the 67 convert

[bobmanx]

Hello all, Im in the same building as the 67 Convert, the one that Ive been asking questions about in the posts. I havent gotten the chance to get to more familiar with it yet, but Im trying to steal more time. Found what appears to be extra wiper blades in Delco boxes and a day/night rear view mirror in the rear of the car, behind the seats. Will try to get some time this weekend to spend checking the items that we discussed and vin #'s and mfg. tags.
Taking more pictures, so any suggestions, let me know. Also talked to the Dealer/ service writer, that has been doing the service on the car since 79, and got some more history on the car. Holley carb was rebuilt, and Gas tank and "all fuel lines were replaced in 99, and they had not seen the car since. Thought it had been sold. Service guy remembered my uncle as he always brought it to him to do the service orders on the car, because he knew the car and how "picky" my uncle was about his vette. Service writer offered me any help that he could to get it running so it could be "driven" on to a trailer to be transported to Calif. He told me that several people had been after my uncle to buy it from him, but he wouldnt sell it, and it sounded like I wouldnt either. Boy he caught on quick, didnt think that it was that obvious. LOL
So if there is anything that I should look for or at while I'm here please advise, and will try to get answers and learn more about the car. Will be where the Corvette is garaged until the 31 of Jan, so I will make/get some time!
Thanks Bob

 

[MidShark]

I've been watching your story unfold here. You must be excited to get to spend some time with the car for the next week. Good luck to you in your research and getting it ready to bring home!
Dick

 

[vigman]

YOU lucky duck!

I have been reading your posts... yes you have found the holy grail!:BOW


What part of So Cal are you at?


I am still looking for my dream car ( similar to the one you found)

About a year and change ago I found a good survivor.. but the car didn't talk to me... but it did leave with one of Vettefinder Jim's contacts.

Here at CAC we are dedicated to help you on your quest to revive you uncle's ( and now your ) dream.

( I'm SO Goodwood green with envy )


Nice find & save..and this car is the Vette's Vette.

Any electrical or A/C info you need, I'm here.



Vig!

 

[bobmanx]

Vigman & Midshark, thanks for the reply and offers to help look it over and yes, it is hard to believe. Finally got a chance to spend a little time today (sat AM) looking and checking further. When it is home it will be in the Simi Valley area, just acrossed the L.A. line near chatsworth/northridge, in Ventura county. So I will trying to set up a transport service to get it home. This should help make the adventure safer, than towing, but wish it could be driven home! LOL Thanks Bob

 

[vigman]

Heck just drop it off here in Valencia

I'll take GOOD care of it!


Vig!

 

[bobmanx]

Sorry Vigman, Nice try! LOL Also just to make it a little more fun here at the dig site (uncles house) also found a Corvette owners manual in a fresh Chevy clear plastic holder in a box that was moved from back east in 1979. Also found about (20) "Corvette News" magazines, various dates, approx. the same time uncle bought the car. Also a 1966 Corvette sales color brochure. on the bad side more boxes to go through, on the good side, I've got my fingers crossed that I find more Corvette stuff. I think that i already mentioned the (2) silver Rally Wheels that I found, NOS, that he bought when he purchased the car. They were listed on the sheet that he was doing all the pricing at the dealers in or around his hometown. Also had time to climb under the dash right side and the info is as follows:
style F03 67-467, trim 421HP, body S4226, Paint 972AA.
And the saga continues!

