Matt Harwood

1967 Chevrolet Corvette.

There might be at least one anchor loop along the path of the cable that anchors it in place. I'm pretty sure there's one on the transmission itself holding the cable in place. It sounds like you'll need a new cable assembly, which you should be able to find pretty easily. It's not expensive and it'll be a solution that won't cost you any extra time.

Drove the Limited and Melanie's '56 Chrysler wagon to Stan Hywet Hall down in Akron for the annual Stan Hywet Father's Day Car Show. We took our personal cars down a day early so we could be there today to help unload and park a few other cars that were coming in and needed some help. Then we can just zip down there in a modern car at 6AM to get started (Melanie runs the show). It was also a great chance to park the Limited in front of the manor house and take some photos. Looks right at home, doesn't it? It's about a 40-minute drive from our shop to Stan Hywet, pretty easy drive, but there's one particularly long, steep hill that always creates a struggle for old cars. My '29 Cadillac will do it but it needs 2nd gear to finish the job. When I was a kid, we rode with a friend in his 6-cylinder Mustang and I recall he had to back up the hill otherwise it just wouldn't make it. It's long, winding, and STEEP. Even my late-model Cadillac CTS had to drop down a few gears to make the climb. Nevertheless, the Limited actually ACCELERATED up the hill in high gear. I was very impressed! Melanie snapped a photo of the Limited along the way, showing the LED brake lights and turn signal doing their thing.

Delivered the Limited to Stan Hywet Hall down in Akron in preparation for tomorrow's Father's Day Car Show, which Melanie supervises. They wanted a few cars there early since there will be a news crew there tonight and wanted to have a backdrop for that. There are also two weddings going on tonight, so I presume the cars will be in those photos. Melanie brought her 1956 Chrysler wagon, whose brakes were iffy until Dr. Francini bled them properly (instead of with a vacuum bleeder) and brought the pedal back up. Still not great, but Melanie really wanted the car at the show. I thought it was an appropriate background for the Limited and the cars look great in front of the manor house. Too bad it's probably going to rain all night and maybe even tomorrow.

Here's the gasket installed under the wiper tower:

States are typically responsible for regulating auto emissions and set their own requirements. Feds set the floor for the automakers, but states are free to do whatever they want in terms of enforcement at the consumer level. Most seem to follow California's lead, as do the automakers, simply to reduce the number of different variations of car they have to build. One car to meet the toughest standards makes sense. I'll admit that I'm not an expert in all 50 states of vintage automobile emissions testing, but I have to assume that if California is exempting cars 25 years old or older, few other states are going to do anything more stringent. If they're going to crack down on a middle-aged guy in a station wagon for yanking a plugged cat, all those guys with late-model Mustangs, Camaros, and Chargers with off-road H-pipes should be sweating bullets...

This is probably a good discussion that warrants its own topic rather than being buried in here. A week ago I wrote a long topic on this very subject but never hit post simply because I was afraid it would devolve into the usual discussion. Perhaps I was mistaken. There's a lot to do if we're going to engage young people and our biggest problem is that we're simply not speaking their language. It's more than just a website, it's figuring out how to operate on their level. There's much derision of young people using their phones and social media, but that is how they communicate and do business today. Ignoring them and their preferred methods of communication is probably a big turn off. I've seen a lot of people on this forum who think young people are idiots who only care about Facebook and looking at their phones, and that's a mistake. Those same young people think you're an idiot for being willing to wait six days to get a piece of information that should be available in seconds. The problem isn't that young people aren't interested, they just aren't interested in doing it the way we used to do it. It isn't unreasonable for them to want instant access to information because that's how their entire world works and has since they were born. And I think theirs is a valid complaint that many clubs have yet to adequately address. Anyway, this topic deserves its own thread with informed discussion. It's more than just a website and letting them know there's a club. Way more. It's changing how the clubs and the hobby operate that is key to attracting and keeping them involved.

1938 Century convertible sedan! Great car!

Removing the cats and going with a modest dual exhaust will make a substantial improvement in performance AND it'll run cooler. I believe even California has a rolling 25-year exemption for smog tests so you should have no problems. I wonder if there's a dual exhaust system already designed for these cars, ready to go? Seriously, it might be the single best modification you can make that has exactly zero downside.

Our car has the dual wheel cylinders on the front brakes. We already replaced one that we thought was bad, but perhaps the others are gone, too. I did the adjustment as C49er suggests and got the pedal to come up a bit, but it's still almost all the way to the floor, so the master cylinder is probably toast. We're going to replace everything as long as we're at it--master cylinder, wheel cylinders, and brake shoes. We'll have to fit the shoes to the drum and I'm sure I can figure out a way to do that without one of the grinders. Something is wrong beyond adjustment given the soft pedal. We'll have a new master and wheel cylinders in a few weeks and go from there. I'll keep you posted, guys. Thanks for the feedback so far!

