Here's what I'm thinking (since I don'y have a low profile floor jack): use car jack to raise front on one side to lift high enough for floor jack and then use floor jack in middle to raise both sides and then insert front jack stands. Raise the rear with floor jack using a 2x4 on edge to contact diff housing then use jack stands. For some silly reason the idea of lifting in the center rather than the sides has more appeal to me. Seems the flexing and twisting would be reduced. The stories of chipped paint, buckled skins that have been recorded here, scare the 'ell out of me. Any thoughts on my logic of raising in the center?

 

Nope, do it all the time, no issues.
I would be hesitant to use a 2X4 on edge to raise the rear. If you are doing it a lot, there is an item sold by Corvettegadgetman (google him) that works pretty well for rear.

 

Race ramps are nice if you aren't working on the wheels.

 

While the car is on stands I will paint the calibers, replace the brake pads, replace the shocks and replace the O2 sensors, and a general clean up. I don't plan on raising it again for a while. Not certain what else I could tend to while it is up. Any ideas out there?

 

There is no problem with jacking the car at the center. If the car is not lowered, you really don't need a "low profile" jack; a good floor jack that allows the saddle to go under the car works fine. And a floor jack is always a good thing to have.

You do have to be careful with jack pad placement for two things:

First, look under the edge of the body where the pinch welds are halfway between the front and rear indicated jacking points. On both sides of the car, you will see a stud that holds the brake lines on the left side and the fuel lines on the right side. Place the jack pad on either side of this stud and you can raise the entire side of the car without having to open the hood, door, or lower the door glass. Then place jack stands on the frame pinch welds and lower the jack.

Go to the other side of the car, raise that side and place the jack stands. You can repeat jacking the sides until you get the car as high as your stands permit.

Second is being careful to not place the jack pad so far under the car as to have the pad sit on the floor pan. That can crack the pan Not what you want to have happen.

I can raise me 87 to nearly 2 feet off the ground and get it on jack stands in less than 10 minutes, including grabbing my beer for a quick as I move the floor jack from side to side. I put a small paint mark on the edge of the lower fascia to indicate where to place the jack pad. That way, I don't have to get down to find the stud each time.

I would not jack the car by using the batwing . It's not meant for that and there is always a possibility that the pad can slip or the batwing can crack at an outside edge.

 

Batwing???

 

The batwing is the aluminum section that holds the differential.

 

I just drive my vette onto a couple of planks of wood and then put the jack under the center.

 

Used to do the jack (factory part) on the jack point (thought it was good to practice in case I had a flat) and then use the floor jack under the front. I finally got enuf confidence in the car jack and lug wrench to realize they will really work. Now, I just drive up on 2 2by12's and just use the floor jack in the middle.

On the rear, I use the floor jack on the jack points in front of the rear wheels and put the jack stands under the rear axle.

bill