 

[bobmanx]

As the saga continues...... while cleaning and sorting thru my uncle's things, (lawyers and financial people taking time) I have also come up with more stuff. Please understand that I'm still finding things in places that I cant explain how or why they were stored there.
Today in a box that was in a bedroom closet there was 15 more Corvette News magazines, a 1963 Corvette Shop Manual, a 1965 Corvette Shop Manual "Supplement", and a 1967 Chassis Overhaul Manual, all from Chevrolet, not aftermarket or reprints.
There was also a Large white envelope, with a Corvette Emblem on it from Chevrolet. The postmark shows "MAR-2'67 Detroit Mich, inside is a cardboard folder with "welcome to the Corvette set" in white lettering and a Corvette convertible in black on a blue backround. Inside is a letter from E. M. Estes, General Manager at General Motors Corp. Thanking my uncle for his purchase of a "New Corvette". There is also a white Corvette embroidered Patch enclosed. Were these letters common for Chevrolet to send out to new Corvette Owners in the 60's? And a color 1973 Corvette sales brochure. Guess he thought about replacing his 67, but changed his mind. LOL
I will see what turns up tomorrow.
Bob

 

[Tom Bryant]

Bob,

You just keep finding more great things. Keep up the search.

Tom

 

[bobmanx]

As the saga continues....... the convert is on the battery charger as I type this, we shall see if this maint. free battery is still able to take a charge. no corrosion on the posts/cable ends. its slowly coming up on the charger meter, and nothing is hot yet. disconnected the cables prior to the charging attempt, so its not being sucked out by any Vette electrical stuff.
Went to the dealer that has been servicing it since the 70's and found out some more history on the car. the gas tank was replaced a couple of years ago (will search the paperwork) with a Stainless Steel unit, and all the fuel lines were replaced at the same time. Holley 4 barrel was rebuilt then also.
The mechanic that did the tank and stuff, mentioned that when they got it running after the tank install, that they did a compression check on each cylinder and the lowest reading was 165 lbs. not too bad for a car with 139,000 miles, and 36 years under its belt.
Siphoned 10+ gallons of old gas with Stabilizer (found the empty containers in the cabinet with the lead substitue and octane booster) in it, out of the tank, and will put in about 5 gallons of the premium unleaded and a little 108 octane booster and lead substitute and it might actually fire up! engine does turn by strap wrench on the crank pulley with the plugs out. So keep all fingers crossed, talk nice about the "Corvette Gods" and this just might work after all!
Mechanic said that the holley bowl gaskets might leak since they got a chance to dry out, and they might not. he also suggested that I dsconnect the fuel line at the carb and let it pump the old gas out of the lines, then reconnect and let the new gas get to the carb, no sense trying to force dead gas through the jets and into the cylinders. What ever happens, I will post the results.
Thanks, Bob

 

[Vetsvette2002]

Bob,
You're definitely on the right track with the fuel. And now that the engine turns by hand, bring up the oil pressure (prime the system) with a drill and adaptor BEFORE you fire it up. No sense risking damage at this point.
Keep up th eexcellent research.

Don

 

[vigman]

You go BOY! ( chevy oil pump prime 101)

You are SOOOOOOO close!

Another thing you can do is crank the crank over by hand ( with the strap wrench ) a bunch of times... remember to spray some oil down the holes of the pistons via the plug hole and after about 40-60 cranks of the crank..Then spin the engine over with the starter small 4 second blips till pressure comes up then a 15 second crank till she shows 20 psi. This oil pressure sender is at the back of the cam .. one of the last places on the engine to recieve oil.


OR

The long disco mix version of oil prime 101


Go to PAW in North Hollywood and get the GM oil pump prime tool. ( or you can borrow mine )

You will have to remove the distrib to use this bad boy.. and be VERY familiar with engine timing to re install the distrib correctly.

I would do an oil change with some 30 weight before I did this.. no sence in putting old oil through everything again. Get 1 or 2 extra filters while your there. I believe you have the ( just the element type) if it's factory as opposed to a NORMAL filter.


But it goes like this, plugs out.

Find which plug wire goes to the #1 cylinder
(Drivers side of the block, the hole closest to the front)Note it's position.

( if it set up correctly it will be the one pointing tdws the #1 hole on the block)

Remove the cap on the distrib.

Crank the engine ( by hand )
Find the TDC mark on the crank pulley
Line the pointer on the timing cover to the mark on the crank...

Does the rotor in the distrib point to the wire you found? If not go around 1 more time. Make sure that #1 piston is in the UP position

You have now set static timing on the engine.

