Custom Vettes

[Bob Chadwick]

Eugene,

I think Chris has all of us weekend mechanics convinced that it's the piece of cake it looks like. ;help

Bob

 

[Eric]

Eugene,
I think Chris has all of us weekend mechanics convinced that it's the piece of cake it looks like. ;help
Bob

ROFLMAO:L:L! I think Chris is baking cakes in a whole different kitchen than most of the rest of us.

- Eric

 

[impala]

What's a kitchen? Maybe that's what that room is in our house that's located between the garage and the bar. Since we've had over twenty 90+ degree days here so far this summer I've spent alot whole lot more time in the bar than in the garage. You'd think that after 26 years of working in foundries I'd come home and get to work on the car - must be getting soft working in Sales instead of the shop. Let's see - laying on the floor of a hot garage or sitting in a recliner with an Absolute and Tonic???

Eugene

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

Since we've had over twenty 90+ degree days here so far this summer I've spent alot whole lot more time in the bar than in the garage.

:L

HOLY $h17!!!!!!

:crazy

my ribcage is hurting i'm ROTFLMAO so bad!

no offense, but i think we had that in like in march
and i know we'll have that in october!

:L :L :L :L :L :L :L :L :L :L

 

[impala]

We've not used to so many hot days up here in the frozen tundra. We're used to cold, wind and freezing - 50 degree wind chills.

Actually I travel down to the Houston area 3 to 4 times a year to visit customers and once every now and then I actually go in the summer but it had better be for a real good reason.

Eugene

 

[69MyWay]

The truth is guys, I cheat!

That's right, I cheat. There is no way I could get so much done if I had to break my back out in this 100% humidity, 100 degree Florida summer weather, and being stoved up in a tight garage hole or working out on the open driveway during daylight hours.

When I built the workshop behind my house a few years ago, I had one of those 4x10 work schedules and did not have to go to work until 2:00 in the afternoon. every morning, and three days off (except for church) I was able to build my shop.

Then, I put plumbing, A/C, phone, cable, etc. out there with a mini fridge.

So, I was able to build this "play house" in record time well under budget.

I eventually got out of that job and back to the 9-5 mon-fri grind (which I dearly love-really, I do!). That gave me free nights and weekends to attack my projects.

Finally, I was recently transfered to a new job location less than five miles from my house!!!!!! I was traveling 30+ each way. So, long story short, I can tinker in the early mornings (like right now), come home at lunch time and turn the A/C on in the shop. When I get home after work the shop is freezing cold, so I kick it back on med cool, flip on the tele, Nikki comes out and watches her stories and I can pull wrenches until nighty night time.

I am this close to putting a cot out there (just kidding). The computer is in the house. It is nice to come inside and take a break while paint is drying, or RTV is tacking up.

So, I cheat by squeezing my work/free time, having a five minute commute to work, and by having the climate control in the shop, I can get out there and pound on it for hours without breaking a sweat.

Oh, on Weekends, I flip the a/c on low cool at about 6:00 a.m., then get started by about 7. As long as I keep the main door down, I can keep it about 75-77 degrees all day even on a 100 degree day outside.

Standing out there pulling a wrench, watching speedvision, while frosty cold air tickles my toes...........it is sweeeeeeet!

Not to fear though, Nikki has announced that this will all come to an end soon (at least for a while). First of all, I have neglected the house like a big dog. The house projects are stacking up like dead flies around here. The plan is to come back from Sharkfest, cover the 69 up and forget about it for a month or two (yeah, right!), then take a break for about a week (no car projects), then, tackle the poor house. I guess I will be laying ceramic tile in the kitchen, replacing a bathroom sink and counter top, finishing the tile in the master bedroom closet, putting new siding on at least the rear of the house where the T111 is rotting, and fixing the broken gutters...Oh, then there is the whole issue about putting new shingles on the roof (I can wait until it cools down for that).


Ahhhhh, argh, now I am exhausted just thinking about it!

 

[vmrod]

Impala,
don't completely dismiss the convertible idea just yet. Just start collecting information on the project. Do alot of research, and save your money. In the meantime, you can install a rear, removable window. (If you already don't have one) With the tops and the rear glass removed, you are already pretty close to being topless. (And it does look pretty cool too.) Maybe this would appease you until you can decide about the convertible issue.

