THanks for all the replies to my first post, ALot of mean looking vettes on this board. I was just wanting to get some questions answered before i dive into my project.

For starters what is the maximum size wheels and tires you can put on an 82..( for instance c-5 5 spokes) any mods needed to accomidate the maximum size will be made.

suspension upgrades??? best package? competition capability?

BRAKES!!!! drums=gay!!! do they make a disc conversion o would that have to be completely custom?

does anyone know of anyplace to get t-tops restored or perhapse replacements for a decent price? needs new sealing gaskets as well.

Need links to get an idea on what it will cost for a new interior..basically just the consoles and trim..i am going to do custom carpet and new seats.. also considering removing all panels aka radio, tach.speedo area and redoing it in brushed aluminum and installing custom gauges ( work at a fab shop so i can have this done at cost of materials only)

Anyone recently have their car repainted? How much did you pay so i have a good idea of what to be looking at price wise.

Current car color is black exterior on light gray interior...think i am going to stick with the black outside and maybe work to change interior to black as well, depending on price of consoles.

thanks in advance!

 

wheel installation on any C3 has more to do with clearance from the calipers than anything else, the fixed calipers on our cars are very wide and hit the spokes of most aftermarket wheels. Vette brakes offers spacers that can fix this issue. Once that is resolved its a question of taste and $$$$$ I've seen a picture on here somewhere of someone who ran 20" wheel on his C3 - of course this requires rubberband thickness tires, but......mods would probably include offset trailing arms for maximum clearance and width.

Suspension upgrades---Vette Brakes and products has all kinds of suspension packages, Dick Gulstrand also has suspension parts. Both suppliers have them from mild to Wild - its all about $$$$$$

If youve got drums on your vette you might want to check again - it may be a camaro :D - All C3 corvettes have 4 wheel disc brakes - when they are working they are great - they do tend to be leaky little buggers when they get old.

T-tops can be restored just like the body - with paint and sandpaper (not in that order) the weather stripping can be replaced on your own - quite easily and the t-top liners can be had from the restoration houses. However I am sure there are some places that can do this work for you as well, but I cant help with that.

Interiors can be expensive if you restore them - if you are going to go a custom route then I cant even begin to guess - New gauges alone (autometer phantom - white face) cost in excess of $400 - seat covers and door panels being the most expensive parts of the interior I would say.

Corvette paint jobs tend to be more expensive that those for Steel cars IMO I did my own for about $2500 - I decided to do it myslef when the estimates from the shops locally varied from $3500 to $7500
and all I wanted was a driver paint job.

Consoles are made up of several pieces - you have carpeted sides which come with the carpet kit (although you have to glue them to the backing,) the arm rest about $40 and the center console face which is probably baout $85 not including all the switches and stuff - Consoles arent that bad money wise.

Hope it helps

You can check out what I have started on my interior here: http://earchitect.50megs.com/corvette/vetteint.htm

 

SIVAR, does your 82 have fiberglass T-tops or glass? If you have Fglass and need liners, let me know. I think I can help

 

$2500.00 for a do it yourself job..... I havent had time to piant my vette but I have painted other cars... One I did for around $100.00... Just a quick sand and cheap paint.. I had a 1969 Firebird that i put a really nice paint job on and it only cost me a couple of hundred.... I had free access to a piant stall... and did a few on nice days in the backyard... What kind of paint did you use... i may get time this summer to do some painting.... and would like suggestions on what works for other vette owners...

 

I intend to paint my '82 in a year or two. It still looks good from a few feet away but I would sure like to see what I can do with the new HVLP type guns. I painted for about 15 years. Mostly big rigs and such. I was one of the best around OKC back then or at least that what the guys that hired me said.:D



[Modified by Casper, 12:20 PM 2/8/2002]

 

I dont have the exact break down, but basically I used the best primers, color and clearcoat materials I could find. Spent oodles of hours sanding, priming, resanding, priming, blocking, repriming,blocking,priming - color, clear, more blocking, buffing etc.... A friend came over and shot the color and clear for me. Did it in a driveway...I flowed him some cash on that, but a lot of that $2500 was my sweat that I equated to an hourly rate of about $20/hour (completely arbitrary, but about what I would have paid a friend to do it on the side with my help) Actual materials was probably around $7-800 if you include reams of wet/dry paper. epoxy primer, glazing putty, color, clear, reducer, stirring sticks, paper filters, respirators and the like.

 

i have glass t- tops, and they are tinted silver, i personally dont like them at all... i found a top in the midamerica magazine that was kinda like a c-4 targa top that fit c-3s...a one piece top that fits over the t-top panels...kinda neat, dont know what it looks like up close though.

Found a guy at work who is kicking around the idea of repainting my car, everyone recommends him, so i may have that hurdle crossed..

When i was talking wheel size, i meant wideness...i want the widest i can get,without having them stick out 6 feet on the sides..17 inch wheels will be the max height i would want..anything over 18 is going into the bling bling world if you ask me

your right they are discs all the way around, must have been stoned or something..sorry

which leaves the interior...i feel torn in 8000 directions over this, I want to go modern look totally custom but unfortuantly i am on the super econo cardboard cover budget...and i dont want to rip it all apart and have it look like :U sigh....well nothing but time right...once again thanks for the help

 

The astro top - the one piece item you are talking about is not a particularly good piece - I have one and while I was able to get it to seal - many on the forum have had many problems with them.

If the silver tops would work for me I would be willing to work out some kind of deal but alas - i dont think they would look good on my red vette either.

The widest wheel is about the 8" you have - without modifications i believe. the widest tires without modifications is about a 275/60-15 after that you are possibley going to interfere with the parking brake cable - some have interfered with that part with 275's so that may be a roll of the dice

255/60-15 will fit on rear - sometimes on front - without rubbing anywhere


[Modified by fauxrs, 4:51 PM 2/9/2002]