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Thankfully a manual makes that SO much more manageable. Throw the clutch in and coast. I'd HATE an automatic and unable to get away from that.
Originally Posted by arthursc2
I have the same "sub 2k rpm buck" and driving in a parking lot with the AC on is certified AWFUL
#becauseracecar
Yeah clutch in and try again in a parking lot for sure. Cruising the buck goes away instantly with any load. This cam has a bunch of overlap and just wants to GO! It doesn't like the light load part throttle BS. Good for a track car, lol
I forgot I took this picture yesterday. It's super dusty and dirty except for the freshly painted fenders, lol
Today, well not today, but within the past month, I completed my most ambitious wrenching project on my C5, replacing the serpentine belt, tensioner, and pulley; the AC belt, tensioner, and pulley; and installing an AFE air intake. It wasn't the smoothest process, but I'm learning a lot.
The best part is that the chirping is gone and the throttle response seems to be a bit quicker than it was. The most educational part was that I jacked-up the AC pulley replacement in the process and had to get some help from a shop that knows what they're doing. Now I know of a great local shop with expertise that I can count on in a pinch!
Today, well not today, but within the past month, I completed my most ambitious wrenching project on my C5, replacing the serpentine belt, tensioner, and pulley; the AC belt, tensioner, and pulley; and installing an AFE air intake. It wasn't the smoothest process, but I'm learning a lot.
The best part is that the chirping is gone and the throttle response seems to be a bit quicker than it was. The most educational part was that I jacked-up the AC pulley replacement in the process and had to get some help from a shop that knows what they're doing. Now I know of a great local shop with expertise that I can count on in a pinch!
Atmospheric conditions seemed ideal at 78° and 55% humidity. last night I carefully washed and rinsed the covers and this morning I wiped them down with alcohol, finally a light wipe with a tack rag. Then I mixed the two part spray, set up my work area, and donned safety gear.
The clouding that Kubs warned of showed up and it is not a kind look.
The sheen was far greater than expected. I tried experimenting with different sheens from other paint companies, and the results are not even comparable.
The finish highlights every surface inconsistency.
Aside from that, I feel pretty good about it, lol. I’m going to try and sand out the clouded areas, and I have a can of the same brand of clear in a matte finish. Regardless of the above listed issues, they are too shiny for my taste and the matte will bring that down. I already paid for the paint, so why not. Hopefully, I will learn something from this that will help the future me.
Ps. I cooked my first quiche from scratch today and it is delicious 😋…. So there’s that.
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Kind of walking into this late. I never cleared mine. I sanded heck out of the plastic first, but then also did three passes of wet sanding on the paint layers themselves. They looked like glass when done.
@vette4fl Sorry about your frustration,same thing happened to me when I done my 04 C5 years ago under perfect conditions and the best material, I concluded it was the material itself and moved on. Good luck sir.
Kind of walking into this late. I never cleared mine. I sanded heck out of the plastic first, but then also did three passes of wet sanding on the paint layers themselves. They looked like glass when done.
I was trying to preserve some of the texture to make it reminiscent of the originals. Should have gone for the full smooth. It would have been easier. At least the flat black makes the finish noticeably blacker.
In any event this was a test bed to find out what would work to keep the engine bay cleaner and brighter. If I were to do more components, I might just wash them and clear matte. Let’s see how this goes…
Just loosen the Fuel Line it'll self-glow eventually..
I was looking for a scheme that would highlight main components in the engine bay, while retaining the basic theme. I thought a bit more definition in the color and sheen (note how the darker black creates more contrast to the red Corvette letters).
A tad blacker, and just a wee bit more sheen (that was also easier to clean). Kinda of the look of a freshly Armoralled detail. Instead of a typical satin, I ended up with the appearance of semi-gloss.
If I can get the correct sheen, I would apply that to the airbridge and radiator cover, but the intake manifold in gloss (after carefully smoothing).
I think where I screwed the clear was by not allowing enough time for the flat black to dry after washing the night before. As porous as flat is, I should have stuck in the oven at 100° or waited a few days, but I had this one low humidity day so I rushed it. A “learing” experience…
Opinions being as popular as butt cheeks, one way I've seen be effective at drawing the eye to the engine and any work done has been to cover the tops of the inner fenders as well as the coolant overflow and windshield washer / methanol tank. Whether those panel covers are painted or in my case cleared over carbon fiber weave is preference. I'm not often into adding extra show to my go beyond cleaning up what already exists or showing it off, but the panels do simplify the look and the eyes go right to the fun stuff.
For engines with any work done or where they factory fuel rail covers cannot mount anymore I remote mount my coils to the fenders and paint or replace the valve covers as another clean look. It is also a more traditional engine appearance and less cluttered than leaving the coils exposed.
One other thing I've taken to doing is trying to paint the throttle body and accessory bracket to match. I just painted the new bracket for the Z06. I'd be done with it after a super clean job except when I moved it to sit and dry the cardboard under it shifted and I flubbed up the one highly visual spot. Doh! On these, a few gentle runs with a sander or grinder to rid the bracket of casting marks also helps it look better.
Shades of black are my go to for the covers and accessories. Valve covers I prefer a flashy red. When I was supercharged I painted the upper radiator airbox panel bright red to match.
