Refurbishing the Headlamp Actuators

As I mentioned in Cleaning the Headlight Vacuum Hoses, the headlamp actuators also needed attention. Desperately!

The previous owner had done a "rattle can restoration" of the whole area, in what I believe was an ill-fated attempt to make things look better.

The whole area was a disaster when you take into account years of road grime, primer and paint overspray from a color change, in addition to layers of flat black spray paint.

Rubber hoses can be cleaned provided they are pliable and free of cuts or pinholes.

But actuator cans need a little more than just a cleaning, and in extreme cases, replacing the parts with new units is the only viable solution.

Cleaning the Headlight Vacuum Hoses

I'm guessing that the previous owner decided to "clean up" or "restore" the engine bay—as well as the headlight assemblies (along with anything else that was on his way)—with Bubba's favorite resto tool, the always-popular rattle can of black paint.

Now don't get me wrong; Like many DIYers and pros out there, I use rattle cans quite a bit. But I use them correctly and (most of the time) as intended. I do not have a compressor, so aerosol cans offer an affordable and quick alternative.

Anyway, as I continue to find areas to clean and refurbish, I decided to tackle the headlight assemblies, but this can be a gargantuan project, so I decided to do it in stages, and the easiest one to do first was to clean (as well as inspect) the headlight actuator vacuum hoses.

I think the photo above helps to illustrate the black hole that spraypaint can create in a matter of seconds. Sure, it beats the look of rust any day of the week and twice on Sunday, but the problem is that those hoses are color-coded and this approach completely negates that.

Not to mention how challenging a project this can create should you need to remove then reinstall a couple of hoses. You need to know where the hoses connect and the colored stripes help with that.

Corvettes of the 2018 NCRS Winter Regional Meet

The early morning of Thursday, January 11th. started cold and dreary, at least by Florida standards. Someone recently said, "2018 is the year Florida decided to have a real winter." I think most Floridians—including this one—wholeheartedly agree.

As a friend and I took the 1½-hour drive down to Lakeland, fog blanketed the start of our journey, and the threat of another rainy day loomed on the horizon. Fortunately, as we approached Lakeland's Linder Regional Airport, the weather improved considerably.

I have to say that I was somewhat disheartened by what—in my opinion, was—a pretty small group of cars, vendors, and especially enthusiasts. Two years ago the weekday scene was quite different, so maybe the cooler-than-usual weather kept many from participating.

Anyway, I took a whole bunch of photos of C1s, C2s, and of course, C3s for your viewing pleasure.

Corvette Hideaway: Garage Improvements and Organization

Above: My 76 Vette at home.

As most Corvette lovers will understand, you have to devote quite a bit of time and funds in order to make the garage a place you'll not only enjoy but one that will also protect your prized possession.

In my particular case, having a one-car garage makes the task a lot easier as well as affordable, compared to two- or three-car garages.

But after painting walls and floors, adding toolboxes and workbenches, improving the lighting and adding outlets everywhere, as well as posters and decorations, there is one area that most will ignore and that is the garage door itself, which is odd since it takes up a whole wall!

But somehow it's ignored, sort of like old wallpaper. You know it's there but you don't really care.

C3 Corvette Clutch Anti-Rattle Spring

SQUEAK, RATTLE, GROAN!

I am not talking about a new cereal.

Unfortunately, I am talking about some of the noises C3 Corvettes tend to make at one point or another.

I hate creaks, squeaks, groans, and rattles emanating from vehicles, and my '76 Stingray made a lot of unwanted sounds when I first got it.

Slowly I've been chasing all those noises trying to get to the source of each and everyone in order to eliminate them, a process that takes time, but worth the effort in my opinion.

One of the most obnoxious rattles manifested itself after I had the engine rebuilt.

I am not sure if the shop that did the motor removal and reinstall failed to use the factory clutch anti-rattle spring, but the clutch pedal rattling started shortly thereafter.