THETALEPIPE

PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL CORVETTE RESTORER’S SOCIETY 3rd QUARTER 2007 ISSUE

LONE STAR REGIONAL 2007

WACO, TEXAS

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE By Charlie Cadenhead ⎯ President, Texas Chapter, NCRS There has been a change at the helm folks. Tom O’Grady chose to not stand for reelection as President of our chapter when his term ended. Tom’s day job seems to have him on an airplane or in a hotel in some foreign country for what seems like forever and he felt that he was not able to devote the time necessary to the Chapter. I attempted to convince Tom that the 5 to 10% of his time that is actually spent in Houston could easily handle NCRS duties, time in the office plus maintain a home life but I was unsuccessful in selling that idea. Prior to Tom’s vacating the position; however, he had to find someone to fill the void that would occur when he left. With something similar to a giant sucking vacuum, Tom stepped aside and yours truly was elected President at the General Membership Meeting recently held at Waco. On behalf of all members of the Texas Chapter, I take this opportunity to thank Tom for his service to the chapter. Tom’s time as President was actually split into two terms as the result of his and Sharon’s temporary relocation to Atlanta a couple of years ago and we are glad to have them back. Because of the need to fill the position of Vice President – External Affairs that I vacated, Tim Ehlers was asked to stand for election to the position and he graciously agreed. Tim was elected to the office at the General Membership Meeting in Waco. Thanks Tim. As the result of our Membership Chairman Tim Gilmore “retiring” from his Chairman’s position, we are in the process of finding a member to volunteer for the position and hope to wrap this up within the next day or two. Thanks Tim for your work in handling the tasks of processing new members and keeping our member records current. The Lone Star Regional held in Waco was a great success. Many compliments for our Chapter and for the members that helped put it were received from the attendees. Many of the attendees remarked that our Regional is a “must attend” event for them. Thanks to all of you who worked to make it happen. The next event on our calendar is a Chapter Meet to be held in conjunction with the Corvette/Chevy Expo that will be held in Houston on February 15 & 16. Following that, we have the Chapter Road Tour to be held in April 2008. Please see John’s article on the Road Tour elsewhere in this issue. I appreciate all the work that is done by our Chapter members in making the Texas Chapter one of the best and look forward to working with you in the future. A hearty thanks to Tom O’Grady and Tim Gilmore for their past contribution to the Texas Chapter.

Please Confirm Your E-mail by Sending an E-Mail to:

cadencefc@aol.com & gchesnut@charter.net

DFW Area Coordinator Houston Area Coordinator Austin-San Antonio Area Coordinator Ken Smith Doug Muller Vacant PO Box 670296 40203 Cimarron Way Dallas, TX 75367-0296 Magnolia, Tx 77354 (972) 490-8281-H (281)880-8405 vette69@airmail.net doug_muller@oxy.com

Membership in the NCRS is open to persons interested in the restoration, preservation, history and enjoyment of Corvettes produced by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Corporation. NCRS is not affiliated with Chevrolet or General Motors. NCRS registered marks used in "The Talepipe" are NCRS Founders Award®, NCRS Master Judge Award®, NCRS Performance Verification Award®, NCRS Flight Award®, and NCRS Sportsman Award® are registered with the United States Department of Commerce and Trademark Office. The NCRS American Heritage AwardSM application is pending.

Membership in the Texas Chapter of the NCRS is open to all members of the NCRS National Organization. Dues of the Texas Chapter are $20 per year, payable to the Membership Chairman of the Texas Chapter NCRS

Texas Chapter Officers

President Charlie Cadenhead 5303 Mountain Grove Ct. Spring, TX 77379-5505 (281) 379-3693 cadenfc@aol.com Vice President Robert Cook 8047 Moss Meadow Drive Dallas, TX 75231 (214) 349-6232 prelim@cs.com Vice President-External Affairs Tim Ehlers 12640 Kluge Rd Cypress, Tx 77429 TEhlers@hess.com Secretary Bill Usher 3424 Bayshore Dr. Bacliff, TX 77518

(713) 859-0312 wbusher@msn.com Treasurer Sherrye Coleman 2402-C Taylor Ln Pearland, TX 77581

(281) 992-5263 larryc@texaselectric.com Judging Chairman Bob Demmel 3225 Mason Drive Plano, TX 75025

(972) 377-2096 rjdemmel@comcast.net Events Director Ken Robb 1013 Forest Park Dr. Weatherford, TX 7087 (817) 596-72259 kvrobb@charter.net Membership Director Tim Gilmore 9227 Knoll Crest Loop Austin, TX 78759 (512) 502-9598 Newsletter Editor Debbi Wrobliske 20139 Glen Breeze Court Kingwood, TX 77346

(713)562-2884 thetalepipe@comcast.net Webmaster Mike Robb submit information to: Gary Chesnut (817) 579-5242 gchesnut@charter.net

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SECRETARY’S REPORT Bill Usher, Secretary MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 25th, 2007 MEETING OF THE TEXAS CHAPTER, NATIONAL CORVETTE RESTORER’S SOCIETY: TIME & PLACE The National Corvette Restorer’s Society, Texas Chapter held a meeting in the Waco convention center on Thursday , October 25th , 2007, concurrent with the Lone Star Regional meet in Waco, Texas. This official meeting open to all members was preceded by two telephonic “board” meetings held on August 16th and September 21st

respectively. The primary topics of discussion were the planning, organization and execution of the Waco meet itself. Typically, status reports were provided by various members charged with responsibilities with respect to the Waco event and where necessary, various initiatives and corrective actions were authorized. President Tom O’Grady called and emceed the telephonic sessions which were scheduled for 6PM on those dates. QUORUM: Officers present were: Tom O’Grady, Texas Chapter President; Gary Chesnut , NCRS Regional Director, Bob Cook, Vice President; Charlie Cadenhead, Vice President-External Affairs; Bill Usher, Secretary; Sherrye Coleman, Treasurer; Ken Robb, Website Coordinator, Bob Demmel, Judging Chairman;; Debbi Wrobliski, Texas Chapter Newsletter Editor; John Lejsal, Chapter Road Tour Chairman; Tom Douglas, Merchandising Coordinator, Tim Gilmore, Membership Chairman; The names of meeting attendees are reflected on the official

