Trunk lid tension rods.

[Salvatore]

[ QUOTE ]
Wear a helmet.

[/ QUOTE ] I remember that cold day!

[Lynn]

Well, I was a bit skeptical. So I went out to the garage and measured mine (off the car). Sure enough one is .225" and the other is .271", that is if I can still read a non digital micrometer. Also lots of black paint, but only on one side of each, telling me the car was painted with these installed. I knew the trunk lid was installed when painted because the bolts were painted over and this car has never been painted. I realize this is just a bit off topic, but I assume the trunk latch had to be in place as well. After they painted the underside of the deck lid, I am assuming the trunk lid was shut without any weatherstrip in place. Is this correct?

Lynn

[mrrec]

Lynn:
I believe the trunk lid was left alone (open) until after baking - no reason to shut it.

And for those that might just drop by and not see the tongue-in-cheek remarks about wearing a hard hat when removing the torsion rods: this really is serious stuff. Those rods can mame and kill if not removed properly! Don't try it without the proper tool!

Dave

[camarojoe]

Yes, the trunk latch was also pre-installed and painted body color. You will often see the latch left natural or even phosphate plated on restored cars, which is incorrect. As for your original paint, look at the edge of your decklid around the various punched out holes along the back edge, and its likely you will see a smudge or 2 in the paint, usually on the right side, from the painter pulling down the decklid with a finger to paint the top... This was pointed out to me by Brian Henderson a long time ago and since then, i've witnessed this on nearly every original paint 69 camaro I've looked at.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Those rods hurt when they spring back at you! Sam was the smart one, he stayed out of the trunk while I was wrestling with them

[Unreal]

I found my spoiler trunk rods in a chopped up hull in Texas. All I had was a screwdriver, so that's what I used. I guess I was lucky I only got a blood blister.

[Lynn]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, the trunk latch was also pre-installed and painted body color. You will often see the latch left natural or even phosphate plated on restored cars, which is incorrect. As for your original paint, look at the edge of your decklid around the various punched out holes along the back edge, and its likely you will see a smudge or 2 in the paint, usually on the right side, from the painter pulling down the decklid with a finger to paint the top... This was pointed out to me by Brian Henderson a long time ago and since then, i've witnessed this on nearly every original paint 69 camaro I've looked at.

[/ QUOTE ]

No kidding? Surely the painter had an assistant to hold the deck lid down. I can't imagine holding it with one hand and painting with the other!! I did know a guy back in the 70's, who owned "Chuck's Body Shop" located in Bethany, OK a suburb just west of OKC. He had worked in a GM plant as a painter and said two guys painted the cars at the same time, one from either side, and that the whole process took less than 5 minutes a car. But he never mentioned anything about an assistant to hold down trunk lids. The reason I thought the lid was shut at some point, is because it would be very difficult if not impossible to lay down some decent paint on an open deck lid, and because my latch had black paint on it indicating it was installed before paint. Why was it installed before paint if the deck lid was not shut somewhere in the process?

Makes you wonder exactly how this was done.

Lynn

[budnate]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes, the trunk latch was also pre-installed and painted body color. You will often see the latch left natural or even phosphate plated on restored cars, which is incorrect. As for your original paint, look at the edge of your decklid around the various punched out holes along the back edge, and its likely you will see a smudge or 2 in the paint, usually on the right side, from the painter pulling down the decklid with a finger to paint the top... This was pointed out to me by Brian Henderson a long time ago and since then, i've witnessed this on nearly every original paint 69 camaro I've looked at.

[/ QUOTE ]

No kidding? Surely the painter had an assistant to hold the deck lid down. I can't imagine holding it with one hand and painting with the other!! I did know a guy back in the 70's, who owned "Chuck's Body Shop" located in Bethany, OK a suburb just west of OKC. He had worked in a GM plant as a painter and said two guys painted the cars at the same time, one from either side, and that the whole process took less than 5 minutes a car. But he never mentioned anything about an assistant to hold down trunk lids. The reason I thought the lid was shut at some point, is because it would be very difficult if not impossible to lay down some decent paint on an open deck lid, and because my latch had black paint on it indicating it was installed before paint. Why was it installed before paint if the deck lid was not shut somewhere in the process?

Makes you wonder exactly how this was done.

Lynn

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree Lynn..I was thinking about this a little also this afternoon... anyone that has painted knows with metalics you better be right on or you will streak the metalic..maybe one guy held it down and the other guy made a few passes and called it good and sent along down the line..somebody call moparts Dad...

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Removing them is fairly easy with a screwdriver, installing them is the frustrating part.

[firstgenaddict]

http://www.camaros.org/assemblyprocess.shtml CRG 1st gen Assembly Process
Here is the link if some of Ya'll haven't seen it before. The Camaro Research Group has documented the complete process that the cars went through during their trip through Fisher Body and the Assembly plants. Paint rooms and all.