66 firewall inside insulation and parking brake

[Donald H.]

The 65/66 parking brake handle assembly was apparently installed before the insulation. A friend says that the insulation has a slit to be able to install the insulation around the parking brake handle. Attached is a picture of the original insulation that he removed from his 66 during restoration. Note the hole at the lower center of the picture and the slit at about 1 o'clock (woops, the pictures got rotated to the left 90 degrees) of the hole out to the edge of the insulation. My friend also says that the replacement insulation he got (many years ago) from LIC had the slit. He says that both the one he removed and the replacement slits appears to be die cut and not had cut, e.g. for the original by a factory worker during insulation.

Now for my problem - My 66 was missing this insulation when I started the restoration. The replacement insulation that I got from Paragon does not have a slit. I just looked at the picture on LIC online catalog and there is no slit in it.

Is there supposed to be a slit to allow the insulation to be installed around the parking brake handle?

First picture attached is my friends original insulation as removed. Second is of his replacement insulation purchased from LIC many years ago. For some reason both picture got rotated 90 degrees to the left when uploaded.

[Jim D.]

Re: 66 firewall inside insulation and parking brake

Here's a pic. of one of my 65's (both of them are the same) and they definitely came with a slit from the factory.

[Donald H.]

Re: 66 firewall inside insulation and parking brake

Thanks. I'll slit the reproduction