Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

[David P.]

I've read all the threads I could find related to removing and preserving the Corvette Order Copy aka Tank Sticker. Getting set to go after it on my 60k orig mile 1970 LS5 Convertible. It's quite original but not a Bowtie candidate. It will be the subject of a Technical Seminar for our Miami Valley, OH Chapter soon and I'm pretty excited. That said, I'd just as soon not have a Geraldo Rivera (reference his disasterous, failed treasure hunt on live TV from a couple decades ago) moment in front of my friends and do something ruinous and irreversible.

I can see the tank sticker from the fuel door opening and I can feel it (gently) reaching up underneath the car with the spare tire carrier removed. It feels whole and intact. My plan is to drop the tank and, based on what I find, proceed down my list of preferred options:
1. Take pics of the process every step along the way, including high quality .tiff pics of the paper itself still on the tank before messing with it.
2. Photograph any job numbers/markings/stencils revealed with the tank down.
3. If paper is in good shape w/ not too much glue, shave it off with a razor scraper. Actually, I'll be shaving glue and some zinc off the tank if I'm doing it right.
4. Once I see what I've got, get some advice as-required on cleaning it or making it readable from a local museum contact I've located.
5. Take a single, hi-resolution scan of the document, then store it between acid-free parchment in a safe, dark, dry place (but not so safe that I forget where I put it).

Alternatively, if the paper is in very poor shape or excessively glued to the tank, I'll cut the paper and surrounding area out of the tank and replace it with a repop. I'd prefer not to do this since I haven't finished preparing for Flight Judging and would like to not take steps backwards, points-wise, even thought it would less than 10 pts for a repop tank per the judging sheets. I'm not willing to let it sit on the tank for another year or more while I track down the rest of the parts I need for judging though.

While it's obviously nowhere near the value '67 427/435hp car, I'll only get one shot at doing this right and I'll kick myself later if I take shortcuts and screw it up. Thus, I want to do this right. Any additional advice? Thanks-

[Bill M.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

took my sticker off my 67 coupe back in 87 just scraped it off with a razor blade

[David P.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

OK, thanks Bill. I really hope it will be that easy. Feels pretty stuck on. I bet it would be easier to remove intact if it was a coupe.

[Bill M.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

dave i did drop the tank it was a texas car very clean tank

[Alan S.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

Hi David,
Once the tank is down you might well find an opaque layer of dirt/dust on the sheet that obscures the information on it..
If you decide to try to move the dirt I think the softer the brush you can use the better. I bought a 'make-up' brush at the drug store which seemed to be the softest, gentlest, brush I could find.
If you decide to blow on the dirt I think again you need to use a very de-fused, soft source.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

[David P.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

Good looking 'sticker' there, Alan! Thanks for the ideas. I expect find a *lot* of obscurant coating the sheet

[Alan S.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

Hi David,
Isn't it amusing that the most ordinary cars seem to have the most typical stamp pads and the most readable 'tank stickers'!.
Again good luck with yours!
Regards,
Alan

[Bill M.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

yea especially the L 89's with the wrong sticker on tank

[John S.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

David,

My 2 cents worth here. I removed the tank sticker from my 67. Being very careful and slow worked good for me. I then took it and made multiple copies of it. I put on copy back on the original tank with a note explaining when it was removed and by whom. Also noted that the original is to be kept with the car any time it is sold. I also put all of my current contact info in the paper. Original is safe in my "67" folder and the wife and kids know where it is. It was the best I could do at the time.

[David P.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

David,

My 2 cents worth here. I removed the tank sticker from my 67. Being very careful and slow worked good for me. I then took it and made multiple copies of it. I put on copy back on the original tank with a note explaining when it was removed and by whom. Also noted that the original is to be kept with the car any time it is sold...

That's a neat idea John! I think I'll do that too.

[Terry M.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

That's a neat idea John! I think I'll do that too.

Dave,
Don't forget the storage notes in your item #5. I am glad to see the mention of acid free paper and dark, safe dry storage.

To show that even the professionals occasionally have a failure moment read or skim the lengthy story linked below. Don't be scared off by its length. Most of the article deals with the asset recovery. In fairness to all involved the original building that is referenced was not built as a museum, and most museums no longer have or use basement storage. Of course that didn't help the Corvette Museum did it?

Much earlier in my career I responded to a report of an electrical facility that was flooding. I was skeptical as I responded since I knew that facility was on the fourth floor. I won't bore y'all with the details, but the report was true. One can never be too careful when selecting a storage location for important materials.

http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v07/bp07-10.html

[Mike E.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

On my 67 I dropped the tank, carefully brushed it off, took multiple pictures, took the camera into the house, went back into the shop, and the sticker was off the tank and missing. 20 seconds of panic, and I found it 6 feet away. A light breeze had lifted it off the tank. It's now between two pieces of archival glass, in a folder, in a safe, in a dark room.

[Peter L.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

Do not laminate the build sheet. I brought my 70 & 71 build sheets work to make copies and a coworker suggested to place the sheet on a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper and laminate them stating you can always cut near the seam and remove the original. After reading this pot I decided to remove the build sheet from the laminate however the build sheet face is stuck to the laminate, it will defiantly get damaged if try to peal I off. The 70 LT1 sheet was found between the tach & speedometer, the 71 LT1 sheet was removed from the tank in October of 2013. I am not happy with myself.

[David P.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

Dave,
Don't forget the storage notes in your item #5. I am glad to see the mention of acid free paper and dark, safe dry storage.

To show that even the professionals occasionally have a failure moment read or skim the lengthy story linked below. Don't be scared off by its length. Most of the article deals with the asset recovery. In fairness to all involved the original building that is referenced was not built as a museum, and most museums no longer have or use basement storage. Of course that didn't help the Corvette Museum did it?

Much earlier in my career I responded to a report of an electrical facility that was flooding. I was skeptical as I responded since I knew that facility was on the fourth floor. I won't bore y'all with the details, but the report was true. One can never be too careful when selecting a storage location for important materials.

http://cool.conservation-us.org/cool...7/bp07-10.html

That's an incredible story, Terry! Just curious, what electrical facility were you being called to address on the 4th floor? Primary HVAC/electrical and elevator service sounded like it was washed out in the basement... what a mess. Great story of many disciplines and volunteers coming together, something like what is happening at the NCM I imagine. I know a local university has supplied a drone and some expertise, for example, not to mention GM stepping up.

[Terry M.]

Re: Preparing to Remove "Tank Sticker"...

Do not laminate the build sheet. I brought my 70 & 71 build sheets work to make copies and a coworker suggested to place the sheet on a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper and laminate them stating you can always cut near the seam and remove the original. After reading this pot I decided to remove the build sheet from the laminate however the build sheet face is stuck to the laminate, it will defiantly get damaged if try to peal I off. The 70 LT1 sheet was found between the tach & speedometer, the 71 LT1 sheet was removed from the tank in October of 2013. I am not happy with myself.

As you found out Pete, lamination is considered permanent. Had you used a sheet of acid-free paper behind the document it might not have been too bad depending on the type of plastic used. Some plastics deteriorate with time -- think in terms of decades. A little Internet research will reveal which plastics do and which are OK for archival preservation. I don't know off the top of my head and it is too important for me to mess up.

One of the basic rules of archival preservation, and it should be ours with Corvettes, is 'do nothing that can not be reversed.’ Of course, as you found out, that rules out lamination.