70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

[Bill L.]

Serial number is 11327. The JM indicates that it should have the 3 piece shield.

However, the supports indicate it had the later one piece style. The shielding was not on the car except for the supports. The supports only have one welded nut each and the three piece shield supports would have two. The intake was off the engine at one point because it did not have the original gaskets. All the hardware on the intake including the hardware through the shield support brackets is original based on"A" head markings and bolt type. The engine compartment was very original as was a lot of the car including 99% of the hardware. I have a one piece shield but no way to know if it is the one the car came with from the factory. It is an original shield.

What do you guys recommend I should do regarding the shielding? Based on the serial number, the build date was during the second week in June. Kinda in the early part of change overs.


Thanks,



Bill

[Jim T.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Bill my 70 14651 is a early July built car built 350/300 and has the one piece distributor shielding and an enclosed air filter with dual inlet air cleaner. From what I understand, all 1970 Corvettes with the two piece distributor shielding had open element air cleaners. Do you have a open element air cleaner?

[Bill L.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

I do have the open air filter but the supports just don't jibe with the three piece shield and the build date is around the time GM began changing over.

I was not aware of any correlation with the open air filter. Very interesting for sure.

I kinda hope mine is the one piece and the supports have me a little baffled.

[Jack H.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

I'm not sure how you draw the conclusion the JG book says your car should have a 3-piece vs. 1-piece distributor shield...

The current text says:

3-Piece: "350's to about 14,000"

1-Piece: "1970 from about 12,800"

Which indicates the two versions of shielding had a rather healthy overlap of useage on the assy line. Plus, the key operative in the descriptive text is "ABOUT" which is telling judges we don't know the absolute start/stop dates for useage of the different shields.

As a judge, when I see 'compromise' descriptive language like this, I know the VIN numbers cited are approximate only and I should cut some 'slack' to situations that come close to the boundaries...

[Dennis D.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

For what its worth my 70 L-46 #12981 has a 3 pice box, open element. Been there since 73 when I bought it.

[Bob I.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

My 1970 L46 #11437, three piece ignition box with open element air cleaner.

Bob

[Deane M.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Aren't the supports the same for both the two piece and one piece?

[Pat M.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

My 70, 350/300, May 19 build, VIN 9753, has original 3-piece style with open air element.

[Terry M.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Aren't the supports the same for both the two piece and one piece?

Well, not really. There are three versions of the supports. The early version had two holes in each support with square nuts welded to the inside at both holes This would be to accommodate the box style shield. The intermediate version had two holes on each support, but only one nut in the upper position -- this version was the early style for the one-piece shield, but can be modified for the box style shield. The factory didn't modify them, but I have seen enterprising "restorers" do it. Later supports had only the upper hole with a nut welded behind it, and this style obviously only accommodates the one-piece shield.

[Deane M.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Terry, thank you. So my car being a July build, #16320, should have the later supports. One hole each with the attached nut.

[Terry M.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Terry, thank you. So my car being a July build, #16320, should have the later supports. One hole each with the attached nut.

Yes, that would be my conclusion.

I am not sure what supports are currently available, or if any are -- but for some time the intermediate style was available as a one-size-fits-all. Those were painted black. If you intend to have your car judged, it would be wise to remove the black paint -- and it will be difficult -- so that if any orange paint flakes off over the years we will see bare metal and not the black paint. Resist the temptation to bead or sand blast the black paint off as this surface, if it shows through the orange, will also judge poorly. Use paint stripper to preserve the as-formed finish, and clean the stripper residue well.

[Bill L.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

I know it took a while to get back to everyone. My supports are the intermediate style with two holes and one nut. Does than indicate a one piece is correct? I am still not sure since my serial number 11327 is a little earlier than Bob's with the three piece assembly.

Any chance the factory did a little of both?

I do have the open air cleaner.

[Terry M.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Yes they could have certainly done a mix of distributor shields for a while. You will have to decide it the supports you have display evidence of being original to the car. That will be the first clue to the mystery.

[Bill L.]

Re: 70 Original Shielding-Judging Manual

Thanks Terry. The supports were attached with the original hardware and it looks like they had remnants of the original orange paint.

The only parts of the original shielding on the car when I bought it were the supports.

I talked it over with a local corvette expert and he seemed to think that based on the little available evidence that a one piece shield seemed more likely than not.

I am trying to keep it the way it was built as best I can rather than just assume the JM is always right.