Procrastination Racing

ROFL!!!!

Now on that "brakes pull right" bit, you have been changing the wrong caliper. Been there, done that. It is probably the LEFT front. It could also be the hoses. Change both, try again.

You guys are great. While I have to confess mine fits in the up on jack stands category right now, when it was running, it seemed downright dependable compared to some of the things on here.

On the '79:

1. (with the 255/60s on front) Do not turn front wheels fully with turning corners.

2. Yes, that sickening sound is tires eating fiberglass.

3. Yes, it is a Vette. No, it isn't fast. No, DO NOT pull out in front of that [car, truck].

4. If it feels funny, stop, get out, and walk around. It could be anything until I get to know it better.



Here's my list from several years back with the '68:

1. Keep an eye on the LED taped to the steering column. If it isn't on when stepping on the brakes, the brake fuse has blown, and the guy behind you doesn't know you are stopping. There is a short somewhere and I can't find it. current update: I found the short while having the gas tank out, so this one will be going away.

2. Round (hex) key does the ignition, square key does the doors.

3. It's a '68, you HAVE to push the button to open the doors, not just the flap.

4. On very rare occasions, the tranny does hang gears. You screwed up somehow. Try to nurse it onto a curb using the slope of a drive way, driver's side preferred, and crawl under to pull both levers back to neutral. DON'T use the jack, as it is like Russian roulette with 5 rounds instead of one.

5. Keep an eye on all gauges. Oil and temperature are the important ones. If oil drops to 10 or below, shut off engine. If temperature goes to 210 or above, shut off engine. If battery goes to discharge, check temperature. If normal, shut off heater/air, don't use power windows, turn off radio, and shut off lights unless you just have to have them. Drive straight home without shutting off the engine. Keep watching temperature and oil.

6. If the car has been sitting for a few weeks, start in neutral. Be sure to attempt the gear for OUT the door, not into the garage. If it grinds, shut off engine. Open garage door. Select gear for out the garage door. Keep foot on the clutch pedal. Check that no one is coming, start engine, and hang on. Attempt to stop hard with the brakes several times, keeping left foot on the clutch pedal.

If the clutch doesn't break free, come home, keeping your right hand on the key to shut it off at all times to stop.

7. No, it will not clear that thing in the road. Don't bother trying.

8. Give extra clearance making right hand turns at corners with curbs. For some reason, sitting on the rear wheels makes people drive over the curb.

9. I don't care what it does or where, just don't go off and leave it. You go off and leave it, then remember to look over your shoulder forever.

10. If you spot red lights behind you, pull over and get your license out. If you run, you will get away, but they know the car. Expect to find them sitting in my driveway when you get here and having coffee with my dad while waiting for you.

CrypTECH

Glad to see pretty much everyone has little tricks required to drive their vettes.

Here are mine:

- If it idles too rough/low on a red light (around 600), just put it in neutral, that'll bring it up to around 800

- Driver's side window is kinda loose so either keep it up or roll it down, if you put it halfway up it'll shake

- Alarm system is kinda flaky, so don't lock the doors

Discovette

I guess mine's never struck me as being anything tricky to drive. But then, it was/is my first car, so I got used to it before I even had a license! It's had a couple different engines in it over the years, and two transmissions, but it always started, ran, drove and stopped like a normal car in my opinion.

Although, when my daughter wanted to drive it to school her senior year, I did pull the original 454 engine and four speed transmission out and installed a mildly built 400 small block with a Turbo 350 automatic. The 454 needed a rebuild anyway, so it was just a convenient time to do it.

The only thing "special" I needed to do was to install hand controls for the gas and brake pedal for my daughter to use, but that only took about an hour and was no big deal. She drove the car just fine, even through a little snow in the winter that year.

Pump it once when cold to set the choke and start it. Let it warm up a minute or so, then blip the throttle to kick it down to it's normal idle, put it in gear and go!

The 454 is back in place these days but I liked the automatic so that stayed. The car drives better than ever now!

No special instructions, just drive & enjoy!

454_71Stingray

Make sure its pointed straight before you punch it unless you are doing a U-turn.
Go slow over speed bumps.
listen for center caps rolling down the road and go get them.
Fill it up before you come back.
Bring your cell phone with you just in case.

73-84 IMSA Widebody

Please step away from the car and nobody gets hurt
It has a built in theft deterent system, starting it requires 6 steps, some in sequence, hell it usually takes me 2 tries to do it right

1ARACE

Reminds me of my last car...