-Vic

 

[Bob Chadwick]

My situation is not that different than yours Chris. The only difference is the a/c is a fan, the temperature is 90+ degrees and humid and the wife is my 7 year old son hanging onto my shoulder, which by the way I wouldn't give up for anything, wanting to help. :s

Bob

 

[TomOB]

While we're on the subject of custom 'vettes, does anyone have any experience with custom dashes? Im thinking of integrating alot of electronics, and a hacksaw job just wouldn't be proper for a vette. I think fiberglass molds coudl be made, but then we're talking big bucks, right?
Also custom....how about safety mods? i see roll bars galore, but except for a roll-cage, which would be hideous, are there any things i could do to make a c-3 safer.
if one of you guys loinks me to an airbag retrofit site, you will be my god.
I wish i had a workshop to work on a car. 9 months out of the year im going to have a single room, a shared bath and a meal plan. too bad theres no corvette-U.
tomas

 

[69MyWay]

While we're on the subject of custom 'vettes, does anyone have any experience with custom dashes? Im thinking of integrating alot of electronics, and a hacksaw job just wouldn't be proper for a vette. I think fiberglass molds coudl be made, but then we're talking big bucks, right?
Also custom....how about safety mods? i see roll bars galore, but except for a roll-cage, which would be hideous, are there any things i could do to make a c-3 safer.
if one of you guys loinks me to an airbag retrofit site, you will be my god.
I wish i had a workshop to work on a car. 9 months out of the year im going to have a single room, a shared bath and a meal plan. too bad theres no corvette-U.
tomas

Thomas, you are writing what I am thinking (and in some cases doing). Speaking of air bags, I recently accomplished a rather cool mod on an otherwise worthless car. I switched the entire wire harness, computer, steering column, gauges, fuel tank, etc. etc. from a 1997 Grand am, into a 1992 Grand Am. The result? A 1992 Grand am with AIR BAGS, theater lighting, OBDII computer system, four speed automatic and traction control. None of these items were found on 92 models.

My point, it can be done. It has had me thinking about taking a 97-2002 vette (smashed/rolled over, etc) and lifting the entire nerve system out and grafting into a C2 or C3. At the least, I would like to try it with a 69 convertible Camaro using a 98-2002 F body system. I am not just talking about the engine systems, but the theater lighting, air bags, anti lock brakes, gauges, etc. etc. etc.

 

[KANE]

TomOB

What kinda mods to the dash are you thinking? I'd recommend the purchase of a Dremmel. It makes cutting the plastic center console a breeze. As for gauges.... if you have the money- who really does, right?- go with Dakota Digital. They have a cool digital dash assembly.

I would be curious as to what replacement gauges for the 78-82 looks like in a car. As us late C-3 owners know, the tach and speedo are almost sea shell shaped and don't lend themselves to replacememt as easily as 68-77s.

My "custom" gauges are an L-82s. 140 speedo and the 500 increment tach. I reaalllly like the stock look of the interior when matched to serious mods under the hood and drive train. I think the expression is "sleeper".

 

[KANE]

Just a little philosohy-
I'm sure that everyone who owns a Vette has an experience where they made a committment to themselves to purchase a Corvette. I was still in middleschool. My dad had a factory perfect slate grey 82 with a gray interior. He bought that car when I was 13.... so maybe thats where the infatuation with the 78-82s starts for me. I can remember racing my 78 against my friends 72 in less than legally sanctioned races back in highschool.

Everytime that 350 rumbles its side pipes in the garage, parking lot or drive thru its a trip through my memories, senses, space and time that few experiences can rival. After 10 years, I have so many experiences wrapped up from Highschool, college, friends, dating, vacations and even my career that I couldn't count 'em.

So much of who we are is defined by what we do in life. The choices we make reflect what our interests, dreams, and desires are. That is clearly evident in Corvettes and there owners. The cars never make us who we are, but they do define our passions and committments to what we love in life.

 

[TomOB]

69-
I assume the grand am swap was much easier than a camaro/c5-->c3 swap would be. Although thats a great idea, i wonder if it would work as well as one woudl think. I'm not a airbag specialist, so i dont know exact how they work. I assume some computer gets signals from impact sensors and determines whether to open the bags. These sensors may be incompatible with a c3 body...although we can dream. I will look into this idea, im very interested. Another pitfall coudl be the whole needing to make the dash look like the camaro, and the camaro may be wider than the space available. Also, you need it to say "CORVETTE" across the bag, or at least have the crossed flags. otherwise its "bootleg"
I was also looking into maybe steel bars in the doors, or otherways to make the car more "impact resistant" Im concerned about my own safety and the safety of my main passenger, my girlfriend. Whats theater lighting?
And about the dremel...I'm well versed in the modifcation arena for computers. I want to put a computer in the car with gps, dvd, etc. But it has to be a good job. My aunt's sc430 has lots of doors that reveal instrument panels when a button is pressed...very nice..i took pictures for some day when i have such resources.

