The corvette thread (and asking advice).

[TheVTCGuy]

I have owned three Vettes in my life, an 86, the year I got my Navy Fighter Pilot Wings (of course), a 92, and now a 95. My Stepfather passed (unexpectedly) Christmas night and I inherited his. It was his baby, and rarely driven, it only has 46,000 miles. There is a very heart warming story about the car and... well, I’ll tell the whole thing in a future thread but below is a picture of now MY baby . It is still in my mother’s garage in Arizona, and after I recover from some surgery I am having in May, and finish a little more work on the car, I will drive it to it’s new home with me in San Diego. I promised my stepfather I would take care of it after he was gone, and I plan on keeping my word.

The car is in great shape, still, it is 25 years old (purchased late 94). So, I decided to basically give it a complete “overhaul”. Everything I could do to upgrade the components. I have replaced all belts and hoses, flushed and replaced all the fluids including coolant, power steering, brake and oil. Had the fuel injectors cleaned, new spark plugs, new brake linings, new battery, AC system recharge, differential fluid, transmission flush and fluid, and installed a K and N air filter. I am trying to think of anything else I could do and am open for suggestions? It is running fantastic, but I am OCD about preventative maintenance and always err on the side of safety. Does anyone have any other ideas on what should be done?

Also, I am replacing all four tires and shocks. My racing days are past me, my goal is for comfort and economy. Anyone have any suggestions? I understand I could actually put a thinner tire on my Vette that will assist with ride and milage(?). And the same goes for shocks, I’m an old man, I won’t be drag racing anyone and am looking for a smooth ride.

Everyone please chime in with your Vette pics and rides, and let me know what else you think I need to get done.

[Sprta]

Its a beauty and a wonderful story behind it. Looks like you thought of everything. Assume you have it on a trickle charger if its going to be idle for a while.
Unless you will be taking the car on long drives would not worry too much about the ride with the current tire, shocks set up.
The most difficult task for us older folks is getting in and out of the car.
Wish you many years of enjoyment with your American classic.

[janice&fred]

sounds like you got all the bases covered. the only thing i would add is when the brake linings are replaced have the tech check the wheel bearings and rear drive shafts, as the car has been sitting in one position for a while. you will be driving in some hot climate to get it from AZ to San Diego so anything that gets stressed by heat like bearings and U-joints should be attended to.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Sprta

Its a beauty and a wonderful story behind it. Looks like you thought of everything. Assume you have it on a trickle charger if its going to be idle for a while.
Unless you will be taking the car on long drives would not worry too much about the ride with the current tire, shocks set up.
The most difficult task for us older folks is getting in and out of the car.
Wish you many years of enjoyment with your American classic.

Thank you Spt, Very nice words and If thats a pic of yours, quite a beauty. About the tires and shocks...

Tires: For some strange reason, my dad has four DIFFERENT tires on the car right now.... don’t ask because I don’t know. But moving on to the shocks... Since they are 25 years old, won’t the seals be gone? Wouldn’t I get a smoother ride with newer ones anyway?

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by janice&fred

sounds like you got all the bases covered. the only thing i would add is when the brake linings are replaced have the tech check the wheel bearings and rear drive shafts, as the car has been sitting in one position for a while. you will be driving in some hot climate to get it from AZ to San Diego so anything that gets stressed by heat like bearings and U-joints should be attended to.

Thanks

[Latrodectus]

Beautiful car, I love the color!

[janice&fred]

Originally Posted by Latrodectus

Beautiful car, I love the color!

yes true that as i forgot to mention that is a gorgeous color and that model corvette is one of the best lookers.

[Jocke]

Paul you have to change brand, with your history with 3 Vette's and no dates. You should convince yourself that it is not a chick magnet.

[Al1969]

Originally Posted by Jocke

Paul you have to change brand, with your history with 3 Vette's and no dates. You should convince yourself that it is not a chick magnet.

[RichM]

What a beautiful car! Sounds like you pretty much have it all covered. The only thing left to do is drive it. Don’t let a car like that just sit there. Get out and have fun.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Jocke

Paul you have to change brand, with your history with 3 Vette's and no dates. You should convince yourself that it is not a chick magnet.

I just knew this thread would go down this path

Beauty Vette Paul, I hope you enjoy it for many more years

[RichM]

What a beautiful car! Sounds like you pretty much have it all covered. The only thing left to do is drive it. Don’t let a car like that just sit there. Get out and have fun.

[superdog]

Happy for you Paul

Great car for picking up chicks in!

[Sprta]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Thank you Spt, Very nice words and If thats a pic of yours, quite a beauty. About the tires and shocks...

Tires: For some strange reason, my dad has four DIFFERENT tires on the car right now.... don’t ask because I don’t know. But moving on to the shocks... Since they are 25 years old, won’t the seals be gone? Wouldn’t I get a smoother ride with newer ones anyway?

Four different tires is not good for any car. As far as shocks hard to advise. Can always do the bounce test, but given you are performing all the other maintenance might as well include the shocks. Just make sure they are not too stiff and not geared towards performance.

