Had my pride severely wounded at a car show.
06-17-2013, 01:00 AM
#21
Melting Slicks
Was at a car show today... someone pointed out that my fuel regulator was leaking... it wasn't leaking, this was...
broke from the inside out... wonder what EZ Efi will say? Of course, it was dripping directly above the hooker sidepipe headers... right between the tubes... really.
But I didn't get it the worst (there's a NAPA 3 blocks from where I was at in the show - so a plug and I was back in business)
A 68/9 C3 Convertible blew its power steering line not one line over from me.
In our conversation, we both said the same thing... our first thought was, damn, too bad it didn't blow up - I'm well insured
yeah yeah
if car is on a trailer, it's being stolen.
broke from the inside out... wonder what EZ Efi will say? Of course, it was dripping directly above the hooker sidepipe headers... right between the tubes... really.
But I didn't get it the worst (there's a NAPA 3 blocks from where I was at in the show - so a plug and I was back in business)
A 68/9 C3 Convertible blew its power steering line not one line over from me.
In our conversation, we both said the same thing... our first thought was, damn, too bad it didn't blow up - I'm well insured
yeah yeah
if car is on a trailer, it's being stolen.
06-17-2013, 06:04 AM
#22
We were riding the bike down 17 bypass after going to the show and saw the car on the flatbed and wondered what happened. Glad it was something minor....Recently got a 72 but was unable to bring it to the show. Was disappointed in the amount of chrome bumper vettes there, not many...
Had my Harley sitting in the middle of the Flo Civic Center for a hockey game a few years back and it wouldn't start. All the bikes pulled out and I was still sitting out there hitting the starter button. They were getting ready to come out and push me off and it finally started, talk about everyone looking at you. I changed the battery the next day...
Had my Harley sitting in the middle of the Flo Civic Center for a hockey game a few years back and it wouldn't start. All the bikes pulled out and I was still sitting out there hitting the starter button. They were getting ready to come out and push me off and it finally started, talk about everyone looking at you. I changed the battery the next day...
06-17-2013, 02:55 PM
#23
Pro
On Saturday, June 1st, we had the yearly Corvette show in Myrtle Beach, SC. I drove my 68 coupe there and about 40 feet from a parking spot, it just died. A couple of nice people helped me push it into a parking spot. I had trouble with bad rebuilt alternators twice and thought that, that might be the problem, again. I could not enjoy being there to talk to friends, while worrying about getting a tow.
About 150 corvettes in the show and around 50 more in the parking lot, and I am the only one that had to get towed out of there! Bummer!!!
It turns out that one of the two fusible links down by the starter let go, from age and heat. The wire just pulled out of the rubber " tube ", when my mechanic tugged on it. I was lucky enough to be there watching when he did this.
So I am writing this to warn people to double check their fusible links on original wiring harnesses. By the way, nothing is more enjoyable than driving my 45 year old " 68 beater " and passing a dead new car on the side of the road. LOL. Lou.
About 150 corvettes in the show and around 50 more in the parking lot, and I am the only one that had to get towed out of there! Bummer!!!
It turns out that one of the two fusible links down by the starter let go, from age and heat. The wire just pulled out of the rubber " tube ", when my mechanic tugged on it. I was lucky enough to be there watching when he did this.
So I am writing this to warn people to double check their fusible links on original wiring harnesses. By the way, nothing is more enjoyable than driving my 45 year old " 68 beater " and passing a dead new car on the side of the road. LOL. Lou.
Told him I was only tuning the carb and didn't need any help but thanked him anyways. He asked what I had under the hood. Told him, his comment was holy sh**.
Half the fun of owning an old vette is getting people to notice even when you are working on it instead of driving it.
Hey remember most of the people out there would not know the first thing about how to fix our cars and the younger crowd for the most part doesn't have a clue if it isn't computer controlled and can't be tuned by a computer.
The fact our cars run most of the time versus a new car that doesn't is just great. Old vettes are just COOL.
Love it when I say my carb is running a little rich and the young guys glaze over and ask what is a carb? LOL...
Last edited by donyue; 06-17-2013 at 02:59 PM.
06-17-2013, 04:44 PM
#25
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
I just want to thank all of you for the very kind words and to share your stories. GB vette 62, I really like the " breaking down is a badge of honor ", that is so cool! And sorry to hear about the oil pan accident, that really had to suck. LemansBlue68, That had to be embarrassing with your dead 69 Camaro in front of all those Mustang guy's.
Budco, I was really surprised to read that you actually saw the "rain magnet" on the flat bed! My wife and I were riding inside the cab.
I just wanted to set the record straight. I will have owned my 68 coupe for 41 years in July. I can count on one hand, how many times I have had to have it towed. I bought it with 22,000 miles and it was a daily driver for four years, after a divorce. It has 113,000 miles now, but I changed the 327 out for a ZZ4 about 7 years ago. I initially had the HEI distributor wired up wrong and it would not start. I smoked the starter trying to start it and I think that is the reason that the fusible link failed seven years later. Tow #1. I had the non GM HEI module fail because it was wired up to the stock point wire for a while before I found out that I could tap into the IGN on the fuse block, for the full 12 volts that it needed. The shop had wired it this way. Tow #2. When I had about 40,000 miles on the car, in 1975, the nylon teeth fell off the stock aluminum timing gear. The oil pump screen was plugged up with the broken off teeth and the crankshaft bearings had turned blue and had to be changed. Tow #3. The alternator died and I was running on the battery, and not knowing it until I tried to park it and it died while I was pulling into a parking spot. Sound familiar? Tow #4. I am not counting the tow after a drunk driver turned left into the side of me. The impact broke the power steering cylinder's hardened 3/8" shaft, bent the steering knuckle, and snapped the second hand off of my clock! I won't go into the extensive body damage, that still makes me sick. That isn't too bad for a 45 year old "beater"! Lou.
