Couple of pics of my first Vette

[FireLt90]

Good to know--thanks!

Love this place!

 

[B17Crew]

Good to know--thanks!

Love this place!

Thanks,
toms94 pretty much covered it. It’s the LT4 engine, the cosmetics that you mentioned as well as other mechanicals came with the ’96 as part of RPO LT4 (including the red plenum).

B17Crew

 

[rapril]

B17Crew's LT4 looks just perfect, I would like to get my engine to look like his, someday it will. My past owners apparently drove in the elements so there is a lot of dirt to remove and I need to find a way to make the silver parts look new again. The outside layer seems to oxidize and becomes dull and doesn't look new anymore.

 

[B17Crew]

B17Crew's LT4 looks just perfect, I would like to get my engine to look like his, someday it will. My past owners apparently drove in the elements so there is a lot of dirt to remove and I need to find a way to make the silver parts look new again. The outside layer seems to oxidize and becomes dull and doesn't look new anymore.

Thanks rapril!
My ’96 served as a daily driver for eight years, that includes 8 years of Ohio winters, (and the salt) and Ohio downpours. It has been a labor of love getting my ’96 to its current condition. All parts are original and have not been replaced, except battery/tires. So... it is possible to bring a driven Corvette to very good condition. It just takes time. I’m still not finished detailing my car, I try to get to it whenever I can.

I wanted to mention that you can use Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish on surfaces like your alternator and AC compressor. It also does a nice job on aluminum suspension pieces and any aluminum tubing.

Use a cotton rag and rub into the surface, then, wipe with a clean cotton towel. You will see the shine start to come back! I’ve used a toothbrush before to help scrub in tight spots, you have to watch that the product doesn’t “fling” off the brush though.

Try not to get it on rubber or plastic, as it will leave a white film if not immediately tended too; just like car wax on black painted surfaces would do. You could tape off areas that you want to protect also. You may even be able to use it on your manifold. Best to test in an inconspicuous space before using it on the manifold.

On all rubber hoses and ribbed plastic conduit, I’ve been using Meguires Natural Shine, Vinyl & Rubber Protectant. I spray it onto a soft cotton cloth, apply liberally and let it soak in. Remove excess so that it’s not shinny. I try to keep my engine compartment looking “as delivered”, not the greasy, high gloss, used car detailed look.

For things like your black plastic fuel rail covers... First clean them with dish detergent and a toothbrush. Then, thoroughly rinse with water and let air dry. They looked pretty good after this and did not require any dressing.

Note, the driver side cover has clips that you must carefully remove so that they do not break. Gently remove the driver side fuel rail cover. As you lift it upwards, you can begin to turn it over so that you can see the two pins that secure the attached cable. Remember to be gentle with them!

You could try 303 Aerospace Protectant on your interior rubber/plastic pieces. It leaves a clean “new” look without having a greasy appearance. It also helps prevent UV fade damage.


Links to products/photo of product mentioned above:

Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish (Picture of 5 oz can)
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/rodi_1949_33622349

Mothers web site:Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish
http://www.mothers.com/products/

Meguiars Natural Shine & Rubber Protectant
http://www.meguiars.com/?home-vinyl-rubber-care/Natural-Shine-Vinyl-Rubber-Protectant

303 Aerospace Protectant
http://www.303products.com/tech/ind...&Product_ID=428&CFID=3477374&CFTOKEN=57239231

B17Crew


P.S. I noticed in the photo of your engine compartment that your Fresh Air Vacuum Line is missing. If you look ahead of your throttle body (going left) on about the 5th rib of the black accordioned intake, You will notice a round “notch” that has a hole. There should be a black tube with a gray head going into your intake. It would connect to the distributor. I’m pretty sure that this is the tube that pulls fresh air from your intake and vents the OptiSpark. If you are still running the OptiSpark and have not installed an aftermarket distributor, you may want to install that as soon as you can. You can see it in my engine photos (you can run out the photos of my engine to help the Chevy parts department person identify the part you are in need of).

 

[XLR8]

I wanted to mention that you can use.......

Crew,
you should copy this post into a new thread in the Care and Detailing Forum (click here) along with that photo of your engine - it looks GREAT!

More would see it there. And thanks for sharing it.
Jane Ann

 

[rapril]

Thanks B17Crew, I will save this you have provided a lot of great information on engine detailing. I plan to do it little by little as time permits, I feel better knowing it is possible to bring an engine back to its original luster with a little elbow grease and the right detailing products. Did you take a lot of parts out to clean them better or were you able to reach them all while in the engine bay? There seems to be a lot of accumulated dirt and dust everywhere, a lot of it I can't reach. Seems to be one of things if you get it cleaned and keep up with it its managable but let it go and you've got a major project.

