What I enjoy most is driving all day in my old Corvette and meeting people from other places.
In the last 24 years, this 1966 Corvette has been in 36 of the United States and in 4 Canadian provinces.
That's "Grand Touring" at its finest.
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Family & Friends
* Habitat For Humanity
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* Power Tours
Click here to E-mail me
~~~~~~~ My latest road tour ~~~~~~~
My eighth Hot Rod Power Tour started in weather too hot for me to start in Florida, but finished cool in Michigan.
Click here for pictures.
This picture is from Lake St.Clair near Detroit, Michigan.
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My 1966 roadster came from the factory with two tops, 390HP/427CID engine, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, tinted and shaded glass, 4 speed transmission, 3.08 rear axle, AM/FM radio, and 4 way flashers.
I bought the car in 1986 as a basket case: no paint, "big block" engine, th400 transmission, 4.56 rear axle, no interior, no glass except the windshield, not a switch or lamp worked, nor did half the gauges.
Two years later, it left the garage as a coast to coast streetmachine.
It was white when it left the factory, and although it had last been metallic dark blue, I liked the whiter white of the 80s Corvettes, so bright white it was for 15 years.
The original Ermine White is now back on the car.
To protect the paint when I take to the highway, I always put a four piece mask on the front.
The sides and lower rear panels are protected against chips and scratches by mud guards.
The stainless steel mud and stone guards are rubber lined to prevent dents from stones.
They have been on the car for 20 years, and they are not screwed on, but clamped to the fiberglass fender flanges.
I did restore the original power antenna, and even published an NCRS article on how it was done, but I prefer the aftermarket antenna that is on the car now.
It collapses completely into the body, but it did require two relays to adapt to the the wiring harness.
Back when the Bloomington Gold shows were held at the McClean County Fairgrounds (Bloomington, Illinois), I had the opportunity to thank Zora Arkus-Duntov for the great engineering work he managed to bring to Corvettes.
Many engineers and designers contributed to make Corvettes into world class sports cars, but Zora always fought hard to make Corvettes true competitors.
As an manufacturing engineer, I really appreciated the work it took to have a large corporation pursue high performance products.
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-----------------------------Details: interior-------------------------------
The original interior was Bright Blue, but the door panels, the rugs, and trim pieces look better in the Navy Blue that matches the blue cloth covered Recaro seats.
The Bright Blue dash pads are a great contrast to the Navy Blue dash center and console.
In addition, a Navy Blue covered shelf with booster and reverberator sits in place of the speaker, and matching Navy Blue vinyl glove compartment door insert.
On either side of the reverb control are indicator lamps for the auxiliary headlamp high beams and door ajar warning.
The four channel Custom Autosound stereo plays through headrest speakers, and through the reverb to kickpanel speakers.
The stereo plays only 53-67 tunes from an Ipod Nano.
"Wolfman" Jack occasionally introduces songs, gives the weather, and talks on the phone between songs.
The air conditioning is by Chevrolet.
The cruise control is set from a panel on the lexan console protector.
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The pair of black kick panels that I modified to accept Rockford Fosgate coaxial speakers in 2004 finally got painted navy blue to match the interior a year later.
They perform much better than speakers in the storage area behind the seats, that need higher power and distortion levels from the cassette player and reverberator.
I connected an Ipod Nano to the stereo in 2006 and the added power and capacity is so good that I never use cassettes anymore.
For a couple of years, I considered adding a CD deck in place of the reverb/booster in the dash, but the Nano made that unnecessary.
Between the coaxials in the kickpanels and the pair of Sony speakers in each headrest, the 1953 to 1967 top 40 music stored on the ipod can be heard above the exhausts and the top down wind noise.
Cabin noise levels with the top up are annoying to some passengers, and a constant squeak, rattle, or howl will get to me too.
Squeaks and rattles are straightforward maintenance problems, while the howl with the top up at the edge between the vinyl and the top mechanism was solved by glueing foam to the inner edge of the top.
When the top is up, it can't be seen behind the top mechanism above the door windows.
