Anybody know whether the '64 Starfire had any kind of steering stabilizer from the factory? There's a weird wingy-looking doo-dad on my driver's side tie rod and it looks like it might have been connected to something at some time.

 

John, you're getting waaaaayy too technical I looked in the 64 CSM and couldn't find that description. Have a look at this pic and see if you can't pic out that doo dad

 

Dern if that thingy-wingy is pictured! ;-) It would be pretty weird for this car to have anything aftermarket, but it's possible. Plus, the patina and condition of the "wingy" matches that of the tie rod exactly.... it certainly isn't a late addition to the car; but God only knows the early (and middle) history of this car. Everything's just a guess. Plus, if somebody'd do just one "custom" thing to a car, what are the odds it would be a hydraulic steering stabilizer? !!! It's very odd. Wheel spinner, maybe; tissue dispenser, likely.

I'll get a pic of it this weekend and post here.

BTW, Allan, I do have the '64 Service Manual and did scour it for any info, to no avail. I just wanted to see if anybody else had any other ideas. I find the S.M. to be pretty sad in general. It's better than nothing, but each time I've referred to it, it's raised more questions than it's answered for me.

 

Well now you have me curious too. looking forward to the pic of that thang!

 

Here is a pic of the left tie rod and the attached "thing." It's a mystery to me... Maybe evidence of a removed aftermarket stabilizer?

 

I don't think either of mine has that gizmus, but I'll try to remember to look next time I'm out there. If they do I haven't a clue what it's for.

Is that a chambered pipe I see in that picture?

I really ought to go ahead and order a couple more sets from http://www.sweet-thunder.com/chamber..._starfire.html to make sure I'll have a future supply. Trying to talk my bud into putting them on his 66 Starfire and use only the rear resonators, but he's as bad off car-wise as I am- there are three Pontiacs and the Starfire that have not been started in a good long while.

 

Yes, Rocket... good eye. My guess is that they're original. Is that possible? Maybe not. As you prolly aware, with my car, what I see is what I get.... have no real idea of its early (especially) history. And even though I hate to brag , the car is incredibly original - still has less than 45k miles. It really appears never to have been tampered with.... But when the motor was rebuilt, they used new aftermarket bolts on the crossmember (as you can see) and motor mounts. They did the same thing with the seat tracks. I'm going to find some originals one day and replace them, or at least camoflage those shiny things in some fashion.

The upper control arm bushings were replaced in the last 5 years, but the rest of the front end appears original -- as you can see the accumulated gook.

Which makes the tie-rod "wingie" such a mystery.

This summer, I'm tackling the whole front end: a thorough disassembly, cleaning, and rebuild is in the works. Even tho' the car looks pretty, there's pretty much no end in sight if you have the perfectionism disease as I do....

(I noticed last night that the back-up lights are coming on in "L" in addition to "R" Hopefully, just a matter of a little neutral safety switch adjustment.)