Solenoid Heat Shield

[Mike L.]

Does anyone have a original early 64 Corvette without the heat shield for the starter? Could early cars have NO shield like 63? Need Help!!!!!

[Joe L.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

Mike-----

I think that it's very possible. However, if early 64s were built without heat shields, then I expect that they would also have been built with the 63-style starter brace. Not for sure, of course, but I would expect that the 2 would have gone together.

[Roy B.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

This is were owners having a early or late Corvette have trouble, Many thing are KNOWN but I believe more things are not known. I talked about this in the beginning of NCRS, held seminars, and wrote about it . I and others tried back then used the argument about parts being First , Second and Third design to explain the difference.It took years before those words were used to determine the difference between the same year Corvette from each other.
Even today I see little discussion about on early.mid and late DESIGN of a part. Any year Corvette being early or late in production will have that years Corvette prier or late part in that Corvette.
Think about this- how many parts are listed as a early or late part and it's design. ?? NEW OR REPRO?

To many Corvettes that I see today are becoming geriatric in believing all Corvettes were made the same.Bolt markings is one good example.
Just using my 55 Corvette two design Carbs, three design headlights,two design hub caps,two design Dist, and early engines dated 1954 and the POOR person that has a early 1956 OH my.

[Dick W.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

Like you, I think that the more we learn, we realize the less we know. The Star/Bowtie award has been a wonder learning experience, viewing original cars.
Another car club, 50 years after the last car was built revised their manuals with over 50 changes in their reference manual, and this was for just six years of production of basically the same car. Wonder what the keepers of the faith will do in another 50 years?

[Michael H.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

Roy and Dick,

I agree. I've been researching the 63-67 cars (mostly 63) for over 30 years and I've only scratched the surface. Soon, most of the original unrestored cars will be gone and all the valuable info will go with them. I hope everyone is taking good quality closeup pic's of everything on the remaining unrestored cars.

Michael

[Dick W.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

As I said Michael, the Star/Bowtie award program has been a great teaching aid. I am fortunate to judge these cars and learn from each and everyone of them. The '68, like the '63 was a work in progress, except it took a little longer to sort things out. Like Zora told me once, "they just get car right and then have to change it".

Granted the Bowtie cars are not as shiney and "pretty" as the restored cars, but they hold a fascinatin for me. They are not the "cookie cutter" cars that we see in NCRS flight judging. Each car is unique.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

Dick,

It's even better when you own one.

Patrick

[Michael H.]

Unique

I like the word that you used, unique. That's the key to the attraction for me also. I learn something from every one of those cars that I look at. Unique with their own personality and history. If these cars could only talk, imagine the stories that they could tell.

[Dick W.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

I have a possible candidate sitting in storage right now. Don't know what I am going to do with it yet

[Roy B.]

Re: ??????????????????

You all gave a great response. I haven't seen or heard of a technical discussion about this seance I gave one in Bloomington Ill. many years ago. I think it would be great for members on this board now that we can send Pic.to take advantage of it.
Don't let thinking you could be incorrect about a part, stop you from not sharing and showing what you know . We in our little way can use this format to show and get others opinions on early and late parts.
Please believe me I've been insulted and called a trouble maker for years , that is why I started SACE for C1's.But I dint give up on NCRS and may be I made a contribution along the way.This could give us and others a leg up on our Corvette and could also help our friends and NCRS. Some of the best minds use this forum to help new people=soooo
What does any one think??

[Mike E.]

Re: Solenoid Heat Shield

Dick, I agree with your thoughts and wholeheartedly second them and some of the others on this thread. As you well know, for even the kindest-hearted, best people-skilled judge, it is still a thankless task, because these cars were not built exactly the same from beginning to end in each model-year run. The difficulty for the judge and for those of us doing the judging manual is to determine which car is original, and which car has been incorrectly "restored". When a car is non-typical, which is it: a)as it left the factory with an unordinary configuration, or b)restored incorrectly by someone who either didn't do their homework properly or who is trying to pass off an incorrect part (and usually less expensive than the correct one)and receive full credit.
And of course, the dilemma for the owner/restorer is much the same: a) did the car leave the factory with this non-typical configuration, or b) did a previous owner modify/change/substitute this?
That's why the bowtie class is so intriguing to me--each car is a textbook to be learned from.
My 2 cents.
Mike Ernst