OPGI Spotlight Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Colin's Corner

I've got the Blues...

Last issue of Colin’s Corner, I introduced you to my project vehicle—a 1969 Buick Special (entry level Skylark). The car is painted a beautiful shade of what I would call a “medium silver-blue”. Technically speaking, it’s known as “Crystal Blue” (code 53). I can’t tell you the number of people who swear up and down that it’s called “Marina Blue”. No, I tell them, it’s a Buick color, not a Chevrolet hue. I usually get a look that says “you don’t know your colors, man”.

Working at OPGI for more than a few years, one develops a pretty hefty knowledge base of the GM-A Body cars. At Original Parts Group, we have to be experts in the field—after all, what good is it when a customer can’t rely on you for accurate information? We deal primarily with restoration and performance parts and accessories, so the subject of paint colors and codes doesn’t come up that often. But when it does, somehow Marina Blue always enters the conversation. It’s just one of those colors.

I remember being at a big OPGI-sponsored car show a few years back. It was an all-GM show (of course), with just about every brand of The General being present. I came across a couple of guys gushing over a pretty blue ’65 Impala. “Marina Blue - awesome color” I heard. Wrong-o. I also remember a buddy of mine, years ago, telling me that his buddy had a ’70 Cutlass in Marina Blue”. Mmmm, sorry. I’ve even heard “knowledgeable” friends say they’ve seen ’68 and ’69 Chevelles in MB. Seems this color sure did get around a lot! Colin’s Corner Truth be told, the Marina Blue name is reserved for the Bow-Tie brand. And only for 2 short years: 1966 and ’67. Sure, Chevrolet was leading up to MB in ’65 with Nassau Blue and even Mist Blue. Marina Blue (GM code F) was officially introduced in 1966 models of full-size Chevrolet, Chevelle, Chevy II and Corvair. The Corvette got Nassau Blue - close. In ’67, MB was available on all Chevy models - full-size, Chevelle, Chevy II, Corvair, Camaro, Nova SS and Corvette.

In 1968, the closest color to MB Chevrolet produced was Tripoli Turquoise. 1969 saw Azure Turquoise. 1970-’72 was Mulsanna Blue, getting ever further away from the legendary Marina Blue.

Other GM marques had their own “versions” of MB. In 1967, Pontiac had Tyrol Blue (code F). In 1966 and ’67, Buick offered Blue Mist (code F), and in ’67 your could order Ermine Blue (also code F) on an Oldsmobile.

Of course, the really cool thing about paint colors back in “the day” was the variety. Just for a little time trip, log onto www.autocolorlibrary.com sometime. Check out any of the GM brands from the 1960s and early ’70s. Just about every year offered at least 3 or sometimes even 4 different shades of blue. Compare that to today’s offerings. Blue? Sure, probably. But just oneshade, hey, let’s not get carried away!

Headlight bezel re-furb...

Headlight bezels are one of those items that are literally “out there”. Out there, at the front of your car, taking the hits. Stone chips and dings can make your otherwise beautiful car look like a road weary warrior.

Sure, if you own just about any year Chevelle, OPGI has fresh new factory-correct headlight bezels for your ride. But, if your car is a little more off the beaten path - like my project ’69 Buick, new bezels aren’t on the menu, yet. In this installment of Colin’s Corner, I’m going to show you how I took the budget approach to re-finishing my existing, tired and beat up headlight bezels. Costs to do this are at a minimum (we all like that part); all it requires is a little time and effort and you’ll be ready for the car shows again!

How to install a cowl induction system

Does a working cowl induction system add more horsepower to your Chevelle? Actually, no. But it sure looks awesome, and it’s doesn’t require years of wrenching experience to install.

Whether your car was originally cowl induction equipped or not, we’ll show you how to install the complete system. In a few hours, with some basic tools, you’ll be flashing warning signs to all the other muscle on the street.

All of the parts we’ll need are available from Original Parts Group: hood, cowl induction door assembly, hood screen, air cleaner spacer, cowl induction air cleaner assembly, a/c intake relay, a/c wing nut, vacuum actuator, vacuum actuator support, c/i wiring harness, firewall grommet, valve frame kit, air control switch and bracket, flow control valve, hood pins (if desired).

Tip: Whether you’re using your existing cowl equipped hood or a brand new one, you should remove the hood from the car and place it upside down on a firm level surface, at least a foot off the ground. You can install the system with the hood still attached, but it’s much easier when removed. Hood removal is very simple, and you will need two people to do it. Unscrew the 4 bolts that retain the hood to its hinges, and carefully lift.