Mark the position of where the rotor is pointing on the manifold & on the distrib body.

Remove the distributor( 1/2 inch or 7/16 bolt on intake for distrib clamp)..make a mark on the base of the distrib to the intake as well..little center punch or marker or nail polish .

Remove all wiring from Distrib to coil.

The Distrib will turn as you pull it up... not to worry. And you will need a new distrib base gasket PROBABLY when you re assemble.

NOW DO NOT MOVE THE CRANK!

Get a flashlight and look down the hole you will see a shaft with a BIG slot in it.. this is the OIL PUMP input shaft. If this spins..you are pumpin oil.

You will need a LONG BIG flat blade screwdriver so you can turn this shaft for alignment...LATER.

The oil pump prime tool looks like the bottom of the distrib.. with no gear


Put the oil pump prime tool down the shaft,
Note the position of the slot and align the tool to the same angle. I had a little interference and had to TAP mine home.

Take note of the OIL level on the stick.

Now hook up the drill motor and spin that bad boy ( I believe in a Clockwise rotation.. if you get it wrong.. no big deal just reverse the direction). In a few seconds the life blood of the engine will be pumping thru all the Oil filter, crank bearings,rod's, lifters, cam bearings.pushrods, dribbiling on the springs, runnin down the lifter valley and back to the sump.

You will feel resistance on the drill motor as the oil pressure builds.. and you SHOULD see the oil pressure gauge climb.. IF the line is not clogged..on my 73 the MECHANICAL oil pressure gauge has goo in the line.

Stop pumping.. did the oil level on the stick go down a bit? It should, some of it's NOT sitting in the pan anymore, but in the lifter valley & trapped up in the heads.

Now..your innards have the goo of life!

Remove the oil pump prime tool.

Take the distrib, and line it up to the position via the mark ( rotor to body) and look at the orietation of the slot on the base of the distrib.

Line the oil pump drive ( in the block ) to that angle ( time to get that BIG screwdriver out)

Got the new gasket for the distrib?
mating surfaces clean?

Note the distrib drive gear wil rotate as the gear hooks up to the cam gear so you have to CHEAT a few degrees back on the position as you drop the distrib back into position.. this will be trial & error!

Bombs away, drop her back in


If the distrib rotor is in the correct position but will not drop all the way.. the oil pump drive is not correctly lined up..pull her back out and move the oil pump shaft in the block.

If the distrib does drop in correctly but is not in the correct position.. you are 1 tooth off and have to remove the distrib & re position the oil pump drive.

Finally got it in correctly?

PHEW!

Line up the marks, put her back together & prepare to fire.

This will take a trained mechanic 30 min or so to complete the entire operation.

For a novice.. all bets are off.

The oil pump tool is the prefered method to revive an engine that has been sitting for an extended time, so when you start rotating things you are not metal to metal
(BAD)

But by the time you read this.. you could have spun the engine over 40-60 times basicly doing the same thing.

LOL

So there you have it.


Vig!

 

[Vetsvette2002]

Yup

That sound like the long and the short of it

 

[bobmanx]

as the saga continues...... The Corvette Gods were not smiling, Battery would not hold a charge and I ran out of time to swap it out with a new one. Had to catch a plane (lawyers can waste a lot of time) LOL. The best that I could get it to do was make the starter "click" but there wasnt enough poop in the battery to turn it over.
So I called "vettefinder jim" and asked for his suggestions on a transport company to get it home to so. cal. . Jim gave me a name of a company that I'm talking to about giving it a trailer ride, so it will be much closer to home, tools, and the parts needed to make it wake up. Thanks Jim, they are trying to work out the details to pick it up, and get it here asap. they wanted to know how come you did not find it first? I told them that it did not show on your spy satellite tracking pictures! LOL
I will advise when it gets here and any progress in bringing it to life. I will use the suggestions from the posts and take it slow.
Again Thanks to all for the suggestions, encouragement, and even "vigman" suggesting I ship it to his house.
The adventure continues!
Bob

 

[vigman]

Well Bob.. sometimes they don't smile

.. sorry.. I would think that you would have bought a new battery anyways.

