My project

My '72 vert was that color, 20 years ago, but a couple wrecks not my fault, the burgundy had to go, and I was sad....so I went with GREEN and multi tone accents.....

there is nothing stock about my car, from wheels through roof, not one aspect was left untouched.....

:drink: my sites below have some pix of it today.....
 
That's pretty cool. the tail lights and headlights are pretty cool how you did it. I am just getting started on mine and Ill be sending picts as I go.
-Steve
 
That's pretty cool. the tail lights and headlights are pretty cool how you did it. I am just getting started on mine and Ill be sending picts as I go.
-Steve

Pix are welcome here, what that phrase, pix= a thousand words??

:eek:
 
I found a place to powder coat my chrome bumpers, grill, and some other misc. parts... $300.00 is not bad... I will have the main bumpers a gloss black while the grill will be flat black. Except the area where the bumper ties in. That is getting gloss black. I believe with my rims, it will look tight. I need to change my white rag top to a black top too... what do you think?
 
I found a place to powder coat my chrome bumpers, grill, and some other misc. parts... $300.00 is not bad... I will have the main bumpers a gloss black while the grill will be flat black. Except the area where the bumper ties in. That is getting gloss black. I believe with my rims, it will look tight. I need to change my white rag top to a black top too... what do you think?

YOUR RAT!@!! you beating me to it!!!!! I have been thinking of redoing the chrome to gloss black powder coat, like my rocker panels/custom grill/rockers/mirrors/gas tank lid/tail light grids/rear license frame....

I kept the white rag top some years ago because it is Florida but regret the decision.....wish it was Saddle/tan/brown.....I goofed when replacing it years ago.....

but yes, that concept would be cool as a moose.....

:idea::drink:
 
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It would look good on your vette too... and yes a saddle tan would be great on your Vette. I seen aftermarket tops pretty reasonable priced. I am going to have my frame powder coated and I plan on installing the black rag top myself.
 
It would look good on your vette too... and yes a saddle tan would be great on your Vette. I seen aftermarket tops pretty reasonable priced. I am going to have my frame powder coated and I plan on installing the black rag top myself.

ONE thing, when getting your top, I short of $$ as usual these daze, and so bought off ebay....before you attempt any install, you measure the new top as compared to your one in place, or the frame/best you can.....

MY top was cut WAY too wide by over an inch on the back of the side windows, so it overlapped the windows,if up, when closing the door....trying to adjust it out was BS, not happening......I had cut the old one off, trying to save bux, but the installer looked at it and knew immediately the new one was RONG, and would NOT fit.....I wound up taking a razor to the stitching on each side, cutting the vinyl over the top edge, and then vinyl glue the trim over the cut top material...looks like shit, but

can't win....just be aware, do the measuring when you get the top....mine sat for about 4 months, and like I said, old top was removed already, it was fall season and so wanted top installed...got screwed over it....

:club::cussing:
 
That's crazy... But very helpful.
what do you think about the on on Corvette Central website?

CORVETTE SOFT TOP / CONVERTIBLE TOP KIT - ORIGINAL TYPE SOFT TOP
Part#: 133655-67
Price: 279.00 - 559.00 pending if you want the dated window stamp...
Pkg:KIT
Year:1968-1975
 
Been about 5+ years now, and the quality of the ill fitting top was fine, stitching, window, all of it, so it was only maybe 180 bux.....

so the mystery is...why too much overhand on the side windows....??

another thing is, I put this on initially with the side cables....don't need them, another thing is those pads over the corners.....I question them too.....

much less some what looked like seat belt material in the rear....I have the ~6" wide pads over the corner bends alright, but the rest is toast....

top is stretched out pretty good fore/aft when up, so no problems there, just that stupid looking chop work I had to do on the side windows....

:wink::suicide:
 
I posted some picts of my project I bought off a friend back in 2005. I worked on it as I could here and there trying to get it together. It seems everything cost so much money! ha ha ha. I pulled the motor out of the car again 3 years ago to work on other areas and I lost interest during this time. Recently after finding a great deal on my wheels, I kinda got turned on again especially seeing this VetteModd site. So many helpful articles and people... I am currently working to get my steering and clutch issues worked out so I can drop my motor back in. I want to fix the crazy slop in my steering when I drive it on the highway and I want to do a hydraulic clutch conversion to make it easier. I need a bolt on applications or at least easy mod ideals. Any feed back or suggestions are helpful. I want to enjoy my Vette before I get too old. ha ha ha
 
The stock steering in these cars is sloppy as hell, some guys claim that if you get the steering boxes rebuilt RIGHT....that slop will go away, I say the control valve is responsible for lots of it, inherent in that setup....and besides, 3.7 turns lock to lock is a bit much for a 'sports car'.....so winter 01-02 I put a rack and pinion setup in....2.7 turns lock to lock and totally NO slop .....the stock box can be adjusted out but have to be careful as to not bind the gears at any point in the throw....:gurney:
 
Was your rack and pinion a bolt on? What did you change your gear box with?

