CMDChase

I used to be a "Bachelor of Engineering" till I got married..

My father in law just got a Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener made in Oregon.  He bought it off of ebay and it came with an extra set of belts.  Plus, when he registers his warranty online, they send him another set.  The unit works great on knives, scissors and smaller tools. He's a little skeptical about using it on axes, hatchets, etc.  A really nice tool made in the USA for about 70 bucks.

No, not me
 
According to my Corvette's build sheet and various date stamps throughout the car, it was built 25 years ago today(/morrow), on May 23, 1988, at 7:29am. I figured I'd share some of the story behind restoring it about 5 years ago.
 

 
Originally delivered to Palanker Chevrolet (now Arnold Chevrolet)at 670 Montauk Highway in West Babylon, NY, it has every option available except for the painted roof panel.
 

 
My dad and I were looking for a vette to restore for a while. I am the third owner. I have no idea what the first two guys did to it but they should be put in jail. This was the only car we looked at that had no body or frame damage. The only problem was, it had everything else wrong with it.
 
Found in a dilapidated shack, parked on wooden boards and covered in bed sheets, we had to replace the alternator and battery in near zero light just to get the thing started (and even then, it still ran like sh--). Light, we soon found out, was not this car's friend, as it looked like hell. I wish I took more before photos:
 

 
Just absolutely no gloss whatsoever to the paint, all the trim is faded, weatherstrip dry as a bone. FUGLY
 

 
This is what happens when you neglect perforated seats. The steering wheel was also shot and much of the plastic trim was cracked or gouged.
 

 
It was almost as if someone sprayed milk on the wheels and sat them out in the sun.
 

 
WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN
 

 
The restoration photos were taken on a film camera and are in a binder, I don't have a scanner so I can't post them. Converting them has been on my to do list for a while but then again so is a lot of other stuff..
 
In the process of ripping out the interior we found over five dollars in loose change, 3 losing lottery tickets spanning almost a year, about a dozen cherry pits, and a McDonalds coupon that expired in 2001. At least we got to see that the floor wasn't cracked.
 
Things that were trashed and needed to be replaced (with all 100% OEM):
All weatherstripping All carpeting & upholstery door panels Steering wheel & horn button center console door center strack trim hvac faceplate shifter boot windshield acrylic top headlight motors every engine relay brake booster alternator battery horns injectors/plugs/wires/various hoses shocks both emblems power radio antenna various plastic interior bezels Things that were able to be refurbished:wheels (professional shop) valve covers (painted myself) console side panels (painted myself) digital instrument cluster (replaced lightbulbs and fixed broken solder joints) the ALL ORIGINAL paint thanks to Adam's Polishes :pc7424: Fast forward almost two years, thousands of swear words and several gallons of Adam's products later
 
I showed this photo below to Adam the first time I met him and said look at the white streaks your wax left all over my car!
 

 
Paint's looking a little... ...cloudy. YEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH </csi reference>
 

 

 
Notice the severe lack of perforated leather
 

 
Old school 12oz VRT
 

 

 
The car currently has over 91,000 miles. Aside from the restoration, the only other changes we've made since is upgrading to larger, dimpled/slotted rotors with ceramic pads, and an OEM catback exhaust with muffler delete.
 
All that work paid off in the end though
 

 
Thanks for reading. It was a fun experience, but not one I want to repeat any time soon LOL

The first thing I did with the last 2 vehicles I bought was to clay, polish, seal and wax them. The dealer told me they did that for me, but I refused their offer.  It saved me the trouble of removing all their junk.

You might test In & Out Spray, just make sure that they are not slick........

My wife recently spent $2000 on an Apple computer.  In addition, they charged her (as an option) $99 for 1 year of tech support.  Then if you need help, you have to be lucky enough to get an appointment at one of their stores or to be able to understand whoever it may be you get on the phone, and then hope they know what they are talking about.   Conversely, I can buy a bottle of detail spray for 13 bucks, for example, and have unlimited access to the most knowledgable group of people in the auto detailing business for FREE and, depending on the luck of the draw, can even speak to or chat with the president of the company himself.  You're not going to find that anywhere else. This kind of customer service, plus the highest quality products around, is why I keep coming back.

Check it out!!!

My wife recently spent $2000 on an Apple computer.  In addition, they charged her (as an option) $99 for 1 year of tech support.  Then if you need help, you have to be lucky enough to get an appointment at one of their stores or to be able to understand whoever it may be you get on the phone, and then hope they know what they are talking about.   Conversely, I can buy a bottle of detail spray for 13 bucks, for example, and have unlimited access to the most knowledgable group of people in the auto detailing business for FREE and, depending on the luck of the draw, can even speak to or chat with the president of the company himself.  You're not going to find that anywhere else. This kind of customer service, plus the highest quality products around, is why I keep coming back.

Thompson Racing Annual Spring Detail Clinic - May 4th 2013
 
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