SS Brake, Fuel, Exhaust=Top Flight???

[Jeff Chester]

I'm having a terrible time with this 68 car, as many may know I have a few cars, But I have never Had one Judged. Will my 68 car Top Flight with Stainless Steel brake lines, fuel lines, and exhaust system, and Base Coat Clear Coat?
I'm at this point, and I'm have a hard time putting STEEL lines on, I know about the "factory" did it and respect that fully. I hate rust.. and had everything chem, dipped and replated. I have a set of ss lines and they look so nice..and no big deal to get steel...20 min away...
jc

[Dale Pearman]

Re: SS Brake, Fuel, Exhaust=Top Flight???

You'll have to learn to hate a top flight as well. Everything will go together.

Dale.

[Dale Pearman]

Re: SS Brake, Fuel, Exhaust=Top Flight???

You'll have to learn to hate a top flight as well. Everything will go together.

Dale.

[Jack H.]

Can't say....here's why

It takes 94% or better to receive a Top Flight Award. I don't think we can 'judge' your car before it's been judged, on this Discussion Board.... There are MANY other items to consider in the overall evaluation other than just those you list (Operations, Interior, Exterior, Mechanical and Chassis) and for this to happen, the car has to go through the judging process.

Different judges and different levels of event (Chapter, Regional, National) all impact the outcome on any given day. My advice is get the Score Sheet for your car along with the Judging Guide and NCRS Judging Reference manual and 'anticipate' the impact of the items you list; every 45 judging points represent a 1% overall scoring impact.

THEN, unless you're trying to get a Mark of Excellence Award on the car, YOU can have an impact on the outcome.... We say at NCRS we encourage owners to drive/use their cars, and we put our rules FULLY behind this with a milage driven credit system.

He who drives the Corvette to a meet risks wear/tear and enroute consequence(s), so the final score of a Flight Car is adjusted/compensated for this. Here's a brief example.

Suppose you decide to drive 509 miles to a meet and when the judging is done, you earn a raw score of 91.3% (SOLID Second Flight). Well, we take your one-way milage driven (509 miles) divide by 100 (5.09) and concantenate at the first decimal place (5.0). This is added to your final score. So, 91.3% + 5.0% = 96.3% (SOLID Top Flight)....

There, you as the owner influenced the outcome of your Flight Score through your voluntary participation! And, the Top Flight ribbon you EARNED is just as blue and real as the guy next to you who chugged along the highways tugging his trailer queen in the enclosed car hauler.

So, it's simply NOT POSSIBLE to predict the outcome of your first venture onto the judging field from the terse few examples you gave us.... I'd say, stop worrying, sally forth and have fun and learn!!!!

That's what this hobby is supposed to be about anyway; members helping fellow members understand and learn about their cars, enjoying each others company, and having FUN! All gets too serious when we pre-plan/plot scheme and try to predict the future.

This is NCRS, not NCCB. There's always another day! Whatever happens at your first meet, you can change/correct for the next. And, every time you show your car, the slate is wipped clean and we start anew. That's how we help each other IMPROVE on our restoration/preservation efforts....

[Jack H.]

Can't say....here's why

It takes 94% or better to receive a Top Flight Award. I don't think we can 'judge' your car before it's been judged, on this Discussion Board.... There are MANY other items to consider in the overall evaluation other than just those you list (Operations, Interior, Exterior, Mechanical and Chassis) and for this to happen, the car has to go through the judging process.

Different judges and different levels of event (Chapter, Regional, National) all impact the outcome on any given day. My advice is get the Score Sheet for your car along with the Judging Guide and NCRS Judging Reference manual and 'anticipate' the impact of the items you list; every 45 judging points represent a 1% overall scoring impact.

THEN, unless you're trying to get a Mark of Excellence Award on the car, YOU can have an impact on the outcome.... We say at NCRS we encourage owners to drive/use their cars, and we put our rules FULLY behind this with a milage driven credit system.

He who drives the Corvette to a meet risks wear/tear and enroute consequence(s), so the final score of a Flight Car is adjusted/compensated for this. Here's a brief example.

