I picked up the C3 from Van Steel this past Thursday. Wanted to go in the morning but we were moving this weekend and needed to make some progress (moved 4 days solid from early Thurs through Sun PM... that included a professional 45-foot semi load on Friday).

Arty and Danny described the repairs made and provided an excellent critique of the vette's road manners both before and after the repairs.

The 'fixes':

Replaced lower left front control arm bushings (rubber)
Tightened loose power steering hose (slow leak)
Replaced both rear trailing arm bushing kits
4-wheel alignment (performed by one of their trusted businesses)
Fixed problem with loose parking brake that resulted after install of custom x-member (Bow-Tie Overdrives 700R4 kit)

Arty described that Bow-Tie had not correctly welded the parking brake pulley onto the x-member; it was incorrectly positioned. I had advised Bow-Tie of my suspicions and even sent them a digital pic back in 20023 to no avail. Arty made it right and now I gotta remember to disengage the parking brake as I have driven without it since installing the new trans in 2002!

Arty also described a 'light steering' condition. The C3 rides higher than normal and Arty suspects the front coil springs were replaced at some point with the wrong springs. Front end ride height is about 29". Normal is about 3" lower... Also the tires are cupped and that says new shocks are due (very likely). We talked about the Bilsteins and KYB's and settled on a future install of KYBs, Van Steel coil springs and new alignment (along with fresh set of tires). Gonna be a while before I can drop the dough for that repair but have added it to my wish list.

Perhaps next job bonus can pay for those repairs. In meantime, I'm enjoying a much more stable and safe ride.

Thanks Van Steel!!!

 

.... described that Bow-Tie had not correctly welded the parking brake pulley onto the x-member; it was incorrectly positioned. I had advised Bow-Tie of my suspicions and even sent them a digital pic back in 20023 to no avail. Arty made it right ...



glad the move went ok, sounds like your car is getting squared away to. I am about to install the crossmember that you referenced can you advise where the parking brake pully was incorrectly welded and exactly what they did to fix it? I suppose they cut it off with a grinding wheel and then rewelded it to the correct location. I just wonder if i will encounter the same issue, but now that i am aware you had a problem i will keep an eye on the issue.... although a little disappointed in the unresponsiveness BTO had to your issue. any help you can provide on this or that previous picture you took would be appreciated. thks bob

 

I'm jealous - I wish Van Steel was in the Bay Area California, and not Florida. Of course, their prices would probably be one hell of a lot higher considering all the taxes and cost of living here.

No better place to take a vette, IMO.

-Steve

 

Van Steel does great work and sells top notch parts!!

 

I apologize. My description was a bit off. I meant to say the parking brake pulley bracket was welded in the wrong place on the x-member. I actually had to clearance the flooring to clear the pulley (big jagged holes in the metal flooring which I now have to live with). This wasn't my preference but Bow-Tie stood firm. I think they had a quality control problem back in 2002 as I also had some leakage issues that were ultimately resolved by a new gear selector shaft and seal (the selector shaft was old/used and had scoring on the surface). When I first dropped the car off at Van Steel and described the x-member issue, Arty commented that the Bow-Tie x-members that he has seen are just fine; this appears to have been an exception and not the rule.

NOTE: I purchased the Bow-Tie trans when there was just one level of trans available (I think the 400+ hp version). I believe they now offer about four different trans packages/levels and suspect quality is much improved in all parts and packages.

 

TedH, thks for the clairfication ..... I'll keep my fingers crossed onthe one i'm about to install.

 

Thanks for the kind words Ted