What have YOU being doing or are you planning to do with your Vette?

[kentvette]

A little more done and a very shiny, very orange underbelly. My old oil pan had been battered and welded so may times, had to scrap it. Tasty new Bilsteins on the front too.

Oooo! Very nice!

 

[Corvette]

I have to install these now. A pain as the spindle has to move out about an inch so they can be bolted in. A lot of work for a parking brake setup that needs a brick on each wheel to keep the car still.

 

[FIVE RED]

Looking for something to do to the Vette during the winter I decided to change the headlamp bulbs to brighter ones. All went well until I lowered them on completion & heard the dreaded grinding noise from the plastic gears.
Anyway ordered the new kits from the states with the brass gears & tackled the offending side this morning. Massive quality difference between the original gear & the new brass one. I'll refit the motor/gearbox assembly in the tomorrow after hopefully finding the nut I dropped into the depths of the front end!

 

[97BlackC5]

Magnesium wheels - what is the difficulty when re-furbishing compared to the usual Alloy wheels please?

Apparently magnesium is porous so if they are acid dipped to strip them before prepping to powder coat, there can be an issue with acid being retained within the metal & as a result can lift the new powder coat once on. Also, I am told you have to watch the wheels in the acid (if they are dipped) as if you leave them in too long you could be in serious trouble.

 

[Chuffer]

Looking for something to do to the Vette during the winter I decided to change the headlamp bulbs to brighter ones. All went well until I lowered them on completion & heard the dreaded grinding noise from the plastic gears.
Anyway ordered the new kits from the states with the brass gears & tackled the offending side this morning. Massive quality difference between the original gear & the new brass one. I'll refit the motor/gearbox assembly in the tomorrow after hopefully finding the nut I dropped into the depths of the front end!

Motor and gear driven pop up headlights ? What ever next What happened to vacuum power and string driven things ? Don`t tell me I am behind the times

 

[kentvette]

I have to install these now. A pain as the spindle has to move out about an inch so they can be bolted in. A lot of work for a parking brake setup that needs a brick on each wheel to keep the car still.View attachment 9512

Agh! Don't remind me! What fun we had installing the brake shoes in the hub assembly on our new trailing arms!

 

[kentvette]

Apparently magnesium is porous so if they are acid dipped to strip them before prepping to powder coat, there can be an issue with acid being retained within the metal & as a result can lift the new powder coat once on. Also, I am told you have to watch the wheels in the acid (if they are dipped) as if you leave them in too long you could be in serious trouble.

Have you got the wheels back yet Nigel?

 

[antijam]

I have to install these now. A pain as the spindle has to move out about an inch so they can be bolted in. A lot of work for a parking brake setup that needs a brick on each wheel to keep the car still.

My shoe retainer plates were toast but the shoe anchors were sound, so after removing the remains and rather than have the hassle of disturbing the spindle, I split the plates at the top, wrapped them round the anchors and tack welded them back together. Worked well and along with a lot of other work, gave me a working parking brake.

 

[Daytona Vette]

Apparently magnesium is porous so if they are acid dipped to strip them before prepping to powder coat, there can be an issue with acid being retained within the metal & as a result can lift the new powder coat once on. Also, I am told you have to watch the wheels in the acid (if they are dipped) as if you leave them in too long you could be in serious trouble.

Thank you for that -I did not know - I have just had two sets of Alloys refurbished and they were both sand blasted, prior to the powder coating, Acid is always nasty stuff

 

[Roscobbc]

Made a start on polishing the inside of these wheels (especially after being out over the last few weeks - specifically avoided using car when salt had been applied to the roads......don't want to take a chance and leave things too long before cleaning). Getting to the inside surfaces of the wheel is challenging - if I do it in situ and I'll end up with ripped hands - easier to remove wheels individually and polish all surfaces........

 

[Chuffer]

Thank you for that -I did not know - I have just had two sets of Alloys refurbished and they were both sand blasted, prior to the powder coating, Acid is always nasty stuff

I had the alloy wheels on the Grand Cherokee bead blasted and powder coated about three years ago. Still look like new and wouldn`t go near acid dipping !

 

[Oneball]

Made a start on polishing the inside of these wheels (especially after being out over the last few weeks - specifically avoided using car when salt had been applied to the roads......don't want to take a chance and leave things too long before cleaning). Getting to the inside surfaces of the wheel is challenging - if I do it in situ and I'll end up with ripped hands - easier to remove wheels individually and polish all surfaces........View attachment 9518

Are they not lacquered?

 

[Roscobbc]

Not lacquered Oneball - tbh I'm pleased they are not - more work perhaps keeping polished etc but no risk of peeling, lifting or yellowing.....

 

[Corvette]

Ross you need AG’s.

 

[Corvette]

My shoe retainer plates were toast but the shoe anchors were sound, so after removing the remains and rather than have the hassle of disturbing the spindle, I split the plates at the top, wrapped them round the anchors and tack welded them back together. Worked well and along with a lot of other work, gave me a working parking brake.

I had to buy new as I can’t find the anchors I removed, actually I’ve lost loads of bits and a few bolts so the cost is mounting up. Working handbrake is impressive, normally they only work the once!

kentvette: a hook, sharp long nose pliers and patience. No swearing either.

this thread has about 5 different conversations going on and I notice Oneball has a new shiney avatar.

 

[97BlackC5]

Have you got the wheels back yet Nigel?

Hopefully picking them up tonight. Went to see them last night to make sure I was happy with the finish before they put the tires on (very hard colour to match apparently). Needless to say, very pleased with the way they have turned out, needed a couple of very small welds but would defiantly recommend them. They ended up using a chemical stripper on them along with a bead blast but obviously no acid bath. One attached photo from my visit last night, hopefully more to come with rubber & back on car.......

 

[kentvette]

Hopefully picking them up tonight. Went to see them last night to make sure I was happy with the finish before they put the tires on (very hard colour to match apparently). Needless to say, very pleased with the way they have turned out, needed a couple of very small welds but would defiantly recommend them. They ended up using a chemical stripper on them along with a bead blast but obviously no acid bath. One attached photo from my visit last night, hopefully more to come with rubber & back on car.......

Very Nice! Somewhere local Nigel?

 

[97BlackC5]

Fairly local, recommended by Matt at CCM Corvette (the old Claremont) must admit very impressed with their work, CSP Powder Coating in Borough Green.

 

[Redlevel]

Deleting that stupid EGR pipe off the exhaust that bridges the offside valve cover to the intake so I can pull the cover and replace its gasket..

 

[Sierra]

Finally getting round to fitting the methanol injection kit