Mar 2016 Sidepipe - Oklahoma Chapter of the National Corvette

March, 2016
The Sidepipe is published monthly by the Oklahoma Chapter NCRS, Inc.
Chairman’s Comments
•
Following our Breakfast Meeting Jim has
arranged for a Shop Tour at Roy Sinor’s
Corvette store. The address is 902 South
Yale Ave. Roy always provides a fun event
with an array of some very special cars and
their accompanying stories. Plan on
attending as Roy is taking the time to open
his shop and share these special cars.
•
Chapter Judging School, March 12th. Brett
has recruited an all original 1970 Corvette
that we will thoroughly review and even put
on a lift for further discussion.
•
Chapter Judging Event, April 16th. Event
includes 4 Cars for Flight Judging, 2 cars
for Special Display and Sportsman Award
entries as well.
by Kelly Bolton
A
2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R is in the news not
this time for winning races or being a limited
production run, but for a potential Darwin Award
winner. As it turns out’ a Chevrolet Dealer in Katy,
Texas, had a customer’s yet to be delivered C7.R
taken out to get the windows tinted and during the
process (specifics are a bit sketchy) someone
totaled the car as it went smashing into a SUV in a
used car lot. For the driver, it may have been fun
while it lasted. and can you imagine the dealership
explaining this to the owner (who had waited over
a year for the car) as he was planning to pick up
his new 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R that evening,
(you know he’ll see the video on Utube).
2016 is a Leap year, Olympic year and Election
year, and the weather is allowing us to get an
early start on all our Corvette-related projects.
The spring equinox falls on Sunday, March 20th,
and the days continue to get longer (over 12
hours) and the sun sets at 9:00. Right behind that
is the first day of summer, June 1st, and the days
are 14 hours long with the sun setting at 10:20.
So make plans for your Corvette-related projects
and getrdone.
Last month was our first appearance at the Darryl
Starbird Annual Car Show and the unveiling of our
Chapter Business Card. Special thanks to Bud for
orchestrating this event (look for the details in this
issue of The Side Pipe) and to Bob for his work to
layout and print our Chapter Business Cards.
Looking forward into near term events:
•
Chapter Breakfast Meeting Next Saturday
we will have an NCRS-OK web-site
overview and discuss new enhancements
for our web-site. We will be soliciting your
ideas and welcome any tech-savvy help to
take our web-site to new levels.
• http://www.ncrs-ok.org
I encourage each of you to write an article for our
Side Pipe to share your car-related knowledge,
journeys and stories. Some examples I know of
that are in-work are Pat’s ’64 Fuelie (a really
original car coming soon to a breakfast near you)
and the first leg of his journey with this car.
Another article is “I have never repaired a
windshield chip or buffed out light scratches” and in
the pursuit of learning how I intend to share my
findings with you.
To continue moving forward there are numerous
opportunities for you to participate in our Chapter
which is vital to our continued success as The
Oklahoma Chapter of NCRS. I’m excited as we
“Let the Clutch Out” on 2016 events, as this year is
filled with opportunity and fun as we restore,
preserve, document and enjoy our Corvettes.
I look forward to seeing everyone and their cars on
Saturday.
March Breakfast Meeting
From The Judging Chairman
O
ur monthly breakfast will take place on
Saturday, March 5. The location is Ollie’s
Station Restaurant in the Redfork area of West Tulsa.
The address is 4070 Southwest Blvd. The phone
number is (918)446-0524, in case you need it.
You can choose the buffet or you can order from the
menu. The time to be there is 8:30 a.m., but people
always start arriving by 8:00 - 8:15 a.m.
Attitude Adjustment Night
T
he gathering place for our March Attitude
Adjustment Night on Tuesday evening,
March 15, will be Bravo’s Mexican Grill at 4532 East
51st St. We will continue to meet at Bravo’s for the
next few months.
The time people start to arrive is 5:30 p.m. Most
are there before 6:00 p.m.
Garage Tour
T
here will be a garage tour to Roy Sinor’s Corvette
store om March 5, just after our breakfast
meeting. The address is 902 S. Yale Ave.
by Brett Driscoll
NCRS#26846
W
ow, the weather is fantastic. Hopefully this trend
will continue for another few days. We have a
judging school on March the 12th at Dominic White’s
garage. We will be having a close look at a very
original 1970 Corvette coupe. It will be a good time
for all. Plan on starting around 8:00 a.m.