Budco, I was really surprised to read that you actually saw the "rain magnet" on the flat bed! My wife and I were riding inside the cab.
I just wanted to set the record straight. I will have owned my 68 coupe for 41 years in July. I can count on one hand, how many times I have had to have it towed. I bought it with 22,000 miles and it was a daily driver for four years, after a divorce. It has 113,000 miles now, but I changed the 327 out for a ZZ4 about 7 years ago. I initially had the HEI distributor wired up wrong and it would not start. I smoked the starter trying to start it and I think that is the reason that the fusible link failed seven years later. Tow #1. I had the non GM HEI module fail because it was wired up to the stock point wire for a while before I found out that I could tap into the IGN on the fuse block, for the full 12 volts that it needed. The shop had wired it this way. Tow #2. When I had about 40,000 miles on the car, in 1975, the nylon teeth fell off the stock aluminum timing gear. The oil pump screen was plugged up with the broken off teeth and the crankshaft bearings had turned blue and had to be changed. Tow #3. The alternator died and I was running on the battery, and not knowing it until I tried to park it and it died while I was pulling into a parking spot. Sound familiar? Tow #4. I am not counting the tow after a drunk driver turned left into the side of me. The impact broke the power steering cylinder's hardened 3/8" shaft, bent the steering knuckle, and snapped the second hand off of my clock! I won't go into the extensive body damage, that still makes me sick. That isn't too bad for a 45 year old "beater"! Lou.
06-17-2013, 05:08 PM
#26
Lou, you did well. Like someone said a badge of honor.
I went through a spell of about 12 years in which I would have my Corvette on a flatbed at least once a year and I put less than 5000km per year on it. Most were my own fault for being horsepower hungry and some weren't. When you chase horsepower, you end up breaking stuff. I won't hijack your thread with my stories but suffice it to say that I've had some real embarrassing events created by stupidity some will say. I lean more towards forgetting what power you are dealing with especially the first two weeks of each year when she comes out of winter storage. Unexpected 180 degree turn arounds in the middle of the road as you turn in from a side road and hit the gas a little too hard before she is completely straight etc. comes to mind. I can write a book on the stuff that I've done and stuff that just unexpectedly happened. Yes, and I've been on a flatbed passing in plain view of local car shows....breaking off a passenger side drive axle on the way to said car show.
Breaking down is part of owning an old toy
I went through a spell of about 12 years in which I would have my Corvette on a flatbed at least once a year and I put less than 5000km per year on it. Most were my own fault for being horsepower hungry and some weren't. When you chase horsepower, you end up breaking stuff. I won't hijack your thread with my stories but suffice it to say that I've had some real embarrassing events created by stupidity some will say. I lean more towards forgetting what power you are dealing with especially the first two weeks of each year when she comes out of winter storage. Unexpected 180 degree turn arounds in the middle of the road as you turn in from a side road and hit the gas a little too hard before she is completely straight etc. comes to mind. I can write a book on the stuff that I've done and stuff that just unexpectedly happened. Yes, and I've been on a flatbed passing in plain view of local car shows....breaking off a passenger side drive axle on the way to said car show.
Breaking down is part of owning an old toy
06-17-2013, 05:51 PM
#27
Advanced
I know how you feel, my 1st car show after I got my '72 vette registered, it overheated right when I pulled in to park it! I didn't know the relay wasn't working properly on the electric fans until then, cuz I had just recently purchased it from a previous owner. I have since then fixed the issue & installed a bypass switch in the center console. But I felt kinda bad having steam come outta my engine compartment at my 1st car show lol
06-17-2013, 08:12 PM
#28
Team Owner
There is no reason for your pride to take a hit. At work I see daily drivers get towed every day. 
Back in 2000 as group of 5 hot rods we were on our way from New York to Goodguys SE Nationals at Lowe's Speedway. We get about 2 hours into the trip and my buddy's '67 Corvette coupe lets out a couple of backfires through the sidepipes that sounded like cannon fire and shuts off at about 75 MPH. He coasts to the side of the road and we all scrabble to pull over. Of course this is causing kaos on Route 81. He calmly gets out of the car, opens the hood, pushes on the fuse box, gets back in the car and it fires right up. He smiles and off we go without further incident. When we stop for gas I ask he what that was all about and he tells me there is a loose connection in the fuse box and every once in a while the car does that. So I say why don't you fix it if you know what it is? He says I can't. I just let it go at that.
Back in 2000 as group of 5 hot rods we were on our way from New York to Goodguys SE Nationals at Lowe's Speedway. We get about 2 hours into the trip and my buddy's '67 Corvette coupe lets out a couple of backfires through the sidepipes that sounded like cannon fire and shuts off at about 75 MPH. He coasts to the side of the road and we all scrabble to pull over. Of course this is causing kaos on Route 81. He calmly gets out of the car, opens the hood, pushes on the fuse box, gets back in the car and it fires right up. He smiles and off we go without further incident. When we stop for gas I ask he what that was all about and he tells me there is a loose connection in the fuse box and every once in a while the car does that. So I say why don't you fix it if you know what it is? He says I can't. I just let it go at that.
