63 Master Cylinder Cap

[Verne Frantz]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Harry,
Thanks for posting the picture of the cap I sent you. I hope it will serve your purpose. What may appear to be pitting or paint is just where the original plating has gone away. If it's held at an angle in the right light the goldish color of the original plating is a pleasant view.

As for documenting when the change-over from large to small font occurred, I only have a few samples where I KNOW what car they originally came from. But as far as contributing, I've noticed that data from passenger cars (the data I have) is often discounted or even met with disdain because "it doesn't belong on this forum".

I believe that if it is known (or believed) that ONE manufacturer produced a part, and that the same part configuration was issued during the certain time frame, and that the part was used throughout Chevrolet, if not all GM, then that part's configuration and time of production can and should be used to help the Corvette historical research efforts. That is the only reason why I offer the info that I have from full size cars. I'm not trying to change the theme of the forum. The data I previously posted was meant to help fill in styles over time frames of an item that I believe was manufactured and shipped to a wide number of locations, including the St. Louis Corvette plant. It can be collated or ignored if there isn't enough periferal vision.

Verne

[Verne Frantz]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Harry,
Thanks for posting the picture of the cap I sent you. I hope it will serve your purpose. What may appear to be pitting or paint is just where the original plating has gone away. If it's held at an angle in the right light the goldish color of the original plating is a pleasant view.

As for documenting when the change-over from large to small font occurred, I only have a few samples where I KNOW what car they originally came from. But as far as contributing, I've noticed that data from passenger cars (the data I have) is often discounted or even met with disdain because "it doesn't belong on this forum".

I believe that if it is known (or believed) that ONE manufacturer produced a part, and that the same part configuration was issued during the certain time frame, and that the part was used throughout Chevrolet, if not all GM, then that part's configuration and time of production can and should be used to help the Corvette historical research efforts. That is the only reason why I offer the info that I have from full size cars. I'm not trying to change the theme of the forum. The data I previously posted was meant to help fill in styles over time frames of an item that I believe was manufactured and shipped to a wide number of locations, including the St. Louis Corvette plant. It can be collated or ignored if there isn't enough periferal vision.

Verne

[John D.]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Verne, Don't agree with what you said about yourself. You are not giving yourself credit where credit is most most due. My friends and I have been talking about your incredible post on the master cylinders ever since you put it on. You see this cap has intrigued me for a long time because I saw variations in it and didn't know why. So we all appreciate it that y ou took the time to look at many boxes of the master cylinders and give us details. After all a Corvette guy would have to be unintelligent (a moron) to think that GM made mechanical parts just for one low volume, low production vehice when in fact a ton of our parts were taken from the steel Chevy line. Thanks very much, John

[John D.]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Verne, Don't agree with what you said about yourself. You are not giving yourself credit where credit is most most due. My friends and I have been talking about your incredible post on the master cylinders ever since you put it on. You see this cap has intrigued me for a long time because I saw variations in it and didn't know why. So we all appreciate it that y ou took the time to look at many boxes of the master cylinders and give us details. After all a Corvette guy would have to be unintelligent (a moron) to think that GM made mechanical parts just for one low volume, low production vehice when in fact a ton of our parts were taken from the steel Chevy line. Thanks very much, John

[Dave Morris]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

I believe my cap is orginal to the car. It was on the car in 1975. Or course, you never know.
Anyway, it has the complete message and the large letters. Its car #414.
Interesting topic.

[Dave Morris]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

I believe my cap is orginal to the car. It was on the car in 1975. Or course, you never know.
Anyway, it has the complete message and the large letters. Its car #414.
Interesting topic.

[John D.]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Dave, Your right. It is not an interesting topic per say if that's what you mean. But just another research projection done to achieve perfection at all cost. It's the minute details that are the fun ones for some of us. I like details. Some don't though. That's the difference between a repro car and the real deal. Thanks for your imput. So from the last 3 or 4 replies it appears that the early cars MAY have had a bunch of master cylinder caps with larger font. Couse you can't make such an assumption till you get years of collecting documented data. John

[John D.]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Dave, Your right. It is not an interesting topic per say if that's what you mean. But just another research projection done to achieve perfection at all cost. It's the minute details that are the fun ones for some of us. I like details. Some don't though. That's the difference between a repro car and the real deal. Thanks for your imput. So from the last 3 or 4 replies it appears that the early cars MAY have had a bunch of master cylinder caps with larger font. Couse you can't make such an assumption till you get years of collecting documented data. John

[mike cobine]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Mine isn't a good of condition, but it is here for the information.

July built coupe, no reason to think it has been changed, as I got it in '78 and it sat in a barn from '70 to '78.

[mike cobine]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Mine isn't a good of condition, but it is here for the information.

July built coupe, no reason to think it has been changed, as I got it in '78 and it sat in a barn from '70 to '78.

[mike cobine]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap - 2nd

Here is another shot, trying to make it more legible.

[mike cobine]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap - 2nd

Here is another shot, trying to make it more legible.

[Dave Morris]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

John,
I like the details also. I really appreciate yourself,M. Hanson, Joe and the others who investigate these topics. Its why I check the forum everyday.
Dave

[John D.]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap - 2nd

HI Mike, My 63 cap has the same size lettering. It's almost 10,000. March 2nd or 3rd. My rusty one that is not on the car is a tad better than yours though. But the nice thing is that you cap is a prime example of an original for sure. What seems to be surfacing now is that there were two sizes of letters or font used on the MC caps. Whether you can attribute this to early, mid, or late I don't know. In the meantime I would guess that either cap could be called exceptable. My show car has the small lettering but it is not the cap that came with the car. My original rusty one has the small lettering. My spare that is on the desk now has the small lettering. So far I see that I don't own one with the large lettering. My other 63 that I sold had a cap with the small lettering because I still have that cap as I put a replacement MC on that car. It was a July 63. All of my caps though have fill to the 1/4" line. John

[Frank C.]

Re: 63 Master Cylinder Cap

Hi all...I happened to remember to look at my '63s today and found my Sept '62 MC cap has the large #'s and letters (I did not measure them) and the other '63 has the aftermarket MC on it. I got the Sept car in '76 and believe the MC to be original.