attendance sheet. Based on the number attending the meeting, the Secretary determined a Quorum was present. CALL TO ORDER At 7:05PM President O’Grady called the meeting to order. Bill Usher, Secretary, took the minutes of the meeting. BUSINESS Tom O’Grady opened the meeting by welcoming all attendees and thanking the members for their participation and support for the Lone Star Regional meet. He discussed some statistics regarding the event including the large number of judged cars this year. He introduced the Texas Chapter officers present. He announced that in this meeting that the membership would be electing the Chapter Vice President and the Chapter President. Mr. O’Grady also stated that he would not be standing for reelection for the 2008-2009 term due to his heavy travel schedule. At Mr. O’ Grady’s invitation, Gary Chesnut gave several updates with respect to “National”. One had to do with the NCRS . involvement in the Barrett Jackson Classic Auto auction, which would feature on site consulting and advice to potential buyers. He also discussed the new Award verification service which would allow buyers or 3rd parties to be able to obtain verification of “claimed” NCRS awards for corvettes claimed to have won awards in the past. Some discussion followed regarding these changes, after which, Mr. Chestnut returned the floor to Mr. O’Grady. Next Mr. O’Grady, turned the meeting over to Bill Usher, Secretary who discussed the election procedure and sought nominations from the membership for the two positions previously described. For Vice President, incumbent Bob Cook, was nominated. No other nominations were received. When held, the vote was unanimous for Mr. Cook.

For President, External Affairs VP Charlie Cadenhead was nominated. No other nominations were received. When held, the vote was unanimous for Mr. Cadenhead. With Mr. Cadenhead’s election, the position of External Affairs Vice President became available. Mr. Tim Ehlers was nominated for this position with no additional nominations being made. When the vote was held, the results were unanimous for Mr. Ehlers. With the election process completed, Mr. Usher turned the floor back over to Tom O’Grady. Mr. O’Grady then asked for a round of applause for the newly elected officers and the meeting proceeded. Next Mr. O’Grady asked for the report of the Road Tour Chairman. John Lesjal said that he was planning for a spring 2008 road tour to West Texas Big Bend country. It would be 5 days in length and be held the 1st week of April. He explained briefly how he saw the route taking shape. He said that more details would be forthcoming. It should be noted for the record that, Sherrye Coleman, Treasurer, submitted updated Chapter financial statements through September 30th, 2007. These statements reflected a closing account balance of $25,108.23 with $15,028.63 in the general account and $10,079.60 in the savings account. Lone Star Regional specific income (through event date) was $24,057.50 with corresponding expenses of $6,705.16. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:20PM FINANCIAL REPORT By SHERRYE COLEMAN Chapter Texas Chapter Quarter Ending

9/30/07 NCRS CHAPTER FINANCIAL STATEMENT Opening Balance: $ 15,445.19 INCOME Membership Dues $ 310.00 Events (chapter meets, schools etc.) $ 15,085.00 Other $ 11.97 Total Income $ 15,406.97 EXPENSES Events $ 4,134.16 Dues Related $ -0- Newsletter $ 1,209.77 Other $ 400.00 Total Expense $ 5,743.93 Closing Account Balance $ 25,108.23

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2007 Lone Star Regional, Waco, By Ken Robb Well, the 2007 Lone Star Regional was a tremendous success because of all the Chapter membership support. It was one of the largest turnouts of cars and people. There were 93 cars displayed and judged. Thanks to Bob Demmel and his team for all their work in handling the cars, owners and judges. We had cars from 1954 to a 2007 Indy Pace car won at the NCM. There were 273 paid public attendees during the 2 days. Dave Ewan again supplied his usual excellent awards banquet table decorations. The silent auctions raised some very serious dollars for Happy Hill Farm. I can’t say enough to thank everyone for their support in making the Regional the success it was. The 2008 dates are Oct. 23-25.

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JUDGING CORNER By Bob Demmel If you missed the Lone Star Regional in Waco October 25-27, then you missed one heck of a show! This year’s edition saw 93 cars from all over the country converge on Waco. There were 57 Flight Judged cars, 15 cars for Performance Verification, 2 Founders Operations, 9 Sportsman and 12 Duntov, Bowtie, Crossed Flags and Special Display cars. In addition to all the cars there were over a dozen vendors selling everything from fine art prints to restored gas pumps and all sorts of new and used parts for that restoration. The show opened Thursday with the arrival and placement of the cars and vendors in the Waco Convention Center. Operations checks were performed in the parking area. Friday dawned with flight judging beginning at 8:30 AM and continuing right through to 5:00 PM with several classes full with 8 cars each. Saturday the flight judging again began at 8:30 AM but was finished by 4:00 PM. The team leaders kept the paperwork coming as the tab team kept it all moving and straight. The banquet saw the presentation of the Flight, PV, Founders Operations and Sportsman awards. In addition the Chapter presented the Chapter Year of the ’57 plaque to Dave Ewan and Buddy Herin both of whom brought out their ’57 Corvettes. A special Year of th e’57 plaque was presented to “Lefty” Chesnut for all the work he did on his “Stealth ‘57”. A complete list of awards follows this article. The Texas Chapter Support Team Awards were presented to Sharon Anderson, Chuck Anderson, Linda Deneault, Sam Deneault, Dave Ewan, Bill King, Dave King, John Lejsal and Vicki Robb for all their outstanding contributions that made the meet so successful. A special thanks to this years sponsors, Automania, Houston Corvette Service RDS Industries. Bob Cook also deserves thanks for contributing several prints to the silent auction. Mark your calendars for the Lone Star Regional III October 23-25, 2008.

