Does it help to have OCD to restore a C3? Alone last night in the shop and sitting in the drivers seat of the 74' with a vacuum gun. The radio has been turned down, so I could hear the sounds of the vacuum actuators and linkages operating.

The dash is already completely removed by Bubba, along with nearly all the ducts, but I have all the pieces. I'm testing the vacuum actuators for the air door and the recirculating air door ahead of the right door jamb. Might as well see if it all works before I put it back together.

I follow the orange vacuum line from the recirculating air door back to where it vanishes behind the heater box, then I use an LED lit inspection mirror and I see a 'T'. Cool, now I go to the AIM and I see that the orange plugs into the green vacuum line. Go to the control head and push it off and plug the vacuum gun in, pumping it.

At 15 -20 pounds, I hear it pop open with difficulty. The pressure really had to build before it let go. So I inspect it and the duct is crusted with 38 years of whatever dust that hardened. I use cleaner on a scouring pad to scrub the crud off, then I W40'd all the pivot points on the flapper door, followed with 3M oil. Then, I use Lexol Leather cleaner on the rubber edge that seals the door, cleaning and softening it at the same time. Then I move the door back and forth a half a dozen times to free it up and get it going. I do this, because it hasn't been taken care of for 38 years and it might never be done again in my lifetime once I button it up.

Now I apply vacuum again and it only takes 5 pounds to open it. It whispers open to full position. This causes happiness in my soul, because the attention and care that I have been lavishing on my newest Corvette has been rewarded. Thank God for my OCD!

 

Nah, if you had OCD you'd obsess over whether or not the leather care put a non-original shine on the rubber!!!

 

Sounds like you're doing it right, not OCD... unless of course that crud was there from the original engineers to make sure it didn't open until then...

 

I'm trying to picture Monk working on a C3. Not sure OCD is a good thing. Now, where's my hand sanitizer?

 

Ocd + c3 = ?

Simple answer - BIG $$$$$$

 

"It takes one to know one."

Short answer to your question is "YES". It does help to have OCD if you have a C3 you are refurbing. You will pay attention to the small details where the REAL problems usually reside. Those who just want the 'quick fix' will spend Big Buck$ just buying all new parts for a defective system...while WE will search out that measley, little creep until we uncover it. Then, WE'LL oil it and massage it and tweak it back to life for almost nothing while those without OCD will be wondering, "Why didn't all that money fix this thing?"


Bottom line: People with OCD love puzzles. And getting a 40 year-old car to look/work like it did when it was new is one BIG puzzle.

 

I have a ton of respect for people that take the time and have the knowledge to restore these cars to original, but in the end I'm more like F22, just trying to make everything funtion as it should.

 

Exactly! Solving the puzzles on this car has been an exercise in determination and patience! Just before the vacuum exercise, I figured out why the back-up lights were on all the time. The PO had removed the both the bulbs and the harnesses from the back up lamps and when I plugged them back in, they were on solid in any gear.

Look at the FSM then crawled under the car and look up at the Muncie and, lo and behold, the clip on the reverse light switch rod had fallen off the reverse shifter linkage and was positioned in the 'on' position! Pushed it back and the lights went off. Picking up the correct 'hair pin' clip from Napa at lunch and problem solved.

 

#33 Across is ZoraArkusDuntov.

Bonus points for anyone who gets #10 Down.

 

I hate puzzles. There, I said it. I can understand people enjoying them, but to me, it seems like a pointless waste of time. However, I do enjoy solving problems. But, it has to be a real problem for me to get any satisfaction out of it. For example, just the thought of sodoku makes me want to punch somebody in the face, but figuring out how much lumber will be needed to build a fence puts a big smile on my face. Also, there is a big difference between OCD and determination. OCD is a sickness, while determination is an admirable quality. I'm not obsessed, I'm determined!


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

 

OCD+ Drove to Napa at lunch (already precalled), went through the Dorman chest with Hector and found the hairpin clips for a 1/8 rod. Got five of those and five of the smaller ones, threw a buck on the counter. Ran outside and saw the traffic three blocks away was still at the redlight, so jumped in the car and burned the yellow, left, left, left, stop. At the shop, say hi to my shop partner, gleefully share the contents of my folded paper with the clips inside, pull the creeper out and slide under the 74' with my business clothes on and a flashlight. Install the hairpin clip and was back at work in 45 minutes, with two minutes to go for a meeting that I had to run! Yaaay!

 

Sounds like completely normal behavior to me! (excuse me for a moment, I just typed an exclamation point, so now I have to snap my fingers 7 times) OK, I'm back now, but I have to go and check on the thermostat, I think somebody may have changed it to an even number.


Keep the shiny side up! *snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap*
Scott

 

Hi ,
OCD is NOT a sickness Scotty.
It's a very pleasurable way of life for a few lucky people!
Regards,
Alan

 

Yep, it's how I got here! No College degree, tracking projects in Aerospace for a company that has a division with an unusual mascot (it's a small, black and white animal that can smell really bad!).

Thanks Alan!

 

sr-71

 

Scott, gave your comment some thought and allow me to clarify. There's two parts of OCD, the "O" part and the "C" part. Some people have both, some have one or the other, but there's a difference between Obsession and Compulsion!

If you're an Obsessive with some kind of reasonable intelligence to recognize it, you can harness this! It can be an amazing talent to have under the right conditions! I don't have the compulsive part of OCD, I just have the obsessive part and I love it and have learned to deal with it in a positive way.

 

It helps with the process of perfection!

 

AHH.. but a true OCD would have double checked it
You're just obsessive and compulsive but not disorderly.. yet.

 

Be glad you're not working on a very early 68! Pulling out an aftermarket radio turned into a year and a half project of hunting down the absolutely correct parts and doing the repairs for me. I finally put it in storage to work on my 66 driver which I am much less OCD about. Getting ready to get the 68 back out to work on an overheating issue. Can't wait to see what this turns into.