I recently purchased a 68 conv. and noticed a little body roll and shimmy, an all around "loose" feeling while driving. The car handles good in the twisties but has that "wet noodle" handling while cruz-in down a strait road.
Can anyone tell me what sort of extra chassis bracing and or framing, if any at all, was installed on the 68 conv. as apposed to the coupes?
Thank You.

Screech'in, Lots of things! Talking about 69's, but 68's should be very similar.

From front to back...
firewall - thicker metal for supporting windshield
floors - small panel in front corners,
big X looking welded panel under center, which a bolt-on brace attaches (this brace is what the exhaust runs through and sometime hits)
small brace in inside rear seat well (creates a box which qtr panel brace gets welded to)
lots of braces in the qtr panel/wheel well area to support top
thicker metal in rear subframe
doors - small brass and plastic striker plates that keep the door gap from flexing.
cocktail shakers in all four corners

You have to check your subframe bushings as well, if they are worn/rusted through it might cause some of your problems.

Good Luck, Kevin



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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KevinW:
Screech'in, Lots of things! Talking about 69's, but 68's should be very similar.

From front to back...
firewall - thicker metal for supporting windshield
floors - small panel in front corners,
big X looking welded panel under center, which a bolt-on brace attaches (this brace is what the exhaust runs through and sometime hits)
small brace in inside rear seat well (creates a box which qtr panel brace gets welded to)
lots of braces in the qtr panel/wheel well area to support top
thicker metal in rear subframe
doors - small brass and plastic striker plates that keep the door gap from flexing.
cocktail shakers in all four corners

You have to check your subframe bushings as well, if they are worn/rusted through it might cause some of your problems.

Good Luck, Kevin

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

KevinW,
Thanks for your reply,
I was able to identify & locate almost all of the extra bracing and plates you mentioned on your list, but I was not able to find the big X looking welded panel under center. Refering back to my original post I think this X brace might be the root cause of the loose feeling I am experiencing.
Is there anyone out there that might know what this brace is officially known as?
Now for the tough question...where can I obtain one?
Also.., what is the purpose of the "cocktail shakers" located on all four corners of my 68 Conv.?
Any help would be great,
Thanks!

screech'in - the X brace is most important!! I drove a 69 z/11 that had it removed to facilitate 3" pipes and you couldn't have described it any better!!! You can get them at any of the camaro parts shops (try Ground Up first) or I have seen them on ebay.

------------------
...Dennis
Topless'69 (http://home1.gte.net/ddunio/topless69)
Camaros Limited Nor-Cal (http://camaroslimited.com)
rsss.fun@gte.net

Dennis and Screech'in, If you do not have the big 'X' member, you are in a lot of trouble!

There seem to be a little confusion about this, so a little more explaination is in order.

Under the front seats is a LARGE X looking brace that is spot welded to the floor and is comprised of 4 to 6 individual pieces all welded together. The LARGE brace runs across the floor from rocker panel to rocker panel and goes up and across the trans hump. This large brace also has 6 (or 8) weld nuts in it that a large metal panel bolts to and creates a box that the exhuast and driveshaft go through . This panel also has a X look to it from the punched out sections. The panel is avail repro under floor stiffener. You could get this stiffener for a coupe, but the welded X brace is converts only from fischer body.

If your car had new floors or floor from a coupe put in, the braces may have been lost. It happened to me! http://www.camaros.net/forum/frown.gif

If it just the bolt on panel, order one. If it the large brace, start looking for a donor and brush up on your upside down welding skills. Good Luck, Kevin

Oops, the cocktail shakers were to reduce torsional vibrations at highway speeds, leave um in. Lots of previous posts on that subject. K

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

[This message has been edited by KevinW (edited 10-02-2000).]

Kevin - I agree with you 100% My '69 ragtop has all the parts. The pace car I drove was without all or part of the assembly. As you drove it the dash would flex & twist like a piece of rubber! There was not a single bolt on item that wasn't loose... The factory puts this stuff there for a reason!!!

------------------
...Dennis
Topless'69 (http://home1.gte.net/ddunio/topless69)
Camaros Limited Nor-Cal (http://camaroslimited.com)
rsss.fun@gte.net

First of all I would like to thank you guys for all of your input. When I started this project 4 months ago, trying to obtain information and /or advise on my 68 conv. was pretty tough and also a very lonely place.
This is a great site! I will be refering to it many times in the near future, (hopefully I can return the help too!), time will tell!

