What have YOU being doing or are you planning to do with your Vette?
- Thread starter Daytona Vette
- Start date
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Just finished the annual service during lock down ready to , er ? go nowhere I guess 
All the usual stuff , oil and filter change , spark plugs , grease steering ball joints etc and give everything a good check over . As there was nothing but time on my hands , thought I would have all the push rods out and check for wear and that internal oil bores were clear along with the rockers . Had poke about with a probe camera in the internals too and looking good . It was an ideal opportunity to reset the pre load on the hydraulic lifters as there is no history being a Japanese import . Replaced the air con , power steer and alternator drive belts and whilst all the ancillaries was slackened off had a good clean up and re painted brackets . Also remedied a failure waiting to happen that I found because some numpty had partially crushed the coolant hose from the block to the heater matrix under the air con compressor mounting brackets ! Just wanna get out and drive now .
All the usual stuff , oil and filter change , spark plugs , grease steering ball joints etc and give everything a good check over . As there was nothing but time on my hands , thought I would have all the push rods out and check for wear and that internal oil bores were clear along with the rockers . Had poke about with a probe camera in the internals too and looking good . It was an ideal opportunity to reset the pre load on the hydraulic lifters as there is no history being a Japanese import . Replaced the air con , power steer and alternator drive belts and whilst all the ancillaries was slackened off had a good clean up and re painted brackets . Also remedied a failure waiting to happen that I found because some numpty had partially crushed the coolant hose from the block to the heater matrix under the air con compressor mounting brackets ! Just wanna get out and drive now .
GCorvette
CCCUK Member
I'm about to find out if any of our supporting companies step up!Most people make do with a Thatcham approved alarm and immobilizer , but a Dalek !! That`s a new idea , does it make your insurance even cheaper ??
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
I was gonna chain a Pit Bull up outside the garage but decided to use the Mother in Law instead as got a bigger insurance discount !I'm about to find out if any of our supporting companies step up!
Oneball
CCCUK Member
Most people make do with a Thatcham approved alarm and immobilizer , but a Dalek !! That`s a new idea , does it make your insurance even cheaper ??
We’ve got a Dalek too.
Oneball
CCCUK Member
Hope you had your woolly hat on today, bit chilly here.
johng
CCCUK Member
Had more time to kill yesterday, so decided to check out my electric aerial. The motor span but nothing else moved So I removed the clips and drilled out the rivets and took the body apart.
The nylon cord had snapped (a common problem I think). Luckily it had snapped off just where it attaches to the aerial mast, so I drilled out the remaining bit of cord and the crimping of the mast with a 3 mm drill, reinserted the cord into the mast with a bit of superglue, punched the crimping back in place and reassembled the aerial.
It all now works perfectly (until the cord snaps again!). The other good news is that my painter rang to say he will be finished spraying my car today
So I removed the clips and drilled out the rivets and took the body apart.The nylon cord had snapped (a common problem I think). Luckily it had snapped off just where it attaches to the aerial mast, so I drilled out the remaining bit of cord and the crimping of the mast with a 3 mm drill, reinserted the cord into the mast with a bit of superglue, punched the crimping back in place and reassembled the aerial.
It all now works perfectly (until the cord snaps again!). The other good news is that my painter rang to say he will be finished spraying my car today
Hi Stephen, long time no see !!!!!Ah well, I've just ordered a pair of new rear trailing arms and ancillary bits and bobs for the old '78. It's been needing the job done for a good few years really, but I've kept putting it off, despite having changed out every other part of the rear end!
Just completed that pesky job of the trailing arm bushes in the first lockdown..........
Quite easy really. Yes I did say that !!!!!
Pics will be posted sometime soon
Cheers Steve
kentvette
CCCUK Member
Hi Stephen, long time no see !!!!!
Just completed that pesky job of the trailing arm bushes in the first lockdown..........
Quite easy really. Yes I did say that !!!!!
