LADY @ Windsor

[c5vetter]

Folks,

Know that many of you have been wondering where the heck I have been? Been keeping a low profile, licking my wounds! Thought LADY deserved a TOP FLIGHT but she came up just a tad short. Got my "official score sheets" in the mail today and LADY missed TF by ".7"! You need a TOTAL SCORE of 94.0 and LADY scored a 93.3!

I have been talking with Tony's Corvette (restorer) and we (me mainly) chose not to do a reapaint and they did a TOTAL deduct on the paint, which I still don't understand! If I had not wet sanded the entire body with 3000 lb grit, we figure the body would NOT HAVE BEEN shiney and I probably would have not taken the deduct!

The stamppad (everything correct except VIN) if I had COUNTERFEITED (excuse, me restored[gag] restamped) I would not have received any deduct!

Those major hits taken care of and I would have been a solid 97 point TF! Everything else were 1 point here and there.

Well, NCRS and the way they scored LADY at Windsor have completely soured me on the entire hobby. I have pulled all the "big brake" components off LADY, cosmolened them to death, wrapped them in newspaper and black garbage bags, and double boxed them). I have pulled the steel wheels and bias tires and packed them away.

I have put knocks-offs with Michelin 215/65/15s at all four corners with regular brakes - LADY looks AWESOME! I am going to drive LADY and enjoy her and know in my heart that ZORA IS SMILING!

 

[tigernut]

You go dude! Life is short, you've got one absolutely beautiful car and they were meant to be driven and enjoyed.

Doug

 

[Fishman]

I think you have chosen the right path... it's meant to be driven, and driven like a sports car should be. I am unconcerned about what breaks, it will get fixed. And most likely replaced by the best product offered... no OEM air needed for my tires.

I am not anti-NCRS... that would be like saying that you are not a tree hugger.

 

[Mikey1]

Enjoy your car. Drive it !

I do not care too much about all that original stuff.....a car has to drive and be fun to drive. I like the OEM looks....but who needs that air in the tires ?

 

[BarryK]

Rick

I can't tell you how bad Linda, BABY, and I feel for you missing your TF. Especially for all the time spent in the shop together BABY thinks of LADY as her own sister - LOL.

I wouldn't worry too much about missing that TF though, as we all know what a beautiful and rare car LADY really is. I agree completely with what you have done when you returned by taking off those brakes and tires and now after all of your time, money, and efforts you can finally get a chance to really enjoy LADY the way she was always meant to be enjoyed - by driving her! I know it would be nice to look at a TF award hanging up on the wall or walking out into the garage and see a TF car "sitting" there, but it has to be even more satisfying being able to actually get in her and enjoy those long drives on nice days, hearing that motor rumble, and lets face it - the attention from the other drivers on the road as you cruise past them is priceless.

You know what a great car LADY is and all of us here who have seen your pictures of LADY know what a great car she is (I still feel "privelaged" that I actually got to see her in person a few times during her rebuild), so don't let a few judges take anything away from that because of only a few "points".

Barry

 

[Tom Bryant]

I feel your pain but you know that very few cars Top Flight the first time out and the National is stricter than the Chapter and Regional meets. I know you were expecting more from all of the work you did but I would consider my first big show to be the one where the judges tell me what else I need to do. A car can Top Flight with a counterfeit block. I remember Guy telling about all of the little things he had to do to his black car that he never thought about until the judges looked at it. Sure, his first time out was a Top Flight but it was at the Chapter level and he even said it would not have done it at the National at that time.

Since we seem to be voicing opinions here about turning this car into a driver I'll throw in mine, for what it's worth.

I'm really curious as to why you got a full deduct on the paint. Was it the wrong type or did it not match the trim plate? If it was just the gloss level that got the bad marks then I would shoot a test panel (old hood or something) and top coat it with a thinned color coat with varying amounts of flattener in it until I got a finish that looked like duller original paint. If it looked convincing I'd shoot the car. Might not fool the judges but might make them wonder enough to allow some points.


Then here's what I'd do. First, even if you are completely bummed with the whole judging thing, I'd fix as many things on the score sheet that I could easily and quickly, short of a complete paint job, and hit one of the Chapter meets in the east this fall. Then fix a few more that they found and head to Florida for the Winter Regional. My goal would be to get Top Flight at the Regional. You should be able to work it into Top Flight by then.

Now, if your still soured on the whole judging thing I would then list the car with Barrett-Jackson for the Scottsdale Auction in Feb. You know, the auction where guys in their 40s and 50s who have way too much money spend way too much money on cars they think they just have to have no matter what the cost. With '63 Z06s seeming to be in the 100-150k range whenever one shows up for sale it just would not be wise to subject your car to the risks of road use. The only '63 more rare than a Z06 is a Grand Sport. If you want to turn it into a driver just to thumb your nose at the NCRS judges the only one you will hurt in the end, if something happenes to this car, is yourself financially.

So in the end you sell it. Take the $$$ and buy a beautiful but less rare '63 to drive and pocket a stack of bucks. There are nice black fuelies out there that are not Z06s.