Back to the task at hand.., It looks like my Conv. is also missing the LARGE brace that goes from floor board to floor board and over the trans tunnel, as mentioned in earlier posts.
Can anyone steer me in the right direction on locating somthing like this in the Southern San Fransico bay area? I have no clue on where to start. Or maybe is there an after market up grade?
I was able to located & purchased the other "X" brace found under the middle of the car.
Does this "X" plate require special conv. only floor boards and if it does how do I identify these conv. only boards?
Again thank you in advance!

One more thing guys...,
Could anyone recomend a book or manual that has diagrams and pictures of the braces I am trying to locate?
I,m the type that does much better when I can see what I am doing.(go figure).
Thanks again guys, (just in case gals too).

On page 49 of the Factory Assembly Instruction Manual there is an illustration of the floor panel reinforcement.

You also might want to cross-post this question on the Body Shop Forum.

screech'in, I do have the large brace out of car (the one I lost due to coupe floors going in) If I can get a cam I will post it. Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

KevinW,
If you could get me a pic of the large brace in question it would really help me out.
Thank you!

Screechin',

You and i are in the same boat. (pun intended)
My car has had floors replaced once in it's life, and there aren't any braces under it anymore. I was affraid i'd run into more missing parts than just the X brace you find in the catalogues. Oh well. I plan on finding one of these and welding it in over the winter, I aso plan on welding in subframe connectors

Oops, Almost forgot to mention the most important thing that's different about converts ..... The ROCKER panels!!


The convert rocker panels are made up of around 1/8 in. thick metal and are built up from 5 pieces.
1. the outer rocker (its the one you see)
2. the upper rocker (its the one you put the sill plates on and run the elec through)
3 & 4. are inside and create a kind of I beam.
5. the most important one! the inner rocker that the floors, the large brace, the seat support and seat belt are connected to and ties the other pieces and completes the box.

When floors are replaced from a coupe the inner rocker usally goes as well and is replaced from the coupe. The coupe panel is a different shape and is thinner. This further reduces the strengh of the rockers (and yes this happened to me too http://www.camaros.net/forum/frown.gif )

So everone, look at this piece as well, if it is not thick and looks like it does not quite fit, it's gotta go!

Good Luck to everyone finding the donor cars, the rockers are the first to rust.

Sorry for the bad news. Kevin


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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

screech'in,

Here is a link to a picture of the welded X brace on a '69. Hope this helps.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=867100&a=6307608&p=30015320&Sequence=1&res=high

Well, that picture is better then mine and since I had trouble loading it up, oh well. screech'in, the bolt on part would go right in the middle of the brace across the trans tunnel.

secdgn, that floor looks in really good shape!

Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

Hey guys... My 68 conv. has all the correct bracing and the floors are rust free but....there is a clunk sound that comes from the passenger floor well. It sounds like it "tin cans". It happens sometimes when I drive over speed bumps or in and out of driveways.

Anyone hear of a similar problem?

Sean
68 327/stock std. convt. wht on blk

secndgn,
Thanks for the great pic.!
Also thanks are in order for everyone else who has replied to my post, Thanks Guys!
GREAT NEWS!
Once secndgn's pic. was posted and with all the other written posts, I was able to locate and identify the mysterious large brace on my 68 conv.! YES!, it's there and it always was, (just as I expected, ya right..lol.).
Woo-Hooo!, this weekend is turning out to be a good one I'm going to install the "X" brace at mid-ship,(boat joke), and continue on with my 68 project!
And don't worry you will be hearing from me in the future, I still have lots to do.
Thanks Again Guys,
screech'in

secndgn,
Thanks for the great pic.!
Also thanks are in order for everyone else who has replied to my post, Thanks Guys!
GREAT NEWS!
Once secndgn's pic. was posted and with all the other written posts, I was able to locate and identify the mysterious large brace on my 68 conv.! YES!, it's there and it always was, (just as I expected, ya right..lol.).
Woo-Hooo!, this weekend is turning out to be a good one I'm going to install the "X" brace at mid-ship,(boat joke), and continue on with my 68 project!
And don't worry you will be hearing from me in the future, I still have lots to do.
Thanks Again Guys,
screech'in

gldn slmbr, ck your rt frt lower shock bushing!

Does anyone have a picture of a convertible on a rotisserie? I need a photo of the complete underside of the car with all the braces welded in place. I am compiling dimensions and measurements for a body jig I am building. Please send me a link or e-mail it to me. Thanks! --Bryan

I have a few shots of the bottom of my Firebird convertible at the link below. It has 42,000 miles on it and I've owned it since it had 27,000 miles. If you need any photos, let me know. I had a '67 SS convertible and I believe the bottoms are pretty much the same, except for the radius rods.

1967 Firebird Convertible (http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=412680)

on this site listed under dual exhaust for conv. you'll also see a great picture of the x brace and the discussion of the shims, or slight modifications needed with the X brace to accomodate the pipes.