69 X77 code Camaro Many fact questions.

[ckresto]

1)  When I paint the front fenders, what color is the inside supposed to be?  Black, car color, or oversprayed on?
2)  I have power steering and don't know what all is involved with the quick ratio steering.  Is it just the box, or is the pitman arm and steering
     nuckles different?
3)  What kind of trim goes with the X77?  Is there chrome on the headlight rings, and tailights?  As well as the rear fender louvers, etc..
4)  The car is Fathom Green.  Is it leagal to use bleack stripes instead of white?

[JohnZ]

The inner surfaces of the front fenders are semi-gloss black primer. X77 is base car exterior trim - no drip rail molding, wheel opening moldings, rear quarter louvers, etc. Fathom Green Z/28's had white stripes.

[william]

Z/28 standard fast-ratio steering was acomplished by steering linkage changes. The standard manual steering gear was utilized with a longer pitman arm and shorter steering arms.

Z/28s ordered with N44 [very few] also had a fast-ratio manual steering gear. It makes for miserable driving.

All 1969 Camaros with power steering used the same steering gear. Z/28s & SS so equipped used the fast ratio linkage pieces. A Z/28 with ps will have a pump with a deep groove pulley.

[GaryL]

The inner surfaces of the front fenders are semi-gloss black primer. X77 is base car exterior trim - no drip rail molding, wheel opening moldings, rear quarter louvers, etc. Fathom Green Z/28's had white stripes.

JohnZ, just a clarification, but doesn't the inner flange of the fender where the hood hinges bolt on get painted body color? And the inner fender get painted black?

[JohnZ]

Yes - all the visible fender surfaces are body color; the non-visible underside/back side of the fenders will only show light overspray. The separate inner fender was dip-primed or flow-coated semi-gloss black and was assembled to the outer fender long after the outer sheet metal was painted.

[waynechipman]

Sorry to disagree with some of the above info. But SS and Z/28 cars did use a different power steering gearbox, the quick ratio steering was not in the linkage but in how many turns lock to lock. It should have 2 and a quarter turns to be a quick ratio steering box. If not then it is not a quick ratio steering setup.

[Mark]

Theres only one power steering gear box used in Camaros power steering was RPO N40 and consisted of a power steering pump and short steering arms on the wheels.  It could be ordered on any camaro.  RPO N44 added the longer pitman arm shaft on the steering gear box which gave you the 2 1/4 turn lock to lock steering.  RPO N44 was an additional option over and above the RPO N40 power steering option.

RPO N44 Manual steering consisted of a different sector gear in the steering box than what was used for the standard manual steering box, in addition to the longer pitman arms and shorter steering arms.

[waynechipman]

Still have to quite disagree on that, the SS and Z/28 cars came with a quick ratio steering box. 2 and a quarter turns compared to up to four turns or so on plain jane and other cars. Now think about it for a little bit and do you really think a longer or shorter pitman arm is going to make a drastic change in lock to lock turns. unless maybe you you can fabricate some oddball really long pitman arm. Draw it out on paper if you need to see the lever principle in action. The turns lock to lock is dictated inside the steering box not by the length of pitman arm. One of you Camaro guys out there has to know this also.

[waynechipman]

Oh and by the way the quick ratio steering makes for a much more pleasureable driving experiance. Unless you like to take a quarter mile to change lanes on the freeway.

[william]

Nope, about 99.99% of 1969 Camaros used the same manual or power steering gear. If you ordered N44 on a non-SS/Z/28 the only difference was the longer pitman/shorter steering arms. Drum brake N44 cars received different backing plates.

[waynechipman]

So the qick ratio ones had different spindles with shorter arms then. if thats the case I stand corrected.

[waynechipman]

OK so can you order spindles with shorter steering arms I never see that addressed on any adds. If you cannot buy them then that is another good and quick way to spot a Z/28 clone. Im glad mine is mostly original. I have a lead on my original tranny I dont know if its going to pan out or not. If not I keep hunting for a dated case. im still trying to trace the previous owners back to the begining.

[william]

First gen Camaros have what GM identified as a "steering knuckle" same L-R. The steering arms bolted to the knuckles. I believe 2nd gens have a 1-pc assembly.

[JohnZ]

The spindle/steering knuckle, steering arm, hub, rotor, bearings, and caliper were received as a complete assembly; J52 power disc brake cars (except Z/28) used P/N 3954867-8 assemblies, and the Z/28's (which had J52 as a mandatory option) used P/N 3954869-70, which were identical except for shorter steering arms bolted to the knuckle. 

[waynechipman]

Learn something new every day. Sorry for my wrong information. A whole lot of people out there believe the steering gears were different for quick ratio, that was including myself, what You say makes sense, I will have to crawl under mine to check it out. My steering whell turns 2 and barely over an eighth turns lock to lock. Although I hadn't went as far as checking my spindles evrything lookes fine but I haven.t delved into looking close Yet. Again I apologize for my previous statements