PV Dave Ewan 1957 PV Passed Danny Reed 1962 PV Passed Richard Smith 1962 PV Passed Roger Wilkerson 1964 PV Passed Charles Banks 1967 PV Passed Pat Sullivan 1971 PV Passed Larry Coleman 1972 PV Passed Robert Binder 1990 PV Passed

Founders Dave King 1971 Teresa King 1982 Sportsman Charlie Cadenhead 1964 Don Clark 1966 Chris Piscitello 1967 Carl Droste 1970 Darrell Suber 1995 Sherri Demmel 2003 Debbi Wrobliske 2004 Jim Galinsky 2004 Noel Osborn 2006 Bowtie Display Keith Melebeck 1967 Sonny Maldanado 1967 Phil Pitalo 1978 Gilbert Scrivner 1984

Duntov/McLellan Display Bill Usher 1961 Richard Leonard 1965 Pat Sullivan 1971 James Youens 1973 Chuck Hamner 1982 Randy Hebert 1982 Special Interest Tom Ames 1966 Danny Reed 1969 Chuck Nixon 2007 Flight Cars Jay Peterson 1953 Top Flight JB Durham 1954 Top Flight Buddy Herrin 1957 Top Flight Richard Smith 1958 Top Flight Robert Taylor 1958 2nd Flight

Marc Wilcox 1958 Top Flight Carl Hamilton 1959 Top Flight Kelley McKenzie 1960 Top Flight Ken Betts 1962 2nd Flight Leonard Nagel 1962 Top Flight Terry Robertson 1962 Top Flight Bob Muhs 1960 Top Flight Danny Dale 1961 2nd Flight Kimble Howard 1961 2nd Flight Bill Moore 1961 Top Flight Richard Jones 1963 Top Flight Mark Perkins 1964 2nd Flight Gary Naber 1965 Top Flight Dwight Paul 1965 Top Flight Rob McPherson 1965 Top Flight Ronnie Steinmann 1965 Top Flight Bob Coons 1966 Top Flight Gary Draper 1966 3rd Flight David King 1966 2nd Flight Jack Barnett 1967 Top Flight Paul Dehnert 1967 Top Flight Paul Dogali 1967 Top Flight Carl Evertt 1967 Top Flight Richard Hutto 1967 2nd Flight Bill Moore 1967 2nd Flight Tom O'Grady 1967 Top Flight Chris Piscitello 1967 Top Flight Chris Piscitello 1967 Top Flight Steve Rainey 1967 Top Flight Alvin Steinmann 1967 Top Flight Jeffrey Slakter 1967 Top Flight Pat Sullivan 1967 Top Flight Steve Vaughan 1967 Top Flight Joe Demesy 1969 Top Flight Joe Demesy 1969 Top Flight Gary Hobbs 1969 Top Flight Bob Moellinger 1969 Top Flight Michael Wright 1969 Top Flight Joe Blount 1970 Top Flight J. Bryan Whitworth 1971 Top Flight John O'Haire 1972 Top Flight Mel Thurman 1972 2nd Flight Bruce Knierim 1973 Top Flight Greg Cupples 1974 Top Flight John Main 1975 2nd Flight Ralph Lackner 1977 Top Flight Doug Banner 1978 2nd Flight Carl Russelburg 1978 2nd Flight David Gulley 1989 Top Flight Bob Leeds 1993 Top Flight

Corvette Barn Find Chapter 3 – Reassembling the Chassis and Firing the Engine This is the third chapter of the story of the restoration of a 1966 Corvette rescued from the original owner’s field in central Indiana. It had been sitting outdoors for about 10 years at the time of the rescue. For a copy of Chapter 1 - A Corvette in Need of Rescue! or Chapter 2 – Body Lift and Disassembling the Chassis contact Tim and Carla Ehlers at tcehlers@sbcglobal.net. By February of 2004, the frame repair was finished and all the other chassis and suspension components were restored. It was finally time to begin the reassembly. Carla and Tim made a pretty good team restoring the dozens of bolts, nuts, washers, and other fasteners. Our process of wire wheeling, sandblasting, and plating each one took many hours of patient work. Tim was active on the Corvette restoration discussion boards and read many reference manuals to determine the correct finish of each fastener.

There was a seemingly endless list of parts that needed restoration and reassembly. Another addition to the shop saw plenty of use, a 20 ton hydraulic press. Tim would hold the parts in position and Carla would operate the press. Sometimes the parts would snap into position which would create a loud pop and cause both of us to jump! The right tool can make all the difference and a press simplified the installation of bushings and u-joints. The rolling chassis was complete in April. The gloss level of the paint and the finish on bolts and brackets was correct. We reproduced the shim and paint markings just as they were applied on the assembly line and we had a stencil made which shows the date

the frame was built with the correct part numbers. In May, we shifted gears to concentrate on the engine and drive train. It was a nasty job to disassemble the engine. A fellow club member recommended Competition Automotive Machine for engine machine work. We enjoyed working with the machine shop and the family of former drag racers that ran it. Since this was the original engine and the preservation of the engine stamping was vitally important, we made it very clear that they could not damage the stamp pad in any way! Fortunately, the deck surfaces of the block were still true so no machining was required. The Holley carburetor was a source of aggravation to the original owner and regularly gave them trouble. One story they passed on was from a vacation to Yellowstone Park. The carburetor was flooding the engine causing it to stall while they were surrounded by park wildlife! They were able to get to a campground where they were able to make a temporary repair and continue on their vacation. Since the original Holley had been replaced, we bid on a correctly numbered junker on eBay. Between the two carburetors we had enough parts to build one good one. Holley offers a yellow dichromate replating service which we took advantage of to restore the olive green exterior surface. We reassembled the engine in June and installed it in the chassis in July. All went smoothly and by July the clutch and transmission were bolted to the engine and the whole assembly installed in the chassis.

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Corvette Barn Find Chapter 3 – Reassembling the Chassis and Firing the Engine continued Tim really wanted to start and test run the engine before dropping the body back on the frame. If problems developed they’d be easier to address. Ideally, he would also figure out a way to drive the bare chassis like he did with his ’59 but we weren’t able to do that without a lot of extra work!

Tim drew up plans for a wiring harness and set of gauges that would be sufficient to start, run, and break in the engine. Carla built our electrical box and we were ready to fire up the engine for the first time in at least 12 years. After charging a spare battery, the engine started on the first try in September of 2004. We ran it for 10 minutes at 2500 RPM before backing it down to an idle. It was smooth and strong and a reason to celebrate! After 2 years, the restored chassis was ready to return to Waco in November of 2004. We registered the car for chassis and mechanical judging and pushed it onto the show floor figuring it would be easier to correct any deductions without a body in the way. The bare chassis was a big hit. It’s not often people get to view the many moving parts of a Corvette chassis up close.