The roof cement that I applied to the top surface of the wheel wells to protect the fenders from rocks thrown at high speed, also cuts the noise level, especially in rain.
The frame shields in the rear wheel wells also cut the noise from the rear tires, as does the double insulation under the carpet, and the heat insulation under the body.
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A 1963 to 1967 Corvette has a Battery meter which is essentially a galvanometer that measures voltage difference between the horn relay and the starter.
Here is the inexpensive procedure I used to convert it to a true voltmeter.
I started with an old 66 Corvette Battery gauge and an inexpensive two inch voltmeter from J.C.Whitney.
I disassembled both as shown at right.
Then I used a Dremel tool to cut slots in the Battery gauge case, so the new voltmeter mechanism would fit tightly in the old case.
I cut the needle stops off the Battery gauge and touched up the paint.
At the same time, I painted out the -40, 0, and +40 text.
The gauges have different shaft diameters, and I did not have a 0.032 inch diameter drill to open up the GM needle, so I painted the voltmeter needle to look like the Battery gauge needle.
Next, I used a digital meter to note the battery voltage level at 12.6 volts.
I attached the modified voltmeter to the battery, and installed the needle pointing to the center of the gauge (at 12.6 volts).
With a paper scale created from the original voltmeter face (shown at right), I marked the face of the Battery gauge with a green dot at the 12 volt and 14.5 volt locations.
After a spray of clear coat on the gauge face, all of the touch ups blended in.
The marks correspond to the lowest and highest voltage readings that can be expected under normal conditions.
The finished gauge is shown at right. It is now ready to be installed in the cluster.
The violet wire is connected to an ignition line to the key switch and the green line is grounded.
Both original harness wire connectors for the Battery gauge are coated with clear silicone caulk before slipping a small piece of rubber hose over them.
That will keep them from frying the harness.
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My original seat belts were well worn, and the last thing they needed was to have a painter overspray them with gel coat.
Although I could unroll the belts to see the original color, they looked horrible and needed replacement.
I was unable to find reproduction bright blue seatbelts that looked anything like my originals.
Either the color, the material, or the labels would be wrong, and sometimes all three were wrong.
I found some 1966 bright blue belt material in a junk yard, a second buckle at a swap meet, and went to work.
It was necessary to buy and modify an old zigzag sewing machine with a heavy frame to accept heavy nylon thread, and then to practice on scrap belt material.
I liked the result so much that I bagged the originals, probably for the next owner to use restoring the car to "correct" as delivered to the dealer condition.
Instead, I installed a set of belts from under the seat of a 68 Caprice.
After 15 years of use, they wore out, so bought a set of modern belts from J.C.Whitney.
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-----------------------------Details: convertible top-------------------------------
When I got the car 1986, only the hardtop was installed.
A white convertible top that had not been on the car in a decade was included with the garage full of removed parts.
I could tell by the sewn up rips, that the white top had seen too many years of service before removal, but at least it was a hint that the car had probably come with a white top.
I installed the old top and hung the hardtop from the garage wall within a week, and the hardtop has never been back on the car.
After getting the bodywork done over a year later, I refurbished the top frame and installed a new white top.
It had been years since I owned a convertible with a white top, and I had forgotten how hard it was to keep one clean.
When the top showed signs of wearing out, I ordered a navy blue one to match the custom navy interior (navy is not a 1966 Sting Ray roadster factory interior or top color).
I have since twice replaced it with navy blue tops, working hard to keep it wrinkle free and water tight.
When installing the second blue top, I left the decklid seal in the rear bow and bent the bow to conform closely to the decklid.
I also began inserting aftermarket weatherstrip materials between the windlace and the factory style rubber seal on the header bow of the top.
After years of adding and changing added weatherstrips, I still had not found a seal that would hold above 70 MPH.
Since my Sting ray does not have wide tires on it, high speed traction on wet roads is excellent, and in the rain I was only limited by how wet I wanted to be while driving.
A few years ago, on one of my tours of a local you-pull-a-part yard, I decided to look at header seals.
