1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

[Clark K.]

I have been looking at my judging sheets from the San Diego National. I want to correct the cost-effective items that took deductions. I own a '65 Coupe with a build date of Feb. 18, '65. I looked in the archives but a definitive answer to my question was not found.

My car took a small (2 pt.) originality deduction for the jack retainer spring handle. Yes, I know it was only 2 points but I still want to recover those two points. The interior judging team deducted the 2 points, writing that my handle should be a "single hook" type handle. My car has the double loop/hook style handle in the rear storage compartment.

I looked in the '65 AIM (UPC 14, Sheet C1) and it clearly shows that as of October 19, 1964, the hook drawing was revised to the double loop/hook style. Long Island Corvette Supply's catalog shows that a double loop/hook is correct for cars built after "October 6". I am assuming that this means 10/6/64.

My dilemma is that the '65 JG (page 48) states: "The jack retainer is a gloss black spring with a single loop cadmium or zinc plated handle attached to the end of the spring." It is obvious that the interior judging team was going by the JG when they deducted points.

So, should I buy and install a single-hook handle, keeping my original(?) at home in a box, or tell any future judging team that my car has the correct double-hook handle, politely protesting any future deduction in this regard?
-Clark

[Loren L.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

'65 #23561 has a "double".

[Jim D.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

'65 #14790 has a "single". I know for a fact that mine is original. 10-19 was the date of the revision on paper, not the changeover date for the actual part. The old stock of single hooks would be used up and there was probably a long overlap where either could have been used depending on which one was grabbed out of the bin.

[Mike E.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

I think I would mention the confict in the 1965 JM thread. I have a PDF version of the AIM I'll post the page later tonight.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...judging+manual

Mike

[Carl N.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

#22205 has the "double" it came with - Clark -suggest you follow Mike's advise an mention this to the powers to be regarding the pending revisions to the 65 JM - maybe you'll save someone a couple of points!

[Don H.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

Per Mike Murray,
65 - Single Hook
66-67- Double Hook
(very late 65 build, either one)
Have a Nice day!

ps. let's hope that Elio Martin thinks the same.

[Mike E.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

Clark,
Here is the page from the AIM you cited.

[David L.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

Clark,

October 19, 1964, was the date the drawing was revised. Who knows how many single hook springs were still on hand on the assembly line. They used up all the single hook springs until they were gone.

You can find original single hook springs on 1964 and older Corvairs and probably early 1965 Corvairs. If you need one send me a PM. I still have at least 6 or 7 original single spring hooks in my collection or you can buy a repro (aka fake) spring from one of the many Corvette venders.

Dave

[Clark K.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

Thanks for the offer, Dave. I have ordered a single hook handle spring from LIC. I will install it when it arrives next week. I can understand completely how the old stock parts were used up, first. To me, proof came from the post by two people who wrote that their later-built cars had the single hook. My car is #10,110 built in Feb. '65. There were, obviously, many things that were changed on my car from original before I bought it. It took me nearly three years to undo all that garbage previous owners had changed, probably by the multiple vintage dealers who owned the car between 1999-2008. -Clark

[James W.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

1965 Corvette #17644 built June 14th which is a 29,xxx mile unrestored Bowtie/Duntov award car has the single hook jack hold-down per the pictures I took of it at the 2008 NCRS National Convention.


Regards,

James West

[James B.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

1965 Coupe #9972 with the GM official production date of 2/16/1965 has the single hook.


Jim

[Roy S.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

1965 Corvette #17644 built June 14th which is a 29,xxx mile unrestored Bowtie/Duntov award car has the single hook jack hold-down per the pictures I took of it at the 2008 NCRS National Convention.


Regards,

James West

James, are the photos you took of the 396 in San Antonio digital? If they are would you email me a set of them, I never seem to take pictures while I own them, then realize after the fact I should have, what a shame on my part.

[James W.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

James, are the photos you took of the 396 in San Antonio digital? If they are would you email me a set of them, I never seem to take pictures while I own them, then realize after the fact I should have, what a shame on my part.

Hello Roy,

Yes, the pictures I took of the car are digital. I took quite a few of the engine compartment, interior, chassis, etc., but unfortunately none of the exterior. I was doing research for the '65 396 convertible that I am overseeing the restoration on. If you were looking for exterior photos I can't help you but I will email you the pictures I have in the next week or so if you still want them.


Best Regards,

James West

[Gary B.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

Per Mike Murray,
65 - Single Hook
66-67- Double Hook
(very late 65 build, either one)
Have a Nice day!

ps. let's hope that Elio Martin thinks the same.

Don,

To add a data point that doesn't fit the pattern you give, my July 20 build date '66 has the single hook. My car is a non-restored 89K mile car and I've spoken with all previous owners about everything about the cars that is not original, and that list is very short. I've no reason to believe the spring and hook were ever replaced.

Gary

[Don H.]

Re: 1965 Jack Retainer Spring Hook/Handle

Gary
if I were judging your car, and you said the single hook was original, fine by me. I make no bones about it either way on a car that is on the bubble. I think we can add a modification to what I wrote and say (very early 66 build, either one). My car is a mid June build 65 and it had double hook, that was called wrong at a chapter meet, so I changed it to a single. Then that was called wrong at a Regional, so I put the double back, then checked with MM, who said what I wrote above. At this point I have both in the jack well, and that way I have all bases covered.....

Added:
Clark
I was a little facetious, I do not have both in the well. I have the single in place, and the other nearby. The single is the one that the club likes, because MM said so. The JG is just a guide. There were too many variations to get this kind of detail precisely right in all cases. Put the single on, and you will be fine, 99% of the time. There are lots of different levels of knowledge amongst the judges, and the NTL is not at Chapter meets, but should be at all the others. And, at the very worst, the hook issue can't amount to more than a 1-2 point deduction anyway.

Doug,
My single barely hooks as well, and I bet the others will say the same. I think the spring is so taut that it will not pop off unless you hit a pot hole so bad that you are going to the wheel/tire shop for repairs anyway. The double makes a more secure hold, and I bet that is partly why they changed it.