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I finally took possession of my 88 C4 yesterday after waiting patiently for 3 and a half months, and have been sorting through the bits that came with it.
I'm a bit unsure of how these parts work.
I presume that the pedal lock clamps the brake and clutch pedals somehow, but do you really have to get down on your knees to fit it?
I also presume that the wheel nuts are covered by caps which come off somehow and will show me the nuts underneath.
The third item has me stumped. It says that it's a hatch vent but I can't understand what it's for.
BTW I'm off to a good start....I've had it less than 24 hours and I've already been pulled over by the Cops.
....I presume that the pedal lock clamps the brake and clutch pedals somehow, but do you really get down on your knees to fit it?
I also presume that the wheel nuts are covered by caps which come off somehow and will show me the nuts underneath.
The third item has me stumped. It says that it's a hatch vent but I can't understand what it's for....
1. I don't know about the pedal lock, so I can't help with that one.
2. Yes there are plastic caps that screw on the external threads of the lug nuts shown in your picture. The locking lug key shown in your picture is used for the factory locking lug nuts (if you still have them). Many of us have removed the locking lugs and use all the same normal lug nuts.
3. The hatch vent is an aftermarket item. It fits between the hatch latch on the car and the hatch latch on the glass. It is supposed to hold the hatch open a couple of inches to make for a better air ventilation in the car.
Glad to hear you got one. (sorry about the police stop though).
I presume that the pedal lock clamps the brake and clutch pedals somehow, but do you really get down on your knees to fit it?
I've seen one of those used before. Yes you have to get down on your knees to install and remove it unless you're extremely limber. Unlock it, slip the portion with the legs behind the pedals and flip the front portion over and lock it. The bolts on the back side prevent the clutch or brake from being pressed down. It should be wide enough to fit both.
I've only seen it used once so that's how it was done. Not the same exact unit but close enough. Do be careful and not lose the key though, can be fun dealing with if you do.
First - Congrats on the new car!
What's the story on the 3.5 month wait?
The hatch hold-open thing has a screw that mounts it to the similar part on the hatch glass.
After it's mounted, the hatch operates as before but is held open 1.5" or so.
I use mine frequently in warm weather and really enjoy it.
Seems to allow for better airflow and less buffeting.
The screw on mine is an Allen Head.
I made a tool for it from a phillips screwdriver which i ground down to fit.
I store the driver & the hold-open thing under the gas cap door.
Enjoy the car, avoid the constables!
Be careful when you install the plastic lug nut covers. The lug nuts should be torqued to 100 ft. lbs. (140 N m) but the plastic covers are just snugged down a little with the same wrench. It's easy to crack the plastic covers!
I get the idea that the car is still secure when parked in hot weather, but surely if you drove with it open you would have the exhaust fumes coming into the car?
The reason it took so long was because it missed the boat in early December due to seasonal congestion. It took about 3 and a half weeks to get from Longbeach to Melbourne and then a week to pass through Customs as it failed it's initial quarantine test. It was very frustrating seeing as I bought the car in Cleveland in the first week of October and it seemed to take forever to get here.
And I will be trying to keep clear of the Cops, but I did have to try out the new car and he let me off with a warning.
I get the idea that the car is still secure when parked in hot weather, but surely if you drove with it open you would have the exhaust fumes coming into the car?
I decided to take the front wheels off my car (pictured above) today to clean the accumulated crud off the inside of them and the suspension components. The PO must have had shares in a grease company going on the amount used. Anyhow while cleaning it I noticed on the inside of the wheel that I took off the drivers side had INSTALL RIGHT SIDE ONLY cast into it. The one I took off the passenger side had INSTALL LEFT SIDE ONLY on it. So I'm wondering whether it means left side standing in front looking at the car or are my wheels on the wrong side? I tried looking at cars on the Interweb, but they were probably half and half.
