Hey convertible lovers...
Anyone know where I can get a pair of cocktail shakers for the front of a 68 Camaro covertible?
I called EVERYWHERE I could think of, went thru all the car mags, called all the parts places, finally got in touch with Jimmys Bowtie Supply who sold me a pair at an outrageous price! But they are the wrong ones!!!(They seem to be model year specific). I see a set on Ebay, but they cut out the mounting leg on one, and I don't need all four. She wont break up the set.
So now I'm trying...networking! Anyone know anybody who's got 'em? Dennis???

Hey old buddy! Have you called Rick's First Generation yet? I'd expect to pay some change from any parts dealer FYI. Also, there's a guy in the Detroit area who may have them, business is called Heartbeat City.

I saw this page and thought maybe you could contact the guy. Maybe he's got a set from a 'bird he'd sell you.

http://www.badgoat.net/cocktail_shakers.htm

Steve - post a wanted ad... www.camaros.net/ads/wanted (http://www.camaros.net/ads/wanted) The sites provides both wanted and for sale areas ( www.camaros.net/ads (http://www.camaros.net/ads) ) to keep the forums free from being nothing but ads and solicitations...

Check places like GM Sport Salvage ( www.gmsports.com (http://www.gmsports.com) ) you may want to reserve yourself to buying a full set and parting out what you don't use. They are expensive and rarely found in singles. Check local 'pick n pull' yards as well.

I had found a set in Hemmings. But, as you've found, people will sell them not knowing or caring what model years they really are. They are out there but the prices are going up.

Thanks guys,
Dennis, I did post an ad already, but I just thought I'd ask in case someone has some and they're not reading the ads. Sorry, didn't mean to clutter up the forum.
Ckaram, thanks for the link and how are ya? I have my car back finally, and took some pics today. I'll include a link in my sig if I can figure out how to do it. And thanks Rick, I did look in Hemmings. I AM prepared to pay, but only if they are the correct ones! (Jimmy's charged me an arm and a leg for the wrong ones.)I'm not kidding...I'm scouring the earth for these puppies!

I think that I have an extra rear set for 69 and a set of four for 67-8 in the attic.....If they are that hard to come by maybe I should leave them up there!!

Don't they come up on Ebay fairly often?

steve,

they are hard to come by. too bad you didnt ask about 2 months ago. i had a mint set that i sold. i think i let it go for a fairly cheap price considering what i paid for my rusted front pair for my 69. maybe i should have just kept it for my 68 but too late now. sorry.

angel

Try Bowtie Supply, he's getting some in really soon.

http://www.jimmysbowtie.com

1-800-414-JIMS

I have to rear's I bought for my 69 but they don't fit, So must be 67/68's? If you can get Paul to sell me his, you can have mine for what I have to pay him:)

Here is a set of 67-8 rears....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2432203062&category=10076


Here is a set of 69 fronts....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2432797249&category=34204


I think that they come up on Ebay pretty often.

Ok...Update time.
First, all you guys, thanks for your help.
Second, I GOT 'EM. I put an ad in Parts Wanted (Thanks, Dennis) and a guy from Oceanside (San Diego) emailed me that he had 'em. Very reasonably priced too, considering. I received them about 2 hours ago. Had to clean em up a bit and they are going in tomorrow. (Guy's name is Gregg and he has a co called Chevy Classics of San Diego. Very cool guy.)
Now then...67/68 are the same. 69's are different. Firebirds are different. Mounting tabs to the rad support and inner fenders are different. Guys on EBay will say ANYTHING they think will help them sell their product PERIOD!
And Jimmy's sent me the wrong ones (from a 69)but swore up and down they were correct. And it looked like Frankenstein welded the mounting tabs (complete with wrong sized weld nuts)on.
Anyway...will post an update about installation tomorrow....as soon as I figure out how much trans oil they are supposed to have in 'em.

Did Jimmys offer to fix the situation as I'm trying to buy a set of 69 fronts from them?

Also, do you have the phone number from the guy where you got yours as I need a pair of 69 fronts?

Jimmy's, for some odd reason, decided to argue with me about it. One guy told me he watched them come out of a 68, the other guy told me he had to get them from a guy in Colorado, and thats why it took over two weeks to get them to me. And they were a mess. Brackets torn off and welded BADLY, the wrong size weld nuts on one. He said "well, send 'em back then, I got people lined up for those damn things". Jeeze.
(I'm sure for the most part Jimmys Bowtie Supply is a good business, just the one and only time I deal with them there's a problem. :rolleyes: )
Now then, this guy is great...Chevy Classics of San Diego. Gregg Lusher. (760)941-5232. New and used parts. And like Dennis said, if you need anything, post it at parts wanted on this site. Thats how Gregg contacted me. After months of dealing with this, 2 days after placing my ad I have what I need! He emailed me pics first, so that I would know they're correct, and his prices are MUCH better.
Two thumbs up! graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Originally posted by Steve W:
Anyway...will post an update about installation tomorrow....as soon as I figure out how much trans oil they are supposed to have in 'em. Steve:

They hold @ 1&1/4 Qrts of ATF. Try dumping them out (if not shipped dry) and adding @ a Qrt and then check - they are usually @3/8~1/2" down from the base of the fill hole when full.

