Several questions

[kingman]

1) why do l see the "window valet" show up in the for sale area's and then sucked up in a nano second for $110+ shipping.

2) does anybody really use mud flaps?

3) should l put something under my battery (orig GM batterey) in case it leaks?

3) sill protectors, are they worth it !

Thanks

Alan

 

[MM-C5]

3) sill protectors, are they worth it !

IMHO not really. 1 They scoot forward and ultimately rub against the paint in the verticle to horizontal curve.

2 They ultimately break along the horizontal line on the transition from sill surface to verticle plane. HUH

3 Ends up being a lot of $$ for not much result.
Just do as I have and learn to pick up your feet.

.

 

[XLR8]

1) why do l see the "window valet" show up in the for sale area's and then sucked up in a nano second for $110+ shipping.

2) does anybody really use mud flaps?

3) should l put something under my battery (orig GM batterey) in case it leaks?

3) sill protectors, are they worth it !

Thanks

Alan

Alan,

The window valet sounds like a great mod and I suspect others feel the same way. This is why they're grabbed up so quickly. I haven't purchased one yet, but I probably will eventually.

I don't use mudflaps... to each his own, but I can't see putting mudflaps on a Corvette. IMO it would detract from the car's appearance too much to offset the advantages of having them.

As for the battery question - I don't think the battery caused any particular problems after the first couple years of the C5 generation. It was a problem in my '98, and my mechanic made a catch basin to place underneath it to prevent any further issues. If you're concerned about it, then you should go ahead with the project to give yourself peace of mind.

I will defer to Tom on the question of sill protectors. It sounds as though he has experience with them.

Jane Ann

 

[bossvette]

what is the window valet? explain it to this ole country boy.

 

[XLR8]

Craig,

Unless I'm mistaken, I believe this is what Alan was referring to:

click

Jane Ann

 

[blacksedan87]

1) why do l see the "window valet" show up in the for sale area's and then sucked up in a nano second for $110+ shipping.

The Window Valet retails for $165, so at $110...that's a great price! As far as what it is....here's their web site that will explain it's function in detail. I've had one for 2 years and if you have a convertible, it's almost mandatory. It sure makes the exercise of raising the windows after you've put the top up a lot easier! It does have other functions too as you'll see on the web site. Here's a vendor that sells it everyday for $135 including shipping (best price I've found) http://www.eliteengineeringusa.com/C5Window_Valet.html

2) does anybody really use mud flaps?

I've seen some that use them, and actually on that "other forum" a number of members there have begun modifying the C6 Z06 rear fender flares for the C5 and they look factory....

3) should l put something under my battery (orig GM batterey) in case it leaks?

If you have a pre-'01 car (when the AGM battery was introduced) or if you have a standard type aftermarket side terminal battery, leaks ARE A WORRY! Many folks use the Optima Red-Top (75/35 or 34/78). It is a sealed battery and much more leak resistant. Another good choice is the Exide Orbital for the same reason. The PCM and the wiring harness lives directly below the battery tray on the C5, and a leaky battery could wind up costing several thousands of dollars to fix the damage. When I bought my '98 three years ago - it was the very first thing I did...replace the battery with an Optima. It was worth the $100 or so for peace of mind.

3) sill protectors, are they worth it !

I have the clear sill protectors - and they have a number of scuffs on them that would have been on the sill were it not for the sill protectors. I like them, but I guess they're not for everyone......personal choice I think it's called!

Randy

 

[ToolGuy]

I use mud flaps on the front. The standard car sized rubber. I did order paintable molded from Mid America and returned them immediately! First I was not driling into my fender. Second, they were made of such hard plastic, one hit and I was sure they would crack OR push themselves into the fender and cause damage. My current are held in place with the existing inner fender liner screws and the flaps are smaller in size but cover enough for me and blend in with the tires. I had to reclear coat all four corners i.e. fenders & rear fascia of my car since it had no flaps from day one.

My car did not have sill protectors from GM the 1997-1998's did not and the previous two owners did not add them. As a result, the drivers side had many fine scratches on it that I could not rub out. So I went with the factory GM stick on type, which just about covered all the scratches. I went with the GM type mainly because they are not too big and obnoxious like most after-market types I have seen and Secondly I wanted it to look factory.