Dalannex

Hi. I need some help here. I am working on the project 69' and am trying to find the insulation that goes under the body, between the body and some little shields, in front of the tunnel insulator, over the transmission and under the driver and passenger side floor pans. What is this called? I am looking at the zips catalog if you guys want to help me out. I have a new tunnel insulator and tunnel collar, so now I just need the soft cloth type of insulation that goes where I described above. Repairing mouse damage in case you are wondering. What exactly do I want to order from Zips?


-Justin

Oh yeah, the car is a 69' 390 HP 427 4 speed vert with power steering and nothing else.

noskillz

The 69 did not have this insulation. All 69 had was the transmission tunnel insulation. If yours had it then someone added it after purchase. You might try looking under a later year.

Smokehouse69

Some 69's had the insulation, I had it on my car, and JB has it on his car. There are metal retainers like the ones in the tranny tunnel that are held on by rivets.
Here's what it looks like uninstalled.


The wide part goes up behind the plastic sheilds that are behind the tires, and sort of wrap around close to the tranny tunnel insulation. The narrower part goes under the steel shields that are under the seats.
I think I have some pictures someplace of the clips and the correct locations for them, if you are missing any.

JB

Yup, what Smokehouse said. My '69 has an October '68 build date, and it very definitely has the isulation.

JB

noskillz

Hmmm, that is interesting. I always new insulation and seals changed practically month - by - month.

Nothing about this in the Guide Book or the AIM (Sheet B6). What are your build numbers? I am kinds curious if it was an early or late thing. I know later vettes had this.

Chuck Gongloff

My late August, 69 built car did not have those shields. I had no clips under the car, and no evidence that they were ever there. There should be about 16 or 17 of those sharp "transmission tunnel" clips riveted under the car IF you car came with this insulation. CCentral also sells it. Some had the insulation, some didn't. :) Chuck

Dalannex

The insulation was on this car. It was in 3 pieces. The center top piece has a huge hole gone out of the middle, the side pieces are mostly gone, except parts under the floor pans and the parts that are under the clips that used to hold it on. I removed what was left of the old stuff and now need to find new. It appears that it needs to be 3 pieces. The clips are all there and in good shape. I need to get the correct stuff to replace this with because the motor and trans are out now so now is the time to do it and make sure it's right. :)

Chuck, do you have good luck with CCentral? That's the one I've never ordered from. If you have and like them I may give them a shot.

-Justin

Chuck Gongloff

The original insulation was in only 2 pieces, as pictured above. The rectangular pieces fit under the floor pans. Those portions are then covered with the metal splash pans. The larger "wings" folder under the trans tunnel and join in the middle. In addition, there was a foam rubber "collar" that slipped between the bellhousing and the firewall, I believe on both BB's and SB's.

CCentral? Don't like to bad mouth anyone, but CCentral should be re-named "Back Order Central". Don't know what's happened to that company over the past 2 years. You'll eventually get your things...in dribs and drabs...paying more postage with each package that comes till your order is finally complete. Chuck




[Modified by Chuck Gongloff, 11:54 AM 12/25/2003]

Dalannex

Thanks Chuck. That's just what I needed to know. I can't really tell what it used to be because the mice made it all into a nest under the seats and center console. Now I know.

And thanks smokehouse for the pics. I will order those pieces up. Where did you get yours from and what part number are they if you happen to have that info?

-Justin

sb69coupe

Justin,

There are 3 pieces total, the two that are shown in the pics that Smokehouse posted, as well as the transmission tunnel insulation that goes up above the tranny and has a hole for the shifter. I bought my insulation from Dr Rebuild and am pleased with the quality and fit. The rearmost edge of the insulation actually fits up between the transmission crossmember and the body, and the trailing edge is exposed to the rear of the crossmember. There will be pre-cut slots for some brackets and clips. This will help you get the insulation properly oriented when you're installing it.

Good luck, and shoot out a posting or send me an IM if you run into any problems. - Shannon

PS - My '69 is was built on the last day before the strike in April '69, and it has the insulation

Smokehouse69

Mine was built in mid July and had the insulation, the strange thing is that some cars that were built before did not have it. Sometimes it seems like there were parts that got put on if available and left off if it was missing from stock at the time! Maybe it was a coupe/convertible thing or sidepipe no sidepipe car.
It looks to me that some cars came witht the metal underbody shields and no insulation and others did not have any shields on them at all.
The same thing goes for hood insulation, it is listed in the AIM, but I've never seen or heard of a 69 that actually had it.
I got my insulation from ZIP and it fit perfectly and was good quality, the edges were sealed with some kind of black sealant that was on the original.

markdtn

I thought I had seen something about this in the 1969 Stingray Guidebook, but I can't find it now. I think if memory serves that it went away in mid 69 for the late production. It says the hood mat was used beginning mid-year.

noskillz

:confused:

My car was built mid 69! No insulation though. My 69 has always been strange. July 69 would indicate a late build. Yet, it has many early run parts such as the "coffee can" wiper door actuator and white styrofoam type shields at the #2 body mounts. Numbers (engine, "VIN", frame) match and the parts loook original. Seems all my parts are split early/late, yet the car was built in July...

Chuck Gongloff

:) No rhyme or reason to what is "early" and what is "late" in 69. It's all relative. Because of the GM strike, they built 69's up through and including December of 69. My August 69 has the coffee can actuator. It also has the white toe pan shields, not metal. chuck

LemansBlue68

I'm wondering how many of these shields became victims of parking lot speed bumps or were spotted flying off the bottoms of these cars while cruising down the interstate at 70+ mph cause they caught a crosswind just right? I know Dellanex is putting this car back together just as the "factory did it" because of it's original condition, but I think this is one "factory original" piece that I'd opt not to include in a resto had my car had these shields (later '68's did). I think the under carpet insulation is a better solution in this case. Besides, with all this confusion as to when these mods went in and out of production during the '69 model year run, how's a judge going to know for sure if the car came with them or not?

I sometimes wonder as I go through my own restoration how many engineers named "Bubba" were on the Corvette design team payroll back in the late '60's. :troll

Dalannex

I sometimes wonder the same thing. :lolg: I know the what was on the car because it is still there, I just don't know what the insulation looked like because the mice at it. :) Of course, I do know that it was 3 pieces because they didn't meet in the center top of the trans tunnel. there was a separate piece that is mostly in tact in the center top of the tunnel, then there were the two side pieces that are at up pretty bad. Of course, if the two pieces that meet in the center work for the NCRS judges should I get it judged one day I'd be okay with that too. This car actually has a few things that aren't original as I thought already, but I am trying to keep it as original as I can and still get it back on the road. :steering: :steering:

-Justin