Trunk Divider Punchouts

[jmcbeth]

Just confirming a few things:

1. The cardboard trunk dividers on '69 Camaro Z/28s did NOT have jute backing, and
2. The two punchouts in the dividers SHOULD be punched out.

Also, I got the cardboard from Rick's and installed it this past weekend. The punch outs for the hangers were in the wrong locations. Since they are hidden behind the seat frame, I just cut new holes. Will I be OK at Nationals?

Thanks,

John

[Mark]

The two punchouts were originally done on a TSB issued to the dealers due to insufficient air flow into the trunk from the Astro Ventilation system.  I need to go see if that was a 68 or 69 TSB and the date.  Don't know if the factory ever pre punched the holes (these are two rectangular holes, one on either side of center).

[Camaro Billy]

John,
Ken Lucas punched out the rectangular holes when he installed a new one in mine. We got it from Heartbeat City, but I think it was the same one Rick's sells.
Billy

[Mark]

The cutouts were added by Service Technical Bulletin 68-T-22 issued on January 30th 1968.  One would assume it should have made it into production sometime around then.

[jmcbeth]

Perfect! Thanks for the info. Now I just have to confirm that the perforations in the cardboard are in the correct location. Then I will remove.

[GaryL]

The two punchouts were originally done on a TSB issued to the dealers due to insufficient air flow into the trunk from the Astro Ventilation system.  I need to go see if that was a 68 or 69 TSB and the date.  Don't know if the factory ever pre punched the holes (these are two rectangular holes, one on either side of center).

Where did the air go once in the trunk?

[Mark]

After about 5 years it went out the rust holes in the bottom of the trunk dropoffs.

[JohnZ]

Where did the air go once in the trunk?

It flowed forward on each side and exited through the black plastic one-way-flow vent grilles in the lock pillar.

[jmcbeth]

Where did the air go once in the trunk?

It flowed forward on each side and exited through the black plastic one-way-flow vent grilles in the lock pillar.

Isn't that the wrong way on the one way vents?

[Jrschev]

Where did the air go once in the trunk?

It flowed forward on each side and exited through the black plastic one-way-flow vent grilles in the lock pillar.

Which is part of the "Astro Ventilation" system developed by GM to eliminate vent windows and supposedly improve air flow through the cabin. You will notice in subsequent years that the heater blower motor could not really be turned off as it was meant to run continuously to constantly keep the cabin purged to eliminate the possibility of exhaust gases diluting the air in the cabin. The increased cabin pressure pushed the rubber flaps off of their seats and the cabin air was moved in to the trunk area and out the rust holes that "Mark" mentioned LOL......or out through the seams in the trunk. In our Camaros the Astro Ventilation does not work unless the car is moving down the road with air pressure forced on the cowl grille and down through the specially designed cowl baffling.

The GM engineers neglected to consider that these cars would actually be driven and get loose and leak all over. In a modern car it actually works very well because they are so much tighter and do not leak at all.

Anybody remember the Astro Ventilation Show Car Chevrolet debuted for 1968 to showcase this new system?

[JohnZ]

<<Isn't that the wrong way on the one way vents?>>

Nope. Air comes in through the cowl vent and dash/kickpad vents, goes under the rear seat into the trunk, and exits through the vent grilles in the lock pillar; see section 5 in the Fisher Body Service Manual.

[jmcbeth]

John,

Thanks for the picture. I thought I remembered that the rubber flap is on the back side of the vent and assumed that air pressure in that direction would press the flap against the vent, preventing air flow. I must be mis-remembering...

Nonetheless, that's a pretty ingenious engineering mod! Do you know what the original air flow design was?

[JohnZ]

Do you know what the original air flow design was?

Prior to Astro Ventilation, airflow came in through the kickpad vents and exited through either the opened vent windows, side windows, or through leaky door and window seals if the windows were closed.