Chevy Cavaliers appeared to have seals that had more than one sealing rib on the mating surface, while being wide enough to fit across the Sting Ray header bow.
The best thing about them, aside from the $5 junk yard price, is the "clamshell" seal design that allows me to insert pieces of weatherstrip foam at the center of the header bow and at the place where the reveal moldings meet.
That keeps pressure on the three areas where water will seep in at high speeds, the uneven molding surface, and the increased gap to the molding at high speed that is cause by wind drag on the top.
I used a curved piece of 1/2 copper pipe inserted in the clamshell to hold the seal while the silicon caulk set up to hold it in place.
My Hot Rod Power Tour copilot will verify my claim to be dry even at 80 to 85 MPH in a rainstorm.
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-----------------------------Details: looking in the engine bay-------------------------------
The current mule motor is a 1970 350CID small block, set up for dependable performance on coast to coast tours, and that's where it goes.
I have driven the car on several Bloomington Gold road tours, NCRS road tours, Hot Rod power Tours, and Montana "no speed limit" vacations.
To make the car a little more dependable and easier to drive long distances, I made changes all around the car.
The Griffin aluminum radiator, the Flex-A-Lite Black Magic fan, and Derale control can cope with 100°F days in the city or at high speeds.
The fan is mounted in a custom shroud with high pressure vents.
The distributor has Pertronix Ignitor primary ignition and a stainless roller bearing at the tachometer cable connection.
The carburetor is a Carter AFB with a solenoid attached to maintain the idle when the air conditioning (A-C) is engaged.
The carburetor sits on a 65 Corvette intake for a 327CID 300HP engine and the solenoid bracket is a simple piece of aluminum bolted on top of the left front carburetor stud.
The alternator has been upgraded to provide 135amps (maximum) in order to cope with the additional load of the electric radiator fan, auxiliary headlamps, electric fuel pump, 6 speaker stereo, cruise control, alarm, and intermittent wiper control.
The rubber shield attached to the upper bracket above the alternator fan is made from part of an old radiator hose.
It keeps bugs off the hood and keeps my fingers off the moving alternator fan.
The A-C compressor oil shield keeps the underside of the hood clean and protects the fiberglass from absorbing the oil and ruining the paint on top of the hood.
The fresh air intake grilles at the bottom of the picture have aluminum expanded metal inserts that keep leaves and mice out of the car.
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The 350 mule engine currently in the car is replacement number three.
I did use the 427 ignition shield, radiator, alternator, power steering pump, A-C compressor, and part of the 427 air cleaner.
Of course the swaps provide the opportunity to clean the engine bay, replace the clutch, check the clutch linkage cross shaft bushings, driveshaft Ujoints, and engine mounts.
The process provides me with Corvette entertainment all winter.
I am happy to tell you that replacing engines, transmissions, or differentials is a one mechanic job.
I spend time setting up the job to make it enjoyable to work alone.
Little tricks like a small pulley system to remove and reinstall the hood help being able to work alone.
That's good, because no one else wants to be in the garage while I sing along to the "oldies".
My mantra is: The only thing almost as much fun as driving an old Corvette is working on one.
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A few years ago, I noticed the stinger depression (circled left) on the underside of the hood let the fan recycle hot air over the top of the A-C hood seal at idle, so I stuffed a piece of foam in it to fill the gap (shown at right).
That not only helped reduce city A-C engine temps, but also kept the bugs from pouring in over the top of the radiator at highway speeds.
However, it didn't help the carburetor get fresh air.
The heat generated by the A-C chokes the engine, so I decided to add aluminum ducts to the hood to supply cold air to the air cleaner.
I got out the cardboard and made another template, which got translated to a piece of sheet aluminum.
The aluminum not only plays the same role as the foam (blocking the fan from recycling hot air), but also funnels cool air from in front of the radiator back toward the carburetor.
If the all the Corvettes that followed Sting Rays can get fresh air from in front of the radiator, non- fuel-injected Sting Rays should also be able to do it too.
