Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

[Ronald W.]

NCRS Judging Guide shows distributor shield, and driver's side spark plug shields as stainles steel while the vertical shields and the passenger's side spark plug shields as chrome. This is the same as the OEM shields on my car.

Why were some parts made of stainless steel and the others were chrome?

Thanks in advance for any info.

[Joe L.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

NCRS Judging Guide shows distributor shield, and driver's side spark plug shields as stainles steel while the vertical shields and the passenger's side spark plug shields as chrome. This is the same as the OEM shields on my car.

Why were some parts made of stainless steel and the others were chrome?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Ronald------

It's a good question and I've wondered about it for years. It does not apply to just 1966; the same thing was true for earlier and later shielding. My guesses as to why this occurred:

1) the GM specification allowed for either chromed steel or stainless. Different suppliers manufactured the different shields, some choosing to use chromed steel and others choosing to use stainless;

2) the different shields were designed at different times by different engineers. Some thought chromed steel was important and other feelings that stainless steel was important.

[Bill M.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

'58-'60 JG has only the top shield stainless. My guess is a supply capacity issue with the chromed parts with the higher volumes of later model years.

[John H.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

Probably opened the door to more suppliers with an opportunity to reduce piece cost with lower tooling investment, as one supplier may have already had plating facilities, where another supplier didn't, but had polishing capability. This stuff was all competitively bid, and the bid with the lowest piece cost and tooling investment usually got the job (unless a rep with a higher bid bought really good lunches)

[Nick C.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

Is the material specific to installation or random?

[John D.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

Probably opened the door to more suppliers with an opportunity to reduce piece cost with lower tooling investment, as one supplier may have already had plating facilities, where another supplier didn't, but had polishing capability. This stuff was all competitively bid, and the bid with the lowest piece cost and tooling investment usually got the job (unless a rep with a higher bid bought really good lunches)

John

It must have been some helluva lunch that made GM tool up A.O Smith and run St. Louis Body and Paint Depts on only one shift.....

[Ronald W.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

Is the material specific to installation or random?

At least for 66 sb all distributor shields, and driver's side spark plug shields were stainles steel while all vertical shields and the passenger's side spark plug shields were chrome. Not random.

[Ray G.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

So, are we asking if available reproduction shielding is correct chrome and stainless where applicable?

[Ronald W.]

Re: Why are some of the 66 sb ignition shield parts chrome and some stainless steel?

Actually I was not asking that as at the time I started the thread as the only repos I could find (CC) appear to be all chrome. Howerver today I noticed that LICS sells repo SS parts. Anyhow I decided to refinish my OEM parts to keep the car looking as original as possible.