The second item I want to mention is our spring
chapter judging meet. The judging meet is slated om
April 16th again at Dominic White’s shop. We will
need everyone’s help with car judging. Do not worry.
You will never be assigned a task that is above your
skill set. It is merely an opportunity to learn and have
a great time.
If you have ever entertained the idea of having your
car judged. this would be great opportunity for you.
Just get in touch with me if you are interested or have
any questions.
2016Dues Notice
T
he New Year is here, and it is time to renew
your membership in the Oklahoma NCRS.
Annual dues of $15 should be paid this month.
Oklahoma Chapter
Merchandise
by Bob Clark
W
e currently have Oklahoma Chapter denim
shirts, long and short sleeve, for $25 each. We
also have Oklahoma Chapter sweat shirts for $25.
Call me at 918 / 625-2303 or 918 / 299-9001 to order.
You could also send an email to
vettefan66@sbcglobal.net. Be sure to include the type
of shirt and size.
I am planning on coming to the March meeting with
Brett as my driver and with my walker as an aid.
Recovery has been slow, but my leg is now healed.
Now, I’m working on getting stronger and walking.
Kelly mentioned our new chapter business card.
There are 4 cards being mailed out in this issue to
each member. Additional cards will be available at our
breakfast meeing.
Bring your wallet or checkbook on Saturday,
March 5, to renew your membership in the Oklahoma
Chapter NCRS. Don Partridge will be glad to accept
your money, or you can mail your 2016 dues payment
to:
Don Partridge
18606 East 96th St.
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
A special note to any new member who may have
joined since October, 2015. Your payment then will
cover your 2016 dues also. If you have any questions,
call Don Partridge at 918 / 455-6574(H).
Don't delay! Payment of dues is required to continue
receiving chapter benefits.
Remember ---- You must be a National NCRS
member in order to be an Oklahoma chapter member.
Checks should be made payable to Oklahoma
Chapter NCRS
Cars, Cars, And More Cars
E
by Bud Jessee
verything from the Fine Nine to Rat
Rods were on display at the Darryl
Starbird 52nd annual car show
Feb. 19-21.There were none better than
the seven Corvettes that NCRS
members displayed and promoted for
our Tulsa Chapter. From Tim Zane’s C1
to my C4, we had the first four
generations covered. Members that
participated with their cars besides Tim
and myself were Scott Pfuehler, Lee
Stigall, George and Rusty Brock with
their C2’s and Jack Blakey with his C3.
The group did a great job of
representing Tulsa NCRS with
information and invitations to
prospective members. We had some
extra help from our favorite and greatest
ex-president Neal Kennedy, as well as
our favorite and greatest current
president Kelly Bolton. Pat Cavanaugh
and Ed Brett were also there to lend a
helping hand. Scott Pfuehler was our
resident mechanical expert, able to
answer many questions from other
Corvette owners. This was one of the
keys to obtaining interest from
prospective members when they saw
the value of information and help our
members offered. We handed out 30
business cars welcoming these Corvette
owners to our breakfast meeting. All in
all the three days were great with great
weather, fellowship and introducing
others to the Oklahoma NCRS.
More Pictures of the Starbird Rod
& Custom show from Tim Zane
About Time To Remove That
Hard Top?
by Phil Gray
L
ast Fall when it was time, I asked my number
one helper to assist me in returning my
Corvette’s hardtop to its winter position. I received a
very negative response. I do not want to go into all
of the reasons why. Let me just say that I
immediately begin to devise ways to accomplish the
task by myself.
I had previously devised a way to store the top when
not use that did not take up a lot of space and was
easy to move around. Attached is a photo of the
stand unloaded and loaded:
It is constructed of spare materials. (I won’t say
scrap material as you can see from my shot that
there is no such thing as scrap material) The base
is made from 4 sections of 2x4 and a piece of 1/2”
plywood serves as a deck. The inverted “U” shaped
vertical rest is made from 3/4” pipe and 2 elbows.
These are covered, where the top will bear, with
foam pipe insulation that I had in my junk box. The
assembly is supported on 4 casters that I purchased
for this application. Carpet samples serve as a
cushion for the top. As you can see it takes up little
space and is highly transportable.