[BNA/LION]

Glad you are fixing her up and I can't wait to go for a ride soon! Will it be here this Summer?

[Grnvette65]

That is one fine machine. I think what you did was great and I would consider changing the optispark. It’s a real pain in the butt and last I checked it was a pretty expensive part like $400. The location is what I think limits their life span. In terms of comfort I find the Michelin ss tires to ride the best, just not sure if they make them in the vette size.

[Sprta]

Originally Posted by Grnvette65

That is one fine machine. I think what you did was great and I would consider changing the optispark. It’s a real pain in the butt and last I checked it was a pretty expensive part like $400. The location is what I think limits their life span. In terms of comfort I find the Michelin ss tires to ride the best, just not sure if they make them in the vette size.

Correct about changing this as it will require removing the water pump. These usually fail if water has seeped into the optispark, either driving thru puddles or washing the engine with a hose ( never do that ). There are some good youtube videos that cover symptoms of a failing optispark.
If the car is running solid, no hesitation or performance I would not take that task on.

[James K]

x3 on the optispark. Starting in 1995 the distributors got a ventilation/vacuum line. That helped pull moisture out of the cap area and extend the life of them. However there's a serious design flaw in those caps where the conduction wires from the cap to each plug wire is ridiculously thin and can burn out over time. If it's bad you'll know, the engine will spit and sputter. I don't ever remember taking off the water pump to change mine but I 100% had to remove the harmonic balancer each time. That was really the only hard part about it. MSD makes a much nicer cap now a days that is much harder to burn out.

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

I have owned three Vettes in my life, an 86, the year I got my Navy Fighter Pilot Wings (of course), a 92, and now a 95. My Stepfather passed (unexpectedly) Christmas night and I inherited his. It was his baby, and rarely driven, it only has 46,000 miles. There is a very heart warming story about the car and... well, I’ll tell the whole thing in a future thread but below is a picture of now MY baby . It is still in my mother’s garage in Arizona, and after I recover from some surgery I am having in May, and finish a little more work on the car, I will drive it to it’s new home with me in San Diego. I promised my stepfather I would take care of it after he was gone, and I plan on keeping my word.

The car is in great shape, still, it is 25 years old (purchased late 94). So, I decided to basically give it a complete “overhaul”. Everything I could do to upgrade the components. I have replaced all belts and hoses, flushed and replaced all the fluids including coolant, power steering, brake and oil. Had the fuel injectors cleaned, new spark plugs, new brake linings, new battery, AC system recharge, differential fluid, transmission flush and fluid, and installed a K and N air filter. I am trying to think of anything else I could do and am open for suggestions? It is running fantastic, but I am OCD about preventative maintenance and always err on the side of safety. Does anyone have any other ideas on what should be done?

Also, I am replacing all four tires and shocks. My racing days are past me, my goal is for comfort and economy. Anyone have any suggestions? I understand I could actually put a thinner tire on my Vette that will assist with ride and milage(?). And the same goes for shocks, I’m an old man, I won’t be drag racing anyone and am looking for a smooth ride.

Everyone please chime in with your Vette pics and rides, and let me know what else you think I need to get done.

Looks amazing and you can tell a clean car when you see one. That is minty and very sweet.

[TheVTCGuy]

Thanks for the info on the optispark, I honestly had no idea. She runs like a tiger now so I think everything is good, but glad I know this now.

I’ll bring it home to San Diego this summer after I recover from a surgery, about the only thing left is the tires and shocks. I did the bounce check on the shocks and they were OK, but still, being 25 years old I think I’ll replace them. Anybody has suggestions I am open to any and all; looking for a smooth ride.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Laszlo

Looks amazing and you can tell a clean car when you see one. That is minty and very sweet.

[ttomczak]

Beautiful C4, they are such fun cars, I had a 96 LT4 that was a blast to drive. Look at the correct bilsteins or konis for it. West Coast Corvettes should be able to help you.
Also, the Continental DWS06 is a great tire if they have the right size for the C4.


Currently have an 18 Stingray.

[piratfisk]

OP (Paul), if you need someone to drive it from AZ to SD this summer, I can be persuaded :)

[77T]

I won’t get too specific, but on the overhaul part I’d ask what you will be doing with it when you pass it onward (for any reason).

The answer can help you choose between improving it with aftermarket parts - or stay with OEM fidelity vs. resto-mod vs. restoration on a rotisserie.

In those terms it’s not much different than getting a 25 y.o. Submariner needing some work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Old Geezer]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

I have owned three Vettes in my life, an 86, the year I got my Navy Fighter Pilot Wings (of course), a 92, and now a 95. My Stepfather passed (unexpectedly) Christmas night and I inherited his. It was his baby, and rarely driven, it only has 46,000 miles. There is a very heart warming story about the car and... well, I’ll tell the whole thing in a future thread but below is a picture of now MY baby . It is still in my mother’s garage in Arizona, and after I recover from some surgery I am having in May, and finish a little more work on the car, I will drive it to it’s new home with me in San Diego. I promised my stepfather I would take care of it after he was gone, and I plan on keeping my word.