Suppose you decide to drive 509 miles to a meet and when the judging is done, you earn a raw score of 91.3% (SOLID Second Flight). Well, we take your one-way milage driven (509 miles) divide by 100 (5.09) and concantenate at the first decimal place (5.0). This is added to your final score. So, 91.3% + 5.0% = 96.3% (SOLID Top Flight)....

There, you as the owner influenced the outcome of your Flight Score through your voluntary participation! And, the Top Flight ribbon you EARNED is just as blue and real as the guy next to you who chugged along the highways tugging his trailer queen in the enclosed car hauler.

So, it's simply NOT POSSIBLE to predict the outcome of your first venture onto the judging field from the terse few examples you gave us.... I'd say, stop worrying, sally forth and have fun and learn!!!!

That's what this hobby is supposed to be about anyway; members helping fellow members understand and learn about their cars, enjoying each others company, and having FUN! All gets too serious when we pre-plan/plot scheme and try to predict the future.

This is NCRS, not NCCB. There's always another day! Whatever happens at your first meet, you can change/correct for the next. And, every time you show your car, the slate is wipped clean and we start anew. That's how we help each other IMPROVE on our restoration/preservation efforts....

[Jeff Chester]

Re: How much inpact>>>

How much impact on those few items, SS brake and fuel lines, and exhaust system..on the total score..

I have every manual, and some of those you mention are hard to read/learn.
The best thing to do is to build the car and have it Judged first...
But...brake lines, fuel lines are hard to do after you drop the body.
not counting how messy it would be, brake fluid does wonders on all sorts of surfaces as we all know, as does fuel....and the exhaust although not hard to do with the body on, is somewhat a waste of 300-800 dollars if not used..
I have the 71 and 72 but they are small block cars..and the exhaust won't fit.
I fully understand the driving aspect to the judging event and that point addition, to the finally score.
to make it easier, I have every new, replated, or GM repo for this car. Every bolt has been replated and or bought from Parogon / DR. Rebuild, other Good Parts store. Al Knoch
I know you have not seen the car/or my work but it's good to excellent. or I hire a pro to do it.. Or Bought Old stock at premium price. I even found a New old stock NEW convertible frame with top. never installed.$$...$$.
I'm tring hard to meet as many people, and to go to many events..Lots of pics.
I'm on the right track I believe, but the car will be Judged, and as hard as I try to read/etc. some things will be off....and need to be changed..And I can live and except that...because that's the fun of this hobby.

What stops a car from be trailored 500 miles and then driven 50 miles to a meet/ judging event...and being Judged on 550 miles driven...for me that's not what the sport of this is about....I personally could NOT live with it...
BUT, can a great restored car make Top Flight with SS lines and Exhaust?
Later, BIG thanks jc

[Jeff Chester]

Re: How much inpact>>>

How much impact on those few items, SS brake and fuel lines, and exhaust system..on the total score..

I have every manual, and some of those you mention are hard to read/learn.
The best thing to do is to build the car and have it Judged first...
But...brake lines, fuel lines are hard to do after you drop the body.
not counting how messy it would be, brake fluid does wonders on all sorts of surfaces as we all know, as does fuel....and the exhaust although not hard to do with the body on, is somewhat a waste of 300-800 dollars if not used..
I have the 71 and 72 but they are small block cars..and the exhaust won't fit.
I fully understand the driving aspect to the judging event and that point addition, to the finally score.
to make it easier, I have every new, replated, or GM repo for this car. Every bolt has been replated and or bought from Parogon / DR. Rebuild, other Good Parts store. Al Knoch
I know you have not seen the car/or my work but it's good to excellent. or I hire a pro to do it.. Or Bought Old stock at premium price. I even found a New old stock NEW convertible frame with top. never installed.$$...$$.
I'm tring hard to meet as many people, and to go to many events..Lots of pics.
I'm on the right track I believe, but the car will be Judged, and as hard as I try to read/etc. some things will be off....and need to be changed..And I can live and except that...because that's the fun of this hobby.

What stops a car from be trailored 500 miles and then driven 50 miles to a meet/ judging event...and being Judged on 550 miles driven...for me that's not what the sport of this is about....I personally could NOT live with it...
BUT, can a great restored car make Top Flight with SS lines and Exhaust?
Later, BIG thanks jc

[Dave S.]