Hope this helps

Thank YOU! graemlins/beers.gif

OK, for those of you who may be curious...the install went great. Amazing what you can do when you have the right parts! Cleaned 'em up, emptied them and refilled them with just slightly over 1 qt of trans fluid,(thanks, Vintage 68)leaving just a bit of air space (about 3/8")inside. Here's what I noticed...when full of fluid and you tap them on the ground, they have a kind of "sproingy" effect, you can vaguely feel the weights and springs inside sort of vibrate and oscillate, but when they are empty and you tap them, they bounce like jumping beans! Makes me wonder about perhaps filling them all the way up. Couldn't get 1.25 quarts in them anyway, but I could have filled them to the very top, leaving no airspace at all. Hmmmm, if it wasn't such a pain to put 'em in and take 'em out, I'd do a little experimenting with different volumes and viscosities of fluids. But for now, I am satisfied.
I just took out the headlight assembly, battery tray, etc. Went in through the front. Didn't have to touch the grill or anything. It took a bit of finesse to get them in place, very tight, and these things weigh a TON when you're balancing them on your fingertips. (I didn't even know I knew some of those cuss words!)
The radiator support already had the holes, the bottom tabs mount into the fender extension bolts already there. Only had to drill one hole per side for the other tab. Very straight forward.
Now, for the real test...what a difference in the ride quality of the car! Just went for a short ride, but oh man! Its really noticable over pot-holes and road irregularities. That "shimmy-shake" is all but gone. I was amazed. I didnt think those little boat anchors could have that dramatic of an effect. I'll know more when I take it out for a real shakedown cruise. But for now, it was worth all the hassle. Glad I did it, and to all you guys who offered help, advice and opinions...Thank You! What a great buncha guys we got here. And to anyone else with a first gen F body convertible, if you don't have the cans, get 'em! They DO make a difference.

Do you think there is any advantage in using synthetic trans fluid? I change the fluid in my shakers every 3000 miles. Its a pain in the butt, so i figure with synthetic i could change the fluid every 6 to 8k instead.

WHAT?????? :eek: Why would you do that? What a job! Wait a minute...you're kidding, right? Just giving me the old tongue.gif . That's cool.
There are no shearing forces inside the cans, just some springs and weights bobbing around, nothing to sustantially affect the viscosity, so I can't imagine changing the fluid EVER. I would imagine that most of the convertibles out there with the shakers in 'em still have the original juice in there, unless a full on restoration was done. Or am I wrong? There is no maint schedule for these things.

I change the cocktail shaker fluid every time I change the blinker fluid! That's about the same time that I service the muffler bearing! :D

Good job Steve!! Some guys are anal and run synthetic in everything and change their shaker fluid way too often!! ;) With a screen name straight off a comedy album advertised on Howard Stern you have to take things with a grain of salt...

Oh, for those of you using syn fluid in your shakers I heard that studies were done confirming the frictional loss compounds the effects of the weight and springs and causes excessive fishtailing around corners... :D LOL!! graemlins/beers.gif

Oh man...you're still using muffler bearings? I thought everyone switched over to the 24" under-chromed rhubarbs.
And dont try to fool ME, theres no fluid in blinkers...just a lotta gas! :D
Just took the wife out for a spin and she said, "wow, doesn't the car seem faster with these things in it?"
"Yes dear, muuuuuuch faster!"
graemlins/beers.gif

I switched to a roller muffler bearing. Steve if your car is a standard trans, i think you have to use gear oil,not ATF in the shakers.BTW i need some front 68 shakers if anyone has a set. :D

Steve;

Glad to hear the project worked out good for you!
Every person with a 'rag-top; I've worked on over the years without them has been blown away by the ride after they were replaced. Guess the 'Bow-Tie-Boys' knew what they were doing when they designed these things.
I think the "air-space" in them prevents leaking if the fluid expands (heat/altitude). I have run into several that have leaked over the years - probably from overfilling, as when they were serviced and refilled they never leaked again.
I don't have any spares right now but, when I run into them I always try to pick them up and get them to people that need them or to one of the dealers.
Now I'm gonna have to rethink this Synthetic vs Dino-oil and the whole change interval thingy again - :rolleyes:

Vintage,
What you say about the "airspace" makes sense. I'm going to leave them as is. And yeah, since starting this "crusade" a lot of guys seem to be looking into this. I'm getting a few emails from guys wanting to know more. By the way, the set of 4 cocktail shakers (one with the broken/ cut mount)that I was watching on EBay went for $609.00. :eek:

Great post on before/after results. Thanks. I used to find them for $75 each. Wow. Maybe we should repro them. Hmmm, then they wouldn't fit without modifying the body attachment points!

$609!?!?!?!?! :eek:


That is just plain crazy!!! Last year when I was looking for them they could be had on Ebay for $150 for a set of four!! I think that I'll leave the ones that I have in the attic....I'm just glad I found some "extras" before the prices jumped!

$600 seems to be the going price for 69's. I've seen 67/68 for less but over the last 6-8 months the 69's seem to be a hot item for sellers.

The totals are combined 6cyl and V8's
67's = 25141
68's = 20440
69's = 17573

[ 09-18-2003, 08:15 AM: Message edited by: DjD ]