67 Brake handle cover

[Neal K.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Nick,
Thanks for your input. I too am curious whether other known original emergency brake plastic covers were painted black plastic or molded in color. In other posts I have given a bit of the history of the car and a few anomolies. The car is a very early 67(VIN ends in 100179---production date of Sept 6, 1966). The cardboard on the inside of the door panels is stamped sept 6, 1966, which is the same date that NCRS says the car was delivered to Rathman Chevrolet in Melbourne Florida, an apparent impossibility. The end tabs on the dark saddle fiberglass dash are also painted dark saddle and attached to the door pilar with black rivets, NOT painted marlboro maroon to match the exterior color. The dash is out of the car now and shows no evidence of ever having been repainted. The drivers side rubber wipe which is attached to the outer door horizontal molding is riveted on and the passenger side is stapled on.
Anyway, I have decided to repaint my existing emergency brake cover and reinstall it, "sinks" and all.
Thanks
Neal Kalis

[Bill H.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Neal,

This person's shop held some of each and some with a white plastic base painted interior color to match.

So much for holding beliefs...

Any known factory originals out there please comment.

Thanks,

Nick

I believe I can verify the white plastic, Neal.
This one is off my Jan,67 built coupe, I've owned it since '73. Same 370 part number. Off white painted Teal.

[Bill H.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

BTW, there are no sinks showing on the outside.

[Neal K.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Nick,
Do you feel I have a judging concern if I use my cover with the sinks and painted black plastic?
Neal

[Nick C.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Neal,

I would suppose it would depend upon a judge's experience, knowledge and tolerance.

There may be a condition and or finish issue. Were the sinks as pronounced when new, as delivered? Who knows, but likely age has had an effect. Might the factory have painted a black cover saddle to match? Not typical, but possible...

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Neal,

I would suppose it would depend upon a judge's experience, knowledge and tolerance.

There may be a condition and or finish issue. Were the sinks as pronounced when new, as delivered? Who knows, but likely age has had an effect. Might the factory have painted a black cover saddle to match? Not typical, but possible...

Nick------


The 1967 parking brake console is very similar to the 1968-76 consoles. The original console on my original owner, black interior 1969 is a "whitish" color, painted black. I also have several NOS 69-76 consoles. All are "whitish" plastic.

[Gene M.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

The original E- brake console was molded in a natural plastic rosin. The coloring out of the mold was yellowish milky. Nothing good to look at. As far as I have ever seen they were painted to color match the interior. This continued into the 68 model year. I don't know how long. Originals appear to have a glass reinforcement to the rosin looking at the grain structure. This would help keep "sinks" to a reasonable tolerance in the thick sections were the boses are.

The repops appear to be styrene ABS (form of polycarbonate) that does not hold paint as well as originals.

[Nick C.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Joe,

Interesting...

Seems we have a variety of responses so far. As this is an item under revision in the 1967 CTIM&JG, it would be wise to solicit as many comments and evidence from known original factory installed '67 pieces as possible.

I owned 2 '67 STD cars, very original interiors with molded black covers, 1 teal with what I thought molded color teal cover as it had a deep scratch only showing teal color. All 3 had very slightly visible sinks. The STD in my garage now is solid black with slight sink areas...

We do need a broader data base prior to forming a written CTIM&JG description of the base material or it cannot be included.

At this point all we can say for sure is the grained surface closely matches seat color and slight depressions may be present on the top surface...

Anybody wonder why it takes so long to revise the manuals and why it is so difficult to get it all correct?

[Scott S.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Seems we have a variety of responses so far. As this is an item under revision in the 1967 CTIM&JG, it would be wise to solicit as many comments and evidence from known original factory installed '67 pieces as possible.

Nick,

If any of your '67s with black interiors were coupes, did you ever have the chance to examine the rear window interior plastic garnish moldings? The AIMs show they are the same part number for 1966 & 1967. The 1967 JG doesn't discuss much detail, but the 1966 JG says "Rear window pieces are plastic, molded, not painted, in the color of the seats and held in place by chrome oval head Phillips trim screws. Confirm the moldings true color by looking at the backside of the molding from the exterior side of the rear window." (p. 18)

The '67 coupe with black interior that I'm working on has what appear to be the original rear window plastic moldings, cracked in a few places, and broken nearly all the way through in one place. The plastic inside is yellowish-white in color, clearly not molded black plastic. Unlike the NOS examples I have seen, there are no part numbers on the back sides of the presumed originals, unless they are covered by what looks like a strip of black foam sealant that runs the length (roughly in the center) of the backside of each piece.

[John H.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Interesting discussion - the cover is shown in the '67 A.I.M. as "3897370 Cover - Chart", which indicates that the cover was either molded in color or painted by the supplier, and shipped to the plant with a unique part number for each interior color, which is shown on the chart. If we had that drawing, it would answer the question.

[Nick C.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Nick,

If any of your '67s with black interiors were coupes, did you ever have the chance to examine the rear window interior plastic garnish moldings?

Scott,

It has been 10 years since I've owned original interior coupes and I honestly do not recall. I'll search my files for rear glass photos for coincidental evidence.

edit: note lower left circled area

session a 006a resized.jpg

Folks like Gene M and Gary S (the shop where milky white cover base material was initially discussed years back) have had more experience with dis-assembly...

I have to agree with John's comments. The drawings would give us a solid answer for factory specs.

If we are about to describe base materials on molded interior components, we need solid proof. Lacking that we best not attempt a description in the 67 CTIM&JG revision.

[Nick C.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Joe,

Interesting...

Seems we have a variety of responses so far. As this is an item under revision in the 1967 CTIM&JG, it would be wise to solicit as many comments and evidence from known original factory installed '67 pieces as possible.

I owned 2 '67 STD cars, very original interiors with molded black covers, 1 teal with what I thought molded color teal cover as it had a deep scratch only showing teal color. All 3 had very slightly visible sinks. The STD in my garage now is solid black with slight sink areas...

edit: Close up macro photo reveals a whitish base plastic material with several thin coats of black paint, sinks barely noticeable. Verifies Bill, Gene, Joe and Gary descriptions. Also Gary sent me half a dozen or so photos of originals, including a STD car owned years back, all showing color paint worn or damaged to reveal the whitish base material.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]38925[/ATTACH]

We do need a broader data base prior to forming a written CTIM&JG description of the base material or it cannot be included.

At this point all we can say for sure is the grained surface closely matches seat color and slight depressions may be present on the top surface...

Anybody wonder why it takes so long to revise the manuals and why it is so difficult to get it all correct?

As far as the plastic rear window moldings are concerned, Gary sent a number of images of different colors that were colored on both sides.

[Scott S.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

As far as the plastic rear window moldings are concerned, Gary sent a number of images of different colors that were colored on both sides.

Nick,

My presumed originals are colored on both sides too, as are the GM NOS examples (I have one black, one brown). The brown NOS rear window molding has a few nicks, and it's yellowish-white under the nicks. I'll have to check the black one again.

[Scott S.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

Nick,

Here are a few pictures of the presumed original rear window moldings, showing yellowish-white where chipped or cracked:

[Scott S.]

Re: 67 Brake handle cover

A few more:

(Note: no part numbers molded into the presumed originals, unless they are hidden under the black sealant running the full length down the center of each piece)