1965 part numbers

[JCK STEELE]

First I want to say that this board is the greatest thing since sex was invented. Now my question. Is there a publication of the GM part numbers and what type of bolt or nut or part is as well as the type of finish. ie. paint,phosphate zinc etc. I am looking foe the info for a 65 bb. Thanks guys and keep up the wave. Jack

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 part numbers

Jack----

I'm not sure that I completely understand your question, but I will offer the following:

First, part numbers for most fastners used on Corvettes can be found, as you probably realize, in the assembly manual for the particular year. The exceptions are fastners which were part of sub-assemblies(e.g. engines, transmission, etc.). As far as I know, there is no available, definitive source for part numbers which were part of sub-assemblies. GM probably has/had assembly manuals for these sub-sassemblies which included fastner part numbers, but I've never seen one in general circulation. And, believe me, I've LOOKED for one.

Certain specialized fastners(head bolts, main bearing cap bolts, etc.) can be found in the GM Corvette parts catalog. However, for a GM parts catalog to be of much use in identifying original part numbers for older(C1, C2, C3)cars, you would need a very old edition. I have these since I've been regularly acquiring current parts catalogs for over 30 years. Part catalogs that were "current" when I got them are now "ancient history" but have some of the type of information you ask for. Fortunately, I've saved all these catalogs over the years, so my "reference library" is well-stocked. GM stopped printing parts catalogs in 1993 and, since then, I've had to obtain parts publications on microfiche. These work very well for C4 and C5 models, but, for earlier models, you need the old catalogs to make useful the parts publication information currently available on microfiche.

Another publication that deals with "general fastners" and other general-use parts is the GM Standard Parts Catalog. This catalog contains info on all "standard parts" currently available from GM. For bolts, for example, it would list part number, specifications(strength, length, thread pitch, etc), and finish(phosphate, cad plate, etc.). However, it WILL NOT TELL YOU what applications the fastner was/is used for(although some old editions did). Also, it only provides info regarding items that are currently available, not obsolete ones. By now, most of the fastner part numbers used in the "old days" are purged from the system. In addition, while a fastner part number may remain the same for many years, that just means that the SPECIFICATIONS remain the same. Manufacturers may change and with that change the configuration of non-specification details also change(e.g.head markings, subtle finish differences,head configuration, etc,). In other words, bolt part number 1234567 of 1969 might not be the same as bolt part number 1234567 of 1999, although the ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS will be the same if the part number is the same.

The "Standard Parts Catalog", like all other GM parts publications, is no longer available in printed form. It is available, however, on microfiche, although I doubt that the current edition would be of very much use to C1, C2, and C3 restorers. The older editions which I have accumulated are very useful, though.

In case you're wondering, electronic (CD-ROM)parts catalogs are available only to GM dealers willing to invest $30,000 or so in the hardware/software and sustain the monthly subscription cost of $750 or so.

If you have other specific questions, post and I'll do my best to respond.

[Jack H.]

Re: 1965 part numbers

Answer is NO, unfortunately. The information you're looking for is an artform, not a science. Judges spend years up to tens of years getting the knowledge you ask for and even then, we're not always right. Here's why.

(1) You really want access to the GM drawing system AND the GM purchasing

system. You not only want to know what a particular P/N is but who

sourced it.

(2) This is further complicated by the fact you don't really want to

know the current or last update status of each P/N, you want to

know what it was when your car was built.

(3) More specifically you'd like to know which permutation (multiple

supplier issue) went on your particular car.

(4) The answer has to be gotten on a by part, by car, basis. There's

no universal truth here, but there are generalities and certain

resources to help.

(5) More important than the true answer to many, is what/how a certain

set of judges (NCRS, NCCB, Etc.) will rule on a given day. That

adds another dimension to the whole issue.

NCRS publishes Judging Guides that help supplement the judge's personal knowledge. They're NOT the authoritive last word! But, it's better than competing Corvette factory concourse systems which are mostly a "by the judge's call" system.

Next, there's the factory AIM books. These list items by PN, but don't give a very full PN definition and they don't cover functional GM subassy items, as Joe mentions. They only document what the final assy plant did (or was supposed to have done).

Many of the better Corvette parts catalogs, Paragon comes to mind, DO list fastners by size, finish, and application. But, remember, this is just that company's current opinion. Plus, you'll be getting a newly built fastner from them. Many of these have changed source and for those that haven't minor differences in finish (tough to find cad these days) and construction (font and placement used to ID the part has changed over the years) will appear.

Fred Oliva, an NCRS member, took a stab at putting together a set of source manuals. He dumpped all the Chevy passenger cars from the 63-67 era into a data base using GM PN. You can query his product with a PN and it will give you a reference to other Chevy cars that used it by their AIM reference.

This lets you inspect the scrap yards and look 'generally' in the right place for confirmation, but if things have been changed (serviced) you never know what you're going to find.

There's also the Chevy By The Numbers book set from Alvin Colvin, another NCRS member. This really focuses on major assemblies and castings and again looks across Chevy cars.

So, nobody, to my knowledge, has a difinitive "where used" query function that lets us mortals call out a GM P/N (many have been superceeded, replaced, and made obsolete) and find everywhere it was used across car/truck platforms....

This is why folks join their local chapter and get active. So, they have local resources to consult as they go about restoration/preservation and with the input(s) they get, make up their own mind as to what's right for their car.