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New to the boards, just got my 75 C3 4 speed a couple weeks ago. Its got some mods and recent upgrades, cowl inducted hood, front end lowered, steering box, 80-81 rear bumper/spoiler, LED tail lights, not original 327 with a Holley carb, aluminum radiator, headers, new distributor, side pipes (No Cats), new master cylinder, fuel pump, fuel lines, hoses, belts, bearings repacked, front calipers and pads, fuel tank dropped and cleaned, new tires, full tune up and a few other odds and ends. Got it from a really nice guy in AZ, sat in his neighbors garage for 20 years until a year ago, originally a CA car prior to being in AZ, now back in CA. He did all the maintenance stated above in the last year to get it road worthy. Looking forward to reading about the how to's with maintenance, upgrades etc.
Some of the items looking to fix/upgrade in the near future:
E brake (doesn't engage) I think it might just be the cable's loose, noticed when I was under the car recently at a tire shop
The seatbelts, the driver side it stuck
Stereo, it has a head unit and 6x9's in boxes in the back, going to update the head unit with some new 6x9's and maybe a 10inch sub and amp
Get an alignment done
Have the rear gear box looked at as there seems to be some play while in reverse or slow speeds
Down the road, looking to replace the bushings, upgrade the brakes (the front calipers and pads were recently replaced but still not the greatest stopping power), interior, and maybe even motor/powertrain.
Any advise is always welcome. Always wanted a Vette since I was a kid, finally got it!
Congratulation and best of luck, she looks sharp. IMHO standard brakes are not that bad and they have enough power to lock the wheels at speed, so I would check if everything is ok (pad, lines and so on) before considering to buy another set. Maybe the lowered stance doesn't help too and I would get this nose back up to improve riding quality and general dynamics.
Welcome to the C3 jungle , where magical things happen. Like your wallet parting friends with your pocket & your cash parting friends from your wallet. ENJOY !!
No, don't raise it up! Looks good. Maybe drop the rear a tad. GET THAT SEATBELT FIXED!
Stock brakes should put you right through the windshield! So, find the issue and fix it!
Other wise, Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of C3 Corvette ownership!
Welcome,,,,👍... looks like a nice start for your dream car. Nice updates already. Yep, get safety belt fixed asap. Then brakes dialed-in properly. Stock [brakes] should be all you need for street use. Don't go too low front or rear. Start with 27" from pavement to fender lip for starters,, ( front and rear ) and keep half shafts level,,,👈
ENJOY
Thanks! Ride quality is ok, I love the stance so not sure I want to raise it up?
Remember that you brake with your tires, not your brakes
Lowering the stance without checking very carefully the effects on caster and camber can lead to braking and cornering problems because it could happen, especially if the springs were just cut or torched, that by the effect of the load transfer during hard brakes the front tires ends up in a sub-optimal angle on the ground, thus causing less braking performance.
If you want to keep the stance, check the tires angles both at rest and under load and if the spring stiffness is enough or need to be addressed, before blaming the brakes themselves: there could be a problem but again, the only drawback of stock brakes I can find is their weight. Suspension geometry on the other hand is a sort of science by itself and they were designed as they are for a reason and I think it requires an expert (which I'm not).
I'm from Italy and we are traditionally very careful when changing suspension parameters for reasons like this, we need a car capable to stay on track on terrible roads
Last edited by Proton_ita; 04-03-2024 at 06:42 AM.
Remember that you brake with your tires, not your brakes
Lowering the stance without checking very carefully the effects on caster and camber can lead to braking and cornering problems because it could happen, especially if the springs were just cut or torched, that by the effect of the load transfer during hard brakes the front tires ends up in a sub-optimal angle on the ground, thus causing less braking performance.
If you want to keep the stance, check the tires angles both at rest and under load and if the spring stiffness is enough or need to be addressed, before blaming the brakes themselves: there could be a problem but again, the only drawback of stock brakes I can find is their weight. Suspension geometry on the other hand is a sort of science by itself and they were designed as they are for a reason and I think it requires an expert (which I'm not).
I'm from Italy and we are traditionally very careful when changing suspension parameters for reasons like this, we need a car capable to stay on track on terrible roads
04-02-2024, 05:52 PM
New to the boards, Just got my C3
