1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

[Joe L.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Just an observation, but the muffler in post #5 looks like it was already black (with better coverage than would be expected from black out process) before receiving the heavier black out treatment. The pictures in post #7 show mufflers with the same black finish, but I don't see any evidence of the heavier black out coverage. Could some or all of the production mufflers been delivered to the assembly plant with a black finish? The pipes don't seem to have any on them. Chip.

Paul-----


I believe that at least some of the exhaust systems did have blackout applied prior to installation and likely by the muffler manufacturer. In fact, most GM SERVICE mufflers had this black-out on the bottom and end surface of the mufflers and I don't think this treatment was limited to SERVICE mufflers. However, some sort of additional muffler blackout in the muffler area was done at St. Louis. When my 1969 was delivered to me new, there was evidence of black over-spray at the very bottom of the fenders in very close proximity to the mufflers. While it's possible this occurred at some body black-out operation prior to the time the body was even on the frame, I don't think so because it was found nowhere else on the body----just in the area of the mufflers.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Paul, John Hinckley posted that the mid-year exhaust arrived at St Louis with the black out already applied and on occasion at St Louis they touched up scratches in the finish there -- that is how some spare tire tubs sometimes got overspray on them.

Based on the direction of runs I have seen I would expect the C3s had the black out applied before the exhaust system was installed on the chassis, and likely by the exhaust system supplier -- even though I believe there was, at least in some cases, a different exhaust system supplier between C3s and C2s. I see some C2s with an A for Arvin and all the C3s I have seen are W for Wagner. I did see an original 1968 undercar off-road system made by Arvin, but that is the lone exception in C3s. However, I have seen so few original exhaust systems, and I pay so little attention to C2s, that I would hesitate to draw much of a conclusion about suppliers based my small sampling.

Terry-----


I believe that most, if not all, standard exhaust systems used in PRODUCTION for C2 and C3 were supplied by Walker. Off-road systems for both C2 and C3 (1968-only) were a different matter. I believe that most, if not all, of these were supplied by Arvin.

It's possible that Arvin also supplied some standard systems but, if so, I think they were by far the exception.

[Alan S.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Hi Terry,
I remembered hearing talk about the exhaust system and that's why I asked for 'comments'.

Hi Joe,
The pictures are from a ZR-1 car that was presented for Bowtie judging at the Charlotte Convention.

Regards,
Alan

[Edward J.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Guys my understanding is that the 300 mile car had replacement mufflers on it. If this was the proteam car. It was here at the Marlboro,Ma.regional a few years ago.this car was a base motor car. This car did have something I had never seen before,It has to left side valve covers, there were oil fill cap on both sides, and was judged to be the way it left the factory As it had the sticker on the rear of the pass side cover.

Guys sorry this is the wrong car. it was not a ZR1 car

[Dave S.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Guys my understanding is that the 300 mile car had replacement mufflers on it. If this was the proteam car. It was here at the Marlboro,Ma.regional a few years ago.this car was a base motor car. This car did have something I had never seen before,It has to left side valve covers, there were oil fill cap on both sides, and was judged to be the way it left the factory As it had the sticker on the rear of the pass side cover.

Guys sorry this is the wrong car. it was not a ZR1 car

Ed,
Just to clarify things;

The white Pro team car in Marlborough was a base motor car and had 3300 original miles on it. That car had 1 original muffler and 1 GM replacement and was a 2 inch exhaust as it should be. The 300 mile car that was in Charlotte was an LT-1/ZR-2.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Ed,
Just to clarify things;

The white Pro team car in Marlborough was a base motor car and had 3300 original miles on it. That car had 1 original muffler and 1 GM replacement and was a 2 inch exhaust as it should be. The 300 mile car that was in Charlotte was an LT-1/ZR-1.

There Dave. I fixed that for you.

I am very familiar with the former 300, now 400 mile, white ZR1 from Wisconsin. As I said earlier that exhaust system has been played with since it left St Louis. A finish deduction would be appropriate.

