Found the holy grail!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
From: boulder wa
Found the holy grail!!!
well after months of tooing and frowing
I finally lifted the body
there it was "the holy grail"
my question is how do i remove it without killing it as it is very brittle
I finally lifted the body there it was "the holy grail"
my question is how do i remove it without killing it as it is very brittle
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
chances are from the looks of it you aren't going to to be able to remove that without destroying it.
I'd take a very soft bristled brush and carefully dust the dirt off to see if it's at all readable still. than take a lot of pictures of it that would be readable than just leave it where it is attached to the tank.
I'd take a very soft bristled brush and carefully dust the dirt off to see if it's at all readable still. than take a lot of pictures of it that would be readable than just leave it where it is attached to the tank.
Last edited by BarryK; Jul 9, 2006 at 09:07 PM.
CF Community Team
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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Good time to change out the gas tank for a new Quanta repro and just save the tank and sticker intact. A 25 year old gas tank is about ready to be changed anyway and it's certainly easier while it's accessible. Just me thinking out loud.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 539
Likes: 3
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
Originally Posted by BarryK
chances are from the looks of it you are going to to be able to remove that without destroying it.
I'd take a very soft bristled brush and carefully dust the dirt off to see if it's at all readable still. than take a lot of pictures of it that would be readable than just leave it where it is attached to the tank.
I'd take a very soft bristled brush and carefully dust the dirt off to see if it's at all readable still. than take a lot of pictures of it that would be readable than just leave it where it is attached to the tank.
Good luck.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
Good start by taking a pic of it! 
I don't know if there is any rarity to your vette/options but the ironic thing about tank stickers is they do not have the car's vin on it, so once you take it off the car..... how do you prove it came from your car? That is a real concern with documentation of super rare cars so you invite 5 expert witnesses plus a TV news film crew to document the lowering of the tank ceremony!! 
I don't know if there is any rarity to your vette/options but the ironic thing about tank stickers is they do not have the car's vin on it, so once you take it off the car..... how do you prove it came from your car? That is a real concern with documentation of super rare cars so you invite 5 expert witnesses plus a TV news film crew to document the lowering of the tank ceremony!!
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,782
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From: Some Beautiful Place Sunny and Amazing One
Originally Posted by capevettes
Good time to change out the gas tank for a new Quanta repro and just save the tank and sticker intact. A 25 year old gas tank is about ready to be changed anyway and it's certainly easier while it's accessible. Just me thinking out loud.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Originally Posted by 76project
Stop, dont use a bristle brush, I did that with mine and the ink brushed off with the dust. Now I have nothing left but a blank piece of paper. I would try to take some pictures before trying to remove it. Some one just posted a restoration process for the build sheets, that may help.
Good luck.
Good luck.
about not using a brush. I had the same result of wiping the ink off with the grime. I haven't tried this, but I read somewhere that if you take a picture with Infrared (Nightshot on most cameras) you may be able to distinguish the lettering. You might need a black light and a waterpipe also. 
Rick B.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
Originally Posted by 76project
Stop, dont use a bristle brush, I did that with mine and the ink brushed off with the dust. Now I have nothing left but a blank piece of paper. I would try to take some pictures before trying to remove it. Some one just posted a restoration process for the build sheets, that may help.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I agree it's not a good idea to use anything with a stiff type of bristle
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
From: boulder wa
thanks for the input guys 
i reckon i might take big mobs of photos once i lift the body completely. thanks for recommending replcing the tank as i didnt actually think of that i will just tell the wife that it needs to be replaced
i reckon i might take big mobs of photos once i lift the body completely. thanks for recommending replcing the tank as i didnt actually think of that i will just tell the wife that it needs to be replaced
Racer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 460
Likes: 0
From: Point Pleasant NJ
Originally Posted by doopsvette
thanks for the input guys i reckon i might take big mobs of photos once i lift the body completely. thanks for recommending replcing the tank as i didnt actually think of that i will just tell the wife that it needs to be replaced
i reckon i might take big mobs of photos once i lift the body completely. thanks for recommending replcing the tank as i didnt actually think of that i will just tell the wife that it needs to be replaced 
thinking about doing this myself, mine is currently out as wellgoodluck~!
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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Originally Posted by lil75vette
when you find out what you are going to replace it with... i would like to know~!!
thinking about doing this myself, mine is currently out as well
goodluck~!
thinking about doing this myself, mine is currently out as wellgoodluck~!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 2,461
Likes: 354
From: Madison Alabama
I was able to pull the one off my other '82 (sold in '03). It came out in three big pieces and a few smaller ones.
I then placed it over a copy of the build sheet I got from the NCM and had it laminated. Came out real nice. I can see the one on my current '82 but have not gone after it...yet.
I then placed it over a copy of the build sheet I got from the NCM and had it laminated. Came out real nice. I can see the one on my current '82 but have not gone after it...yet.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 84
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Originally Posted by capevettes
Good time to change out the gas tank for a new Quanta repro and just save the tank and sticker intact. A 25 year old gas tank is about ready to be changed anyway and it's certainly easier while it's accessible. Just me thinking out loud.
donald
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,891
Likes: 2
From: Baltimore MD
Originally Posted by capevettes
Good time to change out the gas tank for a new Quanta repro and just save the tank and sticker intact. A 25 year old gas tank is about ready to be changed anyway and it's certainly easier while it's accessible. Just me thinking out loud.
If what you are showing is the 1981 listed in your profile, all may not be lost. First off where was your car produced? Bowling Green or St. Louis?
If it's Bowling Green, the National Corvette Museum has your build sheet on file and can make you a copy.
If it's St. Louis, take pictures of what you got there. Build sheets for the late 80's Corvette are in landscape format and the data is entered into numbered "blocks" on a preprinted form. Your VIN number will be on this build sheet, as it is on mine. I assume that at some point along the assembly line the VIN number was assigned and then stamped onto the form - take a look at mine, note the upper right hand block has the VIN number but the Sequence number is not the same type face as the rest of the entered data.
If you can get enough information from your sheet we can build your sheet from this information by entering the data into the pre-printed blocks. Once you do this, you can then send this information to the Nation Corvette Museum and they can build your window sticker.
They out-source this work to a local guy in the area. I faxed them a copy of my build sheet and in a couple of weeks I received by window sticker.
THIS IS MY BUILD SHEET FOR MY 1981 ST. LOUIS COUPE
