C-3 Underbody shields

[Kurt B.]

Gentlemen:
For a 68 small block with a/c am trying to determine exactly what shileds should be under the body before I throw out items and/or buy items I don't need.
Should I have shields under the seats(under the car),firewall shields, frame splash shields, and large triangular shaped shields? In other words, are there 4 different shields under the body on each side for a total of 8? Also, other than the transmission tunnel insulation, should I have fiberglass foilfaced insulation on the underside fo this car. I seem to think I removed something like that many years ago when I began tearing this car apart.
Any help is much appreciated so I don't buy what I don't need. I want to return to factory original.
Kurt # 26406

[Terry F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Kurt,

I don't recall when your car was built. But, I can safely say that you can have anything you like. A tech bulletin came out in 68 that instructed dealers to correct the excessive transfer of heat into the passenger area by installing shields. So, later cars came with the full set of shields from the factory and earlier cars could be retrofitted.

68's came a number of different ways from the factory. As for the early cars I am not very familiar but I can talk about my May built car which is sort of middle of the road and I have seen a lot of car like it. Your car may be similar.

My car originally came with foil backed floor insullation and tunnel insulation that was tabbed onto and glued onto the underside of the car (probably lasted about 3 miles after the car was taken off the lot). My car also had large black triangular shields that were fastened to the frame and extended out towards the side of the engine. They had large black hexhead screws with captured washers that held them in place. My car also came with the cut outs in the front valence panel. Early cars did not have the cut outs.

I believe that earlier cars may have only had the large black triangular pieces and no cut outs in the front valence panel.

Now, later 68 had the works. They came with cut outs in the front valence, the large triangular pieces were removed to improve airflow through the engine compartment, they had the tunnel insulation and the floor board insullation, they had the white plastic pieces that attached to the lower fire wall and they had the large rectangular shields that were located under the floor pans. Few cars came like this.

If your car had this later version you would have signs of it. 1) you would have two studs riveted to the firewall about midway up on the passenger side and drivers side of the car. 2) if you looked at the middle crossmember that supports the tail of the transmission, you would find the remains of rivet holes, rivets, or tabs riveted to the crossmember to support the floor pan shields.

Not having the large triangular shields in place actually helps the engine stay cooler and also reduce the temp in the passenger compartment. Those poor early cars?????

Terry

[Kurt B.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Terry,
Thanks for the detailed response. My build date is May 10 and my car once had the insulation but it was tattered. I presently have (but not installed) the small triangular shields that mount against the frame and under the gill openings in the fender, the large triangular shields that bolt into the frame. I had, but no longer have, the flat metal shields that go under the seat but can't see how they were held on and I never had the white plastic firewall shields that I have heard melt after long rides. I have all the tabs protruding from the body for the insulation so i should probably add that to my "purchase" list. I assume from your reply that I should have all 8 shields to be correct.
I also could not find the studs that the firewall shields attach to but there is a single bracket on each side where the floor starts to curve upward. What is that single bracket for? It is riveted to the floorpan and protrudes forward toward the engine.
Kurt

[Terry F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Your car is the same as mine....your car probably only came with tunnel insulation, floor insullation and the large trinagular shields between the engine and frame and front valence cut outs.

That steel tab that is riveted to the front of the floor boards supports the rear edge of the large triangular shields.

Your car more than likely never had the white plastic shields and the large steel rectangular floor pan shields that layed over the floor insullation material.

If your front end to your car is original, I would like to trade all this information for your right front headlight assembly. I am sure you will find this a fair trade. Let me know and I will send an address you can send it too:) That includes the bezel also.

Thanks, Terry

[Kurt B.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Terry,
You are correct, the cars sound very similar. I guess I will skip the white plastic firewall shields and try to get the metal ones that go under the seat so that the fiberglass/foil insulation has a little protection from the elements and anything that might splash up and tear it. Wish I had a spare headlight housing to give you but I only have the two that are on the car and at my age I need all the light I can get for night driving.
Thanks for the input,
Kurt

[Terry F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Kurt,
Paragon sells all the stuff you need. If you install the metal floor pan shields, I would consider installing the front plastic one's also and put the large metal triangle shields aside.

If you like, I can send you the technical bulletin that describes the installation of the whole thing? It also recommends that you remove the large triangle shields once everything is installed. The plasitic shields sort of deflect anything from getting between the floor pan shields and floor pan insulation.

Just email me your address and I will send it to you.

Later, Terry

[Mark F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Terry

I'm confused a bit. I have a tringular shield that goes between the frame and the outer skin (gill area), but don't know what you're talking about between the engine and the frame. Were there additional shields between the frame and engine besides those on the outer side of the frame?

Thanks

Mark Franken

[Kurt B.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Mark,
I know the small shields you speak of. I have them also and they have rubber insulation on the edge that meets the frame. In addition to those SMALL triangular shields, there are also LARGE triangular shields made of flat sheet metal that go from the frame toward the engine so to speak. The small ones go from the frame to the edge of the body by the rocker panels and the large ones go in the opposite direction toward the engine. These large ones are the ones Terry said caused the heat to become trapped and so the dealers were sent a service bulletin to remove them. The small ones protect your heater hoses on the passenger side and the vacuum tank on the driver side.
Kurt

[Mark F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Kurt

Thanks for the explanation. That clears it up. I'm missing the ones from the frame to the engine, so that is why I didn't know what they were. Are the ones I'm missing available from the vendors? Don't remember seeing them in the catalogs.

Mark

[Kurt B.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Mark,
I think they are available from some of the vendors and I believe I saw them on page 109 of Dr. Rebuild's current catalog. He lists them for 67 Corvettes but they are the same shields. I compared his pictuires in the catalog to the ones I removed from my 68 coupe. However, given the Service Bulletin which advised dealers to remove them to avoid heat buildup problems, you may want to reconsider adding these to your vehicle. May do more harm than good.
Kurt

[Terry F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Mark,

I don't think later cars had the large triangular splash shields you are talking about. Your car may not have had them if they are missing.

When was your car built?

Or, does your car have metal tabs riveted to the middle crossmember. That would be a give away that your car was never equiped with them and was later design. Sorry for all the confussion. And, yes they are available in NOS form if you look around (big triangular splash shields).

Hope this helps you out.

Terry

[Mark F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

My 68 coupe was built August 6, 1968. Don't recall seeing anything that would show that these shields were in place.

Mark

[Terry F.]

Re: C-3 Underbody shields

Look closely at the middle crossmember and look for four sets of drill holes that were used to rivet the support tabs for the under body shielding. If those holes are not there, then I suspect your car only had the insulation. If it had the insulation without the steel floor pans, I suspect it probably at one time had the large triangular shields.

Look for holes along the frame rales on either side of the engine. There should be about four 1/4 inch screw holes. If those holes are there, then I think it is likely you had shields there and someone removed them. If your frame has been replaced then anything is possible. I am starting to confuse myself.

Let me know what you find.

Terry