-windshield wipers may sporatically work on their own while driving, and may sporatically quit while running, turn off and on few times or jiggle lever to fix
-car pulls to right and may pull to left on braking
-when turning left the horn may sound randomly (was fun not telling someone and it scaring crap out of them tho )
-drivers window you have to push up and down by hand, don't let it fall all way down!
-pass window won't go down so don't try
-thumb tacks are in glove box if headliner comes down and you lose the tack
-don't open moonroof or rubber will hang down and beat you in back of head
-clutch feels like it weighs 30lbs, may get tiresome at long lights and it must be fully depressed to go into 2nd or will grind
-gas tank may not open via button, open trunk and pull emergency cable on pass side
-gas guage may randomly drop to E, after few minutes will work if not drive over some hard bumps
-MOST IMPORTANTLY - lift up on door when opening or closing it, because it will stick and you will have to get in thru pass side, position yourself over shifter and kick open the driver door as it is futile to try opening from outside! (car made me look like a fool quite a few times at gas stations)

75blackray

Haven't seen these yet so I figured i would mention-

- If it doesn't start wiggle the stick in park and try again.

- If it does start and smoke keeps rolling out the back. Turn off, pop hood, and REMOVE RAG FROM CARB.

BarryK

well, I have 2 vettes, the '65 and the '78.
NOBODY but me drives the '65, period! my wife could if she wanted to except that she doesn't know how to drive a stick.

the '78 my wife has driven and my mother drove - both immediately after I first got the car running again. (no biggie for my Mom who drove my dad's '79 for about 5 years as her daily driver after he passed away)

The only thing I told both of them was to remember that there is a 3 foot blind spot in front of the fenders you can't see the front of the car because of so be careful.
Oh, also don't leave the development we live in because it wasn't licensed and tagged at the time yet.......

rihwoods

I have two vettes also...my wife just drove the 78 4 speed last Sat/Sun for the first time in 15 years..I just handed her the keys..she did good...no instructions..and she did not want me in the vette while she practiced Saturday...

69monzacpe

Pump the gas pedal once before starting, and let it idle for a few minutes before you drive it.

Don't slam the doors with the windows partly down.
Don't drive it in the rain, I'm still trying to figure out why the wipers don't work.
If it's dark, pop the hood and flip the little valve in the vacuum supply hose so the headlights will come up. I'm working on fixing that leak too...


Either stomp it off the line, or take it easy. First gear is a little funny.

Watch out for a**holes who look right at you, then pull out or turn right in front of you. For some reason their brain goes "what the h*** is that" and then they have a brain fart and step on the gas...

I'm glad the non-power brakes work really well at any speed.

Watch for the folks looking over at you, then drift a little too close......

ETM

Good point.You pretty much have to change the way you park.The front end being so long and the back end almost nothing.You can`t match mirrors with the sedan next to you.You wont think your in far enough but you are.

Star79

Here's mine, mostly my brother is the only one who ever drives it but me:

Speedo is about 35% optimistic. Beside it shakes so much over 60 mph, you'll never try to go faster than that.
Tach doesn't work, neither does the horn.
Unlike most cars you really have to turn the steering wheel back to center (won't go by itself).
Front end is 2 feet farther than you think it is, car is 4 inches lower than you think it is.
Don't turn on the brights, that turns off all the lights in/on the car.

and most importantly, Don't pick your nose, people WILL be staring at you in this car.

69camfrk

I can't believe everyone has all these problems with their cars. Everything on my '80 works perfectly!! IN THEORY!!!

SuprJames

just keep pushing the left window switch up. The window will eventually go up. Easy on the throttle and remember when pulling into parking spaces that the nose is REALLY long.

AA2PR

the only thing that bothers me about my 73 is, I don,t have two of them.

CheezMoe

I would say bring a watch...the clock don't tick...but who care about time with the wind in your face !

GDaina

Push in teh clutch pedal before starting...

ryan92663

Hmmmmm lets see.....


Lets see 1st qualification... I open the hood and ask you to fin the battery

Connect battery cable once you have found it in the engine compartment
realize Parking brake does not work AT ALL
Leave windows down, or else the car will turn into a sauna
Ac does NOT work
shift up or down into 1st gear carefully, or it WILL grind
remove shifter plate or shifter will hit it and car will NOt shift (working on fixing that)

Jims79

If you see a empty beer can or soda can in the street go around it or you will drag it with you for a mile. Slow down a dips in the road or rail road crossings or you will leave my mufflers there after smashing them into the ground.

AirTrafficController

Learned this first one the night I bought it and drove it home on the interstate (2-parter):

A). Deer can't see your dim headlights at 70 mph, so they won't think to move out of the lane you're in. Conversely, you cannot see them either, with your dim headlights, until it's almost too late.

B.) A Corvette will squeal like a pig when thrown into a 45 degree slide on the interstate at 70 mph.


Reiterating an earlier post, people will stare too long at your car as they drive by you and nearly hit you in doing so.