starrybelt

Hey y'all. Been using this forum as a resource for about 7 years while lightly tinkering with the old C4 (big thanks to everyone who posts here!) but now that I've actually got experience with an automotive background I've begun to properly tackle it on and off in my spare time for the past 3 years. I've got some questions and I need to pick some more experienced '84 owners' brains.

What I've already done
Tires, battery, radiator, thermostat, trans cooler lines, coolant flush, drive belt, plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, oil and trans fluid changes, valve cover replacement.

Questions regarding the interior/dash area
Long story short, everything in the interior is trash. Years of outdoor neglect and rodent infestation before I inherited it. It smells something terrible and there's no two ways about it: I've just about finished stripping the cabin to its bare metal right up to the bulkhead for cleaning, with only the HVAC housing and main wiring harness still in place, which are both coming out tomorrow. Every last salvageable piece of metal and plastic is being thoroughly cleaned and all the insulation and foam stripping is being replaced.

• I'm replacing the heater core now while I have access to it. The OE core appears to be brass/copper, but any replacement I can find is aluminum. Is it worth seeking out a true brass/copper replacement or have you guys done okay with aluminum?
• Are there any other parts that are known to be problematic (certain HVAC door motors, etc) or are just good practice to replace while I have the whole interior broken down to component level on the bench? I don't want to be back in here for a long time.
• The interior below the B pillars has some kind of access hole leading to a tall, hollow space:

I can't figure out what it's intended for, but I know it was jam-packed with soiled nesting material from the previous occupants. Firstly, is there a removable bottom to this shaft or is it a 30" blind hole filled with unreachable excrement? Secondly, what's supposed to be in here? Best as I can tell this is where the angled side light cover goes, but is there supposed to be some sort of stripping or insulation or something filling the rest of the space?

• I've ordered Dow U-418 (thanks to Hot Rod Roy for the multiple recommendations of this) to bond the acrylic top back to the frame after having joined the flying roof club a few years back. It looks like a previous owner tried this once before using a black RTV, but it's such a mess I can't figure out how to sufficiently clean it out of the channel. A single-edge razor works for getting the surface somewhat level, and I plan on gently hitting it with a roloc wheel to get a smooth finish, but I'm so far unsuccessful at getting it out of the center channel that runs the perimeter of the frame:

I've only ever cleaned RTV off flat mating surfaces so this is unwieldy. Razor blade is just cutting incisions into the mass of black rubber. It's fully bonded to the metal - just didn't take to the acrylic.

• I'm currently looking at the mass back full carpeting set ($520) and replacement visors ($60/ea) from zip-corvette.com. Does anyone have experience with these particular products from this site or recommendations for better or cheaper alternatives? There are many Corvette parts sites and I don't have experience with any of them. My budget is also pretty tight so if anyone has recommendations for sufficient replacement parts (i.e. same shape and color, not picky about convincing OE replicas or anything fancy, this isn't a show car) I'd be very grateful.

I'm sure I'll continue to update this thread with progress and questions I forgot as the work comes along. I'm usually not one to document my work but I'd be glad to share pictures of the project along the way if anyone is interested.

Thanks guys!

Cruisinfanatic

got my acc carpet at rock auto for best price. Just know the code you need

HAD2HAV2

Look up vetteworks international on the Net for both your carpet and visors. Beware visors with LED vanity lights. I had to reverse the wires going to the visor to get them to light up.

starrybelt

Quick update - just about finished stripping the cabin today. All the HVAC housing pieces are cleaned up and ready to go back in when I have all my replacement parts, but sheesh was that a hassle. Who thought it was a good idea to screw the heater box to the firewall from the engine side and hide the screws in the evaporator housing?

One problem, though: I can't find the firewall insulation for sale anywhere. Eckler's has a section for just this, but does not stock one for 1984. I found one on ebay for <$40 but it has some mysterious discolorations I'd rather not mess with.

I've considered buying a roll of generic heat/sound insulation and hacking together a replacement, but the stock one makes me question this - it's a rather thick foam with a thick rubber backing, almost plastic-like. I'm worried a regular roll of insulation wouldn't be equivalent. Any suggestions?

HAD2HAV2: thanks for the reference! Seems much cheaper than online retailers.

Cruisinfanatic: I checked rockauto early on but their carpet sets appeared to be all poly, unless I misunderstood. I planned on going with mass backing to skip a step of laying a separate layer of insulation, as the existing under-carpet insulation was ruined and had to be thrown out. Though now that I look again they offer two sets of cutpile and two sets of essex at different prices... is one mass backed but not marked as such? Link:
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/c...,flooring,1264

JrRifleCoach

FWIW the mass back is convenient to install.
Using a foil backed sound deadener/insulation is a much better product although its a lot more work.