ykp53

I guess I need some encouraging. I love having my vette but it gets frusturating not being able to go anywhere with out think what was that tick, where did that pop come from? that doesnt smell right? it would be nice to be able to go hop in the car and drive for 100 miles with out wondering if i was going to run out of gas or over heat. i just wish i could shut my brain off every once and a while. this weekend it finaly got to me and i went and test drove a ssr. it was nice but i dont want o regret getting rid of the vette. i just feel that i will never be satisfied, i am always looking at a catalog thinking wouldn't it be nice to have this or do that to the vette. i guess i need a daily driver, but i cant afford to have both. augh..... im so disgusted.

Stewart's74

You are not alone friend.
I've had my paws on every single nut and bolt on my 74 and still am nervous about driving long distances.

Pauld

I know exactly how you feel, I do that exact thing every time I go out in the 'vette.
I am now trying to just enjoy my car, the way I look at it now is that the car isn't that fragile and alot of work has gone into it. I have decided that if I I also know what you mean about looking in the catalogues and wishing I could have this and that, but I think that adds to the fun. It's good to replace can't just enjoy the car, whats the point in having it.
things and see the improvements over a period of time, little by little. I was looking at some pics of my car the other day that showed me how much better it looks over just a 12 month period, made me proud of my efforts.
I have lost blood and sweat over the 'vette but in the end I have enjoyed every minute!! the same as everyone here I am sure.
Stay in there, you wont regret it in the long run!!! :cheers: :cheers:


[Modified by Pauld, 4:50 PM 2/3/2004]

Robert8096

I think we all feel that way at one time or anther. I did this once and sold my project 69 Charger and went the new car route. After a few months of writing that check for the payment I was sorry I went this way.

Look at it this way. If you buy the SSR you are looking at 50+grand and a committed payment evey month. With the Vette you can put money into it when it comes available and owe no one. Look at the payment amount every month and think if I put only part of that in the Vette what will I be able to accomplish.

In my opinion if you can afford a monthly payment plus higher insurance and taxes for the SSR then you should be able to find you a decent daily driver and continue working on the Vette.

As fas as the noises and smells that you think are wrong remember you are working with a 25+ year car. An old departed friend of mine once told me " You are your worse critic. Nothing is ever perfect that you have done and you always find fault in your work that no one else will ever recognize"

Just carry a autoclub card and a cell phone, relax and enjoy the car. Things happen whether you are driving a new SSR or the Vette. They both can leave you beside the road.

One more thing, even a new SSR does not have the class that an old Vette has. Once the newness wears off the SSR it will no longer turn heads except for car nuts like ourselves. The Vette will be turning heads of everyone long after the SSR has been crushed and turned into your favorite beer can.

Cheer up and carry on.

flood

Yeah, I hear ya. For quite a while I always thought about when it was going to break and what that noise was.

Now I just figure, if it breaks it will stop running. I just have my cell with me.
on't see I own a 1975 corvette and a 1987 buick. I only wish I could afford a new car, but I can't. however I have become a fairly good mechanic.

I know why I dont see alot of old cars on the road now.

Just let it go, if it breaks it breaks. :cheers:

brooksman9

You can drive these things long distances? :confused: :lolg:

Biker

All things mechanical can break. So why worry? Simply enter the phone number of a reputable towing service in your cell phone and enjoy the ride.

LOTAHP

I have built my car keeping reliability in mind (I used all HD Catapillar parts :D ) All joking aside. Half the fun is "cruising" in the car especially out of town, meeting new "car" (not just Vette) people. I live in Palm Beach County, Fla (voting capitol :skep: ). I have DRIVEN to the N.C.M twice, Memphis, Tn., Montgomery, Al., Atlanta, Ga. a few times, and Orlando this past weekend for the Winter Jam (and the Orlando Club didn't even show up) and going to Moroso Motosports Park Sunday and racing the car ( running mid 11's naturally asperated). Running with 500+ hp it's only natural (to me) to be AWARE of what's going on with the car. I think it should be natural with any car to "occasionally" glance at the dash and take a look at the gauges. I even do it in my Jeep. Of course if you are anticipating a noise, rattle, or thump, that's a different story, that's called paranoia or using "cheap" parts when you should have done it right. Right now as we speak I am having a custom built 700R4 so I can keep up with C5 guys in my club (these 4.11 gears don't cut it on the highway :crazy: ). I have NO cooling issues even down here in the summer. No oil issues and whatever else. I can't understand why (especially) a late model C3 can't be reliable if you maintain it properly. You don't have to wait for something to break in order to replace it. PREVENTIVE MAINTANCE !!!! :eek: :D :cheers:

