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Walk away for a while. That's what I do when I get frustrated.
Hah!!! I'D NEVER COME BACK!
Heh heh... I'll survive. These Corvettes DO make it hard though. Mopars were SO easy... Cannot WAIT to do a big block swap... Hahahahaha
As for the handles, i'll come back to that, and try that stuff. Maybe theres a video on it. Thats how everyone seems to learn these days...
Really, it was the rims that pissed me off. The muffler trick i can still... more or less sorta do. Wont look quiiiite as cool, but i doubt anyone but me would notice. Those rims though. I REALLY want these mods off my damn car. Maybe if i could find a used pair ov 10" mods for the back, then i could pop all the rivets off, and paint 'em... but aside from the pair ov 8"s my friend has, i've not seen another mod for decades.
I think we've ALL been there.
I'm going thru my "I'm just gonna walk away and let it think about what it's done for awhile" phase. Today doesn't look so good for it either.
At the risk of ending up with two sets of useless wheels, try to find a set of used YJ8 (or N90) wheels.
Unless you plan to keep your 73 forever, try to maximize the sale value, and 73s look great on the later optional aluminum wheels. And they're much lighter!
I've seen sets for $400- or so, and they can be polished easily.
I think we've ALL been there.
I'm going thru my "I'm just gonna walk away and let it think about what it's done for awhile" phase. Today doesn't look so good for it either.
Lucky for me, i had to work today, so i couldn't even look at it. Tomorrow i'll get back on it. Weather's great, and the bugs are waning hard.
At the risk of ending up with two sets of useless wheels, try to find a set of used YJ8 (or N90) wheels.
Unless you plan to keep your 73 forever, try to maximize the sale value, and 73s look great on the later optional aluminum wheels. And they're much lighter!
I've seen sets for $400- or so, and they can be polished easily.
I thought about that, even while i was looking at two full cheap sets at the swap meet. I think $200 for one set. The guy had dozens. I saw at least 12 ov those rims there. I dont like 'em. I DO like the weight though. I thought about it. The was one reason i wanted the steel rally's... potential resale. It was such a PAIN just trying to find a 4th to complete my set, i dont think i'm gonna bother. I liked the idea ov 10"s on the back. I dont like how the 295's fit on my 8"s. So... i'll either just keep these mods on the car for now, and sell it like that if i sell it, or just buy the damn rims i want down the road when it comes time to drive.
Handles ~ my door handles aren't trashed, just finally far enough out ov adjustment that the driver's outer wont unlatch. The passenger is almost there too. Thats the good news. The bad news is, i have a 2x1.5" hole... through which to squeeze my far larger than 2" hand... to fix this. I dont know what sort ov elven magic this requires... but i am not equipped. EASY fix... for a deft, mechanically inclined 8 year old. Damn.
E-brake ~ cable is tight, and adjusted. That means the brakes themselves are shot... which seems odd to me because the actual brakes have lots ov pad left. I'll put the interior cover next, just to make sure there isn't a frayed cable hiding in there... but who are we kidding. So... the E-brake is not getting fixed... which means, no inspection. Which means no sell. ****.
Fuel ~ When i was under it though, about mid-car, i did smell fuel. I shouldn't smell fuel under the seats. So wondering if the line is rusted through along the way. Carb wasn't getting fuel last time i tried to start it. Pumps dont usually just 'go', like that. THIS... is why i like electric pumps. If this mechanical one is done, i might just install one. Next problem... where to get a GOOD one. Those cheap ol standby Carter pumps are long gone, and i'm not gonna spend a bunch. I dont want ANYTHING not American made.
Also... (bonus gripe) i'd sure like to know how my headlight holes became elongated. I wish i had a camera to take pics. Everyone else has such nice seams. Mine are... well, drunk. I am also in the market for an aftermarket FIBERGLASS nose, preferably USED. Mine is... wobbly. I'd like to shave some weight, fix the wobble gaps, and even modify it a bit to clean up the look. Rather find a good used one i can cut, but whatever comes along i guess...
Pic doesn't show the rounding well. Its on the tops ov the holes. You can see the nose issues in it though... sorta. Dont mine the welfare scoop. Gonna graft that onto an 80-81 hood if i can find one cheap.
I am. But its unlikely to happen this year now, unless people buy Corvettes in the fall/winter. Due to... our bureaucratic bullshit... i'll not have papers until at least late September now. If i had a couple thousand i could just have it fixed and bypass that, but i dont. There is NO ONE near me that fixes cars for money. I've got $500 burning a hole in my sock to fix this car... but i'll wager its gone before i can find someone to help. I just dont have the time, nor the resources to do certain jobs.
Before i got the bad news on the papers a week ago, my plan was to sell it with some summer left, and buy a running, driving newer car (newer V8 stick Mustang or Corvette) that i could drive RIGHT now, resell down the road... basically... like renting a cool car for a year or so... for free. I've done that a few times, and the market is perfect for it now. So that plan's out.
The other problem is... and THIS... i did not account for, no one is buying. Mines been up on CL, and here, for almost a month, and no serious offers. Only one actual offer in fact. Thats from the ONLY guy that came to look at it. Not even many messages. There isn't much locally right now, just a few 75-79 automatic cars for 12-17K Cdn. Mine is in similar condition, and i'm asking 16. There is one steel bumper car, a 72 auto, and its completely disassembled, for 20K. Mine is a DAY away from driving for a buyer that has a shop, tools, and a bit ov money (most buyers). Brakes are fixed now, so once i track that fuel gremlin, its driving. The papers dont factor into this observation because so far, no one has even asked. There is no interest. So i'm guessing, when i do make a more serious effort to sell it, i'll need to use someone else's facebook account (because no one uses CL anymore), and pretty much advertise it somewhere other than here. Economically, it is GRIM in B.C. right now... That cant be helping...