The removal of the top became another matter. I
wanted a single point of lift as I must be able to
remove or move it out of the way since a ceiling fan
is above where my Corvette is parked. It needed to
be lifted with one hand, leaving the other hand to
position the top while hoisted. A block and tackle
suspended from a sturdy anchor point provided the
force multiplier needed. Three parts would be ok,
but I had a 4-part assembly available. A point of
attachment above the top is necessary for movability
and is provided by nylon strapping material that
allowed experimentation until proper balance was
obtained. The front and rear straps are separate also
allowing adjustment. A 2-point suspension was
originally tried but this resulted in several disastrous
scratches in the deck lid. Not good.
From the following photos you can see the suspension
arrangement:
The corners of the top are
easily lifted, one at a time.
to attach or remove the
straps.
The straps are attached to
the positioning studs on the
bottom of the top, front and
rear, and have loops tied in
the straps so that the top is
balanced. The load is
distributed so that there is
little strain on each stud.
With the car driven out from
under the suspended top, it
is lowered down. Then the stand is rolled over to it, and
it is rotated onto the stand:
Dates, Dates, Dates
by Scott Pfuehler
1962 Corvette Convertible
Route 66 TV Show Fan Fave
W
e in this Corvette hobby know that the NCRS
likes dates. In our Judging Guides there is lots
of info about them. Many discussions revolve around
them and much of the value of the Corvettes is
dependent upon them.
Recently I found the above dated rotors, both fronts,
on the 67 Convertible pictured. Both date stamps
were the same, but one stamped at 9 o’clock and the
other at 3 o’clock. As you see from the intact rivet the
rotor has not been off of the hub. I have looked at
many rotors while doing many brake jobs, but I have
never seen dated rotors before. Of course. I am just
supposing that is a date stamp, but what is it’s
format? 6L261? With a VIN of low 11000 you would
think that 6L is year and month but why 261? Not
many months have 261 days in them, Pretty sure
none do actually.
OK, so help me
figure it out. I have
pictures of ink
stamped dated
trailing arms off of
Sue’s ‘72 LT1 but
can’t find them to
show you. So
where have you
found dates that
don’t seem to be
normal.
By Vern Parker
I
n the early 1960’, a Chevrolet Corvette convertible
was the attention-grabbing star of the popular
television show Route 66.
Joseph Garcia of San Antonio remembers watching
Route 66 on his parents’ black-and-white TV. From
that time on, he said, he has been hooked on
Chevrolet Corvettes. Over the years he’s owned eight
Corvettes, all of them either new or nearly new.
The memory of the old Route 66 convertible never
faded. For years, Garcia stayed alert for old Corvettes
for sale. However, most of the ones he found were in
need of total restoration, were too far away from his
Texas home, or were overpriced. Still, he continued
looking.
He was particular about the Corvette he wanted. “It
had to be a fully restored 1962 Roman Red
convertible,” he states.
Garcia’s wife witnessed her husband’s seemingly
endless search for an affordable Corvette and firmly
suggested that he deserved an antique model of his
own. Less than a month after her encouraging words,
Garcia learned of a red 1962 Corvette convertible that
had undergone a thorough restoration in 2012. The
car was located only a couple hundred miles away in
Mansfield, Texas.
exterior. No optional hardtop came with this Corvette;
however, the white soft top boasts a clear plastic rear
window.
In February, 2014. Garcia drove to Mansfield and was
so impressed with the Corvette he found there he
bought it that day. It met all of his requirements.
A panoramic windshield wraps around the cockpit.
The rearview mirror is mounted atop the dashboard.
In the dash, a tachometer is prepared to warn the
driver of over-revving the engine with a redline of
5,500 rpm.
This was the final year for the distinctive coves on the
sides. Unlike earlier Corvettes with coves in a
contrasting color, the 1962 models were all one color.
Garcia could not be happier with his long-sought
Corvette. “I had one shot and I had to get it right,”
Garcia said.
Under the hood is the bulletproof 327-cubic-inch V-8
engine that delivers 300 horsepower through a fourspeed manual transmission to propel the 2,925-pound
fiberglass Corvette on a 102-inch wheelbase.
(reprinted from an internet listing for Vern Parker.
It originally appeared in the Houston Chronicle auto section on
Feb 14, 2016. Brought to our attention by Wilma Clark)
Records indicate that of the 14,542 Corvettes built
that model year, this one was an early one at number
923. The actual build date is October 3, 1961, and the
base price when new was $4,038.
