Benford - Weekend Projects for Your Classic Corvette 1953-1982

By Tom Benford

H e is a lucky man who has a mate who is also his best friend; a mate who shares his dreams, goals, interests, passions, and love of Corvettes; a mate who understands his needs, aspirations, humor, and what makes him tick. Liz, my wife of 31 years, is such a mate and, indeed, I am a lucky man. And so it is to you, Liz, the love of my life, that I dedicate yet another Corvette book.

T om Benford has been a freelance journalist and photography for more than 35 years and contributes regularly to several national magazines in addition to having been a monthly columnist and contributing editor at Corvette Fever magazine for more than 5 years. He has written more than 16 books, including 3 on computer science, a novel, and more than a dozen on the Corvette and other automotive subjects. He is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of AllAboutVettes. com, an e-zine dedicated exclusively to Corvettes.

His titles for Motorbooks International include Corvette: Five Decades of Sports Car Speed, Corvette Performance Projects 19681982, Corvette Gallery, Garage and Workshop Gear Guide, The Street Rod, Weekend Projects For Your Modern Corvette C4-C5-C6, and others. Benford lives with his wife, Liz, and their German shepherd, Major, on a four-plus-acre estate on the New Jersey shore. The Benford automotive stable includes six Corvettes ranging from a 1963 Split Window Coupe to a 1998 C5 convertible and a 1933 Dodge five-window coupe. His website is www.tombenford.com .

P utting together a book of this nature takes a lot of work, scheduling, coordination, andmost importantthe cooperation and support of parts providers and suppliers. Without these individuals this book would not have become a reality. It is only right that they should receive the kudos they so richly deserve here. With that thought in mind, I sincerely thank the following people:

Liz Benford for her scheduling, help, and encouragement

Scott Kohn of Corvette Central

Mike Yager of Mid America Motorworks

David Walker of Zip Products

Mark Cherveny of Goodyear Tire and Rubber

Mark Mastrojohn of Tire Craft of Point Pleasant

Tommy Michalkowsky of Anger Management Racing

Carl Bessey, for his helping hands

Dave Heinrich and Bob Heinrich

Ron DeSmedt, Rocky, and Chris of Contemporary Corvette

Jared Carson of R&R Specialties Inc.

Neal LaBau of Prothane

Keith Roman and Scott Helliesen of POR-15

David Crane of Crane Corvette Supply

David Fuller of Summit Racing

Alf at Chicago Corvette Supply

Suzie Canon of Corvette America

Carl Sprague of Custom AutoSound

Tom DeWitt of DeWitts Reproductions

Mark McFann of Royal Purple, Ltd.

Steve Joiner of E3 Spark Plugs

Matt Petrauskas of Jet-Hot Coatings

Dave Jones of Paragon Reproductions

Diane Vanacor of Vanacors Fiberglass Parts Inc.

Alex Tainsh of Trim Parts

Dennis Dougherty of Astro Pneumatic Tool Company Inc.

Steve Davis of Performance Distributors

The Eastwood Company

Lectric Limited Inc.

Corvette Clocks by Roger

And to the employees, affiliates, and other support personnel who work for these fine companies, if I missed thanking anyone by name here, it was truly unintentional, and I extend both my heart-felt apology and most sincere thanks.

Tom Benford

W hen I purchased my 1969 big-block coupe from its former owner, I found that the oil pressure gauge, among other things, wasnt working. There were so many other items that needed immediate attention on this car, however, that the nonfunctional gauge was small potatoes. I put it on the back burner. Finally, the time came for me to fix the problem, which turned out to be a cracked oil line.

The procedures Im detailing here apply to all Corvettes that dont use computer-sensor oil gauges. Whether or not you will require the additional adapters shown in here depends on the year and displacement of your particular Corvette. Consult a shop manual or your local mechanic if youre unsure. For the sake of completeness, Ive included installing the adapters, even though they werent required for my own repair. Heres what it takes to do the job correctly.

Heres the generic GM tubing kit made by VDO. It consists of 6 feet of nylon tubing, brass compression sleeves, nuts, adapters, and a bushing. Kits like these are readily available through major Corvette catalog retailers or at the local NAPA or auto parts store, where I purchased this one.

I started with the engine-side of the pressure line, coating the threads of the adapter with gasket sealer first. The optional bushing is then threaded onto the adapter.

An open-end wrench is used to tighten the bushing down on the adapter. An open-end wrench is also used to hold the adapter.

A nut is slipped over the tubing with the threaded end facing the nearest end of the tubing. A compression sleeve is then put on the tubing with the narrow end facing out. The adapter and bushing assembly is then screwed into the nut after pushing the tubing with a compression sleeve into it.

A couple of open-end wrenches are again used to hold the nut while the adapter and bushing assembly is tightened into it. Make sure the tubing does not slide back while tightening, or a leak will result.