C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

[Donald H.]

I just bought an oil pan off ebay for my 1960 restoration. It was advertised as part number 359937, which is a service replacement trap door pan for 57-62. I have looked at the Restorer article that Tom Dingman did and also an article from Loren Lundberg and by comparison the one I bought seems to be correct as the service replacement trap door oil pan. I attached a couple of photos.

It is of course used and has a number of dents and dings which I would like to repair. However, there are some dings that I think are original, e.g. creased in the sump edge that were created when the pan blank was pressed into the mold.

Do anyone have closeup pictures that you could send me? Particularly of around the outside of the drain hole and outside of the sump area from the different sides? email: donh45@yahoo.com

Also, how best to repair? I can hammer out some of the larger dents, but what filler should I use for finish repairs? Will Bondo like material be OK? Obviously I will only use filler on the outside, then sand, prime, and paint.

Thanks,
Don Harris

[Loren L.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Is it a trapdoor pan? I do not see the spotwelds on the sides of the deep sump that would indicate the side baffles.......

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Is it a trapdoor pan? I do not see the spotwelds on the sides of the deep sump that would indicate the side baffles.......

Yes it is a trap door. I marked the spotwelds in red dots in the two pictures below. There is actually another one on each side just on the curve of the sump where the side baffle is spot welded, then four more in the front of the sump, or bottom of the trap door assembly.

[Loren L.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

I was unaware that GM had ever re-issued this pan. Are you sure that it's not an original??

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

I was unaware that GM had ever re-issued this pan. Are you sure that it's not an original??

Sorry, I don't understand your comment. This was advertised as a part number 359937 trap door pan. From what I can see, it has the same grooves as the one in your article.

What do you mean by "Are you sure that it's not an original??". Do you think it could be an original 1960 trap door pan?

[Loren L.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Nothing beyond my initial comment - I was/am ignorant of a re-issue of this 60-1 HP pan; but you have a part #, so .......
Could we safely assume that you "stole" it in terms of price????

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Nothing beyond my initial comment - I was/am ignorant of a re-issue of this 60-1 HP pan; but you have a part #, so .......
Could we safely assume that you "stole" it in terms of price????

I got it for $399. So you tell me if I stole it. There is an NOS trap door oil pan on Ebay that has been there for months and the fellow wants $1,995. The one I got has dents and dings, but all seem to be repairable.

By the way, do you know what is correct for the drain plug? Picture of the one that came with the pan is below. It has an circled A on the top.

Thanks,

Don

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Donald
In my opinion you did not steal it, they go on E-bay all the time for around that and some are like new. There are others who ask way more but if you notice they don't usually sell. I have a couple still in the box and paid about $115 a piece right before they discontinued them a few years ago. Just my 2 cents
Terry

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Donald,
I brlieve the difference in the original from the reissue is the front opening. The original is smaller then the reissue. Check the arcives for Joe Lucia, he has mentioned this in a couple different posts. I also think he gives the dimensions of the openings, along with the difference in the way the sides of the pans look. If you did indeed get an original then you did steal it.
Terry

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Donald
In my opinion you did not steal it, they go on E-bay all the time for around that and some are like new. There are others who ask way more but if you notice they don't usually sell. I have a couple still in the box and paid about $115 a piece right before they discontinued them a few years ago. Just my 2 cents
Terry

Yes, I understand this was not a particular bargin. But I beg to differ that they come up on ebay all the time. I have been looking for a year and a half, checking ebay often, and even advertised on Corvette Forum in its parts wanted area. I have only seen a few C1 trap door pans on ebay, and they generally want $500 plus for well used ones. I looked at some at Carlisle and folks were asking $500 or more for some in pretty bad shape. One guy had a lightly used one and wanted $900.

For those of us who are new to C1/C2 ownership and restoration, NOS and good used parts are hard to find and often very expensive.

Those of you who have been at this for 20, 30, or even 40 years and built a cache of spares while they were readily available and reasonably priced were very wise to do so.

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

I realize this is not a correct original for 1960 high performance engine. I do believe it is the service replacement trap door pan. It is much more closer to correct than what came in my car, which I believe was from a much later passenger car.

[Jack H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Circle-A is one of the recognized headmarks for the factory oil pan plug bolt. You'll also see L, TR, and F-C... I think the circle-A version is what's in the catalogs as reproduced/'correct'...

[Tom P.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Once again for comparrison, here's the service replacement pan for 57-62 Vettes that I bought back in the early 70s. This is going on the 383 that I'm current building to replace the VERY tired 350 in my 51 Chevy.
Notice the difference in the indentations on the sides compared to the pan above.

[Donald H.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

Once again for comparrison, here's the service replacement pan for 57-62 Vettes that I bought back in the early 70s. This is going on the 383 that I'm current building to replace the VERY tired 350 in my 51 Chevy.
Notice the difference in the indentations on the sides compared to the pan above.

Thanks Tom,

I assumed the one I have was a replacement trap door pan, not an original, based on the article in Fall 2009 Restorer. The photo below is from the article and is described as a GM replacement trap door pan for 283. Mine matches the description of this one, i.e. four grooves on the driver side and three on the passenger side.

[Brandon T.]

Re: C1 (1960) high performance oil pan

You can use commerical grade JB weld to repair the dents. You can sand or gind it after in dries.