It was also neat to be able to tell the story to friends and Club Members. Many people remembered the seriously deteriorated car they saw a couple years earlier and were now able to monitor its restoration. The chassis and mechanical sections of the Corvette scored well with only a few items that needed to be fixed. We returned home happy with our success and ready to tackle the body, paint, interior, chrome, and convertible top. Best thing of all….we did it ourselves (with a little help from our friends)! Next time: Body restoration and paint!

WANTED

The Texas Chapter is looking for two members to serve as the

Area Coordinators for the Houston and Austin/San Antonio Areas. Job description can be obtained from Charlie Cadenhead. The pay is less than adequate; however, opportunities are

limitless. Please help out our Chapter. Give me a call at 281 798 1820 or send me an Email message at cadencf@aol.com. Thanks.

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THE PHOENIX (PART 2) Carl S. Droste

Part 1 of this article describes how I undertook this project and the restoration of the engine long block. Part 1 ends with a number matching 467 cubic-inch engine (after reboring the original 454 by 0.060 inches). I now needed a place to put it. The next logical step in the process was restoration of the frame, and the first thing to do was remove the body. It was at this point that I considered how to remove and replace the body the multiple times that would be necessary to complete this entire project. By my estimate, the body would have to be removed or replaced at least six times. In a single garage stall with an eight-foot ceiling, space was limited and a simple compact way was needed to lift the body on and off the frame. My solution was to build a body lift device using steel tubing, angle iron, two garage door pulleys, and a “come along” fence stretcher for lifting power. The frame of the device was about 7.5 feet high and wide enough to accommodate a Corvette. Stabilization of the frame was provided with angle iron braces and legs. Garage door wire pulleys were attached to the frame at the upper corners. The “come along” was connected to two wire cables routed over the pulleys to provide uniform lifting on each side of the device. The tooling points in the door opening of the Corvette body provided a convenient place to attach a chain harness without risk of damaging the body. With this device a Corvette body could be quickly lifted high enough to roll the frame and engine out from underneath. The lifting device is partially shown as one of the features in Picture P-14. More complete photos are included in the Part 3 of this series, which describes body restoration. The Corvette body was removed from the 1970 frame and manhandled into my backyard. Pictures P-9 and P-10 show the unrestored frame without the body and engine. The discoloration due to the fire was obvious, but it turned out that the effects were not very deep. The frame had the correct VIN number stampings and the build date stencil was still visible. Close examination of Picture P-10 shows that the rear cross-member had been damaged and straightened. The damaged frame cross-member was removed and a new rear frame cross-member welded to the frame. No other damage was apparent other than a little pitting on the top of the upper control arms.

P-9 Next, the frame was completely disassembled. I would recommend not trying to disassemble a frame unless you have a

half inch air impact wrench; to do this completely by hand would have been very difficult because of the dirt and corrosion on these parts. Wiring like bolts together and tagging with masking tape and a permanent marker identified all nuts and bolts. Later I found out this bolt marking process was totally useless, because all the nuts and bolts needed to be loose for the replating process. I had to draw a picture of each bolt head, with a description as to the number, size, and location. Because of the long time between disassembly and reassembly, it was very easy to forget the bolt locations, so make certain to make very detailed notes. There were a few bolts for which I never found a home.

P-10 Compressing the front springs was a challenge. I made a tool using two heavy steel disks with a long piece of all-thread through a hole in the middle. Turning the nuts on the all-thread allowed me to compress the springs enough to remove the front control arms and then release the compression on the springs. Be careful during this operation. It would be prudent to secure a safety chain through the spring in case something let loose.

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Restoration of frame parts was next. I had a friend who was doing a very detailed restoration of a 1971 Corvette (Rolf Krueger), and he recommended that I powder coat all the frame parts. He had located a coating shop with a furnace large enough to accommodate an entire automobile frame. The powder coat finish was outstanding, much tougher than standard painting, and close to the original colors and gloss. Powder coating is expensive, but Rolf sold me because I knew many years would pass before the restoration process would be complete and the frame would receive much wear in the interim. The result was magnificent; the frame parts showed no pitting of any kind and looked better than new.

All the bolts, nuts, and small parts were cleaned with the grinder mounded wire brush and sorted as to the type of original coating. There were four types of coatings used on these parts – standard zinc, chromated zinc, cadmium, and black oxide. Cadmium was the biggest problem, but I finally located a plating shop that the government still allowed to operate. A lot of shops plate zinc and do black oxide coatings . I eventually bought a kit to do the black oxide coating on small parts myself. Now came reassembly. Before the upper front control arms could be installed, I had to find a way of riveting on new ball joints. You can bolt on the ball joints, but that is an obvious change from the original. Fortunately, I had a friend (John Gulley) with a 50,000 pound press and a machine shop. He made dies that would form the rivet heads into the correct shape. It took about a half a day and a lot of trial and error, but we managed to successfully install the new ball joints. The brake cylinders were taken to a Dallas Corvette rebuilding shop, and I watched them install new stainless steel sleeves during the rebuild process. All new brake lines were purchased. The steering box had a lot of slop. So I cleaned all the parts, replaced the lower bushing, added new lubricant, new seals, and carefully adjusted the backlash out of the gears. The final result seemed to work well. The only difficulty was finding a way to torque the steering arm nut to the proper value. I finally solved the problem with a long cheater bar on my wrench. Common sense said that I should replace the bearings in the rear wheel control arms. This operation requires special tools and expertise to remove the bearings and install new ones with the proper shims. You can now rent the tools, but I found a parts dealer that would do it for $125 each, which looked like a good deal. All six U-joints were replaced. I used the original style “no zerk” joints; because I did not think I would drive the car enough to warrant the newer style. Fortunately, I have a small press to accomplish this task. U-joint replacement can be done with a vice, old sockets, and a hammer, but you may encounter a problem where you will have to seek help. I decided to update to current technology shock absorbers. It just seemed like finding and rebuilding vintage shocks was past the point of diminishing returns. Also, I intended to use new radial tires on the vehicle, which was another reason to update the shock absorbers. I had the differential inspected by a specialist, and he said it had some wear, but should be serviceable. The shaft seals were replaced and new lubricant installed. The differential was now ready to go. The only missing part on the frame was the rear torsion bar and linkage, which was used on the big block cars. I finally located the correct torsion bar at a used parts dealer. The linkage parts all had to be bought new from a supplier. I must confess that I put a thin coat of clear lacquer on the parts in the frame that were supposed to be bare metal and eventually covered with rust. I did not want all the frame parts rusted when I finally got the car on the road many years in the future. Pictures P-11 and P-12 show the restored frame. I reused the original springs. The rear spring had to be disassembled, cleaned, new separators inserted, and repainted. The build date was restenciled on the frame and various other markings added to make the frame look as original as possible.

