Hi everyone,
Just purchased a 2001 C5 convertible out of the States and just had it converted to RHD.
Absolutely love it, what a machine.
Just one question on the engine temperature for the LS1?
Mine has been sitting on 220-230F
The fans cut in at 105 & 114C, I think that is running to hot but was advised by the corvette people here they run very hot.
This forum is brilliant I have learnt so much already on the C5's just by reading the new threads.

 

The conversion to righthand drive must've been terribly expensive! Don't they make them from the factory that way?

My temps run in about the same range. I think that's about normal. Not sure when my fan cuts in.

Welcome to the forum!

 

Hey Ichy

Welcome to the forum.
Get on the ground and look up into the radiator area. Pull any debris, grass, plastic bags and junk out. Then take a high pressurer air hose and blow all the dirt and sand out.

That will help lower the temps a bit.

Cornterting to right hand drive is or was about $1600 USD. Not too bad. The corvette dash is almost interchangable from left to right.

I almost bought 2 used Z06s and converted them to RHD and exproted to OZ. But the import tax on a 405 hp car killed the profit margin.

 

Congrats on the new ride!

Temps are running a bit high, blowing out the radiator is the place to start. You may want to pull out the air box and radiator shroud to do the best cleaning job you can. These cars are bottom breathers and you'll be surprise what you can find in the radiator cavity.

 

Mine runs quite hot in Vegas in Summer although those temps do seem a little high.

As a Brit about to take my car back to UK it'd be interesting to see some pics

 

Congrats on the purchase. Hope you really enjoy the C5. Temps do seem a bit high to me.

 

the conversion for C5's is waaaay more than 1600 - try 27,000-29,000 AUD (22-25K USD)

DeeGee , if i were you id look for wrecked cars back in the UK that you can get dash parts from (altho i thot they were still LHD in the UK no?) , course the killer is the stearing linkages etc.....

in Australia a lot of the expense comesdown to Compliance Plates and Engineering Certificates (not simply getting a 'custom car licence plate, like here, lol) , most insurance back home wont touch you until your car is 'registered and inspected for roadworthyness' and the DMV wont do that until they sight the Engineering Compliance attestations

Expensive proposition - at least the new conversions are well done, the old c3 conversions used, not kidding, a motorcycle chain to translate the steering column movement laterally to the other side of the enginebay!

 

Ya your an "Ausse" allright,. people here have absolutly no Idea just how car crazy you guys are! the "Ausses" have their own great tradition and have some of the fastest V-8s on the planet! And are MUCH more likley to get under the hood and turn wrenches! Listen mate the stock temps. ARE TOO HIGH! and as a true gearhead we were "expected" to do the mods. to remedy this. There is a hot fluid line running from the radator to the throtle body get the ready made By-pass tube at ecklers.com for $15 also get the *160 thurmostat and check the fourm sections for one of the hand held reprogramers for the year of your car witch "tell" the computer that you did! also the stock air intake is too small "by design"!! get somthing big! all this stuff was "packaged" with our cars originaly for politacal reasons! (REALY) ever hear of our gas guzzeler tax? or the luxuary tax? and the people who designed them knew that we would do the things to fix them and made it easy to do ,....and dont let anyone tell you that an aluminium moter "loves' TO RUN THAT HOT! What are the worst thieves of horse power???? Weight & HEAT!!!!! These products to fix all this are so popular and easaly available for dam good reasons "good on ya"

 

Thanks everyone,
I have taken on board what each of you has said and will get those temps down.
Holden had quite a few problems here with their 5.7ltr aluminium block and running too hot a few years ago.
Now is everyone sitting down I paid $34,000 AUS just for the RHD conversion.
But I think it is worth it when you drive this beast through Surfers Paradise with the top down the whole town stops and looks.
I just need some real exhaust sound now.
Thanks for your help

 

damn that is $17,000 US .

Does Holden to this and add the price to the vettes they import to OZ???

But if you enjoy and love your corvette - Good on yah mate

 

$34,000AUS is about $26,000US.
not sure what you meant with your question as Holden dont import corvettes.
Thanks mate.

 

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new ride.

Not sure anyone has directly answered your question yet, so...

The fans come on in slow at about 225F and turn off at 219F, and come on in fast at about 230-235 or so, and turn off at about 225ish. Thus in warm weather, with little air flow through the radiator, the temps you are seeing are normal.

The thermostat opens at about 194F, so this will set the low temp you should see as it will go shut to restrict flow if temp goes below this, thus heating the water back up. Many guys get a low temp thermostat, but for daily driving, I personally don't see the benefit to this. A low temp thermostat doesn't increase the cooling capacity of the radiator. If the coolant has heated up to 225F, the stock thermostat is full open, as would be an aftermarket one. The oil needs to be around 200-212F to boil off moisture and if the coolant is much below this, the oil won't heat up. I'd adjust the fans to come on at a lower temp before I'd buy a thermostat (unless you are a drag racer - lower temps net more HP so many drag racers put low temp thermostats in).

As a note, if the AC is on, the fans will come on - so if you are seeing those temps with the AC compressor on, then you may have problem and I'd check things like Tom mentioned above.

 

Uhhhh...you are a little off with your price for the conversion, or did you get a deal?

 

This is what i see....it doesnt hurt to check for debris in the radiator though.

 

dayummmn, thats more than what i paid for my vette... what was that guy talking about when he said 1600 for a RHD transplant?

 

Come on Itchy

We need pics

 

Holden is a GM company. Back in 2000-2001 (that I know of) Holden imported C5 A4 convertables to Australia. I dont know the exact numbers but it was only a few hundred C5s imported to OZ.

In 2001-2002 I spent a lot of time with clients in Birz, Gold Coast and Sydney. I saw 5 or 6 C5 verts at that time.

and I say I was off on the RHD conversion.

But glad you have a Vette. Drive it and have fun.

 

welcome Mate, I visited oyour country a few years ago, and i absolutely love it there. I traveled the whole east coast and got a little out into the outback, absolutely beautyfull cant wait to get back there again.

and yes we want, no make that need to see pictures

any idea how many c5's are RHD over there? and what are the laws about driving a LHD car there, i know some cars here are RHD like skylines and stuff.

 

Interior and underhood!

 

I realize Holden is a GM company and have been around cars for allot of years but I did not know that they imported any C5's.
You learn something everyday!!.
I did get a deal the actual price to do a RHD conversion for a C5 is $37,500 AUS now, not cheap!!+ $29,000US for the purchase of the vehicle.
This is only my first day on the forum threads so I am stilling trying work out how to get the photos attached for you guys.