<VV> Re: LM kick panel

[Mark Corbin]

While I don't doubt your sincerity, you'll have to pardon my skepticism. Of course, most LM's are at least 40 years old by now, so documenting something as "factory original" will be a challenge. But having worked for GM for 30 years and knowing how they operate, I am skeptical that ANY hardtop would have come with a two-piece kick panel assembly from the factory, even if the kick panel (cover) were a convertible part. And a specially built part just for "several" LM's, for any reason, is totally impossible IMHO. But, at this late stage in the game though, I guess anything is possible.

I've said over many years that I thought the convertable was almost an afterthought, and the proof is the kick panel situation. It's obvious to me that originally they thought the kick panel for the convertible would be the same for the hardtop. But somewhere during the LM's designing, they found out that the convert would need some extra bracing in that area and that that bracing would affect the design of the kick panel. So they HAD to design the two-piece set of parts just for the convertible. Had this been known before the hardtop's parts had been released for production (especially WAY before), I'd think that the factory would have elected to do a two-piece for the hardtops as well.

Sure, after they found this flaw, they could have had the hardtop kick panels redesigned, but it's design was already "set in stone." Nonetheless, had I been there to see this all take shape, I would have put in a savings suggestion. Just think of how many 55 gallon drums of that gray dum-dum they would have used in almost a quarter million cars just in one year! That would have more than offset the cost of making a new pair of molds so that the hardtop could use the convert's vent stack, but their own kick panel (cover). But I also suspect that why that didn't happen is because of management's order not to do any further development on the Corvair just after the '65's hit the market.

Yes, one can use a convert kick panel (cover) on a hardtop, but why? Too lazy to do it right? It's not difficult to cut the integral ventstack off a hardtop panel, so go ahead and do it. It's well worth the effort.

As far as the parts you said came from a 2-piece hardtop "factory" installation, I'd like to see them. 

(And I don't doubt the Corvette story, as I have had Corvette friends that have told me the same.)

-Mark


----- Original Message ----- 
From: 
To: J R Read_HML;airvair at earthlink.net;virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: 10/18/2007 2:38:34 AM 
Subject: Re: LM kick panel


JR,

The hump in the kick panel is so it can cover the added interior bracing used in the convertible. I'm working off memory here, as years ago I seem to remember I needed to complete the welding on the interior bracing on Jim Dodd's late turbo convertible when we restored it. The folks at GM never finished the job.

So in that light, convertible kick panels work in coupes / sedans as the hump covers a blank space. I guess you could add some bracing if you wanted.

Roy - Bayshore.

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "J R Read_HML" <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net> 

> OK... As I recall, the original question had to do with a 500 model. If I 
> were GM, I'd not be putting the Convert version in a 500 just because of the 
> additional costs involved. 
> 
> We all know that the "stack" as it has been referred to here (and which I 
> take to mean the air intake portion which contains the door for open/close) 
> is a separate piece (part) on the LM verts and that this is "integral" (read 
> that - all one piece) with the outer (the part that shows) piece on all 
> other models (2 dr or 4 dr), right? 
> 
> Are you telling me that a convert version can not be used in a 2/4 dr? I'm 
> afraid to ask... what HUMP are you talking about? What prevents use of the 
> vert kick panel on a 2/ 4 dr? 
> 
> Later, JR 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark Corbin" 
> To: ; 
> Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:19 PM 
> Subject: RE: Re: LM kick panel - VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 33, Issue 37 
> 
> 
> > Oooookay. So where did they get the kick panels? The coupe/4door kick 
> > panel 
> > doesn't have the hump in it like the convert does, but DOES have the 
> > integral vent stack. They'd have to have either modified the coupe/4door 
> > kick panel OR used the convert kick panel, which wouldn't fit right. 
> > 
> > The tech tip describes how to MODIFY the coupe/4door kick panel for use, 
> > something the factory would probably NEVER do. 
> > 
> > In other words, I'd have to see it to believe it. 
> > 
> > -Mark 
& gt; > 
> > 
> >> [Original Message] 
> >> Subject: Re: LM kick panel 
> >> 
> >> I have also found the "two / three piece style" in unmolested late model 
> > coupes. 
> >> 
> >> I'll bet these "convertible only" style vents are just like the big block 
> > hoods on small block mid 60's Corvettes. GM had them and used them to keep 
> > the production line moving. 
> >> 
> >> Roy - Bayshore 
> >> 
> >