First, a few words of advice and precautions:

• A cowl induction system can be installed on any ’70-’72 Chevelle that is equipped with a four-barrel carburetor. This includes the following engines: 350, 396 and 454.
• You’ll want to prime and paint your hood before installing the cowl system. Be sure to paint the cowl door and screen body color.
• Be very careful working around the underside of the hood. It is stamped sheet metal, and all the edges are very sharp!
• When reinstalling the hood, make sure you line it up correctly on its hinges. This is done by lightly tightening the bolts, then gently shutting the hood to check for fit. Once you’re satisfied, tighten all 4 bolts with a socket wrench.

In our first step, we’ve inserted the valve frame cage flap into the valve frame cage using the 3 supplied retaining clips. We’ve also inserted the electric solenoid into its pre-attached retaining bracket. All the parts necessary for this step are included in OPGI’s “complete valve frame setup”.

With the cowl induction hood placed upside down on a firm surface and raised off the ground, insert the assembled valve frame setup into the hood opening. Secure with the 6 supplied self-tapping screws using a 5/16” socket wrench.

Next, we insert the firewall grommet into the pre-stamped hole in the hood, and feed the tan colored wire from the wiring harness through the grommet. Then, attach the tan colored wire terminal to the solenoid. You will access the solenoid through the large air cleaner hole in the center of the hood.

Now we will assemble the hood door. Attach the 2 door supports (one at each side of the hood door) using the supplied bushings and pivot screws. The cowl induction hood door assembly kit is available from OPGI. Even with the screws fully tightened, the door supports will feel loose and not really firmly connected to the hood door. This is normal, as the hood door must be allowed to open and close freely.

Now that the hood door is assembled, we’re going to install it into the hood. Lay the hood door into the pre-stamped hole in the hood, and attach it by screwing 4 (2 each side) 3/8” self tapping bolts through the hood door supports. NOTE: due to irregularities in metal stampings, you will need to shim the door supports (using washers) in order to properly align the hood door. Look under the hood (actually, on top of the hood) and make sure that you shim the door so that it sits flush with the hood surface!

Before you finally tighten down those door supports, make sure the hood door is able to open and shut freely! There should be at least 1/16” of clearance between the door and the actual hood. Don’t forget to take into consideration the thickness of new paint!

Next, insert the vacuum actuator into the vacuum actuator support and fasten to the hood using 4 1/4” self-tapping bolts. Then, attach the vacuum actuator “throw” to the cowl hood door using the supplied screw.

Now that we’ve got all the hood hardware in place, we’re going to attach the cowl hood screen to the rear of the hood opening using 8 self-tapping screws. This will keep out those pesky leaves and unusually large bugs!

Because there’s no vacuum in the system yet, the door will remain in its open position.

You may be wondering why your ’70-’72 A-body has three big gaping holes in the cowl grille area (just below the windshield). Well, they’re obviously for air flow, but for some strange reason the factory left them open and unprotected. To keep out leaves and other extraneous junk, you may want to invest in a set of cowl grill inserts (also available from Original Parts Group). They simply snap into place.

The entire hood should be reattached to the car at this point. Have a friend help, and take your time to make sure both sides of the hood align properly with the fenders.

Now we’re going to get the whole system activated. If wire routing and switch installation intimidate you, you’re in for a treat here. This is a pretty simple set-up. Just follow along.

Attach the air cleaner intake valve relay assembly to the firewall using a #10 self-tapping screw. This unit sends a “hot” signal from the wiring harness to the cowl induction solenoid.

There’s a black colored “plug” located in the firewall just behind the engine’s valve cover. Pop it open and insert the pink and brown colored leads from the wiring harness, as well as the braided section of wire. The pink and brown leads will feed down and attach to the air control valve solenoid switch, which we will install at the gas pedal. The braided section of the wiring harness will also feed down and attach to the car’s existing wiring harness. At the gas pedal, you will need to remove the existing retaining plate.

Attach the air control valve solenoid switch to its bracket using the supplied screw. Now fit the bracket to the existing holes where you removed the retaining plate before. The protruding post on the side of the solenoid switch will press against the gas pedal linkage upon full throttle acceleration, actuating the vacuum and opening the cowl hood door.

