Learning is humbling, sometimes.... (car show pics)
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Learning is humbling, sometimes.... (car show pics)
I made a list of 'maintenance/mod' issues for my C5 a few months ago. Things I wanted to do, some I needed to do, before the heat of summer decended upon us.
My list was basically this:
1. change all the fluids on my car. (the previous owner, did not have the records for all the service done. She only knew her husband had done some things. When they got divorced, she got the C5, but knew nothing of maintenance things)
2. I wanted to install an insulated tunnel plate. (I insulated the entire interior last year, from the inside. Before summer heat got here, I thought to take the one more step to deflect heat away from the interior, by the insulated tunnel plate. It's a mod that can't hurt, and should help a little)
3. I wanted to have the paint professionally 'corrected' by a pro detailer, and for me to learn how to better care for my painted surface. More than just wax on/wax off.
4. Completely upgrade brakes (rotors and pads) on all four corners. It was time, and I wanted better rotors, and better pads.
5. Install rocker arm protectors under car.
6. Install A&A SuperCharger.
7. Install Z06 Ti Catbacks (upon advice from a couple of other forum members. Thanks guys.)
8. Find a 'good' shop, used to working on Corvettes, to have a full 4-wheel alignment done.
I did all that. Felt pretty good about it; except for one mistake I made. Maybe I should have known better. For sure, I do now!
With all these things on my list done, my 2003 C5 drives perfectly. God, I love driving this car!!!
Problem is, after trip couple of weeks ago down to San Diego to Corvette car show, my left rear tire was showing some significant wear; uneven wear on the outside of the left rear. Felt no uneven pull, left or right. Car cruised down the highways very smoothly, with no wander at all.
So, I felt like this kind of sneaked up on me. Hind sight being what it is, I wish the alignment would have been first on my list. But, life is that way, sometimes.
I have now gone to a shop (upon a recommendation of another forum member/friend (thanks M) highly rated on Yelp, and specializing in sports cars, and race cars (shop in Orange, CA) to do a full alignment for me. (they are not a forum vendor, so not sure if I should mention them by name???) They were great. Professional, and very willing to explain everything to me, about my car, and what they did with it. They gave me all the numbers of the settings (castor/camber) before, and after. I did have some mis alignment, on all four corners. And they showed me the figures, after they reset everything back to within specs. Chris said they do hundreds of Corvettes, and I believe it.
Car drives a little smoother, a little 'free er' feeling of rolling without friction. Hard to describe, but I now felt this absence of friction, which I did not note before. As I said earlier, there was no pull left or right at all.
I know lots of guys with more experience with C5 than me, probably know, that just because the car doesn't wander over the road, or pull; it doesn't necessarily mean the car is properly aligned. In the future, this will become part of my regular maintenance, to re-check alignment every year, or so.
Cost me a new tire, lesson learned. I could of drove the old tire; but actually, no I couldn't!!! I just can't do that kind of thing.
So; if I can share anything of my experience from this with others who may not know more about these things, it is this. Have your car alignment checked once in a while, by a shop that works with these kinds of cars. The alignment, was way less, than a new rear tire..... If I'd have had this on the top of my list, maybe I'd have saved a tire..... Oh well.
And so it goes. We live and learn, and go on. Life is like that; sometimes.
Sorry for the long winded ness of this.
Okay, so what is on 'your' list of mods/maintenance for your C5? Things to do, or recently done?
Don
(photos from San Diego Vette show couple weeks ago. was very nice!!! Lot's of great looking cars, of all generations of Corvette)
My list was basically this:
1. change all the fluids on my car. (the previous owner, did not have the records for all the service done. She only knew her husband had done some things. When they got divorced, she got the C5, but knew nothing of maintenance things)
2. I wanted to install an insulated tunnel plate. (I insulated the entire interior last year, from the inside. Before summer heat got here, I thought to take the one more step to deflect heat away from the interior, by the insulated tunnel plate. It's a mod that can't hurt, and should help a little)
3. I wanted to have the paint professionally 'corrected' by a pro detailer, and for me to learn how to better care for my painted surface. More than just wax on/wax off.
4. Completely upgrade brakes (rotors and pads) on all four corners. It was time, and I wanted better rotors, and better pads.
5. Install rocker arm protectors under car.
6. Install A&A SuperCharger.
7. Install Z06 Ti Catbacks (upon advice from a couple of other forum members. Thanks guys.)
8. Find a 'good' shop, used to working on Corvettes, to have a full 4-wheel alignment done.
I did all that. Felt pretty good about it; except for one mistake I made. Maybe I should have known better. For sure, I do now!
With all these things on my list done, my 2003 C5 drives perfectly. God, I love driving this car!!!
Problem is, after trip couple of weeks ago down to San Diego to Corvette car show, my left rear tire was showing some significant wear; uneven wear on the outside of the left rear. Felt no uneven pull, left or right. Car cruised down the highways very smoothly, with no wander at all.
So, I felt like this kind of sneaked up on me. Hind sight being what it is, I wish the alignment would have been first on my list. But, life is that way, sometimes.
I have now gone to a shop (upon a recommendation of another forum member/friend (thanks M) highly rated on Yelp, and specializing in sports cars, and race cars (shop in Orange, CA) to do a full alignment for me. (they are not a forum vendor, so not sure if I should mention them by name???) They were great. Professional, and very willing to explain everything to me, about my car, and what they did with it. They gave me all the numbers of the settings (castor/camber) before, and after. I did have some mis alignment, on all four corners. And they showed me the figures, after they reset everything back to within specs. Chris said they do hundreds of Corvettes, and I believe it.
Car drives a little smoother, a little 'free er' feeling of rolling without friction. Hard to describe, but I now felt this absence of friction, which I did not note before. As I said earlier, there was no pull left or right at all.
I know lots of guys with more experience with C5 than me, probably know, that just because the car doesn't wander over the road, or pull; it doesn't necessarily mean the car is properly aligned. In the future, this will become part of my regular maintenance, to re-check alignment every year, or so.
Cost me a new tire, lesson learned. I could of drove the old tire; but actually, no I couldn't!!! I just can't do that kind of thing.
So; if I can share anything of my experience from this with others who may not know more about these things, it is this. Have your car alignment checked once in a while, by a shop that works with these kinds of cars. The alignment, was way less, than a new rear tire..... If I'd have had this on the top of my list, maybe I'd have saved a tire..... Oh well.
And so it goes. We live and learn, and go on. Life is like that; sometimes.
Sorry for the long winded ness of this.
Okay, so what is on 'your' list of mods/maintenance for your C5? Things to do, or recently done?
Don
(photos from San Diego Vette show couple weeks ago. was very nice!!! Lot's of great looking cars, of all generations of Corvette)
#5
Le Mans Master
Pro Mechanic
Nice pics!
I am doing some of the same mods, including the C6 z06 shocks and C6 Z51 sway bars. New wheels/tires too. I will definitely be getting a 4 wheel alignment after all is done.
I am doing some of the same mods, including the C6 z06 shocks and C6 Z51 sway bars. New wheels/tires too. I will definitely be getting a 4 wheel alignment after all is done.
#6
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Nice pics of the show - San Diego is a great town.
Only thing I have planned for my car this year is to get the coolant changed and perhaps put a new set of hoses on the car in the process.
Only thing I have planned for my car this year is to get the coolant changed and perhaps put a new set of hoses on the car in the process.