Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

[Barbara S.]

I recently purchased a very original East Texas '67 327/300 A/C coupe built in the middle of June, '67, and am starting the frame-off process. The good news and the bad news are the same: The good news is, it's a really original car (black/black factory A/C car). The bad news is, it's a really original car!

I have been disassembling the car to prepare for a body lift, and while I had the car up on the lift, I noticed that the original ID tape was still flagged to the RF spring. It was dirty, but it was there. I carefully removed it to save it for the restoration scrapbook and found that I could read some of the numbers on it. I gently cleaned it and noticed that the tape was a dirty yellow color (not the green mentioned in the TIM). The lettering was black, but didn't have any spring code-only the front spring part number--3888250. Now this is an original, unhit 327/300 A/C car, but the 3888250 is listed in the TIM as the correct front spring for a base 427 car--not a base 327 car! Weird.

I'm curious if anyone else has come across that too--yellow tape with only the 7 digit part number with no spring code? It is clearly the original part-no question about it. Perhaps by mid-June '67, when my car was built, they were just grabbing front springs, regardless of whether they were the right ones or not. I can just see the ID tape on the LF spring too, but I haven't been able to reach it yet. Curious.

By the way, when I removed the right rocker moulding, I found the original frame stencil--sweet! 6/8/67. It brought a smile. This is going to be fun.

[Dick W.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

All the yellow spring tags that I have seen have been on GM service replacement springs. It is possible that someone put a new set of springs in your car at some time.

[Barbara S.]

hmmmmm

Dick. Maybe, but the entire front end sure looks original to me, and why would they replace the springs with service replacements if there is no body damage?

Tony

[Joe L.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Tony-----

1967 Corvettes with 327 and C-60 were originally built with spring GM #3851100, the same as those without C-60. The front end of such cars tended to "sag" a little bit due to the extra weight of C-60. Some owners complained and a higher rate spring was installed under warranty. The higher rate spring usually used was the GM #3888250.

Beginning in 1968, small blocks with C-60 recieved a different spring than those without C-60. That was generally not done for C-2 era small blocks, though.

[Barbara S.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Joe...makes sense. thanks.
I guess I'll restore the spring but put a green ID tape flag on it... (but I'll keep the yellow tape one just for fun).

Tony

[Gerard F.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Hey Tony,

I have a June 29, 67 300/327 w/oAC, and I notice a few other things different from the Judging Guide. Maybe they were scraching for parts at the end of the production year and tooling up for the 68's. My VIN is 22049, what's yours? What list number and date code is on your carb, if it is the original?

Jerry Fuccillo
#42179

[Barbara S.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Hi Jerry. My car is no. 20649 (built 2nd week of June, '67). The 3810 carb seems right: dated 743. It's at the restorer's right now. You wonder about component parts selection when St. Louie was approaching the end of the C2 line.

What's up with your carb?
Tony

[Kurt K.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Tony, Do you have a picture of your frame stencil? Kurt

[Gerard F.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Tony,

I thrashed my original 3810 (or 3139-1, as I suspect) in 1976 and put on a double pumper. My project over the past few months has been restoring an original 3810 with a date code of 751. As you can see from my other post yesterday, I'm almost finished. Thanks for the info, based upon your date code it looks like my date code is right in line with my assembly date (7/29/67). Two weeks difference in both our assembly dates and carbs.

I wonder if anyone has seen an original 3810 date code after 751. I suspect it was the last run although maybe I'm all wet.

Jerry Fuccillo

[Barbara S.]

Re: Curious anomaly with late '67 front spring

Kurt: I'll post one tonight. It's pretty cool.
Tony