C3 Corvettes of the 2020 NCRS Winter Regional

I was able to attend only one day of the event but it was worth the almost two-hour drive from Ocala.

I arrived early Thursday, February 20th which I was told at the gate, it was a set-up day and that the event officially started Friday.

Nevertheless, I was allowed to "go in and have a look."

I spent about 6 hours there, between looking at Corvettes (mostly C3s) and looking through the new- and used-parts vendors that had already opened their booths. This year, it seemed the number of vendors had increased substantially compared to 2019.

Resealing Quadrajet Well Plugs | Part 1

My '76 Corvette starts and runs fine when the engine is cold, but once it reaches operating temperature and I stop somewhere for 15 or 20 minutes, restarting takes more than a few cranks and, once it starts, it runs rough for 30 seconds or longer.

Everyone I spoke to about the issue said it was due to leaking carburetor well plugs.

Was it the primary or the secondary well plugs? More than likely the former but why take chances?

If the carburetor was to come off of the engine, then might as well bite the bullet and tear it apart, then reseal all of them.

Easy enough, right?

No. Not really.

DIY Choke Block-Off Plate

This is one of the many projects that has been pushed to the back burner for far too long. My plan was to install a block-off plate after I had the Quadrajet rebuilt and upgraded to electric choke.

That was four years ago!

When you upgrade to an electric choke, switch to manually operated, or just eliminate the carb choke completely, you can remove the heating element that is part of the plate bolted to the right side of the manifold under the carburetor since it no longer serves a purpose.

Mine looked awful and it was time to finally take care of it.

Black & Decker 6-inch Random Orbit Waxer and Polisher

I own and have been using many Black & Decker tools over the years. They are of good quality and affordable. I even own a few B&D cordless battery-powered gardening tools, so I always have plenty of fully-charged batteries ready for duty.

So when the time came to choose an affordable waxer/polisher I was happy to see one manufactured by Black & Decker and available at Amazon.

It was not cordless, but for $25 it was just too enticing to pass.

The machine had excellent reviews and, although there were a couple of similar units offered for less money, the Black & Decker reputation, and glowing reviews, made the purchase an easy decision.

At this price-point, you will have to go without the convenience of hook-and-loop polishing and buffing pads, but by using Velcro® stick-on adhesive tape, you can easily convert it to work with 6-inch hook-and-loop pads.

Since—at the time—I wasn't sure I would like it, I just went with the basic unit and also bought a pack of polishing and buffing microfiber covers. This was a good idea since once you use a microfiber buffing cover for buffing or waxing, they are done!

Detailing C3 Corvette Rear Marker Lights

Detailing (or replacing) the rear marker lights on a C3 Corvette is an easy project that can be completed in less than a couple of hours with just a few tools.

Based on their condition, replacement may be the best or only option, but if the assemblies are in good overall shape, they can usually be cleaned and polished back to almost new condition.

Mine looked pretty good considering they are the original marker lights, and even though the faux chrome borders showed their age, this is something that could be repainted with imitation chrome spray paint, a liquid chrome pen (links below), or even black if you prefer a modern look.

Fortunately, my marker light assemblies cleaned up okay so I did not feel it was necessary to paint the edges. The front marker lights are a different story, but I will detail those in the near future.