ph31mwl

Today I am going to purchase new brake lines and some other things for my 65 rebuild.

Looking at Ecklers choices (they are having a 20% off Black Friday Sale today for orders over $159.00) I see that they ask if it is an "early" 65.

How do I tell if it is an early build.

The build date on the trim tag is F 5. What is the cut off date for "early" 65's? I have been searching past threads to find out but am unable to find what I need.

It appears that there must be some difference between the brake lines for "early" and later build dates. What are the differences?

Thank you for your help.

Mark

Easy Rhino

The trim tag date is the body build date and precedes the actual build date, so your car was built sometime after June 5th.

My 1965 has a build date of 1 June 1965, and a VIN ending in 18765, and is considered a late build '65.

I do not recall the cross over date from early to late.

ph31mwl

Easy Rino, thank you for your quick response.. I read somewhere earlier today that they did not build the 1965's after July so it would make sense that it is a "late" build. I am still wondering what the difference is in the brake lines between an early and late build. Is it the size of the lines, 3/16 vs. 1/4 or just the routing of the lines?

Thanks again for your quick response, Mark

Easy Rhino

Mark, IIRC, it is both the size of the lines, and the line routing and fasteners.

Someone who really knows the details will come by eventually.

MikeM

The best way to answer your question is to look at your car. If it has 3/16" brake lines, order 3/16" replacement. If it has 1/4" lines, order 1/4".

The routing is the same AFAIK. The early cars used the small line, the late cars the larger line.

desertpilgrim

Call Eckler's back ad ask him "What" he really wants to know; he'll tell you size and routing and then you tell him that your car was built in January '65 and unless it's been reworked, it has 3/16" lines.

ph31mwl

Easy Rino, Mike M, desertpilgrim, thank you for your responses. I do know that the size of the current brake lines are 3/16 OD. Based on the build date I just wanted to make sure that the brake lines are the correct size since they do not list any 3/16 lines for a late build no power brakes. While Eckler does not list late build brake lines at 3/16ths, I just ordered the non power brake 3/16 lines for an "early" build and if needed go to a local parts store for short pieces of 3/16 that may be needed. I will make it work.

Thank you all again for your input

Mark

Nowhere Man

That's the problem when you don't order the part from the source and buy from the middle man. They only know what's printed in there t-shirt catalog

Critter1

You mentioned lines, as in a pair, so I'm assuming you have power brakes?

I don't think the 3/16" size of the brake lines for power brake cars changed all year in 65.

I do know that toward the end of the 65 model year the master cylinder did change though.

A 66 design cylinder was used on late 65 and it included a pair of fittings that converted the 3/16" line to fit the larger threaded holes of the 66 style cylinder.

The parts book shows two different part numbers for 65 with PB master cylinder. One is 1st design 65 and the other is 2nd design 65 and all of 66.

ph31mwl

Nowhere Man, Critter1, I really have not had much of a problem ordering through the parts vendors. There is usually a technical person there if I have questions. I just had some concerns since there are so many different choices for the full kits and my F 5 trim tab code indicates that my car is a late model 65 that (the way I read it) should have 1/4 lines and there were no kits for a late 65 with no power brakes in the 3/16 size. I do not have power brakes but back in the 80's did add a dual master cylinder and the 3/16 lines attach to it.

Thanks for your responses and information

Mark

Critter1

Ok, all 65's with power brakes originally used two 3/16" lines. All 65's without power brakes originally used one 1/4": line.

midstyle

Trim tag F5 (both Dow Smith and St. Louis bodies) is January 5th, so your car is definitely not late. Back in 1975 had a '65 VIN 12555; trim tag date H9, A body 2215, with power brakes and it had the small diameter lines off the master cylinder. Safety inspection forced me to replace the MC and replacement came with the reducers (which I then had to use).

Critter1

That's exactly the way new replacement power brake cyl's came in service for a 65 after 1971 or 72.

The replacement would be a correct 66 design but the reducer fittings for the smaller 65 size lines were also included in the box.

Early 65's used no fittings and the original 65 design but late 65's (I don't know how late) were assembled with the 66 design and used the reducer fittings.

The old GM parts book even shows different parts/numbers for early/late 65.

MikeM

Better check that Michael. My '65 with standard brakes uses 3/16" main line, front/rear.

Critter1

From the main cyl to the junction block ?

MikeM

!/4" to the junction block. 3/16" front/rear.

Critter1

We were talking about the main cyl to junction block. Not the long frt/rear line. Pay attention LOL

Hey, I may be making a trip to the frozen north next month. If so, I'll stop in and have a beer with ya on the way. (or a Doctor Pepper)

MikeM

Sounds good.

ph31mwl

Thank you all for your input. There is a great deal of knowledge on this Forum on every aspect of the Corvettes. I thought brake line size and early vs. late model was going to be easy. I have learned that it isn’t. I took the advice to just measure the size of the lines currently on the car (3/16) and go with that, so I did.

Yesterday I did find a site that has a trim tag decoder for the C2 Corvettes -
( http://www.stl-vettes.com/65Vette/tr...ag_display.htm).
This site provides the basic interpretation of the codes on the trim tag. My F 5 code does indicate a January 1965 body build date. This just raises another question. Since the build dates for the 65’s begin in July 1964 and January is 6 months through the build date time period which ended July 1965, is January an early or late model (there is no middle model category). Just another head scratcher for the non-technical owners like me. Does not matter though, as I said, I just bought a 3/16 replacement kit and will get pieces from the local parts store for any sections that are not in the kit

Thank you all again for your input. Mark