What's a TOME??
By Tim Suddard
Dec 7, 2024
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| From the March 2024 issue
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Photography Credit: Chris Tropea
Restoring a car seems like a pretty simple concept: You take everything apart, bag and tag all the parts, and begin the rather laborious process of repairing, repainting and reassembling.
What if a step-by-step manual existed that told you exactly how it went back together?
After so many decades of figuring out restorations largely on my own–sometimes with help from a specialist like Moss Motors or National Parts Depot, sometimes with just a few cryptic email messages from a fellow owner–I have finally found a car supported by a tome that seemingly came straight from the factory itself.
I recently picked up a one-owner, mostly original 1965 Corvette Coupe in Nassau Blue over white. Despite being a bit ratty around the edges, it’s a truly stunning example.
Leave it alone or fully restore it? Savor the scars of use or completely turn back the clock to day one?
The first option would mean buffing it out, touching it up and perhaps fixing a couple of flaws in the interior. Of course, I’d fit new tires and take care of the regular wear-and-tear items. Then I’d drive it.
On a recent visit to the National Corvette Museum, I saw some truly stunning examples of these midyear Corvettes. They are American icons that, in my opinion, are largely undervalued.
To learn more about my car–and help determine exactly what, if anything, had been changed–I picked up the National Corvette Restorers Society Judging Guide for the 1965 Corvette. It was available at the gift shop.
While I was familiar with the society and its work, as well as the Bloomington Gold designations that mark the best Corvettes out there, I had no idea this kind of information existed. This ring-bound manual contains more than 100 pages and sits more than an inch thick.
It’s detailed. How detailed? How about more than a page covering the spare tire mounting bracket alone? Half a page covers just valve stems and caps–and how many points should be deducted for any deviations.
By the way, this isn’t the manual for all C2 Corvettes. It’s only for the 1965 cars. The nearly identical 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967 cars each get their own books.
While I respect the hell out of any organization that can go to this much trouble and see the appeal of making my car truly perfect, I think I’ll leave mine mostly alone and drive it. The cost to do this type of restoration with all NOS parts would be astronomical. Plus, I tell myself, Chevrolet wasn’t even that good at screwing Corvettes together, so any misalignments or the like should be expected. They create character. (I also wonder if I’m up for leaving the requisite amount of Chevy Orange engine overspray on the bypass hose to remain concours correct.)
This is shaping up to be the exact opposite of my Elva Mk VI sports racer project. Only 30 of those Elvas were made. Since ours was a factory entry for Sebring in 1962, I feel compelled to save it and return it to like-new condition.
There is no judging manual, no catalog for parts. If you need something for the Elva, you make it. We were lucky to find guidance through some old photos, while a fellow owner allowed us to borrow some parts so we could duplicate them.
At the end of the day, do proper restorations matter? I think they set the standard for what we see out there in the real world, whether it’s at a local show or a national concours. For example, is the car before you a restomod, a survivor or a perfect restoration that exactly captures the moment in time that that those four wheels rolled off the assembly line?
These 100-point cars can also serve as cautionary tales of sorts for what a truly correct restoration entails. To get your car looking that good, plan on committing the appropriate cubic hours combined with the necessary pile of money. Now, if only I’d read this column before committing to that Elva project.
What's a TOME??
In reply to handyman85122 :
It's a BOOK
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=tome+definition
First generation Mustang guys have approached the Corvette guys when it comes to restoration accuracy - one thing about Fords is they seemed to stamp a date code on just about every little component; I have a friend who's big into Mustangs and I've spent a lot of time at swap meets with him where he was looking for radiator caps or other minor parts that had the correct date code for his cars. There are also certain GM cars (like late 60s GTOs, Chevelles, etc.) where the factory assembly manuals are available which helps a lot.
For most cars you have to rely on what others have figured out or from examining low mileage examples. I have a 1961 Pontiac Bonneville; I also have a full set of shop manuals, a parts catalog, dealer update newsletters, etc. which helped but you can't tell exact paint colors or finishes from small black and white photos in a 60 year old book.
RadBarchetta said:In reply to handyman85122 :
It's a BOOK
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=tome+definition
Sorry, couldn't resist. Okay, enough with the veiled Twilight Zone references. Continue on. 
Many/most cars came from the manufacturer as only partially developed vehicles and all the shortcomings were detected and in most cases solved without factory assistance. Books on how the cars were assembled can be useful, but they usually leave out all the problem solving done after they left the factory, by the owners.
While I appreciate the detail some Corvette guys go to (including the knowledge about every factory paint mark, which company made the original marking pens and what time the guys on the line who made said marking pen took their lunch break), it is a bit over the top for my tastes. I know some Corvette people who have NOS date marked gas caps only used for judging so they don't get yellowed from gas fumes while in storage. I would suspect one could buy a brand new Corvette and find it well below the maximum 4500 point 'mythical' mark and spend as much dough (or more) attempting to keep a car that never gets driven in perfect condition as one that gets used regularly. I vote for sympathetic restoration, drive it often (as this is/was its intended use) and repair/reburbish as necessary; build, break, repeat. Will your Elva ever be exactly as delivered from the factory?... probably not. Will anyone know?.. also probably not. Will you actually use it without fear of damging the original factory markings etc?...I hope so. Sometimes too much knowledge is detrimental to enjoyment of cars, but to each, their own. Are your storing date marked NOS 'judging' gas cap in a sealed nitrogen environment 'cause' those suckers will also oxidize sitting on the shelf in room air...maybe Car Capsule can capitalize on this concept and offer sealed nitogen storage containers for whole cars to keep them 'factory fresh' forever. The 1960s are 60 years in arrears and guess what...cars age just like their owners; enjoy the journey and laugh at the scars as none of use are like the day we left the proverbial factory no matter how hard we try to mitigate that fact.
Tim, you should get Don Sherman's book, '427 Corvette - Practical Restoration Of A '67 Roadster'. The cover jacket states: 'insights & techniques applicable to all '63 - 67 Corvettes'.
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