While I'm asking questions, I have the hood open while I'm tinkering and seeing as I'll be at it for a couple of days, is there a way to turn the lights off under the hood to stop them draining the battery?
Sweet looking ride! You are in for some fun times!
I doubt there's any question about Left Hand Drive vs. Right Hand Drive in your part of the world! What's called the LH (or RH) side of the car is always the LH (or RH) side of the car for everything. It's from the view of the driver while you're driving the car that determines LH or RH!
The under-hood lights can be turned off by pulling the CTSY/CLK fuse (which kills other stuff, too), or you can disconnect a connector that's in the area in front of each front wheel. They are two pin connectors with an orange and a black wire.
Let us know about your experiences with that beautiful 'vette!
.... I noticed on the inside of the wheel that I took of the drivers side had INSTALL RIGHT SIDE ONLY cast into it. The one I took off the passenger side had INSTALL LEFT SIDE ONLY on it. So I'm wondering whether it means left side standing in front looking at the car or are my wheels on the wrong side? .....
Nice looking car!
The wheels in your picture are on the wrong side.
Here is a picture from an '88 factory sales brochure that shows the correct orientation of the wheels.
The PO must have had shares in a grease company going on the amount used.
Congratulations on the new vette! You may want to check for torn ball joint boots if you're seeing excessive amounts of grease on the suspension and wheel barrels.
Congratulations on the new vette! You may want to check for torn ball joint boots if you're seeing excessive amounts of grease on the suspension and wheel barrels.
Checked that, they're all fine. I think it's just a case of grease gun exuberance. Pretty easy to do if you're using a air powered grease gun.
I get the idea that the car is still secure when parked in hot weather, but surely if you drove with it open you would have the exhaust fumes coming into the car?
No fumes, but what you will get is a nice flow-thru breeze when the windows are down, and no buffeting with the top removed.
I bought one for each of our two C4s like yours. The one you have is the better of those on the market. Worth every penny!
welcome to the forum and the world of vettes. My wife is from NSW. When we landed in Mel. I kept an eye out for Vettes in OZ and didn't see one till a C-3 showed up in Ballina. Waited for the owner to show but he/she never did. Wife got to drive her first vette over here and fell in love with them..as I am sure yours will too.
welcome to the forum and the world of vettes. My wife is from NSW. When we landed in Mel. I kept an eye out for Vettes in OZ and didn't see one till a C-3 showed up in Ballina. Waited for the owner to show but he/she never did. Wife got to drive her first vette over here and fell in love with them..as I am sure yours will too.
Yes my wife and sons all love the car, but my wife can't drive it as she can only drive automatics.
My previous car was a 68 Mustang Fastback which I bought in 2011, and I think a lot of other people had the same idea as they're everywhere. But as you say, Corvettes are pretty scarce over here. I decided on buying one because I found that any decent Mustang in the US is very expensive now and any cheap car is a POS, plus I like the Corvette shape and I love the SBC engine.
I really like the '88 wheels. IIRC they were only used at the beginning the model year, before being replaced by 17 inch "salad shooter" style. So, they are somewhat rare.
I get the idea that the car is still secure when parked in hot weather, but surely if you drove with it open you would have the exhaust fumes coming into the car?
The reason it took so long was because it missed the boat in early December due to seasonal congestion. It took about 3 and a half weeks to get from Longbeach to Melbourne and then a week to pass through Customs as it failed it's initial quarantine test. It was very frustrating seeing as I bought the car in Cleveland in the first week of October and it seemed to take forever to get here.
And I will be trying to keep clear of the Cops, but I did have to try out the new car and he let me off with a warning.
Congrats on the car...love the color! I have a 92 in the same color.
I really like the '88 wheels. IIRC they were only used at the beginning the model year, before being replaced by 17 inch "salad shooter" style. So, they are somewhat rare.
Enjoy
I thought I was loosing it...wondering about those wheels. They must be rare as I've never seen them before!