 

[impala]

TomOB,

I'm happy to see that you decided to join CAC and are posting questions. This group is so much better than alt.binaries.corvettes where we started exchanging e-mails.

Good Luck at Carlisle,

Eugene

 

[TomOB]

It makes that group look like a joke....littered with porno ads, spam and other annoyances (and annoying people).
oh, 69....tomas was not a typo.
-tomas o'b

 

[vmrod]

Hey TomOB,
Welcome! I had thought about putting a computer in a car, but not in my vette. It was just a fantasy. But if you think about it, you can install a computer with both digital and analog I/O cards in it. (which all of your snesors would get wired to.) You could install a LCD screen or 2 in the dash, and program the graphics to be whatever you like. You could even change the look from time to time.
It just seems like alot of trouble and work, and I like the look of my primary gauges. (1977) They look like racing gauges!

I went to a corvette show last weekend. There was a 1976 vette with an interior roll cage that looked pretty good. I took a couple pics. If interested, I'll post them on Monday. (pics at home, I'm at work.)

 

[69MyWay]

It makes that group look like a joke....littered with porno ads, spam and other annoyances (and annoying people).
oh, 69....tomas was not a typo.
-tomas o'b

We try to run a clean family friendly site here. I think the best way I could put it is like this.....

I love my wife, and I think she looks great in a swimsuit. However, I would NEVER ask/expect her to wear her swimsuit to work, church, or to Thanksgiving diner. Now, don't get me wrong, Corvettes and beautiful women go hand in hand, but when I am concerned about my camshaft duration, gear ratio, or oil leaks, I don't have time or interest in seeing "Babes", or reading through line after line of dirty foul language. There is too much of that out there already. How refreshing it is to just enjoy the hobby and the car for what it is.

On another note, the air bag connections and sensors are all very generic from G.M. car to G.M. car. I would not want to transfer the actual dash assembly, just the gauge pod, electronics, steering column, and air bag gadgets. The air bag modules tie into the main system, but are rather stand alone and can be transfered from one car to the other.

Some cars mount the sensors on the radiator support, some in the center console, some in the dash, and some on the firewall, and some use a combo of all the above.

The older ones used like a ball bearing in a magnatized chamber that when the right force was applied in the right direction it would break loose and make contact, grounding the circuit and triggering the bag deployment.

The modern sensors are very complex, and modern air bags fire in multi stages based upon the severity of impact. The processing speed of the new computers is sufficient to determine a variety of calculations, then will trigger stage one and two of the bag depending on that input. A minor impact will only trigger one explosion, where a higher speed impact will pop the initial explosion, then a second one with in a mili second of the first one to keep the bag open longer for greater protection.

Many of the early J body G.M. cars used a module under the center console or passenger seat. Since these cars have a serious factory defect with water leaks, and or the driver spilling drinks down the console, those sensors had premature failures (I deal with this often in my claims work).

Anyway, I am way off topic here. My theory is that with a custom fiberglass dash assembly the stock gauges, be it Camaro or Corvette can be mounted and plugged right back to the factory harness for late model trouble free operation.

The theater lighting is when the interior light comes on when you turn the car off, then stays on after you get out, but will fade to black slow and gradual after a few seconds. It is a cool effect, and standard on virtually all new G.M. cars.

 

[TomOB]

Well, if its that simple (read: difficult, but straightforward) i may just do it. Or at least look into it. This sure beats my c4->c3 conversion idea, although the engine,tranny and suspension get left behind. Could always find a z28 and take the ls1, i've seen a few of those modifications.
Theater lighting is cool, but seems more like an accessory touch.
vmrod, about the computer thing. I was thinking more along the lines of putting a slot load dvd in the dash, hooking it up to a computer ( i mean a pc) in the back, attaching an LCD screen somewhere where it can be hidden, and attaching it to the stereo and to a gps. If i got ambitious i would try to make it also control the temperature.
i would like to see those pictures. I don't know too much about roll cages, but i assume theyre made for racing situations where the car might roll over. This means they woudlnt really help in a collision, right?
i'll go looking through the web and magazines about this stuff
Thanks guys,
Tom

 

[vmrod]

The roll cage I saw at the car show was pretty nice. The side bars were located right next to the seats and a little bit higher than the seats. It still allowed for normal access to the door. I'll post pics on Monday.

 

[TomOB]

Sounds great, thanks.