I go to shows/cruises mainly to look at what people have done that you can’t buy. I have done several custom things to my vette that I am pretty proud of. The problem is when I am at a show very few people notice or at least don’t appear to. Now with all of that said I at least try to make whatever mod I do look like it was bought or came on the car originally. So here is some of what I have done, let’s see what you have.

I fabricated my own fan mount and spreader bar


It’s a small piece, but I made my own throttle bracket to clear the drop base air cleaner



I covered my dash and console in leather (never gets noticed)


Fiero seats that do get noticed

 

Your mods are not getting noticed because your doing it right!


Paraphrazed from Chip Foose...
The perfect mods improve on the original design while enhancing it. They look like they should be there and are hard to detect.

All your mods look like they could have been, or at least should have been, there originally. Done very well.

If you want your mods noticed, maybe throw on some neon, double wiper blades, 24 inch gold rims or such????

 

i fit in a 1" cog drive setup on my 350 small block... i'll get more pics soon


then the infamous.... boobies squeezing out of the ttops pic...



most people cant figure out all the body mods i did.......

 

The mods you've done look great! I agree the best mods are the ones that don't get noticed by most. One day an educated on-looker will notice the changes and make your day!

I particularly like the leather work you've done in the interior. If you have soem techniques to covering the dash and console, please pass them along

 

Coil overs:




heater


center console and main gauges, including lokar shift indicator






oil coolers







dual xenon headlamps (missing cover, not yet finished)


spreader bar



c5 master cylinder with fluid level switch (and warning light in console)


Vitaloni californian mirrors


a lot of custom here, incl. air cleaner, custom breather and pcv setup, radiator overflow, relay center for headlamps and fans, oil cooler thermostat and lots more


f body belts


aftermarket seats (need to dye to match color although they match the body belts and receptacles perfectly)


CV products serpentine system & powermaster mini alternator


more custom stuff here

 

If you were not doing such a good job, your work would probably get noticed more. I wouldn't change what you're doing or how you're doing it. I am also interested in the leather work and what hurdles you encountered. Looks great in the pics. This is something I was thinking about as well.

 

I was griping to my brother about the lack of people noticing and he said the same thing…I’m just glad I found this forum where I can share with guys who do understand.


The dash and console were really pretty easy, just time consuming. I got some leather hides off of ebay and 3M 90 spray adhesive and started wrapping everything. My dash panels were in rough shape and needed replacing. So I thought what do I have to lose.

 

Great looking mods. Seats look awesome and I really like that radiator cover.

Here are a few of my goodies...not as nicely done though.

Electric Locks and Keyless Entry




Halo Headlight Accents




LED Taillights




Dual Windshield Washer Pumps - One per Blade



Hydraulic Hood Support Struts




Hydroboost Hydraulic Braking Assist Unit



Ford Focus Dual Fans



Toyota Celica Seats (Pre cleaning)



Custom Seat Belts



Custom Fuel Lid



Side Vent and Rear Window Brake Lights




Custom Grills with Projector Foglights, LED Signals, and Mesh




Serpentine Belt Accessory System



Custom Rear Lettering



Storage Bin with A/C Converter, outlet, and Switch

 

V-Twin…..NOW that’s what I’m talking about!!! Your brother is who helped me with the spreader bar. It’s going to take me awhile to take in all you have done, but WOW

 

Hey Db whos Halos did you use? Also where did you get that awsome fuel door.

Later
PhyscoVette

 

They are just Ebay auction housings for H4 bulbs and they have the Halo rings. I couldn't find Corvette specific housings but the old Dodge Chargers have the same diameter lights so I got a set of four for a Charger.

The fuel door was built by me, and I had the emblem etched on by a professional. It bolts to the stock hinge.

 

It's hard to take it all in and appreciate the amount of work that must have gone into you car. Superb! I'll have to go back and look at it in detail. No way to catch it all the first time around.

 

They look good to me...But you need to take a new picture of your seats I really like the fuel door and “Vette” on the back, Nice touch

 

You're right I need some new pics of specifically the seats. They look rough in the old pictures. Thanks for the compliments. I have a bunch more random stuff I have done but I don't have it all documented with pics like the Oil Cooler, Trans Fluid Cooler, and I have future mods planned like fixed headlights and a new 405 with all kinds of goodies.

 

Great mods, lets see more

 

You guys are truly an inspiration. Keep up the great work!

 

I forgot a bunch of stuff. The bezel around the shifter is actually part of a lokar handbrake boot kit. Theit indicator shifter boot is way too large, so I used that instead (didn't use the actual boot)


The relay center and catch can. All wiring is custom done, nothing bought. Lots of work, would not do it again LOL. With all the connectors, looms and all, and the time invested it's much cheaper to buy ready made. Also visible, a custom made stainless steel thermostat housing.





Ballasts on back of headlamp buckets:


Custom machined/converted mallory mbi distributor. Converted to ford flathead style crab cap for clearance issues. All it took was the cap and rotor. Milled down the distributor and favricated some retainer clips out of aluminium

Also visible, custom aluminium wiper fluid reservoir.



Steering valve plumbing, used an aeroquip high pressure hose end, however it came with a b nut for a large OD hose. ID is -6 but OD was around -8 or -10 sized. So, I used a b nut from a normal -6 hose end (aeroquip) hence the red fitting. Works perfectly:



Custom made carb vac port. This is a 3/8 stainless tube, flared with tube nut and sleeve, knurled on the other end and pressed into carb after pulling stock hose barb out.



Fuel filter with heat shield and blanket (hoses are heat shielded tranny cooler lines)





Radiator overflow tank


The coil is mounted inside the car (see pic of heater), used a nice mallory firewall feed through, closed off unused factory wiring hole with it.


Trailing arms are custom built for coil overs, added tubing inserts to give them more torsional strength. The way the coil over mounts, it tries to twist the arm. This should help strengthen it

 

Well Said!! Otherwise, its probably a Bubba signature!

 

You need to rethink your throtle return spring (that will rub right through that braided line, or vice versa. either way could be quite nasty. Engine fire or stuck throtle). /:\

 

I asked him about that once, because I thought the same thing. It's an illusion. Really, the spring is only contacting the throttle bracket, and not by much.