The four large bolts used to attach the rear spring to the differential caused a significant problem during assembly. When I replated these bolts, I did not notice how much metal build-up was on the threads. When I installed the rear spring the bolts stripped some of the threads in the differential body. I had to locate and install heli-coils to repair the threads. Obviously the bolts had to be run through a die before they could be used.

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It was now time to once again step back and decide where to go next. It had been well over a year since I had completed the engine and it looked as if it

might be as long as two years before the body was complete. Three years was too long to let the engine sit. I decided that I would install the engine in the frame and rig temporary fuel, cooling, and electrical systems so that the engine could be run. This would allow me to check the fuel system; some of the accessories; the transmission and clutch; and the engine oil and cooling systems. If there were any problems, it would be easier to fix them now than later.

This decision meant I had to install the clutch and transmission onto the engine and reinstall the engine in the frame, where I could finish the engine accessory systems. I had the transmission inspected by Chuck and David Anderson, who are owners of a local Corvette shop (Automotive Performance Unlimited). A few bushings and seals were replaced, new oil installed, and the transmission was pronounced good to go. I cleaned the shift linkage and restored it to original configuration. The clutch, pressure plate, and control arm were all replaced. The transmission and clutch were mated to the engine and the engine reinstalled in the frame. An engine hoist makes this a straight forward operation. The next problem was to locate a carburetor to replace the one that was melted in the fire. Since the carburetor is very visible, I decided to make it as “original” as possible. I located one in “Driveline” that had the right part number and date code for the engine. I bought it and sent the carburetor to a restorer, where it was brought back to the “original” condition. I found out later there was a significant problem. I decided to reuse the original distributor body. If you remember from pictures P-1 and P-2, it was toast. All the internal parts were replaced and adjusted on a distributor test machine. Before installation of the distributor, oil was added to the engine and the oil pump spun up with a drill motor. The head covers were off at the time and the pump was operated until oil appeared on the rocker arms. I bought a new aluminized carbon steel exhaust system. Rolf Kruger recommended I go with stainless steel, but I wanted the originality of the aluminized exhaust, the cost was less, and, again, I did not think I would be driving the car all that much. The new system went in without a lot of difficulty, but it was sure a lot easier when the body is not on the car. Picture P-13 shows the initial condition of the fan clutch and fan. On closer inspection it appeared that they might both be restorable. The clutch was sent to an expert who specializes in restoring fan clutches, and he was able to rebuild it. However, for this temporary installation, I decided to use a cheap replacement fan clutch and save the restored one until final assembly. The fan only needed to be cleaned and repainted, which was very fortunate since the fan on air-conditioned 1970 big blocks is very unusual.

I bought a new fuel pump from the Chevy dealer, and bent new steel fuel lines. The temporary gas tank was a gallon can with a pipe glued on the side. The original radiator frame was not repairable. The previous owner had located a frame, but it was in need of refurbishment. Generous amounts of back-up metal and epoxy were required to return the frame to serviceable condition. The radiator frame was temporarily mounted on the car frame using metal braces to replace the support normally provided by the body. The original radiator core was beyond repair, so I had the original end tanks soldered on a rebuilt four-pass core. The expansion tank was refurbished and mounted temporarily on a bracket on top of the radiator.

P-13 Picture P-14 shows the temporary run set-up. The gage panel is setting on the left tire, where I connected the oil pressure gage. The small blue box on the left frame member contained an ignition switch, a start switch, and a run resistor for the ignition. The large wooden lever on the left side was bolted to the clutch mechanism to enable operation of the clutch. All cooling plumbing was connected and the engine was ready for a test run.

On the first attempt the engine fired, but soon gas was escaping on top of the engine, and I quickly cut the ignition. All I needed was another fire! It turned out that the float had stuck in the carburetor and a little work got everything working properly. On the next attempt the engine started, and I was able to set the timing. The clutch and transmission seemed to work as advertised. The engine ran a little hot, but I attributed that to the wrong fan clutch and absence of the proper fan shrouds. I was very relieved and felt confident I could proceed with the restoration. The body was next.

P-14

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Performance Verification From A Wife’s Perspective by Sherrye Coleman I don’t know how many of you women have been through the NCRS judging process before, but I am here to tell you that it is sometimes just as hard for the wife of the owner as it is for the owner. The PV is undoubtedly the most difficult of the judging.. It is simply pass or fail. And during this process do not ever try to remind your spouse not to be so uptight because “It’s only a car!” This does not set well with a die-hard Corvette restorer. This was not our first attempt at a PV and not even the first attempt on this vehicle, Larry’s 1972 LT1. We have been down this road before and we know all that is encompassed in passing one of these tests. As far as I can tell all the stars must be in some sort of perfect alignment and the PV Gods must be smiling down on you from some Unknown place in the heavens. As always, we knew the date of the meet months in advance and Larry was only concerned with repairing the air conditioning problem he was having. Since this was the case, the weekends leading up to the Waco meet were filled with family reunions and family activities. After all, he only had the air conditioning to work on so one weekend would be plenty of time to correct that problem. NOT!!!!! You might know that once the air conditioning was repaired there were a list of other things that had worked perfectly up to then, but not this particular week. During the days leading up to our departure from Pearland, he repaired the air, the clutch fan, the buzzer on the steering column, the dash was out twice and the night before we left all the dash lights went out and would not come back on for love or money. We left Wednesday afternoon after he had repaired the dash lights and had repacked the car at least 3 times. These cars with the T-Tops do not leave much room for packing for a 5 day trip. So after changing suitcases and re-packing for the 3rd time everything is A Okay and we are ready to ride. I must also say that not one suitcase of clothes goes anywhere in the car before a large case of tools and at least one bag of cleaning supplies. After all we are not going to a fashion show - this is a Corvette Meet! We arrive at the hotel and check in and meet some of the group for drinks. A good nights sleep is what we need for the next day. Thursday morning we drive the car over to the convention center and park it on an incline and the emergency brake will not hold. THIS IS NOT A

