Hood air dam picture for 59-60?

[Chevyman for life]

Anyone have a good picture (or would like to take one) of the correct position of the hood front air dam that is on late '59's and 60's?

Also would help with one of the hood rear although I think I know the correct way on that.

Thanks,

Gerry

 

[JohnZ]

Anyone have a good picture (or would like to take one) of the correct position of the hood front air dam that is on late '59's and 60's?

Also would help with one of the hood rear although I think I know the correct way on that.

Thanks,

Gerry

do you mean the ones used on the LeMans race cars, or??

 

[Chevyman for life]

do you mean the ones used on the LeMans race cars, or??

John, I was referring to the one on production late 59's and (I think) all 60's. I bought one and it has two ribbed sides and one smooth side.

It attaches near the front bottom of the hood so (I think) it closes down on the radiator, thus damming the air to not flow around. Trying to figure just where to place it with respect to the underhood raised areas and which side(s) are glued down.

Thanks,
Gerry

 

[Tom Bryant]

Hi Gerry,

I'm confused:confused on this one. I know of no rubber seals in the area you are asking about. The only rubber on the hood is at the rear edge to keep junk from blowing out of the rear of the engine compartment onto the windshield and into the cowl vent. I searched my 1960 GM parts book and found nothing other than this rear seal. Are you sure that isn't what you have? It would glue on 2 sides and leave a smooth area to contact the rear hood surround lip. It's a little over 25 inches long.

Tom

 

[Chevyman for life]

Tom,
Corvette Central shows it in their on line catalog as part number 631410 and says '59s from 12/8/59 (approx serial # 1600) and '60's.

It shows what may be a picture from the 1960 assy manual but it's not in my '59 manual. I know I've seen some on 60 vettes in car shows but didn't know I'd be adding one to the one I'm working on. Just hoping someone with a '59 had it mounted correctly and could take a picture of it.

Thanks for trying to look it up.

Gerry

 

[Tom Bryant]

My '59 is much too early to have that piece. I found it in some other restoraton parts books too but no pictures to use for reference. I can't find it in the assembly manual either and I checked my April 1960 parts manual again. It only list the rear seal and it isn't in any illustration. I checked the illustrations in the 1973 manual I have, which has more illustrations, and it isn't there.

Let's hope that someone with a late '59 or '60 chimes in.

Tom

 

[maxphunn]

My '59 is much too early to have that piece. I found it in some other restoraton parts books too but no pictures to use for reference. I can't find it in the assembly manual either and I checked my April 1960 parts manual again. It only list the rear seal and it isn't in any illustration. I checked the illustrations in the 1973 manual I have, which has more illustrations, and it isn't there.

Let's hope that someone with a late '59 or '60 chimes in.

Tom

Is this part mentioned in the 1959 NCRS Judging Manual? I don't have one of my own to check.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Yes it is. Looks like I learned something today. After 40 years I'm still finding out things about '59s I didn't know, or forgot since it didn't apply to my car. This is all it says about it.

"Sometime in early 1959, a black rubber seal was added to the forward underside area of the hood panel, sealing off the radiator skirt when the hood is down."

 

[Tom Bryant]

As for the rear seal, the 1960 parts book says 25 13/32 inches long. The judging manual says it runs across the back but stops short of going around the edges. Here is a picture of both ends of my original. I would guess that it was on a roll on the assembly line and was cut to length as it was needed. Length may vary slightly on original cars due to this or shrinkage. It was applied with yellow w/strip adhesive which may have been excesive. John would know more about that than I.

Looking at mine I'd guess that it was cut off square originally due to the constraints of production time even though it looks to have been back cut on the driver's side. Mine appears to have been chunked off some over the last 50+ years on the passenger side and was squished down on the drivers side.

Tom

 

[Chevyman for life]

Tom,

OK, so at 71 my mind isn't totally gone. Thanks for the research and the info on the front seal (the Corvette America one is not an exact repro of that one but at least I can use the length dimentions and get it in the right position).

Now, there must be some 1960 owner out there who could send a picture of how the front seal is mounted or at least describe its mounting location and measure it's length.

As originally stated it has two ribbed sides and a smooth lip. It is kind of an opened up U shape. The ribbed sides may glue against a hood cross brace with the lip pointing down somewhat forward of vertical so that the air stream presses it against the radiator top. Just a guess but there has to be a right way.

Thanks again,

Gerry

 

[Chevyman for life]

Tom,

OK, so at 71 my mind isn't totally gone. Thanks for the research and the info on the front seal
Gerry

Well, maybe at 71 it isn't doing so good. I meant the rear seal in that sentence.

Gerry

 

[Tom Bryant]

I figured that. I think there is a certain age when you start to understand what someone means even if they don't say it right. :L

 

[JohnZ]

Doc Rebuild shows it in his catalog (their #1274589), with an illustration, and sez: "9 raised ribs on one surface and 11 ribs on another. Apply weatherstrip adhesive to the surface with 9 ribs and mount to the front underside of the hood above radiator support, with the open end of the "V" facing the rear."

 

[Chevyman for life]

Any '60 owner readers?

John,

Thanks much. That helps a lot.

I'd still be interested in a couple of photos of one installed if there are any '60 owners reading this.

Gerry

 

[firstgear]

John,

Thanks much. That helps a lot.

I'd still be interested in a couple of photos of one installed if there are any '60 owners reading this.

Gerry

sorry, I looked through my photos, no pictures before I turned it into restorod.....

 

[firstgear]

The factory assembly manual shows only this......

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks Heb. That looks like the same page that's in the '59 AIM.

 

[Chevyman for life]

You guys are great.

Does the '60 assy manual page which shows the hood support assembly (in the left front) show the air dam? That's where Corvette Central's online catalog has a picture like in the '59 manual but also showing the air dam but it's too small to really see the mounting.

I took my '56 Chevy to a car show today (260 cars) but only one C1, a 62 so that wasn't any help. Several nice C2s (I've had three of those).

Thanks,
Gerry

 

[firstgear]

You guys are great.

Does the '60 assy manual page which shows the hood support assembly (in the left front) show the air dam? That's where Corvette Central's online catalog has a picture like in the '59 manual but also showing the air dam but it's too small to really see the mounting.

I took my '56 Chevy to a car show today (260 cars) but only one C1, a 62 so that wasn't any help. Several nice C2s (I've had three of those).

Thanks,
Gerry

the rear dam is only shown in this one view "A". I looked around the manual, but it is pretty sparse on detail other than what I scanned.

 

[Chevyman for life]

Picture of late '59, 60 Air Dam

I was at the Redline Corvette Show in Thousand Oaks a couple of weeks ago and there was an unrestored, original owner '60 there with the original air dam over the radiator.

I took a picture for any wanting to know how they were installed. Looks like only the bottom lip of the seal is glued to the hood.

Also noted that the door weatherstrip retainer (thin metal that is sqeezed around the rubber moulding) that is fastened below the door cap moulding is not like the repro but is very narrow and tight against the door end. This solves the problem of the retainer scratching the body when the door is closed. I cut the ones I had installed down and they work much better.

Also was interesting to see that the factory just brushed the door weatherstrip area with yellow adhesive. It looked very sloppy and was as much as 1/2" out from the rubber in many places. Often had wondered how they had the time to make them neat and I guess they didn't.

Sure was great seeing a car that hasn't been changed in any way. Wish I had seen it when I started the '59 four years ago for my friend Bob.

Second picture is me with Bob's car. He let me take it for a Sunday with my wife to cruise around. Great car, tight, and the front disc brakes make a big difference.

Gerry