The panel even looks better than the foam (above, right) did. It's held in place by two aluminum clamps that hang from the hood skin support, and by the leading edge at the the front hood skin support.
All hood changes were made without holes, cuts, or glue.
I got two chrome air cleaner shields that are held in place by the filter element to enclose both sides of the element.
Cold air comes over the top from the side ducts shown in the
engine picture above.
The custom carburetor linkage allows the big block arm to connect to the AFB, and there are three throttle return springs.
The double spring in front added safety, but the rear pull spring balances the pull of the front springs to minimize wear on the aluminum carburetor base.
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This was an interrupted project.
Finding a fan shroud to straddle the radiator for a 427CID engine in a 1966 Sting Ray is difficult due to both the size of the radiator and the angle at which it is mounted.
Prior to 1966, the radiator support was more upright, so the bottom of the shroud did not have to reach forward as far.
Sting Rays with 327CID and 396CID engines have narrower radiators, because the expansion tanks are fender mounted.
I had already installed a 16inch Derale Tornado fan and controller in my Sting Ray years before I started this project.
Flex-A-Lite introduced a fan which was rated at 10% more airflow, and did not come mounted in a protection cage that obstructed airflow.
I extensively modified the bottom of a fan shroud for a 427 radiator to house a Flex-A-Lite Black Magic fan, which I bought as a motor and a blade assembly.
The project then waited a few years for a reason to pull the Derale electric fan.
The flange at the bottom of the fan opening is for the rubber seal that blocks air movement below the radiator.
When the car is standing still, the seal prevents air be recirculated to the front of the radiator.
On the highway, it blocks air from the front that works against fan airflow into the engine compartment.
When I resumed work on it, I cut three oval openings in the shroud for rubber doors that open at high speeds.
The Derale fan control was mounted on the shroud and the wiring changed for the new fan.
At the time of installation, a coolant overflow tank was connected to the radiator to "close" the system.
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A Griffin aluminum radiator with two rows 1.25 inch tubes easily solved my expressway overheating problems.
It also cured the city traffic overheating problem when A-C is NOT used.
With A-C in the city, overheating was still a problem, but I noticed that the car would idle at 170°F with the A-C running and the hood open on a 100°F day.
As soon as I put the hood down the radiator and underhood temperature went to 205°F.
To control under hood heat generated when the Air Conditioning runs, I installed a Derale Tornado 16 inch electric fan to FORCE the air out of the engine compartment.
Since the electric fan required a higher power alternator, I bought a 135 amp unit.
To be sure the alternator won't fry the engine bay harness, the photo at left shows the twin Stinger 60 amp AGU fuse holders along side the voltage regulator on a bracket.
Also in the picture at left, a terminal post from a Delcotron (alternator) is shown above the regulator.
I cut the heads off two brass screws and inserted them in place of a wire at the output end of the Stingers.
I used the red plastic "washer" from the Delcotron post on one of the Stingers to allow the factory harness rubber cover to seal the connection, so that the standard harness alternator line (red wire) attaches to the Stinger as if it were an alternator post.
The 6 gauge wires to the alternator are shown at left coming out of the bottom of the Stingers.
The second Stinger powers 130 watts of auxiliary headlamps and the cooling fan.
On the right, the fuse holders are shown in place beneath the alternator and voltage regulator.
I covered the harness with wire loom to keep it clean and flexible.
The 500°F exhaust manifold heat will harden the wire insulation as years go by.
The loom slows the process down.
The wiring that's closest to the exhaust manifolds gets silver reflective loom to help keep the wire cool and flexible, since the black loom melts under high heat conditions.
I mounted the electric fan (shown in the picture just below), in the shroud for ease of service and complete radiator coverage.
The radiator temperature is monitored by a probe, inserted between core tubes, a few inches below the water inlet.
Remaining underhood heat problems were solved by removing the splash shields under the engine.
This set up now allows the engine to idle in traffic at 170°F, even on 100°F days.
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The radiator seals on the shroud are all custom.
