My left knee has been on a slow decline for several years now. I have been to 3 doctors about it, they all say the same thing, "arthritis". I love my '70 BB 4 spd vert, and I would like to keep it long-term. But, the Sunday before last, I took my wife out for a nice cruise, and then last Tuesday, I took my daughter out. On Wednesday, I could hardly walk. I had the car out both days this past weekend, and I am still having trouble getting up and down stairs, despite hitting the Alleve bottle pretty hard. It has become undeniable that clutching my car is dramatically aggravating my knee.

I have the feeling the handwritiing is on the wall, but I thought I would throw it out to you folks before I go and do anything rash. Any ideas?

 

Replace, you'll never regret it. You'l wonder why you put up with the pain for so long. If you have particular questions, PM me.

 

I have the same issue with my 4 speed 71, Had a bad motorcycle accident 30 odd years ago which wiped out both of me knees. I purchased the vette last year I can't drive it 2 days in a row.
I have a 2003 Acura 3.2 CL Type S w/ 6 speed which is my daily driver. Hydraulic clutch makes all the difference.

So I make sure I use the Vette on special occasions.

 

Don't remember if the 70 has 2 options for the clutch but the long throw position might be easier on the knee.
Does anyone make an electric clutch assist ?
Seems like there would have to be a way hydraulically to make it easier.
Is an auto out of the question ?

 

sounds like it's time for a 700r4. my knees are getting bad also, and i'm looking into puting an auto in my 70.

 

Well......, no. I do love working the gears though.

I'm not sure I would want to put an auto trans in my particular car. I believe it is the original drive train. The interior and paint are not original, as well as a few other parts like the carb. I don't think the car could possibly get a SURVIVOR rating or anything like that, but I think it is original enough that with a substantial amount of work, it could do well in flight judging.

Indiancreek recommended "replace", and I think he was clear that he meant replacing the knee. Actually, I was thinking I may need to replace the car. Although a knee replacement is likely in my future if I live long enough, I'm still pretty young for that sort of thing (I'm 47), and if I don't aggravate the knee with things like clutching my car, I can walk around on flat ground or indoors virtually pain-free.

I believe there is a "long throw" and "short throw" setting on my transmission, but I thought that was for the throw on my shifter, not the clutch. I'm all ears if there is some sort of aftermarket item that would make the clutch easier to depress.

 

A hyd. clutch setup may not relieve your pain. My '81 is an original 4-speed car and the previous owner put in a T-5 5spd from a '89 IROC-Z along with a Wilwood hyd. clutch setup. Its a great setup but the pedal is still very stiff. He did not remember what type of clutch he put in it but he sold the car due to the same issues with his knee. The T56 6spd in my '99 Z28 I had was a little better but not much. TMD's '03 Acura with a 6spd is not really a fair comparison but does shed light that there is hope. I would look around on some of the other muscle car boards and see what hyd. setups guys have gone to and if they are happy with it.

 

You may wish to consider a hand control for the clutch. Google will find you a number of configurations, basically designed for circumstances more severe than yours but probably applicable.

 

I've never had a problem with arthritis, but know a few people who do, and not worth all the pain for a weekend cruise. From the way you describe your car, probably best to sell it and get an equivalent factory auto. Obviously not your favorite choice, but you'll still be cruising in style and be walking around the next day.

 

I've had both knees replaced, one 6yrs ago and the other 3 yrs ago, and even though it was not easy, it was well worth the pain and rehab. I bought my vette (an '81 4-speed) shortly after the second one and used the drives as physical therapy to strengthen the leg. At least that's what I told the wife.

One thing to consider is that arthritis doesn't get better. It only gets worse over time. You can only minimize doing things that cause pain and it sounds like you don't want to do that. From a "quality of life" perspective getting the replacements done was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am now pain free.

 

You need those paddle shifters.

 

I had mine done when I was a couple years older than you are now. I put it off because I was told by people who don't know, what the life span would be. I went to a surgeon, as the pain was affecting my life style. The guy I went to told me if I stay on a weight training life style with my leg, the life span of the knee was undetermined.
So 4 days a week I lift with my leg and it is going on twelve years with without issue. Accually stronger than the other leg.
When your quality of life is changing when it doesn't have to, it's time to take a look. It isn't a car deal, it's a quality of life issue. The car is just a symptom.
Like the car as is, keep it. Treat the cause not the symptom.

 

I am 47 also and have had both my hips replaced and still amazed how great it is. I, too, waited until the point it was unbearable. If I had it to do over again, I would have done it sooner. It sounds like you are still functioning fine with the knee, but when it is time, replace the knee and don't look back.

