1965 judging manual

[Mike M.]

been many years since i worked on 65's but recently started on our pair of 396s. one has what i consder its original valve covers and the other is lacking stamped steel covers. i was reading the 5th edition winter of 03 judging manual and it states "the valve covers are stamped steel, painted engine color, with wire stands in the middle and upper corner." i don't disagree with this staement regarding the pass side valve cover( ie, a pair of wire stands on the right side) , but my research indicates the pass side valve cover has but one wire stand, located in the middle. neither what i conseder the original cover nor checking nolands vol 2 nor the AIM seem to show a rear upper wire stand on the drivers side. your thoughts boys? thanks,mike

[Edward S.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

Mike,
From what I remember about my 396 you are correct on the pass. side valve cover.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

Mike -- you are right and the 5th ed. TIM&JG is wrong in implying that there is a wire stand on the rear upper corner of the driver side valve cover. My late L78 car (original covers removed and stored about 1971 by the [then] owner) are as you state for the passenger side cover.

It's hard to decipher from the AIM, but here's my interpretation: for no radio cars, ie. no distributor/coil chrome shield, there is no passenger (black) side support assy. # 3869722, per UPC U69, Sheet A10, ie. the one that bolts to the intake manifold. Reason is that it is not needed for support of the radio shield, and the riser support on the passenger side valve cover is close enough to the distrib. to support the wires.

But as there is no corresponding valve cover rear support on the driver side, St. Louis installs the black support # 3869721 to the rear manifold bolt to guide/support the wires on this side. (ref UPC L78, Sheet B3). It just happens to (also) be the bracket needed for the radio shield support, if U69-equipped.

[Carl N.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

mike,

agree with wayne - on radio cars 2 supports on passenger side - one (1) support on driver side

believe this to be consistant thru the entire production run -

[Mike E.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

Mike,
I hope you don't mind crashing your thread...I’m starting to reassemble the front suspension on my ’65 and I’ve found what might be some ambiguity in the judging manual. I posted in this thread but didn't get a reply so I'll try it here.

In the Anti-Roll Bar, Links and Bushings section the JM states:
The brackets which retain the rubber bushing, painted semi-gloss black, mounted with cadmium or zinc plated nuts, recessed hex-head bolts and lock washers.

Then in the Lower “A” Arms, Ball Joint and Hardware section it says:
Black phosphate-oiled bolts attach a rubber bumper molded into a natural finished metal plate.

However the AIM shows the part number of the nuts to be the same part. My question is the nut zinc plated and the bolts black phosphate? In one section the JM states the finish of the nut and ingores the finish of the bolt and vis-versa in the other section.






Mike

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

I just looked at my set from 16120, it has one in the center on the left side and one in the center and one at the rear of the right side .

[Mike M.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

above posts would indicate a change is in order for the judging manual at its next revision.mike

[Tony S.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

I think that's a natural nut. When I've restored these front suspension items, those nuts are always heavily rusted. I think during the judging process we let cad plated nuts pass when they originally were natural. The bolts/nuts that hold down the lower A-arm bumpers call for a black phos bolt and nut in the JG, but that nut should be a natural nut too. We plate these nuts during our restorations to inhibit rust on our fresh restorations. If you use a plated nut in the place of a natural nut, you may get a judge's Notation with no deduction, a dot, or at most a one point deduction. This represents one of those decisions that an owner has to make on the restoration of his car. Many restorers don't want rust to quickly re-appear after expending significant time and expense to bring these old warriors back to life, so choices are made that may lead to a minor originality deduction in order to preserve the fresh condition of these suspension part.

[Tom D.]

Re: 1965 judging manual

Another discussion (C3 related) does not agree that side support assy. is black. As I recall, the example was a 1971 Corvette. NOS example I have is unpainted.

Also, the AIM for U69 big blocks, page A9 in 1967, has a note that says 3869721 was "ITEM (11) ADDED" on 9-7-66. I don't have the 1966 U69 pages handy, but this makes me wonder if 3869721 was used on '65-'66 U69 big blocks.

Finally, 3869722 is listed above. Was 3886900 (driver side support) a replacement for 3869722? Thanks. TD