The top one was originally a windshield seal I found in a junk yard.
The stainless center bracket holds the fan and the top of the shroud securely.
The wiring on the shroud, just below the upper radiator hose, connects to the Derale fan control to the fan, alternator, ignition, and dash cluster indicator lamp.
The radiator is supplied by a Stewart pump that has a 5/8 nose on a 3/4 shaft, which allows the original pulley to be used on a pump with larger and stronger bearings and casting.
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After years of searching, I found an L shaped plastic overflow jug in a junkyard, that looked like it would fit in place of the useless and hard to fill GM windshield washer fluid bag, and it did.
All it needed was a stainless steel bracket to hang it from the battery access door bolts, and one-way fluid valves for the line to the pump.
A few years later, I began using Rainx on the windshield, and the windshield washers fell into disuse, since Rainx makes the windshield easily cleaned.
Recently, I needed a coolant tank to convert to a "closed" system that allows the radiator to be completely filled, so the washer fluid tank was converted back to being a coolant tank.
The tank is now connected to the radiator overflow port, and coolant flow is managed by a radiator cap for a 1973 Corvette.
As you look down on the Optima battery, you see the "green knob" battery switch that make electrical work and longer storage easier.
The optima battery has completely eliminated all battery corrosion problems at the terminals and at the battery tray and the frame.
The black object between the coolant tank and the battery in the picture at left is the cruise control servo.
Both it and the tank attach to the fenderwell battery door bolts that come on cars with factory A-C.
I have always avoided drilling holes in the body or the frame.
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-----------------------------Details: Under the engine-------------------------------
The power steering cylinder is an original option.
I tried a rebuilt valve, and it leaked.
Next try was a rebuilding kit, but they come without a spool seal and the metal gasket that mates the casting halves.
Bless Chevrolet for still supplying gaskets.
The spool O-ring came from a local hydraulic cylinder shop.
The front of the 2.5 inch stainless exhaust pipes have a gutted heat riser valve.
Stainless Borla Turbo mufflers are on the tail end of the lines feeding 2.5 inch tail pipes.
The exhausts have an awesome sound, and I no longer have to remove rust periodically.
To counter the hot engine starting problem that Corvette owners call "heat soak", I installed a stainless steel heat shield in place of the starter support bracket,
then replaced the solenoid with the larger nonmetric version on a heavy duty starter from Oreilly (shown at right).
Before that, I changed out at least one starter per year.
Since then, none.
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These two pictures show the top and bottom of the left side engine mount that's been modified to have a grade 8 lock bolt riding in it.
The left side is the side the engine torque tries to lift off the frame, and therefore it is the side that normally fails first, with the rubber cracking apart.
When it fails, hood damage, usually at the alternator brackets, is the least of the results.
The throttle linkage can lock wide open during failure, and that was the reason the interlocks were added to the original engine mounts.
The mounts with interlocks have enough play to also allow hood damage, so I install a grade 8, 3/8x24 restraining bolt.
The bolt limits engine travel in the event the mount fails.
It is threaded into the plate under the nut.
The lock nut keeps it from coming loose.
The bolt rides in a .125 diameter larger hole in the rubber and the other plate.
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-----------------------------Details: The front of the Sting Ray-------------------------------
I bought an air dam years ago, and the supplier is out of business.
It was a thin racing piece from the 70s, and I cut holes in it for bumper brackets, then modified it heavily.
It had been broken and repaired three times, so Mid Valley Restorations made a mold to generate similar air dams.
The Mid Valley dam is much sturdier, and gives more ground clearance.
I hang my deer whistles on the ends of the air dam.
I have had a group of deer at the side of the road all turn heads to see the source of the noise - while I am following a bellowing tractor-trailer that they ignored.
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The auxiliary headlamps are 65 watt halogen high and low beam. They
hang from the bumper bolts, and rely on ignition power, so they shut
off automatically when the ignition is off.
The beam is controlled by a second floor switch - next to the factory high beam switch.