One thing that has been bugging me ever since the heavy rains at the Allentown meet a few years ago is the fact that my windshield wiper towers leak. When we were in the downpour in Allentown, my legs got soaked, as did the wiring behind the dash and even the radio. My first thought was the cowl vent, but it seals up just fine. A little exploring under the dash and I discovered that there was no gasket between the wiper transmissions and the bodywork, hence the leak. I never got around to dealing with it, but we're headed to an event this weekend where the car will be outside and rain is in the forecast. I bought the gaskets last year, so I decided to install them--easy project, right? Wrong. Holy cow are those wiper transmissions hard to reach! They're held in place by just one bolt, but they're behind all the wires, all the switches in the dash, and most importantly, the defroster ducts. No way to get a wrench on there and while the defroster ducts are only held in place with two screws and removing those screws would be easy, reinstalling them would be virtually impossible given the impossible access. I was so busy under the dash, these were the only photos I was able to take of the job, but it gives you an idea of what's involved. Don't be fooled, that bolt is completely inaccessible except with a box wrench that you have to use by feel and which only moves about 10 degrees per turn. Yikes! You can see the wiper transmission behind the defroster duct. That screw is the easy one to reach. The other one is... not easy. From the side, it's easier to see what's going on, but it's still a challenge to reach that bolt to loosen the transmission. You can see the defroster duct directly underneath. Access is not nearly as good as this photo might suggest. Fortunately, I was eventually able to loosen the bolt enough that Melanie could slide the gasket over the wiper and transmission and stretch it around the base so it would tuck in underneath. I was busy under the dash with Melanie installing the gasket, so I don't have any photos, sorry. But once the gasket was in place, I slowly tightened the bolt and all was well. Repeat for the passenger side, although this time the glove box is in the way. Access was a bit better, but I damaged the glove box pulling it out, so I'm bummed about that. I'll have to get a new one sometime. Dang. At least the car should be leak-proof now if the promised torrential rains hit us on Sunday.

Here's my air intake. There's a collar with a butterfly plate inside that opens and closes with the knob under the dash. Pretty simple mechanism once you see it. Mine is fed by a fresh air duct from inside the fender, but I think on non-Limiteds it is fed from up by the grille? I don't really remember. But your firewall mechanism should look like this (note that my heaters and defroster are not hooked up to the coolant lines): INTAKE: CLOSED: OPEN: Guess I should clean out the air intake, eh?

After seeing some of the U-Haul equipment guys have used to try to move cars, I wouldn't trust that stuff to move a lawnmower. The equipment is badly neglected and/or abused. Cracked welds, broken ramps, bald tires (that are undersized--usually passenger car tires) and that hokey tie-down system they use is really sketchy. Either pay a hauler to move it for you or see about renting/borrowing a real car trailer. For something as big and heavy as a 1957 Cadillac, I wouldn't want to take a chance with U-Haul gear. It's always tempting to do it yourself and try to save a few bucks, but I bet the cost difference between a U-Haul rental and having a pro deliver the car isn't really that much. Always better to be safe than sorry!

I'm tired of hearing that there are no more cool, fun, affordable hobby cars, so that's why I grabbed this ultra-clean Mustang Pace car when it drove by. You don't have to drive some frumpy '70s sedan to have fun, and this 54,354-mile survivor will fit right in at most shows where authenticity matters. Never modified, never driven in snow, never a daily driver, it's just a clean little Mustang with a manual gearbox that's a surprising amount of fun. Everyone remembers these pace cars, but when was the last time you actually saw one out in the wild? Been a while, hasn't it? The first-year Fox body has aged rather gracefully and the pace car decals look great today without being garish (I'm looking at you GM). The chin spoiler and slightly raised hood were unique to the pace car, as were the red and orange graphics and I really like the look. It's 100% original, including paint and graphics, and really nicely preserved. Rubber parts are in excellent shape and even the window sills, which get bleached by the sun, are still in good condition. Yeah, there are some nicks and chips and signs of age, but you can safely ignore them without anyone asking you when you're going to fix it up. It's just a nice, untouched 40-year-old Mustang, and when was the last time you saw one of those?!? The funky upholstery is correct and those grippy Recaro seats were standard on the pace car. No rips or tears and the foam underneath is still quite firm. Those are also original black carpets and door panels and a factory sunroof overhead. Pace cars came loaded, so this one has cold factory A/C, a full set of gauges, AM/FM/cassette stereo, and a driver information center on the console that monitors stuff like bulbs, washer fluid level, and fuel level. Kind of cool for 1979, no? The 4-speed manual makes the most of the turbo engine's modest output and shifts cleanly with light clutch action, so it's easy to drive it hard without feeling like you're working. The back seat is quite nice and those areas that look like water stains are actually just an artifact from the seat pattern interacting with our camera lens--weird, but there it is. Hatch area is nice and the original spare tire and jack are still stowed underneath having never been used. I'll admit that the 2.3 liter turbocharged inline-4 with 137 horsepower isn't going to frighten anybody with its performance, but then again, it's only 1 horsepower less than the 5.0 liter V8 that year. remember, it was 1979 and horsepower hadn't yet been reborn. On the other hand, it's pretty peppy and with the manual transmission it's eager and fun, and you'll quickly learn to drive around the rather substantial turbo lag (again, it was 1979). If you're of a certain mindset, there are also a TON of aftermarket upgrades for this engine so more power is easy and if you're clever, it'll also be invisible. It's very clean underneath and because of the modest performance, the structure remains taut and rattle-free, which is nice in a Fox Mustang. It's super clean underneath and the exhaust has been recently replaced with slightly larger pipes, no catalytic converter (check with local authorities, but even California has a rolling 25-year exemption for smog tests), and a Flowmaster so it sounds kind of cool. Factory TRX aluminum wheels are unmarked and carry correct (and the only tire that will fit) Michelin TRX radials in size 195/65/390, which are still available. Extras include an owner's manual, a full set of service manuals, and the pace car jacket that came with every new Mustang pace car. How cool are you? I like this car. It feels familiar because I own a '93 Fox Mustang coupe, and even though the power levels are different, they're definitely family. I like the look of the pace car and it does have some limited production cachet with only about 4500 turbo pace cars built. And for only $10,900, how can you go wrong? Cheap, unique, fun, and eligible for AACA HPOF? Heck yeah! Thanks for looking!

