I think you are right -but I have taken a surprisingly long time to come back to the stock colours... (my first choice was the Targa blue which I really like and goes well with red too) As you say it is a good combination, even the Revell model kit you can get for the 68-72 C3 is in white with a red interior. For that I will forgive them that the kit has a live rear axle. I really ought to get out more.....Stirling work tim , classic white over red interior ? A great choice
72 Corvette - Restoration Updates
- Thread starter TimP
- Start date
Many thanks! I agree - and it's much easier (and cheaper) to use off-the-shelf paint for a modern car rather than have a batch of aerosols made up to the original colour spec. Halfords have recently changed their aerosol paint supplier, according to one of the assistants in the store. Half of this trim refurbishment work was done with the previous supplier cans (without the anti tamper ring) and half with the new supplier. The paint colour match is pretty good and I can't tell the difference but, and it might just be coincidence, the new paint seems to be more sensitive to moisture in the air - it goes pinkish rather than red and dull - than the old one, which I used to use regularly when it was raining outside, without problem.
For one or two reasons I've got a bit behind getting the engine started and there will be a more detailed update on that at a later date but .........
After a five years of rebuild and a final, comprehensive check of the wiring I connected a low current (max 4 amps for safety with current gauge) 12v source to the battery leads and turned the ignition one notch. The parking brake light came on and better still, went off when I released the brake.
There's loads further to go but you'll know what I mean when I say that feels so good.
After a five years of rebuild and a final, comprehensive check of the wiring I connected a low current (max 4 amps for safety with current gauge) 12v source to the battery leads and turned the ignition one notch. The parking brake light came on and better still, went off when I released the brake.
There's loads further to go but you'll know what I mean when I say that feels so good.
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Steel Cities Grey is a 1972 colour and when done right is stunning
.... and still in intensive care.Like frankenstein’s man , HE LIVE’S !!!
I would agree - I love this colour too. It really works well with the Corvette Shape.
Continuing on with reinstalling the electrical system and gauges.... I am currently working on the centre dials and started with what I thought would be an easy one - the clock.
It was no surprise that it wasn't working but what was surprising was the way that it works. I knew it wasn't a quartz style clock but thought it might be an electric motor running through some gears to work the hands. However on removing the cover there is a full mechanical clock - a solenoid pulls a lever that winds up the mainspring with just under a minutes worth of power. It has a balance wheel with escapement etc with a gear set to move the hands.. When the mainspring is nearly spent it reconnects the solenoid which fires, winding up the mainspring again ad infinitum.
I spent a little time cleaning some of the gears and adding a very light machine oil to some of the bearings and it started to come to life: running for a few seconds and then needing a 'push'. It then progressively ran for longer and longer. I hope to run it overnight before putting it all back together.
For those that are interested - here's a video of its operation. The solenoid is at the centre bottom and you will see this trigger about 32 seconds in.
'72 C3 Clock Mechanism
It was no surprise that it wasn't working but what was surprising was the way that it works. I knew it wasn't a quartz style clock but thought it might be an electric motor running through some gears to work the hands. However on removing the cover there is a full mechanical clock - a solenoid pulls a lever that winds up the mainspring with just under a minutes worth of power. It has a balance wheel with escapement etc with a gear set to move the hands.. When the mainspring is nearly spent it reconnects the solenoid which fires, winding up the mainspring again ad infinitum.
I spent a little time cleaning some of the gears and adding a very light machine oil to some of the bearings and it started to come to life: running for a few seconds and then needing a 'push'. It then progressively ran for longer and longer. I hope to run it overnight before putting it all back together.
For those that are interested - here's a video of its operation. The solenoid is at the centre bottom and you will see this trigger about 32 seconds in.
'72 C3 Clock Mechanism
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
It certainly suits the corvette shape well as does silver. With a red interior the car looks fantastic. But I DO love red interiors.
Nassau65
CCCUK Member
Just noticed is also a 454ci
Rock on.
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Fascinating about the clock , makes a working one in a 50 + year old car even more of a bonus
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Amazing !! With that kind of technology it`s a wonder it doesn`t have a pendulum and chimes .
You can now add Clockmaker to your long list of talents . My 44 year old one works fine by the way . ( Tempted fate now ! )
You're right - it was surprisingly clean and tidy inside, almost like new. The only giveaway to its age was some very pitted contacts which needed to be cleaned up. I know my car hasn't been powered up for all its 52 years (far from it) but a quick calculation reveals that if it had the solenoid would have fired about 32 million times. Not surprising then that they get a little pitted.Fascinating about the clock , makes a working one in a 50 + year old car even more of a bonus
... that's very kind of you but I'm still a good bit short of a clockmaker's certificate. After running successfully for about 18 hours yesterday I decided to put it back in its case. It has now won't start up again so strip down 2 is planned for the weekend.Amazing !! With that kind of technology it`s a wonder it doesn`t have a pendulum and chimes .
My 44 year old one works fine by the way . ( Tempted fate now ! )
I really ought to give up and get a quartz replacement but there's something about it that I would love to see working in its original form.
Roscobbc
Moderator
Seem to recall from other old car (and yes my one in the '68 has never worked in all the years I've owned the car) that (to quote the old Rolls Royce addage) "all you can hear is the clock ticking"........well, yes but only when the engine isn't running. Am I right in thinking that listening carefully you'll hear 'ticking' and the every few minutes (as it runs down) the mechanism re-winding itself?... that's very kind of you but I'm still a good bit short of a clockmaker's certificate. After running successfully for about 18 hours yesterday I decided to put it back in its case. It has now won't start up again so strip down 2 is planned for the weekend.
I'm fairly sure that the clock operates off the unswitched 12V supply that comes (ultimately) off the horn relay so the clock is 'live' all the time the battery is connected. Thus I think you should be able to hear the solenoid operate approx every 1 minute (mine is actually every 52 seconds but that has nothing to do with accuracy - it just charges up the main spring with that frequency). When the battery is disconnected or run down the clock will run out of mainspring very quickly but should start up again the moment power is reapplied as the two contacts which allow the solenoid to be energised are together when the mainspring has run out of energy. Thus it will work but you would have to reset the time manually to get it to tell the right time.
Chris Sale
CCCUK Member
Agree that the clock operates off unswitched 12V and should work so long as the battery is connected. Sitting in the car with engine off and no accessories working, you should hear that muted 'clunk' every minute or so as the clock rewinds. Regarding resetting the time manually, remember that resetting more than about 10 mins in either direction will automatically cause the clock to run slightly faster or slower, depending on which way you adjusted the time. I haven't been able to figure out how this works! To get around this when I want my clock to show the correct time, since I disconnect my battery whenever my '64 is in the garage, I reconnect the battery at the time shown on the clock so I don't then have to manually adjust it.
Chris Sale
'64 Coupe
Chris Sale
'64 Coupe
Mad4slalom
Well-known user
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Or in my case a manifold gasket on its way out . That`ll be a winter job lined up !If you can hear ticking in a corvette, it means you have an LT 1