Hail from the Chief

By Kelly Armstrong

Well, I missed one meeting and they vote you in as President!!

We are in Phoenix right now, seeing lots of Vettes. The weather is 70 degrees and we are wishing we had our car. I went golfing this afternoon, but the Weather Channel says it is snowing up there.

As you know, I have a lot to say -- just can't put it on paper. I would like to thank everybody for voting for me, or ram-rodding me into this position, I think!

The first thing I would like to do is introduce the 2000 Officers. They are as follows:

Vice-President: Brian Foreman

Secretary: Bev Novak

Treasurer: Debbie Morris

The first thing will be the Sweetheart Brunch on February 13 at J. J. North's in Idaho Falls at 10:00 a.m. The price for the Brunch will be $7.00 and that will include tax and tip. We will also be choosing the Logo for the Show in West. So, bring your Logo's to the Brunch. Brian is STILL looking for a Co-chairman for the Show. I would like anyone interested in helping with the show to give Brian a call.

And last, I hope that I can one-fourth of the way fill the shoes of Brian Novak. Brian has been the President for the last year and has DONE A GREAT job -- and a lot for the Club. He is a friend that is there when you need him, so please let's be there when he needs us. I hope that you have the patience with me, and I also thank my wife.

I haven't written this much since High School.

February Birthdays

Dale Larsen 4

Thor Miller 11

Ron Swanson 14

Mary Lee Hill 21

Jack Larson 24

Thank You

By Steve and Karen Hansen

We would like to thank the numerous, numerous club members who showed their support for Karen and me in the loss of our son. It has been so overwhelming for us to have received so many heartfelt phone calls and visits from members of the club since his accident. Also, it meant so much to us to have such a great turnout of members for the funeral. Most people would have thought the procession was more like a rod run than a funeral, with all of the Vettes and street rods in the procession. We know, absolutely, that Destry would have wanted it that way. In fact, we're going to have a late August barbecue at our place and invite the club along with our "car buff" friends in the area. We know that there is no better way we could honor or remember our son than by getting together with friends to enjoy a burger and talk cars.

Though Karen and I have not been very active in club functions for a couple of years now, our plans for the coming year certainly include making the changes necessary to enjoy our friendships and association with this club. Especially since we hope to have our 57' on the road by early summer.

One-of-a-Kind Platinum Purple 2000 Coupe Corvette on Display in Museum

By Frank Smith

The National Corvette Museum has announced the addition of a one-of-a-kind Platinum Purple Corvette to the 50 plus Corvettes presently on display in the Museum. This special purple and platinum Corvette was created for a major incentive campaign for the GM Corvette Assembly Plant employees, known as "Platinum Power".

GM Corvette Plant employee Billy Phelps was the lucky winner of the unique purple and platinum paint schemed Corvette that was placed on display in the Museum today. "I am proud to loan the Corvette to the Museum for everyone to enjoy," states Phelps. "I am still overwhelmed that I am the owner of this awesome Corvette, and putting it in the Museum for display was the only right thing to do."

A lifetime member of the Museum, Phelps attends and supports Museum events and activities, and has no immediate plans for the future of the Corvette. The Platinum Purple Corvette coupe boasts a 6 speed manual transmission, gray leather interior, polished aluminum wheels, and specially designed "Platinum Power" embossed seats.

"We appreciate the special generosity Billy has shown," said Museum Executive Director Wendell Strode. "It is a special Corvette that we are honored to have as part of our many displays in the Museum. We hope everyone takes the opportunity to see this special one-of-a-kind Corvette."

The campaign was designed to heighten employee awareness in building world-class quality Corvettes, as they strive toward the goal of winning the JD Power & Assoc. Platinum Award. All plant employees were entered in the drawing to win the commemorative one-of-a-kind Corvette.

For more information regarding this special display, call (800) 53-VETTE or visit the website at: http://www.corvettemuseum.com - (Press Release section). The special Corvette has been placed in the front window turntable of the Museum, and will remain on display through April of 2000.

Under The Flashing Lights

By Frank Smith

When Chevrolet discontinued the Impala, they lost a significant share of police car business to Ford. (You may have noticed most of the new patrol cars in Southeast Idaho and Utah are Fords.) But that is all about to change.

Early in 2000 Chevrolet will begin taking orders for a "Police Custom" 2000 Impala. (In case you didn't know, the 2000 Impala was designed by John Cafaro, the same fellow who designed the C5 Corvette). This special Impala has a performance suspension, larger tires, and the V-6 engine is tuned for maximum performance and fuel economy. The front seat of this cruiser is designed with the officer's comfort in mind. It's roomier than the larger Ford, matches or beats performance and handling, and is priced a lot less. One drawback -- the built-in radar is only good for a couple of blocks -- city stuff!