Some people get originality, some don't, that's cool. For those who do get it, this awesome Monza Red 'Vette will check all the boxes. First, the important stuff: 100% matching numbers, LS5 454/390 V8, factory A/C, power windows, leather interior, and it has been owned from day one by the same guy who bought it when he returned from Vietnam. It wears original paint, the leather interior is 100% original, and it shows just 58,344 miles. We've had a lot of Corvettes pass through our hands, but not many have been as appealing to me as this cool survivor. For preservation-class competition, either AACA or Corvette clubs, this is a great choice. The code 974 Monza red paint still looks awesome after 50 years of life and Michael was able to really bring up a great shine. I see no evidence of repainted panels our even significant touch-ups, and the original owner (who is now in his late 70s) says it has never been hit, not even a little ding. That means bumpers are original with nice chrome and even though fiberglass doesn't dent, there are no chips or cracks in the usual spots. He drove the car and enjoyed it properly, so there are a few marks here and there, but it's also obvious that it's been loved all its life. The rubber weather seals are still supple and the T-tops lock down and don't rattle, a rarity in a vintage C3. The headlights pop up properly and even the windshield wiper door leaps out of its well when you hit the switch. Nice! Code 403 is black leather and yes, that's original upholstery, original carpets, original door panels, original dash pad, and, well, you get it. All the gauges work properly except the clock and the fiber-optics on the center console all light up as they should. Gauge markings are crisp and bright, day or night, and we just converted and charged the A/C so it works well. You also get an AM/FM radio, power windows, and an automatic transmission, making this something of a luxury-oriented 'Vette that's very easy to live with. Yes, there's some wear and tear, with the most notable thing being a split in the carpet at the base of the driver's seat (not usually visible), but overall it's quite well preserved. The engine is the original, numbers-matching LS5 454 cubic inch V8. This was the top engine in 1970 (oddly, the LS6 was not available in the Corvette), and the CGW-coded block grunts out 390 horsepower and a towering 500 pounds of torque, all with great road manners and a hydraulic cam so it's very user-friendly. It carries a matching partial VIN on the stamping pad and there's just no question this is a correct car. We cleaned it up but we didn't restore anything, which seems inappropriate. We did, however, have the radiator re-cored and it runs ice cold now. We also installed new correct hoses and clamps, installed a new master cylinder, and tuned it a bit, but it really didn't need much. You'll note it still has its original Rochester 4-barrel carb, factory ignition shielding including plug wires, and that's factory Chevy Orange paint on the block--we didn't touch it. Underneath, it's grungy the way a car that has been driven would be, but there's no rust and it has obviously never been used in winter weather. Critical areas like the kick-up ahead of the rear wheels are completely solid and the frame is straight with no signs of an accident. The transmission is a stout TH400 3-speed automatic that's virtually indestructible and still shifts crisply. There's a newer exhaust system that sounds right and offers correct rectangular tips and remarkably, it feels like it has 3.08 gears out back, which makes it a flat-out awesome high-speed cruiser. If you want a vintage 'Vette that can eat up miles of highway on a road trip, I can't think of many better than this (provided you can afford to feed it). Rally wheels and fat 255/60/15 Goodyears look great and fill the fenders perfectly. I'm not a Corvette guy but I love this car. It's ferociously fast if you want it to be, but it's also relaxed and comfortable if you just want to turn on the A/C and sit back for a cruise. And as a survivor, it's really nicely preserved. If you don't need perfection but appreciate cars that have been properly maintained but never disassembled, this should appeal to you. It's also reasonably priced at $47,900, giving you a lot of pedigree and performance for the price of a generic 5-year-old C7. Thanks for looking!