As I said in the start of this post, this is just my opinion. It's your car.

Tom

 

[dennisinmaryland]

One set back should not deter an excellent car and excellent vette fan-atic. I know you're venting and whatever you decide to do will be just fine. I think driving it with the other wheels/brakes is a great idea. You always have the foundation to return to judging if and whenever you feel like it.

Now....post some pics of Lady with the knock-offs and let us all drool.
Dennis

 

[c5vetter]

Tom,

Already did TF at Chapter/Regional - was hoping to get PV at Wildwood and failed. Then though TF at National, with thoughts of doing PV again next year - all thoughts of sticking with NCRS right now are out the window. I have completed the restoration to the level I wanted and am goiong DRIVE THE HELL OUT OF LADY!

FYI - the paint is ORIGINAL, at least according to the second owner (Aug 1998 - July 2000) and the first (owner from new - Aug 1998) has never responded to any enquiries. I am the third owner and according to the restorer (well-respected, Tony Avedisian of Tony's Corvette) every inidication to him is it is ORIGINAL PAINT. So, he is very perplexed about the full deduct for the paint. He agrees, I should just drive the car and enjoy it!

BTW - LADY will be in the 1963-67 Registry at Carlisle

 

[BarryK]

Rick

I'll be parking BABY at the '63-'67 registry parking area also so LADY and BABY will get to see each other again


I just pray it won't rain that weekend as BABY has some issues with the windshield and rear window seals and kind of leaks like a sieve when she gets wet. I avoid taking her out when it's going to rain but even just wash washing her it "rains" inside the car. If it rains when we are out at Carlisle i'll have a very wet car!

 

[67HEAVEN]

c5vetter,

I'll pick up the torch and get a National TF for you.

Just a few more pieces to go. :gap

 

[BarryK]

c5vetter,

I'll pick up the torch and get a National TF for you.

Just a few more pieces to go. :gap

heaven

do you think you can get a Bowtie also when you are finished with your car?


I don't think any of the judges will notice any of the very MINOR modifications you made on your car.

 

[ctjackster]

yes I can spot it - his tank overfill tube is incorrect

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I am the third owner and according to the restorer (well-respected, Tony Avedisian of Tony's Corvette) every inidication to him is it is ORIGINAL PAINT. So, he is very perplexed about the full deduct for the paint. He agrees, I should just drive the car and enjoy it!

Any full deduct has to be signed off by the relevant team leader, and the results of the judging are to be discussed directly with the owner immediately after the judging. The judges are expected to advise you in complete detail as to why your paint was given a complete deduct as well as give details of any other deductions great and small.

Did this not happen?

If so, you had the option of appealing the decision with the team leader and the master judge. At a minimum, you would have gotten further details and second or third opinions as to why it got a full deduct. If the original judges were in error the points would be returned to you.


Having said that, getting a very high score second flight on the car's first time out is commendable to say the least, I'm surprised to see such a negative reaction. You can have a car flight judged as many times as you like, so why not fix a few things to get those few remaining points and try again.

I assume you took advantage of the 'give away' points by having a cutoff switch, NCRS decal and fire extinguisher, not to mention scoring extra points for driving the car to the meet.

BTW, a friend showing his '67 coupe at Windsor scored 102.5% with his driving points added in, so don't underestimate the effects.

 

[magicv8]

NCRS is a club. If you don't likre the rules, you do have the option of joining some other club, or not participating in club events that irritate you. Myself, I only participate in national road tours. I bought my 66 to DRIVE it (NCRS national road tours and Hot Rod Power Tours are great fun). I show it only at charity events.

 

[IH2LOSE]

scored a 93.3

WOW at a national event I would say that is excellent the secound time out with the car. I would veiw your judgeing sheet and pick up the .7 points elswhere and and go to florida in january. allthought you have allready top flighted it regionally I would continue on your quest and have the car top flighted nationally.When You get into a car with a rarity as yours I would think a future buyer (not that you want to sell if but maybee your estate in 20 to 30 years from now) would be looking for some type of ncrs judging behind it.
Actually with a score of 93.3 you were there.

Well congradulation on scoring so well (although it was not a top flight ) I still think that is excellent!

 

[IH2LOSE]

Did you have your sticker and fire estiquishers? Dont you get extra points for driving? Im just thinking there has to be an easeyer way to get .7 points other then a repaint or a restamped vin

 

[c5vetter]

have sticker, fire extinguisher, batterycutoff - got the 10 "bonus points" - trailered to Windsor from Baltimore, so no points there - lots of one point here and one point there added up beyond the paint ans stamp pad - just never had any problem with the paint at Chapter or Regional - will take care of the things I can this winter and probably do Regional in Florida or North Carolina

 

[IH2LOSE]

Well I plan on going to the florida meet in January. And I hope to see you there with your car and a national top flight ribbon.

Good Luck and I will be in touch with you as it gets closer.We have a place in clearwater and had planned on flying into tampa st pete airport and then commuting up north to the show.