Solid LT1

I drive my 72 LT-1 with the confidence inknowing I have built the engine my self, re-built the transmission myself, rebuilt the differential my self, suspension, drivetrain and brake system myself and I do not have to live in "FEAR" of a eletrical gremlin shutting down my drive by wire throttle control system or an ECM failure causing me to fail to get home. The above being stated, I now trailer the car on any trip exceeding 100 miles untill I get around to taking out the 4.56 drag gears out and installing a 5 or 6 speed transmission for freway criusing. I think the SSR is a big WASTE of Chevrolet's research money! The Corvette was the showroom attraction for Chevy since 1953! There is a basic failure of the design/engineering team if the Corvette is no longer a showroom attraction. I think the ex-patriot Caddilac guy running the Corvette division is slowly ruining the car! With the C6 we again get another wheelbase increase and decrease in the track width, this will make the car even lousier at autocross/road racing applications! My 72 LT-1 will out corner my wife's 02 Z06 on sticky race tires. Instead of wasting money on the SSR, aluminum and carbon fiber technologies should have been researched and applied to the Corvette. I know the new "bird cage" (at least around the window area) is aluminum but what about the heavy steel frame rails? they could have been changed too! The motor could be tweaked for more performance and efficency instead of taking the cheap and easy way out with a displacement increse! We will see if the C6 can match the Z06 mileage/peformance, I am thinking it will not deliver the 28MPG we see on 70MPH road trips with our car. GM could have spent that SSR money on a Big Block Viper killer but, wasted it on a useless transportation device. Hell! I would like to see a pick-up with better mileage than my 99 5.3liter pick-up, with the displacement on demand we have been promised for so many years or a turbo diesel option on the 1/2 ton truck with a bigger rear axel/better brakes than a 1970 307 2bbl Camaro had in it! (I know the Silverado SS and GMC Sierra C3 have the better brakes and suspension that the normal 1/2 tons but they also have full time 4 wheel drive and about 11mpg fuel economy!) Yes Virginia! the rear end in your pick-up is the same as those old Camaros and Novas with NO HORSEPOWER! great for mileage but bad for service life if you tow with your truck! SCREW the SSR!! :banghead:

comp

one thing that will help is don't visualize the pistons going up and down ,rings
rubbing the walls, valve's SLAMMIN' shut, gears gringing against each other
wearing .000001 of metal away each revolution.....oh i'm getting a headach
now :banghead: deeeeep breath and ENJOY what you've built :thumbs: :party: :party:

LiveandLetDrive

I don't think I should join this thread, as I just drove back from NC to Kansas with bad brakes, patched up fuel line (not leaking of course), horrible alignment, treadless tires, and a dying starter. I think most would call me crazy :crazy: others might call me a college student :D

Actually all of that was bad timing, I agree with what's been said above about doing things right with the right parts, I barely touched 4000 when first driving my car, but now that I've had my hands on alot of the engine and the halfshafts, I know that I can trust the driveline. Once I've been through my whole car like the rest of these guys, I'll be pretty comfortable. Until then, just gotta live life on the edge :hat

74FLCONV

Women are a pain in the ****, expensive, require constant maintenance and are always breaking down. But I don't get tired of 'em...

Working on the vette is a pleasure.

D. Ocean
Miami, FLA

killain

No matter what you do to your corvette or how you do it, and this applies to everything mechanical in life, Something could go wrong. 99.9 % of the time itt's never anything serious. A fuse blows or a door handle brakes, center cap flys off, emergency brake cable sticks, Ect. and we go on our way. I felt that way for a long time when i first got my vette cause I didn't know what was where and how well condition it was. But now years later I'd hop in, warm it up and take off for California in a heartbeat. I've come to know my machine and what to listen and hear. if it had something wrong it'd let me know a long time before we'd hit trouble. Just relax and enjoy it. Truck drivers drive their rigs for a million miles or more all the time, they can't spend time woring about everything, you need to think the same.

markdtn

After doing all the work myself I have confidence that it will be fine. Right after I got it running I drove it 250 miles one-way without a top in freezing temperatures to get the top put on. I drove it 150 miles at night to play golf and 150 back late the next night. I carry a few basic tools and just enjoy the ride.

LOTAHP

:iagree: :thumbs: :thumbs: :cheers:

Jack71

What scares me the most is knowing that I did all the work! I keep rethinking all the little decisions I made and second guessing whether I missed something.

Oh yes, auto club is required. I don't even carry a spare tire because I know any roadside problem is likely to be more catistrophic than a mere flat. My break downs require flat-beds... not lug wrenches.

SAMMAN

Being Vetteless for a while would straighten you out. :D :D

TedH

I feel your pain. I chased an exhaust leak to no avail; decided to warm the car up, popped the valve covers and adjusted the valve lash and found/corrected the problem (loose rocker nut). No more loud ticking noise. After that, replaced the intake gaskets (included glue this time) and watching the oil religiously for internal leak; none yet (had internal leak since '01 after installing the DARTs).

It has become almost an obsession at times. I've essentially gone through the mechanicals on the C3 and have a few items that I need to re-visit; some components which I haven't been pleased with after replacement (leaking replacement PS components for example).

Gotta replace the rear trailing arm bushings before I move on to the interior.

And on and on... :crazy:

Problem is, what would I do if I didn't have the car to wrench on. It has been a real joy (and pain) since purchase in early '97. I'll never get the money out of it that I put in but I've gotten beyond that...

comp

i still think cars are cheaper than laying on a couch telling some guy your wine's & cry's for $100 a hr. and you can't hit him with a hammar if your
pi**ed off :lolg: :lolg:

LOTAHP

C1- C4 = Hobby
C5 = Car Payment

I look at this as my hobby because of the enjoyment I get out of "the enire picture". Cruising in the car, racing the car, "caring" for the car, and the comrodiry that comes along with all this. "YKP53" you have a sweet C3 with a big block, if you DO NOT work on the car yourself I can see where this is not enjoyment but a "money pit" and maybe a C5 would be better. But if you do most of the work yourself, take a break and put the car away for a few months and get a cheap daily driver. You would enjoy all this ALOT more if you had a daily driver anyway. At one time for a couple of years I was driving a $350 '79 Nova with holes in the floorboards but I new what was waiting in the garage. DO NOT sell your car. I can't begin to tell how many stories people have told me, they wish they had never sold their Vette.


[Modified by lotahp, 1:45 PM 2/4/2004]