My stock steering gear box was adjusted out best I could, with front end in the air, engine off, and dropping the power assist ram.....to get a good feel of the basic mechanics....dropped the front end on the ground, and repeated the effort.....

jacked it back up and felt it again, then hooked up the p/s mechanics....

basically no change....

SO, I heard of a fellow in Europe that did a rack install, finally found the American equivalent of that GM rack HE used.....and it fits an '89 Grand Am, as well as many other GM cars.....

SO, having finally figgered out what rack worked, NOT ANY END TAKE OFF RACK, but a CENTER take off rack, and so with car up in the air, I took that fresh to the junker/junkyard rack off the '89 Grand Am.....and set it on jackstands under the car moving and flipping it around with engine out....noting the distances from the old steering components to the engine oil pan....laying out levels and tapes measuring to get it up high as possible, first thing was to get the steering wheel to be grenade proof as possible and use only two Universal joints.... I been a junkyard hotrodder for decades now....so I mix matched universal joints I paid nearly nothing for, and made up my own stuff....stamping it together just like the OEM stuff....

after that, to make up tie rod ends....just cut the center tubes, lengthen them, and once again, grenade proof, and have a center rack adapter machined to fit the stock tie rod ends as used by every car....not heim joints....

engine in place, I was nervous about clearances....had to bang the pan a bit up front curved section to get the rack to clear the rubber bellows.....and then I had to move the rack power assist lines..... to clear the engine....no biggie, just bent them over a tad.....

believe me, this rack install is a LOT simpler than most folks make it seem....

what with commercial rack supports welding problems, weight like crazy, and all the BS .....really now, MY rack supports been in there since 'new' and still function...tested on concrete brushed driveway with engine off, and on...and the mounts do not move....I keep checking just to be sure, once in a while....course I painted my metal to help with rust issues....DUH!!!!


:gurney:
 
Did you see the article that "Vette427sbc" wrote on using a 92 Pontiac Grand Am from Autozone? It looks like it removes the original gear box and most of the crap underneath... I know I am a noob at all this but I am learning to OPEN my eyes. am I seeing it correctly?
 
Did you see the article that "Vette427sbc" wrote on using a 92 Pontiac Grand Am from Autozone? It looks like it removes the original gear box and most of the crap underneath... I know I am a noob at all this but I am learning to OPEN my eyes. am I seeing it correctly?

I have to ASSume that the 89-92? GA racks are the same.....but don't quote me on that.....and the only thing from OEM was the steering knuckles on the suspension.....ALL else is gone....

must have saved some 500 lbs of iron......:gurney: not really, obviously.....
 
Have you considered rebuilding your stock stuff first? Gary Ramadei (GTR1999) is "The Man" for rebuilding steering boxes & differentials. He did my steering box a couple years ago for a very reasonable price. It was the last piece of my steering to be rebuilt and made an incredible difference in the way the car felt. I also replaced the rag joint with a U-joint and had previously rebuilt/replaced all of the rest of the front end stuff with VB&P parts.

http://www.vettemod.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=46

I don't know how much of a 'newby' you are--Are you experienced at rebuilding & modifying cars already and this is just your first Corvette? If not, my recommendation is to get to know your car by rebuilding the stock stuff first rather than jump right into complicated expensive modifications. Get it running well and it will tell you what it wants. Mine sure talks to me a lot...:evil:
 
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I still have one of Gary's T shirts....:clap: Never heard a bad word over his work, but I thought he retired, hopefully not yet...

One thing though, last I talked to him, years ago, he said the overall ratio on the box did not change...still 3.7 turns lock to lock.....

:hi:
 
This is my first Vette and really my first MOD I am wanting to do. I priced out the the parts to make it original but the 92 Grand Am looks pretty good to me. (less parts with a modern feel) Yes its been awhile since I drove the car but I need to fix the suspension and the clutch conversion to make it like I want. I remember not being happy driving it on the highway. Mostly probably because the gear box and rag joint. The Grand Am dont scare me away, it looks pretty easy. I am pretty good at things that I feel I can do. I did all the body work myself but I had it painted. The body shop guy said I did a good job. I had to fix the floor pan too. It was almost completely off where the seams were. The guy I bought it from actually has sheet metal that I removed and fiber-glassed. I think I can do this. :O)
 
I have to note that everyone seems to have much more steel and weight and effort into their rack mounts than I have....I get a bit paranoid but keep checking, like I said above, but I swear, I just don't see the need
 
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