Ah, you say, a V-6 2000 Impala with bad radar, we Vette drivers looking good at avoiding capture at high speed on the wide open freeway! Not so fast!! To go along with this police package, Chevrolet has already shipped to California and Montana (soon more states) the fastest police car ever built! It's a 2000 Camaro LS1 with special exhaust, performance handling package, larger tires and wheels, larger brakes, and a special computer EPROM that allows a top pursuit speed of 160 MPH!

It is also reported to have an optional laser-radar system that will allow clocking and recording the speed of vehicles both approaching and from behind. As with the Impala mentioned above, some of these cars are being shipped as "unmarked units".

Watch your mirror and Save the Wave..

General Motors today announced it will use the Web to bring the "GM Experience" at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2000, live to consumers around the globe. Visitors to www.gm.com will feel the excitement of North America's largest auto show first hand, as well as see what the automotive future holds, through "The GM Experience Live," a virtual tour of the giant two-story, 164,456 square foot exhibit space.

New Officers

Kelly Armstrong ­ President

Brian Forman -- Vice President

Bev Novak ­ Secretary

Debbie Morris ­ Treasurer

Linda Moore, Connie Lamprecht, Trish Bargman ­ Spontaneous Coordinators

Discontinued Color

By Frank Smith

January 22- I received word today that production of new Nassau Blue Corvettes (RPO 23U) has fallen to less than two percent (562 total C5s through January 24, 2000). Nassau Blue will be discontinued before the end of the 2000 Model Year! For those of you who want one in this color (Brian)... now is the time. They will soon be unavailable.

Sweetheart Brunch

The Sweetheart Brunch for Valentine's Day will be as follows:

Sunday, February 13th

J.J. North's

Starting at 10:00 a.m.

Cost: $7.00 per person (includes tax and tip.

We will also be selecting the Logo for the Show of 2000, so please bring your entries.

Brake News

By Frank Smith

The following is long and doesn't directly apply to a Corvette, but it is applicable to all vehicle owners so I've submitted is for whatever it's worth to you.

To (Dealer): All Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Pontiac Dealers

To (GM Internal:)

The previous Admin Number:VSG19990275 inadvertently didn't have the makes and models for this posting..

The makes and models are as follows:

1997 - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass

1997 - 2000 Chevrolet Malibu

1999 - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero

1999 - 2000 Pontiac Grand Am

This letter outlines GM's procedures and guidelines for brake rotor service for the above listed GM vehicles.

PULSATION

Brake pulsation is often caused by factors outside customer control. In these instances the repair is covered under the GM New Car Bumper to Bumper Warranty.

Pulsation is caused by brake rotor thickness variation. Thickness variation of the rotor causes the piston in the brake caliper to "pump" in and out of the caliper housing. This "pumping" effect is transmitted hydraulically to the brake pedal.

Improper wheel tightening after tire rotation, spare tire usage, brake inspection, etc., can be the cause of pulsation. It usually takes 3000-7000 miles after this event for the problem to surface. The owner or driver doesn't usually make the connection between the service event and the awareness of the pulsation.

The improper use of impact wrenches on wheel nuts greatly increases the likelihood of pulsation after wheel service. A torque limiting socket or torque wrench must be used to insure that the wheel nuts are tightened to specification. This should be done in 3 steps (snug, half torque and full torque) using the star pattern. Never use lubricants or penetrating fluids on wheel studs, nuts, or mounting surfaces. Wheel nuts, studs, and mounting surfaces must be clean and dry.

Customer assistance concerning brake pulsation and brake wear should always take into account the individual circumstances on a case by case basis. Remember that customer satisfaction is critical to GM and that often it is in GM's best interest to satisfy and educate the customer concerning future brake service.

EXPLANATION OF BRAKE ROTOR WARRANTY SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. If a customer with a vehicle listed above complains of brake pulsation, verify the concern. If the brakes pulsate, replace both front brake rotors with part number 18060442.

2. Installation of new rotors does not necessarily require pad replacement.

Do not replace pads unless their condition requires it.

3. When installing new rotors, do not reface them. Original equipment rotor surfaces are ground to ensure smooth finish and parallelism between mounting and friction surfaces. New rotors should not be resurfaced before installation.