Since daytime running lights are mandatory in Canada
and daytime headlamps are mandatory in the USA when it is raining, I always use them on the road.
Since I use a mask to protect the paint, the Corvette headlamps can remain covered at night, unless I need four more halogen lamps.
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The 1966 Corvette "egg crate" grille is heavy, hard to clean, and corrodes quickly if left unwaxed.
I got an old custom aluminum grille, cut slots in it for bumper brackets, and made mounting brackets.
It looks similar to the 63-64 grille but has fewer aluminum bars and no perimeter frame or mounting points.
The custom grille is much easier to keep clean than the original style, and waxing it is done in a minute instead of the hour that the original required.
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The next question was how to lower the license plate bracket to show off the grille and admit more air to the radiator.
Two aluminum brackets mount the plate below the bumper cross bar.
The brackets are offset to the rear at the top to align the plate with the air dam and admit more air to the grille.
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In 1990, I bought the common style of nose mask that draped over half the grille.
It looked ugly, but it protected the paint.
In 2003, I made up a four piece mask that left the grille exposed.
The upper piece was made from the original mask by cutting away the material that covered the grille and refitting the mask to the nose of the car.
It also required two extra pairs of straps on the top edge keep the mask close to the body at high speeds.
In 2008, I purchased the Wolf mask shown at left that clings to the upper body just like the aging top piece that I had made up.
It leaves the stinger exposed, and it also holds fine at high speeds while protecting the paint.
I made the bumper covers from cotton lined vinyl to keep stones from scratching the chrome.
Since bugs collected on the (hard to clean) lower valence panel, I covered that too.
The air conditioning condenser and radiator are protected against bugs blocking their airways by a teflon screen that is clamped across them at the top and bottom.
The top clamping bar also holds the upper radiator support seal (for Corvettes with A-C) in place against the hood.
In this "hood off" picture you can also see the raised bottom edge of the air cleaner opening that aligns to the hood duct shown in the "hood open"
engine picture) above.
Also shown in a front view with the hood removed are the air conditioning compressor shield that suppresses oil stains on the hood, and the rubber alternator fan shield that keeps bug bodies off the hood.
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-----------------------------Details: Under the body-------------------------------
These pictures show the installation of both of the aluminum splash shields that I made to replace the flat black steel shields which were removed in Texas at the start of the 2004 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour.
The steel shields obstructed hot air flow from the engine compartment, and contributed to a hot cabin and higher radiator temperatures.
The aluminum shields follow the angle of the bulkhead, with a few inches of gap behind them that is vented by the "spoiler" flaps at the bottom.
The shields protect the aluminum coated insulation that I added to cover the bottom of the fiberglass floor.
At the same time, they help deflect the hot air coming from the fan, and allow the air to exit below the car.
As with the hood ducts and the starter solenoid shield, I always begin with paper and cardboard templates.
I usually save them somewhere in the garage.
That means if anyone is interested in duplicating what you see here, I can send paper copies to you.
The pieces made from stainless steel, such as the solenoid shield, floor reinforcements under the seats, and the air conditioning compressor drive shield, usually have an intermediate step.
Between cardboard template and hard to cut stainless, I usually make a prototype from a roll aluminum flashing.
The flashing is cheap and can be cut with scissors.
After the flashing prototype is bolted up and checked, changes can easily be made by cutting another prototype.
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While I was under the car working on the shields, I finally got around to installing the weatherstrip that I pulled from junk yard vehicles during the previous fall.
The weatherstrip between the shroud and the bottom of the radiator, shown at right, came from a GM SUV rear passenger door.
It is wide enough and has enough of an angle to reach the radiator when it is clipped to the shroud.
That's the back of my air dam hanging below the valence panel.
It adds mileage and (I am told) high speed stability to the roadster.
I bought the original version of the air dam just to keep bugs off the suspension.
I first broke the original in Tucumcari, New Mexico, trying to get closer to the town's Route 66 lawn art.
Corvettes are not off-road vehicles.
The second time was at a plaza entrance in Estes Park, Colorado.
