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the corvette was built to last only 5 yr .. just one of multiple failures Dontov created. It was all about money 💰 and corporate greed . They were built with no intention of reliability or engineering . They just looked pretty.
the corvette was built to last only 5 yr .. just one of multiple failures Dontov created. It was all about money 💰 and corporate greed . They were built with no intention of reliability or engineering . They just looked pretty.
Why are you still spreading this BS? EVERY car of the era was built to last about 5 years. Corvette was nothing special. Not sure how many times you need to be told this before you finally listen. ALL of the cars of this era were disposable. They were ALL built with the same level of engineering.
You clearly have never worked on another car of the era. I have and I'm a mechanical engineer to boot. The only special thing about the Corvette's engineering is the fiberglass body. EVERYTHING else was done by GM with other cars. Including vacuum headlights.
Exactly. And don't blame him for the corners that GM was cutting in ALL of their cars in the 60s and 70s. No one was thinking that we'd still be driving them around, 50 years later. Certainly not the person who was haphazardly stamping engines, or building the car around the heater core, or backing off the timing to make sure the engines lasted to the end of the warranty period.
Vacuum components were 100% to save cost. All of the racers installed fixed FIA lights (or no lights) to save weight anyway.
The answer to the original question is simple: The vacuum system cost less than the electric headlamp system AND they needed the vacuum system for the HVAC system anyway.
I've only restored one C3 a 71 vert. Was a good project. But I agree with above in regards to the heater controls assembly. The wheels and string to control them? Crazy.
On my 71 I used the Miata electric conversion from a member here. Worked great.
The answer to the original question is simple: The vacuum system cost less than the electric headlamp system AND they needed the vacuum system for the HVAC system anyway.
Duntov, on the phone to his wife after seeing the completed headlamp and HVAC vacuum control systems:
"Honey, call my broker. Tell him I want 1000 shares each of Trico and Gates Rubber"
Last edited by wadenelson; Sep 4, 2023 at 10:35 PM.
For my ‘71 coupe, the wiper door and headlights work great! I had some help with parts and maintenance though. I don’t completely understand the vacuum system but operation is crisp and reliable. Distinctive features for sure. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I've only restored one C3 a 71 vert. Was a good project. But I agree with above in regards to the heater controls assembly. The wheels and string to control them? Crazy.
On my 71 I used the Miata electric conversion from a member here. Worked great.
Only recently have I had to do any repairs to my headlight door opening feature. For over 40 years they didn't give me an ounce of bother. In the last few years I replaced all the hoses. But just because. As the original ones really weren't bad. Put seal kits in the actuators and just recently rebuilt my relays with O rings. I had my car out tonight. Headlights work fine.
I think they decided to use vacuum actuators just to drive a few people crazy 50 years later.
Put seal kits in the actuators and just recently rebuilt my relays with O rings. I had my car out tonight. Headlights work fine.
I'm lazy and was planning on just replacing the headlight actuators. But numerous comments say that you're better off to rebuild the one's you've got, the available replacements don't fit right, metric instead of SAE, etc.
How big a job is it to rebuild 'em? Whose kit did you use?
Over 15 years ago, due to someone backing over my '72 vette, I cut the headlight openings by 1/2 from the rear, already had to fixed tray version, non operating, and looking in junkyards I found a car with lights the same width but 1/2 the height of the typical square headlight....and so but them forward in the trays about 4-5" worth....small openings, black trays.....
Over 15 years ago, due to someone backing over my '72 vette, I cut the headlight openings by 1/2 from the rear, already had to fixed tray version, non operating, and looking in junkyards I found a car with lights the same width but 1/2 the height of the typical square headlight....and so but them forward in the trays about 4-5" worth....small openings, black trays.....
How big a job is it to rebuild 'em? Whose kit did you use?
Much bigger job removing and reinstalling them then putting in the seal kits. Installing the seal kits. About 5 minutes per actuator. Really simple, degree of difficulty = 1. If you can pour oil into the hole in your valve cover you can probably handle installing the seal kit.
Now removing and reinstalling the actuators which you have to do either way. A little more difficult. Maybe a 3.
where to get them? Ebay, any Corvette vendor. They all sell the same kit. VERY inexpensive. This will cost you less than a 6 pack.
First of all, GM used a vacuum system because they did have a lot of warrenty problems with the C-2 electric headlights. The original 68's had aluminum headlight doors and aluminum front covers. So that would be pretty heavy for an electric motor to lift. How many people on here know that the 68-72 Corvettes headlight doors and the wiper panel were engineered to break 3/8 of an inch of ice?
A young engineer designed the linkage system for the wiper door. I wish we knew who he was. That linkage is a mechanical marvel made to be strong enough to break ice.
And I had to test this for 4 1/2 years after getting divorced in Cleveland, Ohio.
I have had my 68 coupe for 51 years and really have had relatively minimum problems with my headlight and wiper system. Lou.
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Several good reasons mentioned above.
My curiosity centers around the difference in the how the C3 headlights hide compared to the C2 and C4 models. The C2 and C4 headlights have to rotate about 180* IIRC, while the C3 headlights move roughly 45*. A simple diaphragm actuator will easily work on a C3 system, but the C2/C4 systems would generally require gearing to get the correct rotation angle. I can, off the top of my head, picture a vacuum actuator setup in a C4, but it rather offends my engineering sensibilities.
Just my opinion. Worth exactly what you paid for it.