Re: How much inpact>>>

It would seem to me that a car that is properly prepared and correct could attain Top Flight status with stainless steel lines and exhaust. 94% allows 270 small points to be deducted(4500-270= 4230=94%). I don't have a set of judging sheets in front of me but the deducts for stainless items cannot be that great. Remember you get 10 points for a fire extinguisher, battery shut off and a NCRS decal.

[Dave S.]

Re: How much inpact>>>

It would seem to me that a car that is properly prepared and correct could attain Top Flight status with stainless steel lines and exhaust. 94% allows 270 small points to be deducted(4500-270= 4230=94%). I don't have a set of judging sheets in front of me but the deducts for stainless items cannot be that great. Remember you get 10 points for a fire extinguisher, battery shut off and a NCRS decal.

[Patrick H.]

Re: How much inpact>>>

Jeff,

The judging guide should list standard deductions for stainless brake and fuel lines as well as exhaust. That should help.

In addition, I know of several cars that have attained Top Flight with at least stainless exhaust.

I wonder about the long term benefits of stainless fuel and brake lines. We seldom drive our cars in salt or rain anymore, and they live in very nice garages. I think the rate of decay is much slowed down compared to the first 30 or so years of use. I plan on using regular lines on the 66, and likely as well on the 71 if it ever gets redone.

Patrick

[Patrick H.]

Re: How much inpact>>>

Jeff,

The judging guide should list standard deductions for stainless brake and fuel lines as well as exhaust. That should help.

In addition, I know of several cars that have attained Top Flight with at least stainless exhaust.

I wonder about the long term benefits of stainless fuel and brake lines. We seldom drive our cars in salt or rain anymore, and they live in very nice garages. I think the rate of decay is much slowed down compared to the first 30 or so years of use. I plan on using regular lines on the 66, and likely as well on the 71 if it ever gets redone.

Patrick

[Michael W.]

Re: How much impact>>>I think you want

somebody to give you a hard 'yes' or 'no'.

OK, YES. Yes, you can achieve a top flight with SS exhaust and lines and BC/CC paint.

But the rest of the car would have to be EXTRODINARILY perfect to compensate. How can anyone here judge sight unseen how well the rest of the car measures up?

The goal in NCRS restoration and flight judging is to do it the way GM did, no better no worse. You are starting off with several known handicaps that jeopardize your achieving this goal. This seems to be counterproductive.

As Dr. Pat pointed out, SS lines are really unneccessary on a car that is rarely sees harsh weather. My driver has 10 year old regular TBW lines that still look like new.

If you are really serious about judging , now's the chance to do the right thing. Too late after the body is on.

[Michael W.]

Re: How much impact>>>I think you want

somebody to give you a hard 'yes' or 'no'.

OK, YES. Yes, you can achieve a top flight with SS exhaust and lines and BC/CC paint.

But the rest of the car would have to be EXTRODINARILY perfect to compensate. How can anyone here judge sight unseen how well the rest of the car measures up?

The goal in NCRS restoration and flight judging is to do it the way GM did, no better no worse. You are starting off with several known handicaps that jeopardize your achieving this goal. This seems to be counterproductive.

As Dr. Pat pointed out, SS lines are really unneccessary on a car that is rarely sees harsh weather. My driver has 10 year old regular TBW lines that still look like new.

If you are really serious about judging , now's the chance to do the right thing. Too late after the body is on.

[Gene M.]

Worry about cleared paint not stainless lines

JEFF,
I wouldn't be too concern about the stainless lines and exhaust. If correct configuration and all the clamps and hardware are correct deductions are minimum and will not stop a correct car. Your big problem is the clear coat paint job you mention. If very detectable this is a big hit points wise.

[Gene M.]

Worry about cleared paint not stainless lines

JEFF,
I wouldn't be too concern about the stainless lines and exhaust. If correct configuration and all the clamps and hardware are correct deductions are minimum and will not stop a correct car. Your big problem is the clear coat paint job you mention. If very detectable this is a big hit points wise.