C3 Tire Jack

[Don Justham]

What color is the tire jack and handle supposed to be on a 1970 COrvette? DOes the handle attach to the jack with a bolt? Does the jack attach to the bottom of the rear compartment or does it just lay in there? Thanks

[Charlie P.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

The color is a near-gloss black. The handle slides in between the base and the scissors/screw when fully collapsed. The two are held in place with a coil spring that wraps over them. The spring has an E-shaped handle on one end and a coil loop on the other, and both ends pass thru hooks mounted to the floor of the storage compartment on either side of the depression that matches the jack base. The handle has a rubber ring around the socket end.

[Terry M.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

Don,
Depending on how picky you want to get there are two different shades of black on the jack. Both would fall under the description of "near-gloss black," and if it is important to you I will go look before I describe which parts are different. Since I don’t judge interior, I have no idea how well known this distinction is, or if the judges routinely look for this level of detail.

[Reba Whittington]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

I do not try to distinguish between the two finishes as long they are close. As Terry said, most of the item is gloss black, and I have deducted for some that were entirely flat black.

The jack must be removed for judging becuase we have to see the date code. We do check that all the components are present in the compartment, but how they are arranged is unimportant. However, in driving the car, you will have rattles if all is not secure.

[Jim T.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

Reba is the jacks operation checked when removed for the date verification?

[Gregg Plapas]

NO *NM*

[Jack H.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

Nothing beyond potentially opening the jack a 'tad' to fully see the date emboss. The only functionality that's tested in typical Flight Judging lies in the Operations Check portion of the score sheets. Now, Performance Verification (another class of judging altogether) is MUCH more comprehensive in the scope of examination....

[Chuck S.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

Terry, if you are offering to look in your info stash, I would really like to know the details on the jack painting. For example, I thought by looking at my original that the screw was natural (and greasy), but now, I'm not sure it wasn't painted with the scissors. I'm pretty picky, so your input would be appreciated.

[Harmon C.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

I think the threads are unpainted on 72-73 original jacks. Lyle

[Terry M.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

My evidence is from the jack originally installed in my early 1970 - the jack is dated 9M (December 1969)

The jack itself is gloss black - the screw is less glossy. There is no doubt the screw (hex and unthreaded portion) is a different color than the rest of the jack. There is also no doubt that the screw is painted.

Chuck, if you are going to be at either the Charlotte or New Jersey Regionals I can bring the jack there - now that I have it out of the Corvette.

[Chuck S.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack

Thanks, Terry, I regret you having to remove your jack. I thought the information might be in your notes. I won't be making either of those regionals...in fact, I'll be sticking pretty close to home until September, when the wife collects her "pot o' gold" at the end of the government rainbow. I'll probably go over and see ole "Demon" Demmel and those other Texans in Waco this October.

The thrust bearing for the screw was either zinc plated or natural on my original; I presume yours is as well? When you say the screw is painted, does that mean the entire screw was painted, or was it dipped only up to the shaft and hex and not the threaded portion, or can you make any determination? Since the components are different colors, that would also imply assembly AFTER paint.

Thanks again for your help, and the valuable information for the archives.

[Terry M.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack (long)

No big deal to take the jack out - there are other things in the car that I wanted out anyway. Spring has sprung, and it is nice to visit the old girl.

Don't know why I thought you lived in the Northeast....old timer's disease I guess. I generally fly to Waco, and the thought of the weight of the jack, and TSA employees reaction to a carry-on jack doesn’t give me any warm fuzzes.

Thrust bearing is natural on mine. Screw looks dipped - there is a line about 1/2-inch from where the threads start, where the paint stops. The screw appears to be dipped part way. On the screw the paint is intact where the screw is squeezed locking it in place. I haven't a clue how they would accomplish that.

The rest of the jack is well painted after assembly of the side bars. The rivets are all painted, but the bars are also painted where they come together - regardless how high I lift it - I can see no paint line. I haven't a clue how they would paint all of the bar and the rivets, and not have the paint dry between the bars and interfere with the operation - unless the bars were painted, dried, assembled and then the rivets painted. Sounds like more work than I would expect them to do.

Send me your email address to my AOL account (This message links to a Hotmail account, and Hotmail doesn't like large files) that is in The Restorer. I'll send you a couple of photos. They may be worth a couple of hundred words, and better than lugging the jack around the country. How about Colorado - you going there?

[Chuck S.]

Re: C3 Tire Jack (long)

Terry, that is awesome info...thanks.

Regarding the painting, I expect the scissors was dip painted as an assembly. It seems like John Hinckley said this was done on earlier jacks (C1, C2?), but as an entire assembly. Paint used in dip painting would have been thin, so it would have run off, and dried thin and quickly without any interference with jack operation later. After the components were painted, they were probably assembled (remember the natural bearing) and the screw was greased lightly. Then, a big fat upset was pressed into the screw shaft to prevent the jack from ever coming apart again.

About Colorado...Probably not. The western regional is typically in the Spring, either April or May (not sure when this year). I would like to be there...I think I saw that the New Mexico chapter and Southwest? chapter are putting it on...should be fun. We will be locked down on any time off until after September. But, after that we'll probably be attending more NCRS events. The graduating kid has put in for a job in Washington D.C.; I'm hoping he gets it, because...You got it...CARLISLE!!! Then, every August there will be something for everybody!

[Terry M.]

C3 Tire Jack

Glad the info worked for you Chuck. Colorado is June 3-5. Look forward to seeing you at future meets.