Chevrolet Corvette School - Knowledge Is Power

The next day, Billy and Hattie Green were able to join us in class, and the couple got their hands dirty right off the bat as Gordon guided them through the process of seat cushion and seat frame removal, as well as checking out the power seat track. Gordon also took the time to point out some problem areas on the car, while Hattie noted it all down. Back in the classroom, Gordon got into early C4 stereos and antennas as well as troubleshooting the HVAC controls. We hooked up a code scanner to the Greens' '84, used one of Gordon's relay testers (which he sells, along with this gauge cluster tester and many other useful tools), and even had time to go over some more cross-fire tuning info before calling it a day. It was an info-packed weekend, and despite feeling a bit overwhelmed at times, I found myself wanting to get home so I could address some problems with my own car.

When I checked in with Gordon a couple of weeks later, he asked what I had learned from the weekend. To my slight surprise, I found myself saying that I was less afraid to actually get out there and work on the car, even if that meant dealing with the electrical system. And that, it turns out, was exactly the response Gordon expected: "Say 'computer,'" he explained, "and everyone gets afraid. But it's not hard once you know where everything is. Afterwards, the students say, 'I'm not afraid to do it.'" Which is exactly how I felt. It's confidence inspiring to understand at least some of what's going on with my car, and I'm looking forward to tackling some of the rough spots and having a better-running C4.