Attach the pink and brown wire leads to the terminals on the solenoid switch (the fitting shape will be obvious), and attach the braided section to the existing wiring harness under your dash. This last connection will provide power to the entire cowl induction system.

Back in the engine compartment, plug the 2 remaining short wires into the air cleaner intake valve relay assembly (again, the fitting shape will be obvious). Now route the tan colored wire (that attaches to the electric solenoid we installed at the beginning of this project) through the wiring sheath on the firewall to protect it.

You’ll need to place the cowl induction spacer assembly on top of the carburetor. This ring simply sits atop of the carb, and allows the air cleaner to sit up a little higher, into the cowl hood.

Attach the cowl induction air cleaner flange and seal kit (part#KC1500 black lid) or (part#KC1501 chrome lid).

Now you’ll have to fit a 1/4” rubber hose (not included in kit, but available from any auto parts supply store) to the vacuum actuator. Then route the hose to fit the other end to the vacuum port located on the intake manifold just behind the carburetor. The vacuum port is standard on all Chevelles, as it is used for other vacuum operated accessories.

Fire it up and grab a few shifts. Watching that cowl door open under full throttle makes it all worthwhile!

The First Hurst/Oldsmobile

Ever hear the story of how the first Hurst/Olds came to be? It’s a good one. I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version here: Back in 1968, John Beltz, Oldsmobile’s chief engineer, wanted to boost the performance image of his division’s A-Body. Hurst-Campbell and Mr. Beltz got together and decided to slip a batch of “breathed on” Toronado 455s V8s between the fenderwells of 515 Cutlass 4-4-2s. With Hurst installing the mega-motors, not Oldsmobile, they had squirmed around GM’s corporate edict banning engines of more than 400 cubes in the GM intermediate body style.

But it was already the end of April, 1968, and very close to the end of the model year production. The H/Os had to be built and shipped out to dealers in time to serve as end-of-the-year traffic builders. If the cars arrived in showrooms after the ’69s were out, they would be of no use to Oldsmobile. Lansing industrialist John Demmer provided warehouse facilities in which the cars were built; a crowded, makeshift assembly line was forged and local suppliers were put on full scale alert. Amid cries of protest from the marketing folks at Oldsmobile, 515 Peruvian Silver H/Os were hustled together in just under a month. Marketing thought the entire program was a complete waste of time and money, claiming the cars would never sell. Two days after Olds announced the availability of the car, more than 900 orders came pouring in. The next day the order tally hit 2600! Supply and demand was seriously out of whack, and a lot of dealers were left out in the cold. The ’68 Hurst/Olds stepped into the history books as the rarest H/O ever produced.

Cranking out 390 horsepower and a road-ripping 500 ft.lbs. of torque, this firebreathing musclecar could chew up just about anything on the road. With a 10.5:1 compression ratio and 3.91:1 gears harnessing all that torque, the H/O was good for mid-13 second quarters all day, all the while lavishing its cargo in traditional Olds comfort and prestige.

The ’68 Hurst/Olds was the first and fastest in a long line of legendary Oldsmobiles produced in conjunction with the Hurst-Campbell company. Only 515 of these cars were built. After the ’68 model year, all future H/Os would increase in production, and decrease in power. Lowest production numbers, an understated appearance package, and a rated 390 horsepower make the first H/O the most collectible of all.

If you happen to be restoring one of these beasts, or are thinking about possibly turning your Cutlass into an H/O clone, keep in mind Original Parts Group has pretty much every restoration part you’ll need to get the job done. Of course, OPGI stocks all the “standard” Cutlass restoration items (inside and out), but we also carry the more unique stuff - from H/O deck lid and fender emblems (for the ’68-’72 cars), to those cool bright red inner fenderwells!

Top 5 little known facts about the first Hurst/Olds

• Of the 515 cars built, 459 were Cutlass Holiday 2-door hardtops. 56 were 2-door post coupes.
• All 515 ’68 H/Os were hand pinstriped by one man; Paul Hatton. Hatton did them all in one month,   and charged $20 per car. That’s over $10,000 for one month’s work!
• The 455 cubic-inch engines were pulled directly from the Toronado line, and were purposely    assembled with incredibly loose piston clearances of 3-4 thousandths of an inch.
• Only the first car was equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission. It ran the 1/4 mile in 12.97 sec.@108 mph. All other ’68 H/Os came with the TH400 auto and the Hurst Dual Gate Shifter.
• All were painted Peruvian Silver (code ZZ); a “Toronado only” color.