1971 LT1 ready for judging in Frisco

[TimG]

After weeks and weeks of cleaning I started to work on the performance and operations end of things to get this 1,400 mile car ready for its first NCRS judging event. The fuel pump went out the second day of ownership and that was discouraging. It took over two months to have the original rebuilt, so that's when I did the serious cleaning on my lift. I almost threw in the towel on judging when the fuel pump went out. Once operational again, I could handle the leaking carb and miss on the right side of the engine. Those items were easy, replace the accelerator pump diaphragm and hook up a loose hose from the smog pump to a T fitting on the carburetor. Dormant old cars need attention and this car was no exception. Numerous items did not function and as many of you know, those non-functioning items chew up points in NCRS judging. After a full weekend with a running car and testing equipment, everything works as it should. After a mock judging yesterday, the car lost 88 points with 20 being for a non original/reproduction battery (can't get one shipped by the event) and 25 points for any unexpected operations glitches. It should pull 98% by my calculation and if that is the case, I'll be ecstatic. Tires and wheel weights are original, so my driving is limited, but it sure drives nice.