Pics will be posted sometime soon
Cheers Steve
Hi Steve
Funnily enough, I've just read your little piece in the latest Vette News about your TA bush swap. I'm not sure if I was heartened or not by how easy it was - I have NOT been dousing mine in WD40 for years! I'll be down there this afternoon with the can.
Any Le Mans trips planned? Not going to be the same now - I'm not a huge fan of the C8 (shock horror!) and all our friends in the team have retired......
Mines an 81 Stephen so could have been lucky !!!
Yes to LM 2021 (I hope)
last visit was 2018 :-(
Need to get back there !!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes all change and it will be good to see the C8 in the flesh.......................
If you need any pointers let me knowVette news not arrived yet..
Cheers Stephen for now.
Yes to LM 2021 (I hope)
last visit was 2018 :-(
Need to get back there !!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes all change and it will be good to see the C8 in the flesh.......................
If you need any pointers let me know
Vette news not arrived yet..Cheers Stephen for now.
antijam
CCCUK Member
Santa dropped by a little early yesterday with my new soft top......
This is a comprehensive kit with the top, pads, felts and new tack strip.....
...as well as all the weather strip and fixings included....
After getting the frame fully stripped....
... the corrosion was fortunately minimal and the bow felts and tack strips are in pretty good condition; however...although my old top fitted pretty well ( it was just old and scruffy with several splits in the rear window) it turned out that the right side of the frame was quite distorted. The weatherstrip attachment metalwork was bent, the No 3 bow was bent and the rear bow was twisted. After some precision surgery with a large crowbar, an even larger hammer and several vice grips I have things pretty well straightened out, so after a little paint touch-up the frame will be ready for its new top.
Al Knoch seems to have been taking some stick in a few of the more recent posts on US forums, with claims that quality has dropped and the fit is poor. My top looks the biz, but whether I'll find problems I won't know for a while since fitting is going to have to wait for some much warmer weather.
I do have something else to keep me out of mischief though; as soon as I can work up enough enthusiasm to crawl under the car in my freezing garage....
That's the great thing about old cars - you can always find something to do........
This is a comprehensive kit with the top, pads, felts and new tack strip.....
...as well as all the weather strip and fixings included....
After getting the frame fully stripped....
... the corrosion was fortunately minimal and the bow felts and tack strips are in pretty good condition; however...although my old top fitted pretty well ( it was just old and scruffy with several splits in the rear window) it turned out that the right side of the frame was quite distorted. The weatherstrip attachment metalwork was bent, the No 3 bow was bent and the rear bow was twisted. After some precision surgery with a large crowbar, an even larger hammer and several vice grips I have things pretty well straightened out, so after a little paint touch-up the frame will be ready for its new top.
Al Knoch seems to have been taking some stick in a few of the more recent posts on US forums, with claims that quality has dropped and the fit is poor. My top looks the biz, but whether I'll find problems I won't know for a while since fitting is going to have to wait for some much warmer weather.
I do have something else to keep me out of mischief though; as soon as I can work up enough enthusiasm to crawl under the car in my freezing garage....
That's the great thing about old cars - you can always find something to do........
kentvette
CCCUK Member
Well, I made a "start" on the trailing arm swap. I say "start" - I fell at the first hurdle when it proved impossible to get the split pin out of the TA bolt! I'd decided I'd have a look at that before I did any other in-bolting, disconnecting etc. Smothered everything in Plus Gas, but the split pin is tiny and there was no way it was coming out. It's now broken of course, but still there. So, I thought, maybe I can shift the nut/bolt into a position to drive the remaining piece out? Not a chance! I even managed to get a ring spanner on the nut, to no avail. Not amused and it does not bode well. I the next step a reciprocating saw??
The old '78 must have heard us talking about a C6 - it doesn't like me!
The old '78 must have heard us talking about a C6 - it doesn't like me!
Oneball
CCCUK Member
I had to cut mine, got the nut off but couldn’t get the bolts out.