BRAKE SERVICE TECHNIQUES

1. Clean and lube all metal-to-metal contact points (i.e.; caliper to knuckle, pad to knuckle, etc.).

2. Clean and lube slide pins.

3. Ensure bearing flanges and rotor mounting surfaces are free of corrosion when installing rotors to prevent inducing lateral runout. Use Kent Moore tool J42450 to clean the corrosion around the wheel studs.

4. Install the new rotors.

5. A torque limiting socket or torque wrench must be used to insure that the wheel nuts are tightened to specification. This should be done in 3 steps (snug, half torque and full torque) using the star pattern. Never use lubricants or penetrating fluids on wheel studs, nuts, or mounting surfaces. Wheel nuts, studs, and mounting surfaces must be clean and dry.

LIGHTLY RUSTED ROTORS

Light surface rust on rotor braking surfaces is often cosmetic and can be eliminated during a few normal driving stops. Rusting may occur when a vehicle is not driven for extended periods. Rotors with surface rust on unsold new cars can usually be burnished clean by performing 15 moderate stops from 35-40 mph (62-75 km/h) with cooling time between stops.

FACTS ABOUT BRAKE NOISE

Some brake noise is normal and differences in loading, type of driving, or driving style can make a difference in brake wear and brake noise on the same make and model. Depending on weather conditions, driving patterns, and the local environment, brake noise may become more or less apparent. Please refer to your service manual for appropriate information on brake noise.

Goodbye to an Old Friend

By Ben Sanchez

It's hard saying goodbye to old friends, especially when you have been associated with them for almost half your life. I'm talking about my 'old red' '68 Corvette.

I bought this car when I was in my early thirties and was fortunate enough to be able to hang on to it for all these years. For me it was more than a car and now it is part of my history. It will seem a little odd to return to the U.S. and not have my friend waiting for me.

There have been times in my life when I thought this car was the only thing on earth that really understood me and I'd like to share a little of its history.

Originally, I bought the car in 1978 when it was a mere 10 years old and had 85,000 miles on the clock. It was nothing special; in fact I was warned by other Corvette enthusiasts not to buy it because '68's were notoriously known for poor quality, fit, and finish. Even though I was really interested in finding a '62, I made the purchase because the price was right and it was a decent car.

Over the next few years the car saw a lot of miles; some of them were very quick. In 1981, I actually sold the car to another friend of mine. This was truly out of financial duress. I bought it back in 1982, merely nine months after I had sold it. The new owner wanted a boat and had quickly tired of the car. He had made a few changes, but nothing that was radical and couldn't be returned to original. I was elated to get the car back.

In the fall of 1987 after driving it for another four or five years, it became readily apparent that it had deteriorated to the point where it was going to require a significant amount of work, time, and money to refurbish. I had an offer from another friend of mine who wanted to buy and restore it. After several weeks of trial and negotiation, Claudia said we should keep and restore it ourselves. This was also the time when the club (then known as Eagle Rock Corvette Club) became part of our lives. Somewhere we found the money to get started on restoring the 'old red' Corvette and began with the mechanicals. The engine, which had over 150,000 miles on it, was rebuilt and the rest of the driveline was also put in mechanical order. After Claudia and I spent untold hours stripping the car of its paint (we did this in the dead of winter with razor blades and a heat gun ­ outside temperature ­20^o or so), it was put in a local body shop where we were promised quick turnaround (sound familiar to any of you?). Five months later with the car only in primer and me with no more patience, I retrieved it and took it to another shop.

Sorry it's upside down

This shop owner realized that I wanted some "hands on" experience and allowed me to put the car in a bay and work on it. Claudia and I did all the final sanding in preparation for the color coat. I even sprayed the original coats of lacquer -- and the car looked like it too. After what seemed like eternity of trying to make the finish presentable, a "third" body shop became involved and completed final color coats, wet sanding, and luster polishing.

The car was back out on the road in the summer of 1989 after being out of service for nearly two years. For those of you who may be considering lacquer paint for your car, my advice is ­ DON'T. This is especially true if you plan on driving it. In the fall of 1994 the finish had again deteriorated badly enough to be redone. Once again the car was in a body shop with a complete understanding of what I wanted and when it would be done.

I'm happy to tell you that Alan Steele of Idaho Auto Arts completed the job to my satisfaction in the agreed upon time. The car was back out on the road for the summer of 1995. Unfortunately, we weren't able to spend much time with it because we were living in sunny Italy the next year and, of course, are still here.

The car has given us untold pleasure over the years, primarily because of our association with the club and the camaraderie it offers. The car is gone now, sold to another 'good' friend of mine who lives in Virginia. This is his first Vette and it is my wish that he too will enjoy camaraderie that is offered by owning a Corvette.