The car is in great shape, still, it is 25 years old (purchased late 94). So, I decided to basically give it a complete “overhaul”. Everything I could do to upgrade the components. I have replaced all belts and hoses, flushed and replaced all the fluids including coolant, power steering, brake and oil. Had the fuel injectors cleaned, new spark plugs, new brake linings, new battery, AC system recharge, differential fluid, transmission flush and fluid, and installed a K and N air filter. I am trying to think of anything else I could do and am open for suggestions? It is running fantastic, but I am OCD about preventative maintenance and always err on the side of safety. Does anyone have any other ideas on what should be done?

Also, I am replacing all four tires and shocks. My racing days are past me, my goal is for comfort and economy. Anyone have any suggestions? I understand I could actually put a thinner tire on my Vette that will assist with ride and milage(?). And the same goes for shocks, I’m an old man, I won’t be drag racing anyone and am looking for a smooth ride.

Everyone please chime in with your Vette pics and rides, and let me know what else you think I need to get done.

Paul, get a new set of wiper blades just in case you run into rain. Even though the car has been garaged and not directly exposed to the sun, there is a good chance the blades have dry rotted and become brittle. You don't want to find out in a random rainstorm in the middle of nowhere. Nice car by the way.

[RichM]

Here’s some reading on Opti-Spark. Better to be pro active than wait for an issue. https://tech.corvettecentral.com/200...k-distributor/

[Autococker07]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

I understand I could actually put a thinner tire on my Vette that will assist with ride and milage(?). And the same goes for shocks,

Beautiful C4 and even more beautiful story. Your stepfather would be proud of you keeping his baby in tip top shape.

Thinner (lower profile) tires will ride rougher than ones with a taller sidewall.

Smaller overall height will provide more low end torque, but less economy.

I would stick to high quality tires in OEM size, and OEM shocks (yes, 25 years is too long, replace them, its cheap insurance) if you desire an OEM ride.

Also, tire measurements can be slightly different between brands, so try to minimize driving with different sizes or brands on the drive wheels.... this can introduce excessive wear in the differential and cause driveline problems. Shodding a vette is expensive, but at a minimum keep your drive wheel tires same brand and size......

Car companies pay millions in salaries to have anal retentive engineers design these vehicles with the proper ratios of comfort/performance. Unless your development team is superior (and better funded), you will give up in some area with any modification. (even new high quality tires..... you get better rubber than 94, but sacrifice by paying a higher price....).

You will have to ask yourself if a smoother (than factory) ride, and better (than factory) economy is worth sacrificing performance, money, etc....

As for me, my opinion is stated above and is not really worth much more than you paid for it, OEM all the way on a car such as this. So with that said, go fourth and enjoy this car, and keep it away from the swarms of idiot drivers out there....

Good luck! Jim

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

Paul, get a new set of wiper blades just in case you run into rain. Even though the car has been garaged and not directly exposed to the sun, there is a good chance the blades have dry rotted and become brittle. You don't want to find out in a random rainstorm in the middle of nowhere. Nice car by the way.

Good thinking and done!

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Rich Mickol

Here’s some reading on Opti-Spark. Better to be pro active than wait for an issue. https://tech.corvettecentral.com/200...k-distributor/

Wow... she runs great right now, after everything I have done. For some unknown reason he gapped the plugs to 60,000 which is TWICE stock, when I put the new ones in I set them at 30 and it runs a lot smoother.

That optispark... I hope I am one of the lucky ones and it isn’t an issue later on.

[pkincy]

I certainly wouldn't change a working Optispark until it fails, but as GM is no longer making them, I would definitely put a replacement in garage stock. You can go with the MSD rebuild parts or source an entire unit. I did the latter and kept it in the garage. I never had to change it but did sell my 93 last year and the new owner got the replacement parts and did change it out. Here is a picture of the 93. Sold it with 40,000 miles on it last year. If you need any help when you get the car back reach out as I am in North County and have a lot of time in and under the C4s and with multiple built (383s) LT1s in various cars. I second the Bilstein recommendation. I can't speak for now, but Bilstein used to revalve their shocks in a San Diego shop. Haven't had it done in 20 years since I had a set revalved for competition purposes but at the time it was about a 4 week turnaround and $55/shock. Unless you had the Z07 option (I did on my 94) you have staggered wheels with 17 x 8.5s up front with 17 x 9.5s in the rear. 255/45/17 fronts and 285/40/17s rear. The Z07 had 17 x 9.5 wheels with 275/40/17s all around. A way better setup for many reasons in my mind. Also virtually every brand of plug for the LT1 calls for a gap of 0.050 in so they weren't far off. The source I used for a new Optispark was SacCityCorvette. They are Chinese units but most have had good luck with their build quality and they are not terribly expensive.