I notice your exhaust manifolds look brand new, how have you managed to keep them looking so clean when your car was driven in the rain and salt? The exhaust manifolds seem to be the first place to show rust if the car is driven in the elements.

I did notice a few months back that the fresh air line was missing on mine. I looked for it and couldn't find the loose part hanging out of the distributor. Because the opti is hidden so well behind the water pump I can't tell if its OEM or aftermarket. I plugged the hole with some electrical tape for now and when I replace the water pump and opti I plan to attend to it then. You have a good eye for detail, it took me a year to realize something seemed to be missing from there.

Thanks again for the information.

 

[rapril]

And one last thing, polo green corvettes rule, the starter of this thread made a good choice in color.

 

[John Robinson]

I also am partial to the Polo Green. Welcome to the world of Corvettes

 

[OldSkool]

That looks terrific, I really love that color.

Back when I was in high school, and these cars were new, there was a guy who came in to the gas station where I worked who had one that color, a '95 or '96, I think. Man, I loved that car. Always drooled over it when he pulled up.

Of course he always went to self serve and pumped his own, so I never had an excuse to get too close.

 

[Vette1953]

'94 polo green convertible

I'm hoping to purchase a '94 polo green Vette in the next few weeks. It looks really sharp to me when it's cleaned up. I love it with the beige top and beige interior. Can anyone give me any helpful information about purchasing a '94?

Thanks for your help.

Steve(Vette1953)

 

[XLR8]

I'm hoping to purchase a '94 polo green Vette in the next few weeks. It looks really sharp to me when it's cleaned up. I love it with the beige top and beige interior. Can anyone give me any helpful information about purchasing a '94?

Thanks for your help.

Steve(Vette1953)

Steve,

here are a couple of links to help get you started. This link is to the 1994 Model Page here on the CAC - Click me

This link will take you to the CAC Tech Center page "Buying a Corvette". Click me Lots of good information and guidance on that page - including a checklist which can be printed out and carried along while shopping/test driving.

BTW - Welcome to the CAC. When you have time, stop by the New Member Forum and post a thread so more of our CAC members can stop by and say hello. Click me too.

Good luck!
Jane Ann

 

[rapril]

I'd say shop around, don't settle for anything less than the color, trim, condition, and transmission you are looking for. There are a lot of C4s out there for sale. Polo green is a great color that has a nice deep shine when cleaned up, but like black tends to show any dust, dirt or pollen. Many of us keep our corvettes so clean you could eat off them so I suppose how the dirt looks on the car probably won't be a major buying concern.

Use the checklist, and be especially aware of the things that are costly to repair or replace such as optispark/water pump, weatherstrip, paint, door panels, carpeting, tires, top, and leather seats. Personally I wouldn't even consider a C4 that needs new paint, its $5,000 and sometimes more to do it right. These are amongst the costliest items most likely to need replacement in a C4. Ask for documentation of the car's maintenance history, get a carfax report, and consider bringing a C4 person to look at it or have a competent mechanic look it over for you. Don't buy the first one you look at unless its exactly what you are looking for. Drive as many as you can to get a feel for them, each one can feel a bit different even if they're the same year.

 

[B17Crew]

Thanks B17Crew, I will save this...

You’re welcome rapril!
It may be hard to see in the photos I posted, but my exhaust manifolds are actually rust colored. They all do that unless you have stainless aftermarket manifolds. You can by manifold paint that brushes on from Mid America, Ecklers, etc. but I try to leave my car “as delivered”.

The only parts I have removed to clean are the black plastic wheel wells and the fuel rail covers. Once you have these out, you’ll have good access to the side of your engine, suspension components, etc. I take digital photos of everything before I remove anything, I like to make sure that everything is as it should be when I’m done cleaning. I remove the wheels too, while they’re off, you can clean the inside of the rims, then apply wax to them. In a nut shell, I try to unbolt as little as possible and use brushes, Q-Tips, to reach things that are tucked away. It’s time consuming and tough on the knuckles, but it works.

B17Crew

 

[rapril]

I think I'll just do a hose or two at a time. I think the exhaust manifolds look like they're made of cast iron. They must have gone with the cast iron material for its ability to handle the heat without warping or cracking. I think I'll leave them as is. Sanding them down and painting them doesn't sound like a very fun project.

 

[Evolution1980]

Crew,
you should copy this post into a new thread in the Care and Detailing Forum...

Why, Jane Ann, that's an excellent idea! Consider it done!
New thread here --> CLICK!

 

[Evolution1980]

Quick note:
B17Crew, I saw you post after I already used my moderator ability to copy your posts, so I just gave your copy a whack and left your posts from this thread in the thread I created. I included the pictures in the new thread.

Just an FYI. Thanks again for the post!

 

[B17Crew]

Thanks, Evo!

B17Crew