Tank Sticker Still On Tank

[Reiner O.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Probably another build sheet in the speedo/tach area as you guys mentioned. I can see the edge of a piece of paper in between the dash pad and the speedo/tach panel

[Daniel K.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Reiner -- That is really cool. I bet you're dying to pry that piece of paper out of there. There was advice earlier in this chain to the effect that, if a car has Bowtie potential, you should not drop the tank searching for a tank sticker as doing so disturbs originality. Does anyone have thoughts on whether Reiner should loosen the dash to try to get at this sheet of paper?

[Reiner O.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Thanks Daniel, unless I need to disassemble the dash for maintenance reasons, I will leave that piece of paper where it is. Seeing my tank sticker satisfied my curiousity. The tank sticker dealer code matched with the protect o plate and all the other documentation I was given with the car.

[Hector G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Nice car Reiner. Dropped the tank on my 67 several months ago. Took plenty of high resolution pics of the tank sticker. Had it validated by our club. Here is a photo of the sticker with a clear document protector just before re-installing the tank.DSC07690.jpg

Hope it lasts another 48 years.DSC07708.jpg Still had some of its stenciling.

[Reiner O.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Very Cool....Priceless

[James G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

I would worry about the paper being really DRY and not being PH neutral then being subjected to humid conditions, combined the two will probably cause the paper to ONE expand... and TWO add water to the previously DRY acid paper chemistry, thus activating acidity.
Most paper chemistry of the era these cars were produced was ACID based, modern Paper chemistry is alkaline...
ACIDITY IS NOT GOOD for the preservation of documents.

Changing the environment - The paper was essentially stored in an environment to which is WAS ACCLIMATED over the course of MANY YEARS.
There was a certain temperature range it was subjected to... and more essentially a humidity range - paper is specified, sold, measured, printed, and processed for use at certain moisture percentages, cold environments are typically dry which shrinks and makes paper brittle.

Personally I would be more worried about humidity activating the acidity in the paper chemistry, ESPECIALLY if the humidity levels fluctuate in different and larger ranges than the paper was previously subjected to.
My car with 44k miles went from a COLD dry environment of Columbus OH to the humidity of Greenville SC and I knew there was the possibility it would be subjected to much different conditions... plus I plan to drive it more than the previous owner who accumulated 17,000 miles since 1973 so I knew I had to get the sheet...

[Daniel S.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Wow beautiful tank sheet. As a fellow '70 LT1 owner, welcome! Looking forward to seeing more photos and information. Original cars from original owners are the best.

Regards,
Dan

[James G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

I am very fortunate that I knew it was there when I purchased the car, admittedly I didn't know that anything other than Brands Hat was legible.
However since the spring of 1973 it has only had 17,000 miles accumulated - with nearly 1/3 - 5000 of those from 73-75 thus the great majority of the mileage and exposure to elements was when the paper was nearly new and best able to take the rigors of the environment without being destroyed... 32,250 miles were put on the vehicle between Fall of 71 and spring 1975 - 7,000 miles were put on it between Spring 75 - Summer 87 and 5000 miles between Summer 87 - Summer 2018.


I have tons of photos... I will start a new thread or send photos to you... what do you want to see?

[Patrick H.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

So is the car good enough to try for a Bowtie Award?

[James G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

So is the car good enough to try for a Bowtie Award?

Honestly I do not know,
I have been carefully cleaning it.
Removed all the gummy plasticizers from the interior, cleaned the seats, and the rest of the interior using a tooth brush -I had four 2 sqft cloths that were completely brown black from dirt grime oils...
I have been under the bottom with a tooth brush and a can of kaboom foaming bathroom cleaner and a cloth...

THE BAD... The smog pump was missing prior to 2nd owners purchase in March 1973 (Have one tree one check both hoses and the original 2nd quarter 1971 clamps for it) . The original MC was replaced in 1996. calipers exchanged in 2001. original Shocks and exhaust tips discarded last year, remainder of exhaust replaced years earlier. (recently acquired early take off 2 into 2-1/2" assembly line front pipes to put together a correct exhaust for it.
The 2nd owner since March 1973 states he never had anything painted other than the Ttops (THEY DO NOT MATCH) just prior to selling due to large scratch- which he did in the 80's when ran into in the garage when it was raining.
I haven't found any damage to panels or bonding strips wheel lips etc. and the quarter panels are dated for the car, however I do believe it has been touched up with lacquer in the past... Could have been prior to 2nd owner's purchase as a used car at a Chrysler Dealership.