GOOD SIGN. Larry goes in and helps mark the floor for car parking and starts working on the brakes in the trailer parking lot around noon. I don’t know a lot about brakes, but when you start taking it apart and pieces fall out in your hands - THIS IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. He worked on those brakes until 10:30PM and came in so tired I wasn’t sure he’d be up the next day. Friday is another gorgeous day and we are feeling good about the upcoming PV judging since everything is finally correct. The judging starts around 2:30 or 3:00 PM and the first thing they ask for is insurance and registration. He has the insurance card, but no registration. He calls to ask me if I have it and No I don’t. I had asked him to put all the paperwork in an envelope or folder, but he insisted they would be fine in the pocket on the dash. NOT!!! I find the title and was headed for the car when Ken Robb informs me that the County Courthouse is only 2 blocks away and they can probably get me a copy of the registration. Thank God for the other members help in situations like this. I stop by the car to see if the title will work. NOT!!!! I decide to walk to the courthouse because it is 3:30 by now and they close on Fridays at 4:30PM. Debbi Wrobliske (Saint Debbi) decides t go with me and keep me company. On the way out Tim Ehlers (Saint Tim) offers to drive us and we accept. We go to the wrong building and are directed across the street to the building where vehicle registrations are handled. We enter the building and step into line ( a short one thank goodness) and wait for the next available clerk. When called, we explain the problem and she shakes her head and says “It must be the full moon. I’ve been getting some strange requests the last two days”. She finds the registration, makes a copy for us and $2.00 and 10 minutes later we’re headed back to the parking lot. Tim took the Registration by car while we waited for our receipt. With the proper paperwork Larry was able to take the judge for a ride and finish the process. An hour later I get the news that he passed the PV. Wonderful news to my ears. I can ride home with him! If we ever do get another car that he decides to PV, I will personally be in charge of paperwork. And I’m still not sure that PV doesn’t stand for Personal Victory!!

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NCRS NATIONAL – BOSTON Traveling with the Western Road Tour Submitted by Charlie Cadenhead In July, I had the pleasure to participate in the Western Road Tour that originated in Denver and ended at the site of the 2007 National, Marlborough MA. The Western Road Tour was led by Ralph and Sharon Ridge who did a fantastic job of planning and organizing the tour. Each driver was provided with a ring binder that included local area maps, construction detour information, state road maps and brochures on some of our stops. We were also provided a US road atlas with the route and stops marked that also included notes and comments relevant to our route. Ralph and Sharon had arranged visits to various points of interest along the way. Included in our stops were Mid America Motorsports to view Mike Yager’s collection and shop as well as a visit to their manufacturing plant, Bob McDorman Chevrolet to view his vast collection of automobiles, Carlisle Fairgrounds to visit with Lance Miller for a guided tour of the Chip Miller Collection and also a visit to Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a WWI era aircraft collection in New York. We were on the road 8 days from Denver to Marlborough. Driving a Corvette for at least 500 miles on a National Road Tour is one of the requirements for the Founders’ Award. Driving on this tour plus the Ops Check upon arriving in Marlborough were the two outstanding items for my Founders’ Award using my ’64 327/300. Piece of cake…or so I thought. The drive from Denver to Cumberland, MD was uneventful unless you count the Deputy Sheriff in Canal Winchester, OH who ticketed one of the tour participants for an illegal U-turn as he was making a fuel stop. In Cumberland; however, all of my trouble free road tour miles over the years came to a screeching halt. I lost a bearing in the right rear trailing arm and thought I was I was finished. Fortunately, good luck in the form of Dr. Mike McCagh came to my rescue. Several of the road tours to Boston were to be hosted by Dr. Mike at his farm in Cumberland. To make a long story shorter, thanks to Dave Ewan for the use of his trailer and to Gary Chesnut for providing the tow vehicle, we managed to get my car to Mike’s farm from where the combined road tours were to depart for Carlisle. Mike had the bearings and seals for the repair in his inventory and sent us off to a nearby repair shop that would do the work while I waited. Mike also provided a used trailing arm assembly in case parts were needed. Fortunately all of the components from my car were useable and after a 2.5 hour repair job, I was on my way to catch up with the road tour. Thank you Mike McCagh! Upon arriving in Marlborough, I ordered the bearings and seal for the other trailing arm as well as all u-joints for the drive shaft and half-shafts in the event I needed something on the drive home. A couple of days before departing Marlborough, I was apprehensive about a recurrence of the problem I had experienced in Cumberland and thinking I would not be so lucky the second time around, as a precaution