I learned that the mountain downpours make steeply angled edges to curbed streets necessary.
I took an inch or so off the bottom of the dam during the second repair.
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A couple of pictures of the bottom of the cabin floor.
To keep the cabin cool, I lined the underside of the floor with self-adhesive aluminum and cell foam duct insulation.
The insulation also protects the fiberglass from the heat of the exhausts, the engine, and the A-C condenser.
I also used this material in place of the GM tunnel liner above the transmission, and at the same time, I extended the insulation forward, above the clutch housing.
The hose hanging from the air conditioning evaporator box in front of the silver insulation is functionally the same as the original Corvette drain hose, but it was designed for a Chrysler minivan.
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While the spare tire tub was out of the car, I repacked the rear wheel bearings and cleaned up the suspension.
The strut rods are Vette Brake adjustable units, that make camber adjustment much easier.
The 2.5 inch diameter exhaust pipes are Allen's stainless steel.
They feed stainless steel Borla Turbo mufflers with 2.5 inch outlets.
The sound is wonderful, and since it is at the rear of the car, it does not overpower the stereo the way sidepipes do.
The original rear spring has been restored and bagged.
The heavy duty replacement spring allows me to fill the storage area with two Pullman suitcases, a cooler, camera, and hiking gear - and
still have the headlights point at the road without needing to be realigned.
For 18 years before the heavy duty 7 leaf spring was installed, I used air shocks with the standard 9 leaf spring to carry luggage and a passenger without pointing headlamps into the sky.
Hard suspension?
No problem for me. My running gag for more than 40 years of high performance cars has been: "Put a dime on the road so I can run over it and tell you whether it's heads or tails."
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In order to repack the bearings, it is necessary to remove the spindle nut and to reinstall it.
To make the process simpler, I drilled five holes in a piece of plywood attached to a piece of scrap steel.
My homemade tool is shown in the picture at right, with the wheel studs in the five holes.
It's easier to torque the spindle nut, and it's a one mechanic job.
The fiberglass panel that is shrouding the trailing arm in the picture is a frame shield.
I installed them 20 years ago, and even though I drove the car through a lot of mud and snow in my travels, the frame and trailing
arms remain rust free.
That means everything is easy to clean and wax during the winter months.
Wax the suspension? Yes!
Remember, the only thing nearly as much fun as driving a Sting Ray is working on one.
After a few leaky rebuilt fuel pumps, I installed a new GM mechanical pump.
It died in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a few weeks later with an internal crack at the pivot pin.
It's replacement leaked by the time I got the car home to Illinois.
My solution to mechanical pump problems is a low pressure Purolator electric fuel pump that delivers fuel at twice the factory spec rate.
I mounted it to the rear crossmember on a motor/transmission mount, to isolate noise and vibration.
This type of pump is currently sold under the Mr.Gasket name.
The location also lent itself to mounting a NAPA 3/8 inch inline fuel filter, in a safer place, where rubber lines already exist.
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-----------------------------Need help?-------------------------------
Here are a few items I created to help you with repairs and upgrades:
1966 Corvette hardware torque specs
1966 AIM table of contents sorted by page (~ option code)
1966 AIM table of contents sorted by subject
1964 wiring diagram for a Corvette convertible with Powerglide.
1965 wiring diagram for a Corvette convertible.
1965 wiring diagram for a Corvette convertible with Powerglide.
1965 wiring diagram for a Corvette coupe with A-C and Powerglide
1966 wiring diagram for a Corvette convertible
1966 wiring diagram for a Corvette convertible with A-C
1963-67 wiring diagram for a Corvette with: A-C, electric cooling fan, electric fuel pump, cruise control, intermittent wiper control, auxiliary headlamps, 6 speaker stereo, and 50 amp cabin supply line.
50 amp cabin supply wiring diagram with an electric fuel pump relay added.
Photo here.
Rear wheel toe alignment instructions and diagram
How to protect a Battery meter or any circuit, by inserting an inline fuse holder
How to repair a 1966 Corvette power antenna.
