the M22 over the M21 decided that they could live with the gear noise for the increased strength. The reason you don't hear it in 4th gear is that 4th is a direct output from the input (1:1 ratio), and there are no significant gears involved.

Suspension/Tires/Brakes

Q: What's the difference between Rallye I and II wheels?

A: The Rallye I wheel is vastly different from the Rallye II wheel. The Rallye I wheel is patterned after a slotted mag with 5 oval slots much like the Chevy styled wheel. The difference between the Chevy wheel and the Pontiac wheel is that the slots are fluted at the slot and the Chevy's are flat. Also the slots are larger. This wheel also has large center cap that includes 5 holes for the lug nuts. The Rallye I wheel came in one size only, 14". These wheels were available on Tempests, Lemans's GTOs, and Firebirds from 1965 to 1968. The only difference between years is in 1965 the center cap is completely chromed; all other years the cap has black center with a chromed edge.

The Rallye II wheel was available beginning in 1968 on Pontiac A-bodies (GTO, etc.) and F-Bodies (and later on larger Pontiacs). These wheels are the five spoke pattern with a small center cap with "PMD" (Pontiac Motor Division) written on them. There are many differences to these wheels. Trim rings, center caps, lug nuts, rims sizes, widths, and offsets were all changed at one time or another.

The Rallye I wheels are valuable to A-Body people especially 1965, if they are complete and in good condition.

dernier de 4 ...

Q: What can I do to stop the shaking and wandering of my car?

A: One or a combination of these should help the problem:
Balance the tires/wheels
Align the front end (caster/camber/toe)
Replace the upper control arm bushings
Replace the shocks
Replace the rear leaf spring bushings
Replace the rear leaf springs
Replace the front wheel bearings
Tighten the steering box bolts
Replace the subframe body mount bushings
Install a set of sub-frame connectors


Q: What is that sticky spot developing in my steering?

A: The first place to look may be under the car. If it is in one spot, it corelates to the actual position of the parts, (if it was at random it might have been the power strting pump for instance). You have a steering pitman arm on the steering gear box, and an ideler arm on the other side. They are joined by a rod, which then has little extensions that move the spindles (whell supports) back and forth. A binding in any of the joints could cause that effect. The ideler arm may have a sticky joint or the joint where the spindles are turned could be sticking. It could also be a problem with the sector gear in the steering box.


Q: What determined whether a Camaro got mono- or multileaf springs?

A: All 1967's were monoleaf, however there are various ratings of these. See the beginning of your assembly manual for these. 1968 and 1969 are the most elusive as there's no hardcore evidence showing why one or the other was used, but based on some documentation and experience, here's what is known so far.

The 1968's were determined not only by horsepower, but also by the transmission. A 1968 with a 275hp 327ci engine and a powerglide tranny got monoleaf, but the same car in a 4-speed came with multileaf and rear bumper guards to denote the special rear suspension. Unless car was ordered with the guards, then it had them anyway.

The 1969's that had the 327ci or 210hp 350ci 2bbl engines all got monoleaf. 1968 and 1969's with the TOURQUE-DRIVE all had monoleaf. All 6 cylinder cars for all 3 years, came with monoleafs.


Q: What do I need to convert my front drums to disc brakes?

A: This is one of the best mods you can do to your car. Factory parts are your best bet (unless your shooting for a custom looking setup). Even junkyard special parts work top-notch once cleaned up. The following list of parts will give you the best performance for cost and reliability:
Two new GM 1969 spindles (still available from GM) or 1969 - 1974 Nova units for SPC Camaro (or original units if you can find them)
Two junkyard caliper brackets from a 1968 - 1978 midsize GM car using a corporate front wheel disc setup
Two Nova or Cutlass (corporate) calipers for cores from the local parts store - eat the core charge (if low) to save canvasing the junkyard
One new/rebuilt master cylinder (don't use junkyard units for this) for 1969 SPC Camaro (or for 1969 - 1972 Nova with front disks for places that charge extra when they hear the word Camaro or Firebird)
One set of first gen (or Nova) lines, hardware, and adjustible P-valve
One powerboster either new or from almost any late '60s to mid '70s GM
Two rotors - 1969 SPC Camaro or 1969 - 1972 Nova
One alignment after swaping If you keep your eyes peeled, and piece it together, you can probably do the swap for about $100.