SO.... it looks like i'm gonna drive it. My new (well, continuing) plan is to fix it. If i get the papers before its ready for inspection, grand. I'll insure and drive it. If i dont, i'll eventually get the work done, get it inspected, and drive it. I'll do the basic things i had planned (better exhaust, better wheels/tires, the hood, seats, stereo, T-top seals, etc). And make it reliable as i can. It will just be for sale. Hell, its always easier to sell a car you're physically driving around anyways. I had CONSTANT attention in my 72 Charger... and that car was a roach. If i find more a bit money, i'll do the big block swap, but probably keep the auto. That'll help sell it later too. Gives me time to collect parts for cheap too. The only thing i cant decide on... is paint. I HATE that maroon. Normally, i'd just strip it, and flat black it, but though PERSONALLY i dont mind a ratty looking car... buyers do. So i might do some basic prep and Maaco it a nice black. It'll still look 50/50... but it'll be a nice new black. Gonna skip the flares for now, and anything else that involves cutting (ie: conversion to 69). Worst case scenario, i drive it through the winter, and have a fairly sorted, running, driving 350 auto maroon car to sell next spring. Best case scenario, i drive it through the winter, and have a nice black, 454, 11 second car to sell next spring. That might bring me enough to buy exactly what i want.
ACTUALLY... on a FB group, i saw one company selling a conversion set-up (to hydraulic i think), that converts an automatic pedal to a standard pedal... WITHOUT REMOVING THE PEDALS. It looks slick. Not sure how much, but my labor (as in not having to bother) is worth a lot more these days. I'd look into that. I clipped the ad, but you think i can find it now? Hah!
As for me thinking... read the above (i apologize for the epic).
I'd taken the rollers off my car a while ago to mess with the brakes, and i had them stacked behind the car. Today i unstacked them and just had them side by side... and i noticed something. The backs were narrower than the fronts. Now... i have also noticed that BFG has changed their tire fitment specs in the last few years. A 295/50 always used to require a 8.5" rim minimum... but now, its an 8" minimum. I had HOPED... this wasn't because they started to cheap out, and narrow the tires slightly... thinking that no one would notice (Hello Nitto... i'm looking at YOU...). So here i am, looking at these far newer BFG 295's, and they are a LOT smaller than my older 295's, that i had put on the front, to test-fit. Like, obviously smaller. I grabbed a tape and sure enough... 10 5/8" wide. The older ones, 11 5/8" wide. I was all ready to fly off into an epic rant and load up for a shooting spree... when i thought, you know... just to be sure... check the tires. They're actually 265/50's. ALL THIS TIME. Now... this was an honest mistake... as the previous owner said he bought these not too long ago, and 265 BFG's have been disco'd, at least here, for a LONG-*** time. He told me they were 295's. They looked wide, i didn't check.
HILARIOUS.
So... my problem... ov finding good 265/50 tires for the front... solved itself. They've got 80-90% tread too, and no cracks. Funny... as i SWORE when i put the 295's on the front, it looked... off. I figured it was just because a 295 is just too wide for the front... but no. Turns out i had wider tires up front than out back. ****, i was laughing at this all day....
In other news... i got a few minutes again today to play. Tried to get my hamhocks into those little door-window holes... to no avail. Do i need to hire an 8 year old kid to do this? How the HELL can anyone do any work inside those doors???
ratcheting 7/16ths combo wrench and 10 inch needle nose pliers. if removing the outer door handle you will find it easier to remove the latch mechanism first. window has to be up for all of this. i remember somebody saying down.
ratcheting 7/16ths combo wrench and 10 inch needle nose pliers. if removing the outer door handle you will find it easier to remove the latch mechanism first. window has to be up for all of this. i remember somebody saying down.
I was gonna remove it, but now i think i can just adjust it. I have those tools. Hmmm...
Visually good means nothing in tires. That’s why they put date codes on them. Gotta go by the dates. I had BFG’s that looked like they just came off the rack…but they were 17 years old!!
should be replaced at about 6-8 years. I have a 13k mile 2016 GMC I got recently. The tires look perfect, as they should for 13k miles. But they are 6 years old and hard as a rock. The back end got away from me today in a very light mist.
Visually good means nothing in tires. That’s why they put date codes on them. Gotta go by the dates. I had BFG’s that looked like they just came off the rack…but they were 17 years old!!
should be replaced at about 6-8 years. I have a 13k mile 2016 GMC I got recently. The tires look perfect, as they should for 13k miles. But they are 6 years old and hard as a rock. The back end got away from me today in a very light mist.
Yeah, you guys have made me paranoid about this. But... its either use these, or walk. There is no budget for new tires... not even close. Used 265's dont exist... anywhere. Sometimes you gotta gamble...
Hah!!! I'm not sure i want to! They haven't made a 265/50 BFG in a long, long time. They do at least look good. They WERE (somehow) bought new within the last 2-3 years. Not sure how that happened exactly, but the previous owner bought them new. He'd only owned the car a year or two. I'll bet good money they're still newer than the tires i have for the back. Being broke sucks...
Being broke does suck. I've been there. Hell, I'm close to being there now. But for **** sake, if $500-$600 for affordable but safe budget tires, vs. walking, WALK. I have seen first hand the damage an old tire can do, MUCH more than the price of a whole set of budget tires. Not to mention if you loose control and take somebody else out. I know you are a long time hot rodder, and I appreciate hard times, but Corvettes are not a cheap hobby. Maybe it's time to temporarily put it on the back burner? I've had to do it myself many times, and there's no shame in it.
