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OK, I tried 1st to reverse and no grind. Guess I just fell into the habit of coasting in and then trying for reverse. Diagnosis: no problem!

I have a question - when engaging reverse after driving forward, I push in the clutch (all the way to the floor) and get a slight grind as I move into reverse. I've tried moving from 1st to neutral and letting the clutch out for a second or two and then going for reverse; I've tried holding the clutch in for a few seconds before attempting to move the shifter into reverse, but I still get the grind. Once in reverse it works fine and doesn't grind coming out.

The car: 88 Z52 Coupe with 4+3, 53,800 actual miles.

Previous owner installed a dual friction clutch about 6000 miles ago at which time the tranny fluids were all changed out. He also installed a short throw shift linkage. The clutch and tranny work perfectly in all other regards.

I'm just wondering how to go about diagnosing the problem. . .any suggestions?

Thanks,
Tim

Actually if Sal (the author) had held onto that car a few more years he would have likely made some money on it. He bought it at the right time, about 15 years old for $28,000. Had he held it for 5-10 years, I think he would have come out with some profit. The trick with a car like the ZR-1 (the old one) is to buy it now, when most of the depreciation has already occurred, then hold it a while and sell when good ones are becoming increasingly rare. But to buy it new and expect to make money. . .unless you are 20 and can wait 40 years. . .you are probably kidding yourself. Just like anything else, the trick is buy low, sell high.

Wow. Glad you found it, I would have went the same route and had the shop fix it. Large projects tend to get put off around my house, next thing you know I'd have a Vette sitting around that hadn't been touched in 5 years or something. Let us all know how it runs when you get it back.

Brad - PM sent. I'm doing my rears this weekend and looking for tips!

Nice. Wish I had the original painted top my car came with, but I did not get it with the car.

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I did not engage the parking brake at all before or during storage. I have not used it since the incident on the way home from Virginia. It gets cold here. . .in the minus 20's anyway. Garage is unheated but insulated and attached so usually it doesn't get much colder than about 25°F in there.

Yea, check your hood to make sure it is properly latched on both sides. Then enjoy the ride.

Welcome!

I have an odd brake problem. The car is an 88 Z52 Coupe with 4+3. I bought the car last year in Virginia and drove it back to Minnesota. On the third day, in Wisconsin, I started out that morning and made it about 50 miles when it appeared the back brakes got way too hot and locked up on me. I suddenly lost power, managed to get to the shoulder and the car would not move (as if the parking brake was on) until it cooled down. Then it was fine the rest of the summer (about 2800 more miles worth of driving).

I had set the parking brake in Ohio the day before and assumed it had something to do with the parking brake sticking on (it was raining most of day two so I assumed the rain was enough to keep the brakes from getting too hot). I never got around to crawling underneath to do anything with the parking brake so I just never used it and it seemed everything was fine.

Then I stored the car for the winter. I got it out the other day and drove it just a couple miles before bringing it in the garage so I could clean out the junk in front of the radiator. Got that done and took it for a ride today to get it hot and check for leaks. I get about 8 miles away and the brakes get hot and lock up again. The parking brake has not even been engaged since that day last summer, so I have to presume it has nothing to do with the parking brake.

So what could it be? I had to sit there until it cooled down, and I could hear when it finally got cool enough for the brakes to snap off. It took about 45 minutes to get cool enough for the brakes to come all the way off. I'm thinking the only thing it could be is a bad caliper. But I'm not one to just start slapping in parts, so any input on what I should check first is appreciated.

Thanks.

Awesome Brad. Sounds like it will be nice enough this weekend to maybe get a little drive in to test it out!

I find it hard to believe it's so green where you live. . .I'm sitting here with 6 inches of snow on the ground!

Welcome aboard. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where ya from? What do you drive? Hope you enjoy the forum!

Funny. Really - I'm laughing with you not at you. I start working on mine Friday. Replacing all the cooling system hoses, pull out and clean radiator, replace main fan. How many skinned knuckles will I end up with? How many parts will refuse to disassemble? How many other things will I find wrong or break along the way? It's always something and nothing's every easy. But then you fire it back up when you're done and somehow it all seems worth it.

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Actually, I feel sorry for the kid who goes to Best Buy or whatever, spends $500.00, and thinks he's upgraded the factory unit in his late model VW. Factory systems have come a long, long way and it takes a fair amount of cash and know how to improve on them.

Welcome aboard. Hope you enjoy the company!

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Looks nice. The installation appears clean and well done. Glad you are happy with the sound.

Well, this is from last year:




Right now it really looks like this (and will for at least one more week as we're predicted to get 5-8 inches of snow tomorrow):




This is another shot from last year, up by Lake Eerie on my trip home from Virginia where I bought the car:

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Badges. . .badges? . . .don't need no stinkin' badges. . .

Happy dad I always thought it was funny some states requiring extra stickers for safety checks, pollution checks and so on. When I got my 88 out of Virginia they had two extra stickers in the middle lower part of the windshield, what a pain to get those cleaned off there. And Virginians have to do that once a year. I mean it's like. . .duh. . .fail the inspection. . .no plates. . .why an extra sticker?

But I digress. My Aussie friend. . .you have a beautiful Vette there.

If you use a power tool, make sure to keep the torque set kinda low, I don't think it would be good to strip the bolts out. . .

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I was referring to the OP, same wheels as mine. I like yours, too. Look nice on the red car!

Gotta say, I am definitely a fan of your new wheels!

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Perhaps the Bose units in our C4s are not the best. . .but restorers will pay for them now and even more in the future. And. . .Bose is one of the finest manufacturers of acoustical products in the world. Their research is on the forefront of technology and I wouldn't be so quick to blow off everything they do just because the C4 unit wasn't to your liking, if that's what I'm getting out of your statement.

Yep, you should use the high temp paint on the calipers, especially if you engage in sporting driving. Otherwise you will get heat build up that will cause some paints to come right off. Some automotive paints are higher temp than others, I imagine, but at least you will know the risk you face.
As for compressors, I bought my 6 gallon unit at Menard's for $79.00 a couple years ago. Not enough air to spray paint much, but should be enough to work on small jobs like your calipers.

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I really like the hoses but doesn't look like they have the coolant set for my L98. I sure would've like a set in the blue. Oh well, stock black it is.

Sorry you're having problems with that bracket. Hope you get it figured out without the sawzall!

Nice pics, Brad. Where did you get the red hoses?

How about some pics of your dash with the new unit and a bit more info on the new install?

Here's how it looks on my 88:

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That's what I have.

Let's see. . .I'm the one in the hat pointing out the finer points of my fine 88 coupe to my daughter's beau. . .

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Wow. That's a beautiful vert. Even the AZ license matches the paint!

Here I am with my 88 just after I bought it. Brought it to the Plastic Fantastic Vette show about a week after I got it. I'm the guy with the hat and the guy in the green shirt is my daughter's boyfriend.
-Tim

I found this site on the Corvette Forum. Here are a couple pics of my Vette:





Best pics I have since my hard drive crashed and wiped out all my others.

Thanks for the welcome.

Hi all,
Just joined. I live in Lester Prairie, MN and have a 93 LT1 coupe. Pretty much stock for now except the custom muffler eliminators I did last year and the K&N air filter. Minnesota being the arctic hell it is this time of year, it is stored for the winter but just a couple months to go before I can get it out again.
Looking forward to conversing with you all.
-Tim