When comparing the build quality of his Corvette to a
new model, Garcia admits the 1962 model exhibits
“pretty poor quality.” Nevertheless, the style of the car
continues to turn heads whenever he takes his car out
for some fair-weather exercise.
“It drives like a truck,” he observes.
Although Garcia’s Corvette is devoid of power-brakes,
steering, and windows, all of the instruments work, as
do the clock and AM radio. In the interest of safety,
the front brakes have been upgraded to disc brakes
and the 15-inch bias-ply tires have been upgraded to
15-inch radials. And in the interest of comfort, a
vintage air conditioner has been installed to battle the
Texas summers.
Garcia said the three-spoke steering wheel is the
unrestored original. The vinyl interior matches the red
Corvette Classified
Wanted: I wish to buy for a
friend the following:
Corvette Side Exhaust Cover
Front Shields, 1965-1967
Clear plastic that were sold by
the catalog people till recently.
Call Scott 918-437-5292
A DeWitt Radiator: Need one, want to upgrade the one in
your Corvette or put one in the LS motor restrorod you are
building.
Call Scott, 918- 437-5292. He will share his discount
with with you.
Upcoming Events
Mar 5
Mar 5
Mar 15
Apr
2
Apr 16
Apr 22-23
Apr 21-23
May 19-21
June 2-4
July 17-22
Oklahoma Chapter Breakfast Meeting - Ollie’s Station Restaurant - 4070 Southwest Blvd - Tulsa, OK
Gararge Tour - Roy Sinor’s Corvette Store - 902 So. Yale Ave. - Tulsa, OK
Attitude Adjustment Night - Bravo’s Mexican Grill - 4532 East 51st St. - Tulsa, OK
Oklahoma Chapter Breakfast Meeting - Ollie’s Station Restaurant - 4070 Southwest Blvd - Tulsa, OK
Oklahoma NCRS Chapter Indoor Judging Meet - 8:30 a.m. - 8515 East Skelly Drive
The 44th Annual World famous Tulsa Swap Meet - Creek County Fairgrounds at Highway 33 & Route 66
Indiana NCRS Regional - Auburn, Indiana - (Auctions America)
North Central NCRS Regional - Rochester, Minnesota
Northwest NCRS Regional - Bend, Oregon
NCRS National Convention - Warwick, Rhode Island
Thanks to
Brad Williams and
Mazzio’s for continuing
to support the
Oklahoma Chapter
NCRS.
We appreciate your
help.
NCRS Communication
To keep up to date with the latest news from your
Oklahoma Chapter NCRS and your Region VII Director,
be sure to advise Bob Clark or Don Partridge of any
e-mail address changes. This also applies to phone
numbers and new mailing addresses.
If your address is not current, then you will not receive the
latest news and information.
Thanks to Tim Zane, Bud
Jessee, Brett Driscoll, Phil
Gray,Scott Pfuehler, Wilma Clark
and Bonney Clark for their
contributions to this Sidepipe
issue.
Thanks also go to Jim Elder,
Neal Kennedy, and Verle
Randolph for their continuing
help in folding and mailing.
*** Please think about writing an article or contributing an
item of interest for the newsletter. This can be a tech tip
you've found, an article to reprint from another publication
that would be of interest, a personal experience that would
interest other members, or an item of news about the
chapter or its members. Remember, include pictures if you
can. Your Corvette classified ads are welcome, too. You can
mail, e-mail, FAX, or loan me a flash drive or CD(Windows
or Macintosh ). Remember!! Your help is needed to make
this newsletter a voice of our chapter !
NCRS registered marks used in the NCRS Drivellne: NCRS
Flight Awards, NCRS Master Judge Award, NCRS
Performance Verification Award, NCRS Founders Award,
NCRS Sportsman Award, NCRS American Heritage Award,
NCRS Duntov McLellan, and Hill Mark of Excellence
Awards, and the NCRS Folz Memorial Award. All are
registered with the United States Patent and Trademark
Office.
Bob Clark • Editor
10809 So. Louisville Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74137-6720
home • (918) 299-9001 • work • (918) 298-2777
Fax - work 918-298-2778 • home 918-298-9094
E-Mail • vettefan66@sbcglobal.net
918.948.6589