Taking care of the National Corvette Museum’s ever-growing collection of cars is a task that Daniel Decker absolutely loves.
Who can argue with him? After all, what mechanic wouldn’t enjoy special projects like pulling and resealing the transmission of the 2002 Corvette Z06 donated by Ivan and Mary Schrodt?
Or rebuilding the carburetor on the 1954 Corvette donated by Lori Hale in memory of her husband Morey?
Or fixing the compressor on the 2003 50th Anniversary car donated by Craig and Sharon Conde?
Or repairing the internal broken axle shafts in the rear differential on the 1972 Corvette race car gifted by Richard and Holly Anderson?
Well, you get the idea. The work goes on and on for Decker and the new Vehicle Maintenance and Preservation Department at the Museum.
With the collection growing as well as the use of the donated ‘Vettes increasing, mostly the Z06s to provide hot lap rides and lead touring laps at the nearby Motorsports Park, the Museum can definitely use Decker’s talents to perform work on its cars that used to be outsourced.
Decker has a lot of equipment to use, including a Titan lift, fire-proof cabinets, a tool box donated by Snap-On Tools, up-to-date scanner, electrical and air ceiling drops, updated tools, an engine hoist, motor stand, and a tire changer and balancer from Coats.
Says Decker: “Everything is more conveniently located and it helps with the flow of getting cars in, worked on and back out. We’re able to do the basic maintenance things like oil changes and tire rotation as well as take care of more complex issues that arise.”
Visitors to the Museum can even sometimes watch Decker at work through a new glass garage door.
You can even help with the cost of the maintenance by making monthly payments (minimum of $25) to the Museum.
Says one longtime enthusiast, George DuPont: “Long before there was a Maintenance and Preservation Department at the Museum, I’ve been making automatic monthly donations toward that goal, hoping to inspire others to do the same. Taking care of these cars properly in a dedicated area with the right equipment and experienced staff is one of the most important things the NCM can do in their mission to preserve the past of Corvette.”
If you’d like to help, get in touch with Connie Russell at 270-467-8815 or email her at [email protected].
Source:
National Corvette Museum
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