1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 Convertible Barn find - But this one a 4-speed

Howmac · Guru

1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 Convertible Barn find - But this one a 4-speed

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Great to hear from you again. Loving the updates!

65Camino · Uber Guru

We know they always end up in purgatory but thanks to your efforts its starting all over again.
Hopefully much quicker this time.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

It's always nice to see them being done right. I'm sure this one will be as spectacular as the black one. Can't wait!

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Thanks Dave, that link works for me. They're doing excellent work!!!!

davepl · Poncho Master!

Paint! The car's in paint! Now they do about 10 stages and 20 cuts and who knows what else voodoo, but there's pigment on the thing which is a big change.

musclecarrestorations.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/Projects/EiJVsTk7kHJJmDtqJkPJawcByf235qcniWtQQV9OGpoZfg

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Looking good!

65 SD L79 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

BK22BK

Buffalo plant

November 22 assembly date

355 posi gears

davepl · Poncho Master!

I decode it as McKinnon Industries, which would make sense in Canada. Can I ask your reference? I could be wrong!

2qwik2c · Poncho Master!

Did you ever find NOS resonator tail pipes for the car?

davepl · Poncho Master!

No! If you know of any, let me know. If Garnder can't make them, the body shop will fab and aluminize them, but I can't imagine it's cheap! Here's what I have to go off...

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I suppose that full size, Chevelle and Nova each had their own size too. There's no way to tell since I think it came as a welded together tail pipe assembly. The reason I mention this is there's a guy I met years ago who lives in Las Vegas who reproduced the resonators for 66 L79 Nova.

ABC123 · Uber Guru

1969-Chevy-Full-Size-396ci-427ci-V8-Dual

1965-69 Chevrolet Full Size V8 Dual Exhaust with 4 Mufflers Waldron's Exhaust (waldronexhaust.com)

This listing covers model years 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969 Bel Air, Impala, and Caprices V8 stock with dual exhaust with mufflers and resonators. In these MYs, all body styles and all engines, except the 396SHP and the 427SHP, were stock with resonators. See listing 588616 if you have the SHP 396ci or 427ci or if you would like to eliminate the resonators from your system.

Photo depicts the dual exhaust for 1969 Bel Air, Biscayne, Caprice & Impalas with the stock 396ci or 427ci V8.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Looks nice but it sure won't cut it for the purists!

2qwik2c · Poncho Master!

The full size resonators are unique to full size only, all others are different. The resonators were made from stainless steel ( not a high quality stainless ). It would be a big task to replicate the resonators properly. NOS ones come up for sale once in awhile. One problem is the resonator pipes were never boxed or protected so the resonators always have some dents in them. There was a stash of nos resonator tail pipes found in Illinois awhile ago. I bought a set and a friend bought a set, they are still out there. I will keep an eye out.

davepl · Poncho Master!

The journey continues... here's a random current status pic!

-- Edited by davepl on Sunday 27th of August 2023 09:42:05 AM

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Lookin' good Dave!!! However, it looks like your Astro Vent may be up side down. The little thumbwheel is to be on the bottom of one of the louvers, it looks like it's on top of a louver.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Resonators: Here's 2 pics from a 1967 Popular Mechanics magazine rescued from the burn pile regarding the 1967 Impala Owner's Survey. The test car was a '67 Impala SS convertible, L35 396 with N10 duals. They do appear to hang inordinately low.

67 reader Impala frt 3-quarter.jpg

67 reader Impala rr 3-qtr.jpg

The test car was a neat one. I was able to figure out that it was an Impala SS convertible in Ermine white with medium blue top, Bright Blue (like the Indy Pace Car) buckets, 396, TH400 with 2.73:1 rear, power steering & power drum brakes, wire wheel covers, Protection Group (bumper guards, floor mats, door edge guards), Light Group (all courtesy lights plus Caprice front lamps), tinted glass, AM radio. The dual exhaust system was optional on the 396, standard on the L36 427 (in '66 through '69). I would fully expect the resonators to be the same ones used for your '69 2+2.

davepl · Poncho Master!

There was a mid year change (my Laurentian doesn't have thumb gripers at all), but are you saying you think they're reversed side to side? I'm not sure that's possible, as they're different side to side, no?

Anyone have a pic of an original so I can see what it's supposed to look like?

Edit: Just checked, my Brougham is the same way..

-- Edited by davepl on Sunday 27th of August 2023 02:45:55 PM

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

davepl wrote:
There was a mid year change (my Laurentian doesn't have thumb gripers at all), but are you saying you think they're reversed side to side? I'm not sure that's possible, as they're different side to side, no?
Anyone have a pic of an original so I can see what it's supposed to look like?
Edit: Just checked, my Brougham is the same way..

-- Edited by davepl on Sunday 27th of August 2023 02:45:55 PM

Hmm, the mid-year change was in 1970. 1969 had the thumbwheels hanging from the bottom of a louver, early 1970 had no thumbwheels (and a chrome plastic nozzle like 1969), late 1970 had no thumbwheels, but the nozzle is black and only chrome around the lip of the nozzle. Sounds like your Laurentian has early 1970 in it.

Anyway, it looks like the one in your photo just needs to be flipped 180 degrees top to bottom. As you said, the left and right will not fit in each others holes.

I've been keeping an eye on these in the wrecking yards to see which way is correct. They're always the thumbwheel on the bottom. At the 2018 POCI show in Wisconsin Dells, there was a really nice 69 Bonneville convertible, his L & R were different, but I couldn't remember which way was correct.

Re your Brougham, is that the gold one? Convertible?

ABC123 · Uber Guru

There was so many mid year changes with the 1969s that my head is spinning !

I have 7 dashes from 69 and 70.

After my broken arm heals, I will pull them down compare.

Cool part is that they are all dated.

Love the picture !!!

davepl · Poncho Master!

You're right! That's actually a 1970 dashpad in the blue car, as it has the 1970 glovebox lock as well. I forgot that!

I want to get this detail right, and in looking at old photos of my Laurentian, see they were on the bottom...

davepl · Poncho Master!

OK, I found enough photo evidence that I think you're right, and let them know. Thanks very much for catching it!

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

No problem. I doubt anyone would ever notice, but as I said a nice 69 Bonneville had them opposite ways which really tweaked me to wonder which way was correct. I suspect the odd car left the factory with either one or both up side down.

65 SD L79 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

CdnGMfan wrote:
Resonators: Here's 2 pics from a 1967 Popular Mechanics magazine rescued from the burn pile regarding the 1967 Impala Owner's Survey. The test car was a '67 Impala SS convertible, L35 396 with N10 duals. They do appear to hang inordinately low.

The test car was a neat one. I was able to figure out that it was an Impala SS convertible in Ermine white with medium blue top, Bright Blue (like the Indy Pace Car) buckets, 396, TH400 with 2.73:1 rear, power steering & power drum brakes, wire wheel covers, Protection Group (bumper guards, floor mats, door edge guards), Light Group (all courtesy lights plus Caprice front lamps), tinted glass, AM radio. The dual exhaust system was optional on the 396, standard on the L36 427 (in '66 through '69). I would fully expect the resonators to be the same ones used for your '69 2+2.

must have been a Canadian built car thing but my 67 Caprice 427 390 hp did not have resonators nor did my 65 L79 Beaumont so said the original owner