I surmise the following has had paint work, though there are lacquer checks in the entire car and bonding seams are visible.... Part of The front surround, (rivets barely show) front lower drivers door and the drivers quarter around the tail panel...

It has had the front A arm bushings, the Ujoints, the rear end seals, and rear spring bushings replaced.






The good, fairly unmolested with most original assembly line components in their original finishes AND it hasn't been rattle canned to death like most cars of this vintage...

[James G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Here you can see the lacquer checking... it actually looks much better after having a couple of applications of Meguires #7.

Intake and heads have never been off the car...

sanding scratches in the wiper grille


Rotary sanding marks lead me to believe this has been repaired...



I am going to call CCAS / Grenning and arrange to have him inspect the car and give me a report.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Pictures aren't showing.

It's a lot less $ to have it Flight judged and evaluated.
For a C3, there are others I'd have inspect it for an opinion. Al's a good guy, but C3s are not his forte.

I looked at the photos on your Google page.
If it were my car, I'd bring it to a Regional (Florida?) to have it judged and evaluated for Bowtie.
The National is in your state next year, and you can't get any closer than that.

And I sure would ask if there's any way those shocks and exhausts tips are still laying around...

PH

[James G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

Patrick...
I searched his entire garage, every drawer, every cabinet, then down in his basement as well...
I told him I would have given him asking price had he not painted the tops, replaced the shocks, the original heater hoses and heater hose clamps, THE ORIGINAL PLUG WIRES & Radiator cap earlier this summer - I think he had the original coil wire that was it.

When I flew in he opened the hood and it had a brand new chrome lid with new decal on it... I WAS DOWNTRODDEN - thank God the original was in a cabinet and had not removed the original sticker, purchased a new Valve cover cross flags logo but thankfully thought twice about replacing it and had not removed the original... kept the original oil cap (pretty hard), the original metering blocks -it was sent to Holley in 07 and they replaced them, (extensive correspondence with the specialist at Holley to ensure nothing on the carb was altered) the original fuel pump is in the car and he made sure to never use any ethanol gas in the car...I found a receipt in 86 where the fuel bowls were replaced, bet there was pitting in the bowls as well as the metering blocks at that time and only the bowls were replaced.

Had receipts back to July 1973, title copies with registration stamps all over it with the years and amounts being handwritten by the clerk.

Wish he had kept the calipers ad Master Cylinder I can find the correct casting number calipers and MC so that is just a matter of doing it.
Same with completing the smog system, pump pulley diverter and pass tree will just take me sitting on ebay until low mileage correctly dated original finish parts come up, glad the correctly part numbered original hoses and clamps along with a check valve were with it. To me the hoses are probably harder to find than the rest of what I need for the smog system and have it original and not have repro hoses.

Honestly I cannot complain... I have paid close attention to the LT1 market for the last 8 months or so and there are VERY few cars which have engines that have not been apart, and/or have not been altered in some fashion. There was a 25k mile targa blue 72 LT1 which traded at the same time I bought mine and I could have bought at 41k (in my budget and I considered it, however it's cam had been replaced with a hydraulic early in it's life & thus it lost much of it's appeal to me...

I just adjusted the valve lash - cold lash - base circle- THANKS JOHN HINCKLEY - exhausts were ZERO to + .002 looser than spec Intakes were + .005 to +.006 looser than spec -- I have a SUN 504 and am going to pull the distributor this winter - get the advance all in by 25-2700 also run with a 65 L76 vacuum can, then it will be a new engine... lashing the valves, installing plugs, and adding a little more timing all ready made it a different car.

[Tom R.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

I picked up on this WT stamp and, while researching for the 73/74 revision, concluded that the metal transmission tags and broadcast code stamps occurred simultaneously during the early 70 C3 years. Picking up from the revised 70-72 manual, this tranny is on a 1971 LT1 M20 car. By 73, Muncie dropped the use of the metal tag but continued with the broadcast code stamps. Your WT stamp tells me this practice occurred even earlier than the WO stamp we use in the 73 manual to illustrate this early practice.

Your tank sticker, actually the Corvette Order Copy does not document the broadcast code, but as the St Louis plant transitioned to the landscape style buildsheet, those documents list broadcast codes that reconcile with the buildsheet.

It has had the front A arm bushings, the Ujoints, the rear end seals, and rear spring bushings replaced.

[James G.]

Re: Tank Sticker Still On Tank

TOM -
I have a very early take off - 10k mile spring 1973 L82 Intake Carb, EGR, vacuum solenoid, and idle stop solenoid I picked up off the man who took it off his car in 1974.
The choke cover has an ink stamp broadcast code on it... the idle stop has a ink stamp part number