Did Bill Thomas build Camaros outside NICKEY?? - Page 2

beater68427 · #11 01-27-2009, 06:22 PM

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Did you say it was an "east coast"/Orange County built car? Any idea when it went west? Just as an aside, the whole "yellow engine" thing is way overblown IMO. Yes, both Nickey & Bill Thomas might have painted an engine or engines yellow, but, so did many others back in the day. One yellow engine on the cover shot of one of the first Nickey/Bill Thomas cars has created a false idea that all of them were yellow.

You are correct in the idea that, most of the conversions were done on V-8 cars at least, and, L78 cars once available. That doesn't mean that someone didn't take a six cylinder car to Bill Thomas for work to be done at some point. If you can prove that, it would be a very cool car.

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As far as engine color, I take that with a grain of salt, the engine has been painted a multitude of times and once was yellow over orange, I did not think color ment anything I figured they were all orange, I'm sure the car is just someones old hot rod, it has had a serious time of racing but never a cage, the vin shows it was a Norwood car, and production number seems late, but has black CA plates hence 68-69 last reg shows 78 on them. nothing after that nothing in system. The glass over steel stinger hood made me wonder where it is from? and some of the items on the car, The guy I had purchsed it from seemed to have "Chemical Problem" and made we a little leary on no title.

**Stefano** · #12 01-27-2009, 08:57 PM

Nickey advertised that they would paint your 427/Conversion any color that you wanted. Yellow was one of the options and a color that no other MFG was using at that time.

The only other Builder that we have found to use Yellow on a regular basis was Ed Pink.

**sixtiesmuscle** · #13 01-28-2009, 12:53 AM

My point is that too many people place way too much weight on an engine being, or not being, yellow to try to determine if there was a Nickey/Bill Thomas connection to a specific car. I'm sure this comes from the well known cover shot of Bill Thomas techs installing a yellow painted engine into a red Camaro.

COPO_Anders · #14 01-28-2009, 01:29 AM

It COULD be the real deal, the colour is just one little sign, not proof. It always takes proof to be certain.

beater68427 · #15 01-28-2009, 07:30 AM

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My point is that too many people place way too much weight on an engine being, or not being, yellow to try to determine if there was a Nickey/Bill Thomas connection to a specific car. I'm sure this comes from the well known cover shot of Bill Thomas techs installing a yellow painted engine into a red Camaro.

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On this car I have no reason there is any Nickey association, I find alot of parts on it interesting, I know it has some form of past to find it would be great, and for engine color being a factor on anything is really no credit, Like I said in the past it has been painted and painted rebuilt and blown up but was yellow once, I just find as I dug into the car and era of the parts find it interesting date codes etc, and with parts on the car makes me wonder if this ever went on. on the other side of things found out the block is 4.350 overbore (not good) and rusty at that....

beater68427 · #16 01-31-2009, 06:18 AM

A little update on the car, I found it intesting after today with the code on the rear in tech, so here is the rear also here, be code has 4:88 gears now, also restored the front wheels and tires they look good, not sure on wheel codes but they are k 18 space 3 and if I remember correct TW on the other side of the valve stem sorry forgot my notes at the shop.... The tires and wheels came on the car decided to just restore what was there, the engine on the other had needs some love.... 4.350 kicked two rods 1 and 2 heads look great they are next to the tires in pic (gave them a bath today) so its still a mystery machine...

camarojoe · #17 01-31-2009, 08:42 AM

So now that you've shown you can take and post photos... lets see some pics of the car.

beater68427 · #18 01-31-2009, 04:49 PM

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So now that you've shown you can take and post photos... lets see some pics of the car.

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soon grasshopper.... its ugly

beater68427 · #19 01-31-2009, 05:33 PM

I do not really have the money to spend on the 427 Its going to be a major job, so I was thinking for now just putting this in with a clean up, good runner 10.5 comp with a small solid roller 5.75 5.88 227 and 232 @ .050 on 112* made good power and I can use the money to have the car ready for spring, and just fix the 427 next summer.

x Baldwin Motion · #20 01-31-2009, 07:21 PM

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So now that you've shown you can take and post photos... lets see some pics of the car.

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soon grasshopper.... its ugly

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Ugly is good. then we can all go ooo and ahhh after you wash it !!