Bill

 

I had a little mishap years ago where I ran over my left foot with the Vette....Go ahead laugh if you want...Ankle has two three inch screws in it, and some days it hurts before I even get out of bed. Doctors say there's nothing that can be done to fix,..it is what it is....So when my 406 evolved into a transmission killer,...I went th400 with a full manual reverse valve body. I get to row the gears like a stick, it holds any gear I want as long as I dare (like 7000 rpms,,) and there's no clutch.

 

It's now possible to have a "partial knee" replacement done, my wife had this performed 2 years ago. She is a nurse and she was back at work after 3 wks. Other than the scar, it's like her good one. Also not many tendons/ligaments are released with this procedure so quicker recovery time. i would investigate surgeons in your area. good luck

 

Definitely.

Although I see the wisdom in the recommendations for knee replacement, and I appreciate the suggestions and sharing of experiences, I am not hurrying to that solution at this time. About 3 years ago, I was running on a treadmill and heard and felt a "pop" in my right knee. When I went to the doctors about that, the diagnosis was the same = arthritis. Although I struggled with that one for 2+ years, my right knee now is pain free, even on stairs or anything else I care to take on. Now, I know that something popping in the knee, and a slow decline are two totally different things, and the slow decline really is indicative of arthritis, but I still feel that the medical community is a little too quick to say arthritis when a guy in his mid-forties lands in the office complaining of knee pain, so I want to give it more time.

Another reason to take the knee replacement a lot slower than changing cars is that the knee replacement is forever. Although I definitely see the wisdom in "treat the problem, not the symptom", selling my 4 spd and buying an auto car is something I could reverse in the future if I wanted to, or got my knee replaced.

Of course, there is another potential solution: keep my '70 even though it will spend most of its days sitting in my garage, and buy an auto car to drive now. I've been mulling this one the last couple of weeks, and I've been thinking, which one of the following would be an easier sell to the wife:

1. I want to get my knee replaced so I can drive my car.
2. I want to buy another car that I can drive while I figure out what to do about my knee.

I'm actually starting to think that #2 might work, when she starts picturing me hanging around the house recovering from some pretty serious surgery. A couple of years ago, I was thinking of getting a '79-'82 to use as more or less a daily driver (I don't drive much on the regular day since I take a train to work and I can walk to the train station if I have to), but my wife talked me out of it. It might be time to re-open that discussion.

Thanks everyone for all the input so far!

 

Interesting you should bring this subject up. I just took out one of my '71 LS6 Corvettes yesterday for the first time in 6 mos. I have a bad ankle injury from a motorcyle accident 16 years ago. Also my left knee has just begun to get arthritis as well. I definitely hurt trying to push the clutch in with this car, after driving the 2002 Corvette with its clutch design, which is so much less effort.

I am wondering whether to off my cars as well.

 

The knee replacement is a personal decision, the clutch can probably be cured with a hydrolic assembly and perhaps a clutch swap to a diaphram pressure plate. The important thing to consider is the leverage provided by a larger bore master cylinder vs. a smaller bore slave cylinder. I'm 45 and severed my left (clutch) ACL, and decided against surgery. My Daily driver is a stick with a medium pressure clutch, but I'm keeping my 69 BB 4 speed Vet, and may have to go hydrolic in the future. Keep us posted. Maybe someone with a Hyd clutch conversion can share brand and bore sizes and give us some feedback as to how hard their pedal is. I would think that even a fraction of an inch increase in Master cyl bore would provide and exponentail decrease in pedal pressure.

 

It could do well if you restored the interior and paint to original... seems a lot more complicated and far more expensive than just switching to an automatic and putting the original numbers manual trans off to the side to go with the car.

I don't think a different clutch is a long-term solution, to be honest.

 

whoa whoa whoa.... 47 y/o and needing a knee replacement already? Unless you are in severe pain that is altering your daily quality of life then no one should be even offering to replace you knee. You are way too young and more than likely would need a second and possibly a third replacement in your lifetime. They wear out and don't last long enough. A general diagnosis of arthritis is too vague. Is there past history of trauma? Is the medial or lateral compartment arthritic? Or is the problem with the soft tissues such as the ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL or even the miniscus? Or could your pain be from and overall instability of the biomechanics of the lower extremity? Could there be a altered gait pattern that is causing this pain to be elicited in the knee? After driving the car does the knee swell and have fluid retention? There are way too many possibilities .... PM with some details and I can make some suggestions that you can try before going under the knife.

Sully