Oh and I have to retract my offer to store your car... I might have landed the PERFECT 63 project... Will have news this Saturday!!!!!!!

So your space is taken!



Vig!

 

[bobmanx]

Vigman, but thats where I was going to have it delivered! Now I have to find another parking place! LOL Hope you found a "perfect project", (arent they all) Buying the battery wasnt the problem, planned to several times, the problems were that when ever I opened the garage door, ( too much stuff in the garage) people just kept stopping by and asking if the vette was for sale. got tired of saying "no" and having to answer "why" and then people just wanting to keep checking it out. Really!
The majority of time was taken up with lawyer and others that needed signatures and info and blood samples, urine samples, address, eye color, and all the other paper work that comes with having to be a co-executor for a deceased relative. just starting the process of dealing with the state and all, gets to be a real drain on a person's time and attitude (being out of state). Not complaining, just reality check time.
Battery was a maint. free unit by exide, and they named it right! no amount of maintenance would help it. the thing acted like it would take a charge while on the charger, but wouldnt. so ended up deciding on not swapping out the battery, since there wasnt any tools to speak of, since it was going to be transported, time running out, more people wanting to use mass quantities of time (DMV there, 3hours+ and attitude), car is out of the city limits, nearest tools are in the sears store that is open limited hours (like when the lawyer wants to sign more papers and the banks want paper work from the state and a lawyer, and then have a attitude), learning a lesson here, not being morbid but, get a will and other papers so the state only has limited involvement!
And then lets talk about just getting the old one out and the new one in. Its a 67 with A/C so remove the left front wheel and start taking the wheel well apart. so decided to wait. I did manage to get the 10+ gallons of old gas out of the tank, and it did turn with the strap wrench, slowly. Also collapsed the soft top and installed the hard top, so it all ships at the same time.
I appologize, I know everyone wanted to read that it fired up, but that will come once its here in so. cal. Keep all your fingers crossed, it should be here by the end of the month. just need a empty space on the enclosed trailer, passing near the pick-up location, thats headed to so. cal. and it will be here! Thanks for the contact vettefinderjim!
Thanks, Bob

 

[Tom Bryant]

It will be more fun when you have it home anyway. Then you can take your time and not be pressured when working on it.

Tom

 

[vigman]

Waiting for this weeks exciting episode

Of Bob Manx.. the lucky guy!


Vig!

 

[bobmanx]

Vigman, Tom, and all the gang, sorry to keep you waiting, but it might be a bit longer. I'm trying to get the car transported from my uncle's house to So.Cal. The transport company is trying to set it up as you read this, get a truck in the area of the pick-up point and headed towards So.Cal. They were highly recommended by Vettefinder Jim, THANKS, and I just need to get all the players on the field at the same game. Neighbor (his schedule) will get them access to the car and keys, they ( their sched) will load and transport, and I (their schedule not mine) will be there in So.Cal. to unload and push into the new location of hiding for "the fun to begin", as Tom and others put it a few posts ago. lol I'm trying to do this ASAP, with all the players it is a logistics challenge.
Spent saturday 2/8/03 clearing out the garage. Who bought all this stuff and why did we save it? Goodwill will have to open another store!
As soon as it arrives will post that "the fun has begun again", and will continue with the posts and the questions.
Thanks everyone for all the concern, encouragement, answers, suggestions, and help to get to this point has been a adventure, and "let the games begin"!
Bob

 

[vigman]

To cool for school!

... can't wait for more !

Vig!

 

[Tom Bryant]

Transport company

Bob, Jim,

Is this transport company listed in the Portal? Please take the time to see that it is and add a review of your experiences with them. I'm sure other member will have the need for a quality transport company in the future and what better reference than fellow members experiences.

Thanks,
Tom