Parade Duty
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Lithia FL
Parade Duty
My '88 Anniversary model has the ooportunity to be in a local small town parade for 4th of July with other vettes. I must admit that's pretty exciting to me since I didn't believe my restoration efforts had met that level yet.
My question is my car is bone stock except for after market exhaust. At 48,000 miles is this a bad idea or is there anything I could do to make the car last?
I'm skeptical because scooting around town I climb to 220 degrees already. 3 mph in FL July heat could be ugly.
I have read about lower temp thermostats, switches to make the fan come on earlier, etc...
Thoughts tips comments are appreciated.
Bob
'88 35th Anniversary #114
My question is my car is bone stock except for after market exhaust. At 48,000 miles is this a bad idea or is there anything I could do to make the car last?
I'm skeptical because scooting around town I climb to 220 degrees already. 3 mph in FL July heat could be ugly.
I have read about lower temp thermostats, switches to make the fan come on earlier, etc...
Thoughts tips comments are appreciated.
Bob
'88 35th Anniversary #114
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,077
Likes: 4
From: Scarborough ONTARIO
Yep 3 things to accomplish lower temp:
160 thermostat
madvet.com: kit for 25 bucks or so to turn both fans at same time,
burn the chip for the fans to come ON at 185 and OFF at 165.
Iam biased at chip burn though, as i looked at madvet.com they did not say anything to upgrade in the chip, but seems like manual Fan Switch looks better than Auto switch in which case Fan comes on at 200 and cut off at 185.
Here are fan switch:
http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.138.944
Manual fan switch:
http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.138.943
Also i suggest u to flush radiator and do 30/70 (30 coolant and 70 water).
Good luck, and yeah participate in that parade.
160 thermostat
madvet.com: kit for 25 bucks or so to turn both fans at same time,
burn the chip for the fans to come ON at 185 and OFF at 165.
Iam biased at chip burn though, as i looked at madvet.com they did not say anything to upgrade in the chip, but seems like manual Fan Switch looks better than Auto switch in which case Fan comes on at 200 and cut off at 185.
Here are fan switch:
http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.138.944
Manual fan switch:
http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.138.943
Also i suggest u to flush radiator and do 30/70 (30 coolant and 70 water).
Good luck, and yeah participate in that parade.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 96,443
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From: Fort Knox, KY
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If you can stand it, turn your heater to maximum and put the blower fan on 1. That'll help lower your radiator temps, too.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,991
Likes: 5
From: The Pines South Jersey
the manual fan switch is your answer, dont put a lower stat in - you need to have some modulation to cool it - if you get stopped for any lenght of time shut the car down and leave the key in the on positon and let the fan(s) run, when you start back up the WP will draw in the cooled off water from the rad and drop it 10-20 degrees.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 4
From: Troy Ohio
Another idea is to unhook the senor on the Air Condenser line. Its mid way back to the firewall on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Be careful unhooking when its hot. The heat hoses are there. That makes the cooling fan run. Afterwards just hook it back up and it works normal.
Good Luck and Have Fun
Good Luck and Have Fun
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Cape Cod, Mass.
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IMHO Parades are an orchestrated traffic jam and really not good for your car to sit and idle for an hour or more. I have politely declined such invitations over the years for that reason.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,077
Likes: 4
From: Scarborough ONTARIO
I live in atlanta, bumper to bumper traffic is normal here everyday specially at rush hr, i stuck in traffic about million times never had problem, and if one accident than u be stuck for atleast 1/2-1 hr for sure, i had 160 thermostat, i highly recommend.