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-----------------------------Some of the really Grand Touring trips-------------------------------
1987 trip to visit friends and get parts in Buffalo, New York.
1987 to the Bloomington Gold meet in Bloomington IL.
1988 ride through Glacier Park to Mount Rainier, and back through the Yellowstone fire.
1988 to the Bloomington Gold meet and road tour in Bloomington IL.
1989 back to hiking in Glacier National Park and blackened Yellowstone.
1990 to the Bloomington Gold meet and road tour in Bloomington IL.
1991 to Bloomington IL in a Silver Salute Corvette for the Bloomington Gold road tour.
1991 ride across Canada to Jasper, Alberta, and south on the Icefields Parkway to Banff, then back in the USA to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks, hiking in every park.
1992 to Rocky Mountain National Park for seven days of hiking in Colorado.
1993 to the Bloomington Gold meet and road tour in Springfield IL for the first time.
1994 ride to the Adirondacks for the "High Peaks Tour".
1995 NCRS Steamboat Springs Tour past Mt. Rushmore to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
1995 Corvette Funfest and road tour in Effingham Illinois.
1996 Corvette Funfest and road tour in Effingham Illinois.
1997 winter ride to Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Texas.
1997 NCRS national road tour to Lake Placid, New York.
1997 Chevrolet sponsored "Return To The Road" down Route 66 in fall.
1998 NCRS national road tour to Collinsville, Illinois.
1999 NCRS national road tour to Sun Valley, Idaho was a great ride.
1999 Corvette Funfest and road tour in Effingham Illinois.
2000 NCRS tour toBowling Green, Kentucky.
2000 Corvette Funfest and road tour in Effingham Illinois.
2001 Hot Rod Power Tour down route 66 to California.
2002 to Rocky Mountain National Park for seven days of hiking in Colorado.
2002 NCRS Tour from Portland OR on the
coast highway to Monterey CA with hiking in Yosemite.
2003 NCRS tour to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
2003 return to Glacier National Park,
in Montana, to hike with Corvette owners, Dave and Karen Zuberer.
2003 Corvette Funfest in Effingham Illinois.
2004 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour from Arlington, Texas to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
2005 Power Tour, from Milwaukee to Bowling Green to see the Corvette Museum.
2005 Corvette Funfest in Effingham Illinois.
2006 Corvette Funfest in Effingham Illinois.
2007 Hot Rod Power Tour: Cleveland, Kalamazoo, Racine, Springfield, Evansville, Memphis, Little Rock.
2007 Corvette Funfest in Effingham Illinois.
2008 great time driving with the Sting Ray Registry group on part of their Route 66 ride.
2008 Hot Rod Power Tour: Little Rock, Springfield, Topeka, Lincoln, Ames, Rochester, Madison.
2009 fun on my sixth Hot Rod Power Tour, from Madison to Racine, South Bend, Detroit, and Dayton.
2010 solo 7th Power Tour: Newton, Springfield, DuQuoin, Bowling Green, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Mobile.
2011 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour, shortened to Indianapolis, Muskegon, and Lake Saint Clair.
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-----------------------------Home in Moline-------------------------------
This is home in Moline, Illinois.
The three car garage behind the house and patio is where I spend most of the winter months.
Although the old car needs a lot of maintenance to keep it roadworthy, the house is 27 years older than the car, and it also demands a lot of work every year.
Friends are always welcome.
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If my friends are allergic to cats, my three cats will pretend they didn't notice.
Moline is one of the Quad Cities, where I-80, I-74, and I-280 cross the Mississippi river.
If you are on the road and passing through the Quad cities, please visit.
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Thank you for dropping by, and if you wish, send an email telling me about your ride, or what you think of mine!
I did most of the restoration work myself.
In the process, I installed three engines, four different four speeds, three differentials, three convertible tops, and just about every other part that could be cleaned or replaced.
Have fun driving, but please keep the wheel side down! (Officer Wally)
------------------Lots of miles and lots of smiles, I drive a Corvette - Dave--------------------
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