Plastic shields 66-68 Toro

[Doc Hubler]

I think these were used also for 69-70, but can't confirm. I'm looking for the RH piece. I have the left hand one (you can see the number, 391473). RH is 391472. These are not mirror image pieces, though the go on the front corners of the frame of the car. I'm thinking of making some molds to make and sell these if there's interest and I can find an intact RH piece. There is an air dame that is a plastic/rubber sheet that attaches to the front bumper and frame. There is one other item that was missing completely from my car except for evidence of some rubber left around a bolt. These are also called shields and are on both RH and LH sides. One bolt attaches the piece to the frame with the bolt below the upper A-arm tower, closest to the firewall. Two other fasteners attach the piece to the bottom of the inner fenders, or filler plate, as GM calls it. Does anyone have those pieces? Seems they frequently get ripped off and discarded. Their purpose was to divert water and road grime from tires from getting into rear engine and lower firewall areas.

Shield 1.jpg (62.1 KiB) Viewed 12665 times

shield 2.jpg (63.03 KiB) Viewed 12665 times

[Doc Hubler]

The round area provides clearance for the sway bar.

[Otto Skorzeny]

My car ('66) has both end pieces as well as the center piece. All three are intact and largely undamaged.

There is also a piece of masticated rubber that acts as a splash shield and air deflector that covers the area between the bottom edge of the radiator support and the front bumper. This rubber piece keeps air moving straight through the radiator and keeps crap from flying up from the road into the radiator.

[Doc Hubler]

Yes, I have that piece, though it will take some major cleaning or more likely a replacement. There are two other (RH/LH) rubber shields. These go at rear of front tire area. One bolt to frame, and two to bottom of inner fender holds the piece on. Do you have those also? Any chance you would consider having a mold made of the other piece you have for the front plastic shields?

[Otto Skorzeny]

Are you talking about the long center piece? Where are you located? I'm in Atlanta.

I'll look to see if I have the rear rubber shields. I don't remember specifically.

The rubber splash guard material is available from McMaster-Carr.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#reinforced-rubber/=rzmjh2

[Otto Skorzeny]

I don't think I have the rubber parts that go at the rear of the wheel wells but I'd have to look more closely. I seem to recall seeing a fragment of that rubber dangling when I had the car on the lift.

Do you have those? Can you take a picture of them or give measurements? If I don't have any I'll buy some of that rubber stuff and cut a couple out.

[Doc Hubler]

Otto,

That's what I'm going to do. I suspect most of these got ripped off and thrown away. As far as the front plastic ones, I may be able to get those from Bill Hickey, local. Although one of his is at least broken. I will try to get the right pattern. There is a picture of this rubber shield in the repair manual, and I can get the page number for you if you're interested. Took me a while to figure out what it is! Knew there had to be something there because of the remnants left on the frame bolt.

[Otto Skorzeny]

When you say repair manual, are you talking about the FSM? I've been looking through it but can't find any pictures of the splash shields.

Steele sells the masticated rubber for $8 sq ft. What a gyp! It's probably cheaper to purchase mud flaps for a tractor trailer and just cut your shapes out of those.

Here's some from the ACME Rubber Company. If it's good enough for Wyle E. Coyote, it's good enough for me. I wonder if they sell those instant holes? I've always wanted one.

http://www.acmerubber.com/masticated.htm

Where do you live, Doc?

Are you going to put the vinyl top back on your car or leave it smooth?

[Doc Hubler]

Yes, I think I'll go to a ranch supply store nearby and buy that rubber stuff. The manual is the orange 1967 service manual for all Olds. In the Toro section, there is a small diagram of the rubber shields. I'll get the page number for you. Took me a while to find it, but I knew it had to be there somewhere. I also have the numbers for it from the parts interchange 1966-1968 book I have. Not surprisingly, these were the same. Probably all the way through 1970 even, but my book is only 6-68. I think almost all of these rubber pieces got ripped off. The original material was not that thick. We knew there had to have been something there, and looked around until we found two holes also on the inner fender for the thing to bolt to. The other place is under top a-arm, cowl-side. Usually, if the bolt is still there, there will be some rubber remnant left there. Anyway, I think used the master parts book and fond numbers, and then found the illustration in the service manual.

Yes, the vinyl roof is going back on. When the cars were built, they didn't really paint the tops and just glued the vinyl to the bare metal, so later of course corrosion became a problem. But the top is carefully sealed inside and out now. They look nice with vinyl tops I think. Again, the tops for GM E-bodies, that is, Toronado, Eldorado, and Riviera were all the same. Since Rivs are much more common, if I run into one of these that needs a new top, I'd take it off one of those.

I'm in WA state, in the SE part of that state. It's a desert area, so plenty of sunshine without the humidity and salty coastal areas, so cars generally don't rust away out here. UV is the big issue that burns paint, vinyl, and upholstery over time.

[Otto Skorzeny]

I have the 1966 FSM and I can't find anything about the splash shields, pictures or otherwise. I don't suppose there were dimensions given?

If you make your own would you post a photo of the template with dimensions?