Experts needed

[Ken A.]

Does anyone know the correct color for the 427 spark plug boot & the correct color for the script on the wire?
TIA, Ken

[Joe L.]

Re: Experts needed

Does anyone know the correct color for the 427 spark plug boot & the correct color for the script on the wire?
TIA, Ken

Ken------


As far as I know, the boots on the original wires were black. As far as the color of the script on the wire, I do not know. However, the only place that could be seen is on the coil wire since metal braid covers most of all the other wires.

[Ken A.]

Re: Experts needed

Thanks Joe,
But the problem is that the repros have a dark gray boot, which they claim is correct. Surely someone else can chime in here.

[William C.]

Re: Experts needed

Boy you guys don't make this easy, the part number for the boot at least in the midyears was 2989946. That part was Gray. Later it was replaced by another part number, but remained gray in color. The Rat motor ran higher temps at the plug due to the inset plug and the proximity of the exhaust, and the Gray boots were made of a higher temp material as opposed to the black boots used on Pontiac/Buick/Olds pass cars of the era.

[Ken A.]

Re: Experts needed

OK, that makes perfect sense to me. Any opinions on the color of the Packard script?

[William C.]

Re: Experts needed

Ken..I had an original set for a SB they look to be white, but they are 44 years old..Bill

[William C.]

Re: Experts needed

I've attached a copy of the engineering document we used to spec the print. This was sent to our regular print wheel vendor to create new print wheels (happened every quarter, so they were pretty used to what we needed) Not nearly as sophisticated as would be done today with computer graphics. Print on all black ignition cables was generally white. Note the hand sketched lightning bolts! Sorry the picture is so poor, I had to make this with a microfilm reader and it only had a thermal printer attached about 20 or so years ago...

[Wayne M.]

Re: Experts needed

Thanks Joe,
But the problem is that the repros have a dark gray boot, which they claim is correct. Surely someone else can chime in here.

Per the script color -- see the pic below of original wires removed off a 1964 junkyard Oldsmobile V8 hearse (low miles, and slow miles). White ink is used, but it's nowhere near as neat as current repops.

I also have a set of Corvette Central BB repops with 1-Q-66 dating; the lettering is perfect, as you'd expect. Also have a set of service BB Corvette plug wires with 1-Q-84 dating. Boots are gray, as others have mentioned (both service and repop) but the CC's are a slightly lighter gray than service.

But the other difference (mentioned in the '65 TIM&JG) is the length of the boot; the service [I have no originals] being about 3/4" longer than the repop, and easily visible in comparison. I'm sure there's more than one source for reproduction, so that may have been corrected.

[William C.]

Re: Experts needed

OK guys let's start to understand that there were as many as four extrusion lines running the TVRS LR stuff in the 60's each with it's own setup. variable fill levels on the ink tanks, and varying degrees of rear on the wiper that was used to wipe excess ink off the print wheel. This stuff was printed at about 250 running feet per minute while coming of the cable extruder. Variation in print quality was not unusual. and as long as it could be read, it was "OK" Bigblock boots were indeed grey, as they were a higher temp compound than the black boots used for years on Pontiac/Oldsmobile applications. Some boot color variation is normal, as the base silicone rubber was white and coloring agents were added "to suit" in a hand mixing operation. Neoprene boots camy by black in the normal course of manufacture. In the example picture the code is Packard (for Packard Electric div) Radio TVRS indicating Radio noise supression to meet Television and Radio government specifications for radio frequency emissions fro.m the ignition system, LR is "Low Resistance" which was the standard GM spec, we made non GM applications with a High resistance requirement, and the date of manufacture by the quarter calander year, the 4th quarter of 1963 in this example. Note that as the cable was bulk stored after manufacture, there is only a limited correlation between the printed date on the cable and the actual date it was assembled into a sparkplug wire. Some might be used same day, some might sit for a couple of months or more.

[William C.]

Re: Experts needed

I can help with the length of the BB plug boot, 2.6 inches from end to end As to the original color, it is noticably not black, but not real light either. I'll look tomorrow and see if I have one somewhere, but I don't think I do.

[Michael H.]

Re: Experts needed

Here's an NOS wire for 63.

[Michael H.]

Re: Experts needed

I can help with the length of the BB plug boot, 2.6 inches from end to end As to the original color, it is noticably not black, but not real light either. I'll look tomorrow and see if I have one somewhere, but I don't think I do.

Bill,

It's been 35 years since I've seen it but I thought I remembered the plug wire boots on the 3000 mile unrestored Krughoff 396 car being black??

[William C.]

Re: Experts needed

The "Halo" effect around the letters was a setup factor, not supposed to be there, but there four extruders running this stuff 24 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. Small imperfections were not really an issue as long as it could be read. Coincidentally, 1963 is when I was working in that area.

[Mike M.]

Re: Experts needed

i have an ooriiginal 66 390 plug wire whose boot is gray.mike

[Wayne M.]

Re: Experts needed

Bill,

It's been 35 years since I've seen it but I thought I remembered the plug wire boots on the 3000 mile unrestored Krughoff 396 car being black??

Michael -- dug out my copy of Burroughs' 'State of the Art' and on pg 75 you definitely see gray boots [alongside almost complete Chevy orange overspray of the exhaust manifold ].