I had the bearing and seals on the left side replaced. All of the 2007 National Road Tours met in Brattleboro, VT to form the Grand Tour and parade to the convention site in Marlborough. We were escorted by a Massachusetts Highway Patrol car that just happened to be C4 Corvette with the MHP paint scheme, light bar and markings. Upon arrival at the host hotel in Marlborough, road tour participants were treated to lunch. I exceeded the 500 mile road tour Founders’ Award requirement by just a bit, having driven 3,580 miles from Houston to Marlborough via Denver and that was enough to earn the Longest Driven Award for 2007, beating the second place car by some 2,400 miles. The Ops Check went off without a hitch and I was presented with a Founders’ Award by Gary Mortimer at the awards ceremony. The drive home was uneventful but hot. Two consecutive 13 hour days with no A/C from Roanoke, VA to Houston was pushing it. All up, I drove 5,971 miles and was away 22 days. What a trip. I look forward to the next road trip. (Please see John Lejsal’s article in this issue of The Talepipe and also note that the Rocky Mountain Chapter hosts a Regional in Denver in May 2008.) I did not tally the fuel receipts but do know that each time we refueled, I would usually pump around 15 gallons while the C5’s and C6’s were pumping only 6 or 7 gallons and were getting anywhere from 27 to 29 mpg. You do the math. A conversion to a Tremec 5 speed may be in the works for the ’64 if my road tour participation is going to continue! I’m looking forward to a National Road Tour to St. Charles, MO next year and I hear that Bob and Sherrye Demmel may lead a tour from Texas. It is unfortunate that St. Charles is so close to Houston so perhaps I will take a circuitous route to the starting point…say via Denver again? Come on along, the road tours are great fun. Top Flight Chapter Award Texas Chapter Wins Again! Submitted by Charlie Cadenhead Thanks to the participation of Texas Chapter members in the many events we held during 2006, our Chapter was awarded a Top Flight Chapter Award for Year 2006. I had the pleasure of accepting the award on behalf of the Texas Chapter at the award ceremony held at the Boston National in July. The Chapter Award program purpose is to encourage member participation in Chapter sponsored Chapter and Regional events. Our members are encouraged to attend events, drive a Corvette to the event when possible and to contribute technical articles for publishing in The Talepipe. Articles can be submitted to Debbi Wrobliske via Email attachment addressed to thetalepipe@comcast.net. Thanks again to everyone for helping us meet the requirement for the Top Flight Chapter Award.

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John O’Quinn Classy Chassis Collection Tour Geeze, John’s gotta lotta cars! Submitted by Charlie Cadenhead Texas Chapter members participated in a guided tour of John O’Quinn’s vast automobile collection on Saturday, 20 October. We were teamed with the Oldsmobile Club of Houston for the tour and enjoyed a barbeque lunch with them following the two hour tour that was led by Ron Stein. Following the tour, John addressed the group and provided some anecdotes on how he started his automobile collection. John’s collection is nearing 1,000 pieces and we saw approximately 500 of them at the one facility we toured. Others are maintained locally at another site. The collection is private and public access is limited to invited guests. The tour in which we were able to participate was likely the last tour that will be provided until the new facility that John is building near Reliant Stadium is completed. That is several years away. John has been described as an “eclectic” collector therefore the collection includes a wide variety of automobiles. From the high-end Duesenbergs to a Ford Cortina once owned by Pope John Paul II to a Batmobile or two, there is something for everyone. This collection is less than five years old and considering that short life, the collection is phenomenal. John’s plan is to have a world class collection in Houston, something to rival the Petersen Automotive Museum the Blackhawk Automotive Museum, both which are in California. Shop Floor Epoxy Coating By Gary Chesnut Built a new 40x50 workshop when we moved to Granbury. Had the shop framed and bricked by professionals. Norma and I finished the wiring, insulation, plywood paneling and heat/air conditioning. One of the dilemmas I had was what to do with the floor. My previous shop was bare concrete and it made bolts/screws hard to find when dropped as they often were. So, I decided to use “real” two-part (not water based) epoxy. After researching the NCRS Technical Discussion Board archives and talking to several members who had used different brands of epoxy, I decided on Sherwin Williams Armorseal. Several reasons for selecting Sherwin Williams; 1-locally available, 2-mix in any color, 3-recommended by a fellow Texas Chapter member who has used Armorseal in commercial applications and 5-cost, available in 5 gal. buckets. Floor preparation is one of main keys to successfully having epoxy seal and adhere to a concrete surface. First, I rented a floor grinder. It was heavy, had to use a lift to get it in and out of my pickup and it didn’t remove the slick top finish.

Shot penning or sand blasting are other options. I decided to use a muratic acid wash. The slick concrete finish needs to be removed completely and the pores opened up for the epoxy to adhere to. This is very important, particularly if a concrete retardant additive was used to slow the concrete curing process. Prior to do the muratic acid wash, the baseboards and other items such as the toilet had to be taped off and covered. Taping works best is a multi layer process. Use “blue” painters tape as the first tape layer because it removes easily and leaves very little residue. Tape the plastic or whatever covering material you’re using down with duct tape applied directly over the blue painters tape. Using duct tape as the top layer water proofs the blue painters tape and doesn’t allow any liquid through such as muratic acid, which would dissolve the blue painters tape. Mix muratic acid 8 oz. to 1 gal. of water. I used a plastic flower water bucket (from garden center) with sprinkler head to spray the mixture onto the floor. Do an area of about a 10-12 sq.ft. at a time and work from the back to the front. A mason brick brush was used to scrub the muratic acid into the floor. Muratic acid creates bubbles when it’s working. When bubbles stop wash down with a water hose. Proceed onto the next area with the muratic acid wash. Use rubber gloves when handling the muratic acid and eye protection. Also, wear rubber boots when applying the muratic acid to the floor. Totally, rewash with an ammonia rinse, 8 oz. to gal. water and squeegee the floor dry. The ammonia rinse removes any remaining concrete residue left from the muratic acid wash. Let floor set a couple of days to make it’s completely dry before applying the epoxy. Recommend cutting the edges of the garage door recessed area at a 45 degree angle using a circular saw with a diamond masonry blade. Having the 45 degree angle on these edges makes it much easier to roll jacks, lifts and cars in and out. Also, you may want to fill cracks with Sherwin Williams crack filler. I experimented with this process and recommend only using crack filler on large cracks. It sets up really hard and a diamond concrete grinder blade is required if it has to be ground down. There are several methods that one can use to apply the epoxy. A spray gun or a paint roller. I used a paint roller. Use a paint roller with short nap and one that won’t shed. A paint roller for latex and oil paints will shed and leave roller particles in the epoxy. Again, work from the back to the front in 10-12 sq. ft. areas. I mixed up 2 gals. at a time in a 5 gal. bucket. Dip the roller into the bucket and generously spread the epoxy with the roller. Stop and refresh the roller with epoxy when the roller starts to leave impressions. This is key to a good coat and smooth finish. I found using a back to front direction with the roller worked best. Back and