[John H.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Thanks for checking Terry, I was afraid it might be impossible to find. I have been checking John's archive Threads since posting earlier too, and haven't found it yet either. Lots of other good stuff though, that's the danger of going into the archives, easy to lose track of time.

Scott -

I don't recall ever posting that midyears had muffler blackout applied at the supplier (because they didn't), but I do recall posting at some point (when someone was discussing C3 muffler blackout) that although I'm not a C3 guy, I understood that C3's had supplier-applied blackout at some point based on discussions I had read here on the TDB, but I didn't know for what model year.

[Scott S.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Scott -

I don't recall ever posting that midyears had muffler blackout applied at the supplier (because they didn't), but I do recall posting at some point (when someone was discussing C3 muffler blackout) that although I'm not a C3 guy, I understood that C3's had supplier-applied blackout at some point based on discussions I had read here on the TDB, but I didn't know for what model year.

John,

Thank you very much for the clarification, I'll stop looking for the old thread now

[Terry M.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Scott -

I don't recall ever posting that midyears had muffler blackout applied at the supplier (because they didn't), but I do recall posting at some point (when someone was discussing C3 muffler blackout) that although I'm not a C3 guy, I understood that C3's had supplier-applied blackout at some point based on discussions I had read here on the TDB, but I didn't know for what model year.

Now I will have to look harder for that post because I am pretty sure the discussion was about '67s.

[Paul O.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Sorry have been away for the Holiday weekend. My understanding is the most C3 exhaust mufflers were blacked out at the manufacturing plant Walker in this case. Then if there was damage to the black out from shipping and handling they were then touched up at St. Louis. That is in my opinion why some cars have over spray on the spare tire tub and others do not. Here are some photos of an 1969 left side pipe and muffler that were removed from the car very early in it life there is most of the original black is still there. Hope this helps.


100_1488.jpg100_1487.JPG100_1485.JPG

[Michael H.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Scott -

I don't recall ever posting that midyears had muffler blackout applied at the supplier (because they didn't), but I do recall posting at some point (when someone was discussing C3 muffler blackout) that although I'm not a C3 guy, I understood that C3's had supplier-applied blackout at some point based on discussions I had read here on the TDB, but I didn't know for what model year.

John,

I agree. I think all C2 mufflers were coated after they were installed on the nearly completed chassis, just prior to body drop. Many ultra low mileage cars that I've inspected in the 70's had the tar base coating on the muffler and also much overspray on the rear spring, struts and spare tire cover.

At some point in C3 production, the coating changed from the chassis black goo to a rather thin flat black paint. It appeared almost very dark grey rather than black. It's possible that at this point in C3 production, the mufflers were coated with this flat black paint prior to installation on the chassis.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

John,

I agree. I think all C2 mufflers were coated after they were installed on the nearly completed chassis, just prior to body drop. Many ultra low mileage cars that I've inspected in the 70's had the tar base coating on the muffler and also much overspray on the rear spring, struts and spare tire cover.

At some point in C3 production, the coating changed from the chassis black goo to a rather thin flat black paint. It appeared almost very dark grey rather than black. It's possible that at this point in C3 production, the mufflers were coated with this flat black paint prior to installation on the chassis.

Still searching, but I found a lot of interesting threads (with pictures) by searching for "muffler black out." I highly recommend the search function, including the threads brought up at the bottom of this thread -- page down.

For the energy challenged here is some interesting reading IMO:

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=muffler+black

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=muffler+black

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=muffler+black

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=muffler+blackhttps://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=muffler+black

Happy reading. OH, and how many times do we plow the same ground?

[Scott S.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Happy reading. OH, and how many times do we plow the same ground?

Until we get it right...

[Terry M.]

Re: 1968 Muffler Blackout Paint Picture(s)

Until we get it right...

I guess I missed the significant differences between those earlier threads and this one, BWTFDIK?