Exterior Related

Q: Which areas of the body are most likely to rust?

A: Here are some of the more common locations for rust:
Rear window. This is #1 flaw in 60's cars body design. The first place to look for an inital impression on hardtops, look for rust and boils in paint in the lower corners. Also look/feel inside trunk along window lip. Vinyl tops are dangerous. Look for boils along bottom of chrome trim all the way around the back. Rust loves the area along the c-pillar. Push around on the vinyl top listening for the crunch of rust "bubbles". Look in the trunk for water-holes in the window lip.
Trunk pan. Especially if the window/trunk-weather-stripping has been breached.
Bottom rear of front quarter panels. Especially on under side around the large mounting bolt.
Rear wheel wells around the lip. Especially in front and behind the wheel on the bottom of the rear quarter panels.
Front lower valence panels, the joints between the lower valence, and the lower corner panels and the front fenders. Sometimes hard to see from the outside.
Side window drip rails. The putty cracks, water gets in, and rust eats away at the rail/roof joint line (especially on vinyl tops).
In the cowl. Leaves from the trees hold water = rust.


Q: Why was the color called "Hugger Orange"?

A: It started for the 1969 model. It was the marketing nickname for the '69 Camaro, appearing in magazine ads and commercials. It was in reference to the cars handling characteristics (i.e. hugs corners... the hugger!), which is needy by today's standards, but for the sixties, it was one of the best handling American cars you could buy. GM made a big deal about the hugger thing, and offered special color combos with hugger orange paint, rally stripes (Z-28 style), orange and houndstooth interior. Of course the '69 indy pacecar had hugger orange stripes.


Interior Related

Q: Which Camaros got rear seat arm rests?

A: On 1967 models, all convertibles, all hardtops/sport coupes with a fold down rear seat, and all hardtops/sport coupes with the custom/deluxe interior got rear arm rests. The rest did not.
On 1968 and 1969 models, all convertibles and all hardtops/sport coupes with a fold down rear seat got rear arm rests. The rest did not.

It appears that only the 1967's could get the rear arm rests in a hardtop/ sport coupe by getting the deluxe interior without getting a fold down seat. The 1968 and 1969 hardtop/sport coupes would have had to have gotten a fold down rear seat in order to get them. It also appears that it would have made no difference whether the covertible/fold down rear seat cars had standard or deluxe/custom interior. These cars all got rear arm rests.


Miscellaneous

Q: How can I decode my Firebird's cowl tag (data trim plate)?

A: In 1967, the cowl tag or data trim plate was a small metal tag riveted to the left side of the firewall in the engine compartment. It has 3 lines of codes, the first of which contains the "build date" code. This consists of two numbers (1 thru 12 corresponding to each month of the year) and a letter (A thru E corresponding to the week of the month). For example 11C means the car was built in the 3rd week of November. The second line contains the style ('ST') information as long number that starts with the two digit model year, followed by a three digit division series code (usually '223'), followed by a two digit body series code ('37' coupe and '67' convertible). The division series and body series codes should correspond to the first five digits of the VIN. The next three letters represent the assembly plant ('NOR' Norwood and 'LOS' Van Nuys). The final six digits should correspond to the last six digits of the VIN. The third line of the tag contains the trim ('TR') and color coding. The first three digits are the interior colors and type (standard or custom), the fourth is a letter indicating the body color, and final digit indicates the the color of the vinyl or convertible top, if so equipped.

In 1968 the tag/plate was redesigned and relocated. It was placed at the base of the windshield (under the hood) on the driver side (hence the term cowl tag). It is most likely black with several numbers and letters on it. The first line now contained the style ('ST') codes of the year, division, and model (as correspond to the VIN). The second line contained trim ('TR') codes of the interior and exterior colors. The exterior paint code was also broken up into lower, body ('L') and upper, top ('U') colors. The build code was moved to the third line and also included a "modular seat code" which confirms the type of seats installed in the car. Also, a separate plant production number was added in the third line along side of the build code.