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Shop Floor Epoxy Coating continued By Gary Chesnut forth with the roller like you would normally paint a wall tends to leave roller marks and thins the coat out. Have at least two or more people rolling epoxy and one to mix. The more the quicker you’ll get through. Do not stop during the rolling as it will leave a seam if the epoxy is not continuously applied. Two coats of epoxy were applied. The first coat was thinned with a Sherwin Williams reducer at one pint per gal. I let the first coat dry about one day. Make sure that it’s dry enough not to leave any impressions when walked on but don’t wait too long, you don’t want the epoxy completely cured. After applying the second coat, let the floor cur for at least 5 to 7 days before rolling heavy objects such as air compressors, etc. No color sprinkles or sand grit was used. Sherwin Williams Armorseal is a ADA wheel chair rated coating. This means when the coating has water on it there’s adequate traction for a wheel chair and walking without slipping. The color sprinkles are pretty, but make it hard to locate dropped nuts and bolts among them. Sand grit applied between the first and second coats, make the floor a little rough and hard to sweep up. So far I’m very pleased with the outcome. I’ve dropped some very heavy things onto the floor, some have left dents, but no tears in the coating. Also, have spilled brake fluid, gasoline and battery acid, which were cleaned up and had no impact on the epoxy finish. Am pleased enough that I would use Sherwin Williams Armorseal product again. Will tell you that I do have to sweep the floor more as it will show dust a lot easier than bare concrete. Cost to epoxy my 2,000 sq. ft. shop was $1 per sq. ft. and required twenty gals. of epoxy. Texas Chapter Road Tour 2008 By John Lejsal I announced at the Lone Star Regional during the chapter meeting that I was planning the 2008 Road Trip for the West Texas –Big Bend area. I always try to plan far ahead in getting hotels set up, restaurants, etc. and I would think 5 months is plenty of time. Well, I found out when I called the Chisos Mountains Lodge in Big Bend that that ain’t near enough time. All of the rooms in April 2008 are already filled. I inquired as to how far in advance could/should I book a room. I was told at least one year for a group. So, sadly we will not be able to

spend the night in the mountains of the Big Bend National Park. However, we will not let that spoil the trip. The Big Bend area is wonderful scenic place. One minute you are in the mountains with plush green grass and trees and next you can be in the arid desert and have traveled less than 5 miles. The drive from Lajitas along the Rio Grande River towards Presidio is exceptional. The beautiful scenic loop through the Davis Mountains takes us by the McDonald Observatory. The towns of Marathon, Marfa, Fort Davis and Alpine are wonderful small historic towns. The Marfa lights will leave you in suspense. The nights will be cool and the days will be mild. The stars will be breath taking on clear nights. If you have any questions about the trip feel free to contact me. I hope to see you on the road trip. 2008 Houston Area NCRS Chapter Meet 30th Annual Corvette/Chevy Expo Submitted by Charlie Cadenhead We will once again host a Chapter Meet in conjunction with the Corvette/Chevy Expo 2008 that will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on February 16 & 17, 2008. Please see the NCRS Registration Form in this issue. Please note that is necessary that all Corvettes registering for the Chapter Meet also register with the Corvette/Chevy Expo. The Expo entry form is on their website at www.corvettechevyexpo.com. NCRS members who enter a car in Flight Judging will be required to judge at the meet; however, owners will not judge their own Corvette. Members who do not enter a car in the meet, are encouraged to attend the meet and help with the judging. A Texas Chapter General Membership Meeting and presentation of NCRS awards will be held on Sunday, 17 February and is tentatively scheduled for 1:00PM; however, the time is subject to change dependent upon the Expo Schedule of Events. It is important that if you attend the Chapter Meet and/or the Expo, that you sign the Chapter attendance sheet that will be available at the NCRS area of the show floor.

2008 Chapter Meet – Houston

Date: February 16 & 17, 2008 in conjunction with 30th Annual Corvette/Chevy Expo

Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, TX 77010-6032

Schedule: February 15 Check In between 9:00AM and 7:00PM (Hall locked down at 8:00PM!) February 16 Flight Judging between 10:00AM and 3:00M February 17 Chapter Membership Meeting and Awards 4:00PM All cars entered must register with Corvette/Chevy Expo as well as with NCRS Texas Chapter

The Corvette/Chevy Expo Registration Form can be found at www.corvettechevyexpo.com E-mail: cooperscollision@aol.com Phone: (361) 853-1171

Note: Please indicate “NCRS” on the Expo Registration Form in the space for club name.

NCRS Flight Judging entries will be LIMITED to 8 Corvettes total and 2 Corvettes per Judging class maximum. An unlimited number of Sportsman Display and other entries will be accepted.

NCRS Registration Form

Entry Deadline ⎯ Registrations must be received no later than January 14, 2008 Name: _______________________________ NCRS no.:______________ e-mail:_____________________ Address: ______________________________ City:____________ State:_________ ZIP_________ Tel no. work:_____________________, home:_____________________, cell: _____________________ Car Entry; Year:______ VIN:______________________ Roadster/Coupe:_______ Color:_____ SB/BB:____ Insurance Co. _______________________ Policy No.______________________ Expiration Date:_______

(A copy of your Proof of Insurance for each Corvette entered mustaccompany this Registration form and also be presented at check-in)

Chapter Meet Registration Fee $ 5.00 Sportsman Display fee $ 5.00 Flight Judging fee $20.00

Make checks payable to Texas Chapter NCRS, enclose with Registration Form and proof of insurance and mail to: Charlie Cadenhead 5303 Mountain Grove Court Spring, TX 77379 e-mail: cadencf@aoo.com I will help judge: 1st Choice (yr.)______ 2nd Choice (yr.)______ 3rd Choice(yr.)_______ Judging Level______ I would like to be an Observer Judge: __________, Tabulator: __________ Anyone entering a Corvette in Flight Judging is required to be a Judge but not for their own Corvette. Hold Harmless Agreement: I agree to insure my vehicle and property against loss, damage and liability and to provide proof of such insurance to NCRS at time of registration. I agree to assume the risk of any and all damages or injury and to indemnify and hold harmless NCRS, its officers, agents, employees and chapters for acts or omission which may result in the theft, damage, or destruction of my property or injury to me or to others occurring during or as a consequence of this meet, wherever located. I agree to abide by the NCRS policy concerning drug and alcohol use at NCRS events. Signature: ____________________________ Date: _________

Please monitor the Texas Chapter NCRS web site www.ncrstexas.org for any updates