Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

[Wayne M.]

Back on Nov 12th (link below) question posted on whether there was a firewall pilot hole or dimple for the ballast resistor, which was either used with a screw if a points ignition car, or was filled in with the T.I. option. The '65 TIM&JG says no hole.

What do the '63-4 (K66 not avail. in '63) and the '66 and '67 guides say ?

Went over to my friend's place (not an NCRS guy, but I make his day when he sees how anal we are ). He's got a '66 L72 that appears to never have been touched by "restorer's" hands. He's owned it for about 6 months; drove it a couple of hundred miles to be loaded on a rail car, and only realized when it arrived home that it had its original TI system intact and working, incl. '093' distrib. St.Louis body convertible S6098, Vin 219xx.

So here's 2 close-ups of the area in question [that blob lower left, as viewed in pic, of the rubber insulation plug cone. Also, 3rd pic is of that clip under the LH female hood latch assy., added only for '66-7 T.I. cars -- his original harness is still there .

Would I be pushing friendship too far to ask him if I could remove the blob to see what's under ?

Chapter 1 link: https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...64848&uid=4905

Thanks to Steve Snyder, Doug Lee, Clup, and another thread by Dan Young, also Nov 12th, I'm tending to believe (at least for S-bodies) that there was a pilot hole, and it was filled on transistor ignition cars.

Let's get a little more response than the last time, eh folks ?

[Jerry M.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

Wayne
Great pics but I was not able to print them for some reason. Anybody have any idea why?
Also, I wonder if there was a difference on AOS bodies?
Jerry

[Steven S.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

I was hoping for more responses on part one myself, maybe part two will spark some fresh interest.

My money is on that there is a hole under that "blob", I don't believe they would have put it there otherwise, but I think that might be asking a lot to start picking around someone elses BB car .
You might note that the blob in your pics is very similar to the picture of the restored L72 car in part one.

Wayne, thanks for taking the picture of the clip in question as well, this however creates a new topic of interest for me. I hope others would post pictures of this area as I suspect there could be a variation on earlier cars.

Steve

[Wayne M.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

.....I was not able to print them for some reason. Anybody have any idea why?
Also, I wonder if there was a difference on AOS bodies?
Jerry

Jerry -- if you can't get the copy and print thing to work, email me at midstyle@3web.net and I will send ~200 kb files, or the big 2-4 megabyte originals if you want to wallpaper .

Also hoping that someone with an A-body will post a pic. And that someone will tell us what the '64, '66 and '67 TIM&JG's have to say. [Section 16, Electrical; last paragraph titled "ballast resistor" (if other year manuals follow '65 TIM&JG sequence)].

[Steven S.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

'66 TIM&J;
"Cars equipped with optional transistor ignition do not have a ballast resistor. A pilot depression in the firewall exists -without any evidence of having a ballast resistor attached."

[Rick B.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

I own a 1964 coupe built in February '64 with the L76 engine and transistor ignition (K66). My car does have a hole in the firewall for the ballast resistor screw with no attempt to plug or hide it. I'm the second owner and the car came with the window sticker & warranty book. This car still has the original driveline & TI system.

My May '66 built 1966 L72 coupe came with the K66 ignition system when I bought it in 1969 and it also has the hole in the firewall for the ballast resistor screw. Both the '64 & '66 are St. Louis bodies.

[Alan D.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

64 TIM&JG;
"Cars equipped with Transistor Ignition do not have a ballast resistor. On these cars, a small "guide" hole exists in the firewall for the resistor and is typically covered with "dum-dum". Assign full credit for transistor ignition.

Yes some "dum-dum" is in the area, but not going to remove to see if a hole is there, sorry. Can not see from inside either.

[Ray G.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

Hello Wayne;
Have been reading your posts w/ interest.
Will be back in WI in about a week and will contact a friend w/ three unrestored original '67 TI cars.
Will email you at that time w/ any attainable pictures.
Hope this helps.
Ray

[Howard W.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

67 judging manual states on page 91

"Cars equipped with Transistor Ignition do not have a ballast resistor. The firewall will not have a hole to mount the ballast resistor on TI equipped cars"

However, my AOS small block L79-67 with factory TI, does have a small pilot hole in the location that a ballast resistor screw would be used to mount the ballast resistor bracket, and no dum dum applied

[Donald S.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

hi Wayne my 65 t.i. st louis july built 65 has a hole and it was pluged with grey putty it was quite hard 40 years will do that and it is now pluged with dum dum .. but was it pluged befor or after paint was applied ? Don ..

[Wayne M.]

Re: Ballast attach hole on T.I. cars ? (Chapter 2)

67 judging manual states on page 91

"Cars equipped with Transistor Ignition do not have a ballast resistor. The firewall will not have a hole to mount the ballast resistor on TI equipped cars"

However, my AOS small block L79-67 with factory TI, does have a small pilot hole in the location that a ballast resistor screw would be used to mount the ballast resistor bracket, and no dum dum applied

Thanks to all who've responded; on the DB as well as with emailed pics.

Here's a different view -- you may recall this eBay 396 front firewall with MSO & title proof that magically surfaced a few years later as a fully restored car. Sorry, can't blow up the circled area as the resolution is poor, and it pixilates; so hope your vision / imagination is up to identification of the ruber plug hole for the insulation mat and the pilot hole lower and to the RH [at the end of the line]. The latter appears to have a green tint, which (I think) is the grass background. Plug hole is dark, which probably means something still in there.

I realize this proves nothing vis-a-vis the '65 TIM&JG statement that there should be no evidence of a hole on T.I cars.