67 vs 68 Steering Column Identification

[Joe Scafidi]

My last post re: my crazy steering column from a 67 roadster was a litttle incomplete. Here are the facts. Possibly someone could help. The column is shaped correct for a 67 including the small plastic collar between the dash and the column hub. Missing was the actual steering wheel mounting hub and the bezel that covers the slot in the gauge cluster housing. The whole column was first painted semi gloss black then the upper half was painted light green metallic. If the top half was painted any other color I would be convinced this was not the original column but by coincidence my interior color is green. Although my interior is dark green some joker could have painted it this color. Not being that familiar with 68 interior colors I don't know if there wass a light green mettallic interior. Now at the firewall end of the column the appearance is similar to my 67 coupe steering column with the large black plastic ribbed bearing retainer. But the shaft is not round it has 2 large flat surfaces directly opposite each other (180 degrees apart) and absolutely no splines to interlock with the rag joint flange. At first I thought the end of the column looked sawed off but it is not. Also the measurement from the lower bearing is exactly the same as on my coupe which has a splined end to the shaft. Here are some measurements for someone to compare with. shaft length from tip to tip (36 1/4) shaft length from bottom of threads to end of shaft (35 1/2) length of column housing from directional housing to lower bearing (28 1/2) length of black plastic ribbed spacer (1 3/4) length of shaft from end of spacer to end of shaft (4 1/2) all dimensions are in inches of course.

I hope I wasn't to confusing and also hope someone can help sort all this out. I did not add that this is a COPO roadster so there is the possibility that the coulumn could have been painted from the factory but I am not assuming this nor trying to prove this. I only need to know how to fit a non splined shaft end into a splined rag joint flange. GOOD LUCK

[Tom B.]

Re: 67 vs 68 Steering Column Identification

Joe,

Maybe I can help with one or two things. Regardless of the year I'm presuming that you have a standard steering column without any ignition switch mounted on it. At least that would make it 1968 or before. With that in mind then no information that I know of shows the 67 or 68 columns to be any color other than a "low gloss black" from the factory. Also, 1968 did not have a green color choice for the interior and I don't have enough COPO information to know if your situation would make a difference for 67.

At the interior firewall, the 68 column I have bolts to the firewall with a single "flat" surface "plate" (about 5" wide). By comparison, the 67 column I have bolts to the firewall but the plate has an additional shape to it which allows it to conform to the contoured surface of the 67 interior firewall. That steering column firewall mounting plate is about 9" wide.

I don't understand the double flat surfaces that you mention for the shaft, or the lack of "splines". I have a single flat surface and splines at the rag joint end of the shafts for both the 67 and 68.

I don't have any information to compare to the measurements that you mention. Hope this will all help. TBarr #24014

[Gene M.]

Re: 68 Steering Column correction

Tom, The 68's upper end of the column is color matched to the interior.

[Tom B.]

Re: 68 Steering Column correction

Thanks for catching that and clarifying, Gene. I have a black interior, so mines black. I didn't see that in the 68-69 JM either, so I must have missed it. Either that or the JM needs more information and an update there. Thanks again. TBarr #24014

[Tom B.]

Re: Add on: Found it

Gene,

You're right again! I flat out mis-read it. For 68-69: "All columns are semi-gloss interior color". I must have seen "semi-gloss" and sped-read right over the rest. Thanks again. TBarr #24014