Tag: Classic Glass Corvette Club of Marietta

This Car is a Money Pit

Slightly burned HEI Distributor Cap

Whatever old car you own, no matter what brand, it will always take your wallet or purse for a spin. It doesn’t matter if you’ve inherited the car from your grandfather, father, or another relative. It doesn’t matter if you searched and searched for your Dream Car, High School Car, or the one you sold when marriage and kids came along. Read my lips – “they will all cost you money” and sometimes money you don’t have.

So what’s a car enthusiast to do? Answer: Spend time researching the correct shop for the repairs. Not all repair shops are created equal; kinda goes without saying, but it’s true. As I mentioned on the “Inside Story” of our Website, it’s like picking a Dentist for the first time. It couldn’t be any clearer than that statement. Talk to the shop owners; see if they have time to drink a cup of coffee and discuss your project; talk with the technician (often shop owners won’t allow that); walk around the shop space; look at their current projects; get references of past customers; look at their past work in person; read their reviews (with a skeptics eye); talk with the local car club members. After you’ve done all your homework, bounce it ALL off your significant other, and then go with your gut feelings.

Lastly – “Drive the Car!” or “Drive the Truck!” I can’t overemphasize this enough. Your Classic Car won’t last longer by sitting in the garage. If you don’t believe me, come see us and we’ll show you some pictures to prove it. And if you like, I’ll show you the invoice (name blanked) of the customer who thought the same thing – but was wrong.

Body mount bushing

1969 Chevrolet Corvette

We had the pleasure of meeting Mark B. the other day, and getting to know him and his 1969 Corvette. Seems he’s been having a few driveability issues over the last few months and searched us out for some needed repairs.

It’s always difficult to give advice after the fact, but as you may have read in my other posts, sometimes you’ve got to be brutally honest with a person. Not that Mark didn’t know it, but whomever did the repairs previously, didn’t do him any favors. I realize I sometimes sound like a broken record, but “attention to detail” isn’t a forte of many of the shops in our area. If you pay good money for a repair – then it better be a good repair. Lets see: wires touching the headers, improper voltage to the coil, non-existent secondary power to the coil from the starter, carburetor mixture incorrect, and the list goes on.

Starter wire “rats nest”
Shorted plug wire
After repairs to the spark plug wires.

Mark B. loves his car and truly cares about how it runs and drives…and so should the people who work on it. Hopefully we gained his respect and confidence when it comes to his Vette’s repairs.

Before he left, we gave his car a thorough inspection and a detailed list of our findings. He’s got the skills to repair many of the items himself. For those that require a heavier hand, we’re available for that work when the time suits him.

If you see Mark driving his Corvette around the Atlanta area, and the opportunity presents itself, stop and talk with him. I’m under the impression the Vette won’t be sitting in the garage on a nice day – so there’s a good chance you’ll see it zooming by somewhere in Cobb County.