6t5silver

Can any one identify this steering column in my 65 ?? I measured the distance from the cluster to the back edge of horn button and it is approx. 11" . I compared it to my friends 66 it measures about 9". Can this be adjusted ? See pics below. Any help with this would be appreciated.
Peter

http://i5.tinypic.com/2qkijqa.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/33kr5lf.jpg
http://i3.tinypic.com/359jps8.jpg

buns

Holy Crap!! Bubbah has been hard at work here. I don't know where that mess came from, but it does not belong in your Vette. Please don't drive it. Myself or someone else will be along shortly with some pics of what it should look like.

vintagecorvette

The photos are what seems like a 1967 or maybe a 1968. The collapsible column first appeared in 1967. 1967-68 are similiar. How is the column mounted inside the car?

buns

For starters, your lower column bearing is out of the housing, and you are missing the firewall support.

6t5silver

I will take and post more pics tomorrow showing the mounting brackets. I appreciate all the help on how to solve this problem.
Thanks, Peter

buns

This looks like the clamp that is supposed to retain the column to the support on the outside of the firewall. I don't know what it's doing here, except stopping the column from falling through the hole.

Good news is, all the correct parts are readily available, new or used.

Paul L

Looks like a late-1967 collapsible column.

JohnZ

That's a "late" '67 column, but the clamp on the inside goes on the outside, and the clamp that goes below the fluted plastic spacer on the outside is missing (as is the plastic cover over the expanded metal collapsible portion of the tube). Bubba worked overtime on that one.

6t5silver

Thanks for identifying the column. A 67 collapsible column? Does this mean Tele? What do you suggest I do, try to make this one work or swap out and find a 65 column. Any idea how much a column is worth ?

The guy I purchased the car from was driving it this way I think Bubba moved in.
Peter

JohnZ

'67 was the first year for the collapsible column - the expanded/perforated outer jacket collapsed on frontal impact, and the "D"-shaped shaft inside it is in two pieces, with injected nylon pins holding it together (the pins shear on impact and the shaft telescopes together). Also, the three mounting bolts go through "capsules" on the large welded-on mounting bracket that are also mounted with injected nylon pins - they also shear under impact.

It would be fascinating to see how the top end of that column is mounted just behind the cluster; the '67 column had a completely different mounting system, a separate large intermediate bracket, and a different pedal support assembly than the '63-'66 cars.

6t5silver

Take a look John. Is the 67 steering column longer ? If I find a 65 do I have change the rag joint ? Are you John H @ NCRS board? Peter




http://i11.tinypic.com/2cik1ag.jpg

http://i14.tinypic.com/2gvsehh.jpg

JohnZ

I don't recall offhand if the overall lengths are different, but when you install a '65 column you'll need a '65 rag joint - can't tell from the photos which one you have, but it's probably a '65. Looking at the upper mounting photos, they apparently cut off the welded mounting bracket on the column and used the existing '65 mounting arrangement.

Yup, that's me.