You mentioned the replacement visors. When I ordered my replacement the passenger side had a manual switch but my OEM one had an auto plunge switch(like a refrigerator)on the right hand side that turned it off when closed. My wife left it on with the new one and drained the battery :-(

Frank, my early 84 has a light OEM in center console(April 21,1983 build <5500). Is your's earlier?

Ironically I just read that other post before this one about your problem and that darn switch> the price of those 92-93 switches =OUCH!

I feel your pain>My wife had a 98 Pontiac> seemed like bloody switch broke every few months...Probably same guy designed Pontiac one after Chevy fired him for screwing up the Vette design :-O You'd always hear parts rattling around inside when it broke.
At least Autozone eventually started offering lifetime replacement. I'm surprised they still are in business after all the switches we exchanged!

Speaking to me Bill H?

I dont get here much but when I do I've noticed almost all these Restoration threads are OLD with hardly any new posts. So what is your point about post age?
Are people now not allowed to look at year old topics and post on them? Why not just remove every page after page 1?

Wouldnt the goal of this ENTIRE Restoration section be to exchange knowledge to Restore your Vette to it's original condition if you so choose? Is the goal to do so haphazardly or to OEM as purchased condition?

If people are restoring by NCRS standards they NEED to KNOW the NCRS is frequently WRONG!
Should I just keep silent and let people follow the wrong path? Should I let them throw out an old valuable part because the NCRS says its "wrong" because the NCRS are too stupid to realized some parts are different?

My point is a valid point> The self appointed NCRS "experts" really aren't judging ACCURATELY and not even using commonly available Technical Service Bulletins for reference in compiling judging manuals. So who is to say what NCRS says actually IS EVER correct then?

My main advice to the OP is that he and everyone else should just drive his Vette and enjoy it instead of beating himself up seeking approval from a small group at the NCRS when they frequently are WRONG anyway!

Was it the switch?

^^^ Oh MY! Way Too Much info! :-O

I H8 that place!

I stopped going YEARS AGO.

Every now and then a CF issue pops up during a Google search related to what I'm researching.

Stupidly, I go back and post something trying to help someone out who asked a question regarding something unique I'm interested in.

Then from people's subsequent comments I realize just why I stopped going there to BEGIN with!

The other place I cant stand is CAC with that columnist (I forgot his name) who thinks he knows everything. I recall contacting him after he gave some wrong info and gave my source as a direct quote from Gordon Killebrew and he was rude and basicly told me to "pound sand" when he was proven wrong ;-)

I used to "worry" about keeping my Vette "correct" for awhile when I purchased it but then realized> who cares what the NCRS thinks? As a Museum Professional I realized the NCRS is a bunch of rank amatures pretending to be professionals. It's like some sort of "old boys club" where they confer upon themselves the title of "expert" and pretend to know all like the Great and Powerfull Oz> Just dont look behind the curtain to see how wrong they can be
;-)
I've noticed issues with their judging guide for the 1984 I bought years ago based mainly on their method of compilation and my own personal observations. Simple things like the auto shift indicator they missed are inexcusable. (Earlier Autos have PRD321 rather than later marked with the Overdrive D that are sold by major retailers as "replacements").Maybe they have made corrections since but I'm not gonna shell out more $$ for their latest guide. ;-) I recall getting the lame original survey before the guide was even issued(which was compiled by some guy with an 86 in NJ).
Many unique differences they missed in the guide are things well documented in GM Tech Service Bulletins (like hatch gas-shock length)or were mentioned in articles by well known Vette gurus like Gorden Killebrew that I've read over the years.
So, who really cares what some organisation that IS wrong says is "right"?

ALL seat cover sare NOT the same in color or quality.
My 84 has Medium Grey which in 84 was a silver leather. Mid America did not recognize this and the seat covers they sent were grey instead and they had a MAJOR attitude about me being wrong and them being correct when I know darn well mine were original and came silver. Mid America also claimed theirs had the "correct density" foam but it was super hard and incorrect.
Funny thing is> Corvette America knew darn well there was a difference and supplied the CORRECT silver color! :-D
I also found that no one seems to have a "decent" density foam> all seem to be rock hard and even after 10 years my replacement foam in the passenger seat hasn't worn in like they claim will happen. (75% of the time I have a passenger so its not like it never gets used). The new foam was SO Rock HARD that after a few months I switched the new foam in the drivers seat with my now 30 year old foam I'm still using just so I'd sit IN the seat instead of floating ON TOP!
If anyone really needs new foam because the old stuff is trashed I'd say buy some used in decent shape on ebay and recover it with new covers which is super easy.
;-)

^ Ha Ha Bill! Yeah forgot about that altitude! I should have said at SEA LEVEL! :-D

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Water boils at 212 Degrees Farenheit. Most coolants like Prestone boil at 245 Degres Farenheit so JUST plain water is NEVER EVER best...use just water and your car would overheat frequently and blow head gaskets,etc.


Tap Water> Should NEVER EVER be used>it will RUIN your cooling system by cuasing corrosion/electrolysis as the minerals in tap water react.Distilled is ALWAYS better ;-)

WATERLESS Coolants are BEST>
"superior cooling protection for all gasoline and light duty diesel engines, including marine and light aircraft. In conditions ranging from -40˚ to 375˚F. High Performance Coolant provides cooling protection through constant liquid coolant contact with engine metals. Eliminates water-causing corrosion, electrolysis and cavitation. One successful installation provides cooling protection for the life-time of the engine, reducing maintenance time and expense."

http://www.evanscooling.com/products/coolants/automotive/

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Glad you figured it out (knock on wood)!
I dont get on here often and as I read I thought of 2 things on my 84 when it did a similar thing many years ago and recently.
Finally after several frustrating events of stumbling for no reason I could fathom mine set a code and it was a short in one of those same annoying "famous" wires hooked up to the Distributor cap/coil!

Then, 5 years ago the engine would just suddenly up and quit while driving. It would start and run great for awhile....turned out it was the stupid GM test plug also attached to the HEI! It was grounding when it hit something while moving. Clipped it off and it has run great ever since!

INTERIOR 1986 3rd brake light?

I am doing some research and am wondering if anyone has come acroos this "unicorn"?

In 86 there apparently was briefly ALSO an Interior mounted Rear brake light!

I remember getting into an argument back in the late 80's with a friend over the addition of the tacked on 3rd brake light we all know today and whether the bumper mount like on a convertible was better.
My friend worked at a car dealer at the time(in CT) and insisted that an INTERIOR 86 brake light existed. I doubted him for quite some time until the 86 he was thinking of came in for service and sure enough after conversing with its original owner he claimed it had come from the factory with and interior mounted brake light!!!:eek:
As the years passed, I have kept an eye out at car shows, carlisle, etc and have never seen another since.
I'm starting to wonder if the owner was telling the truth and had instead replaced the exterior with an interior one himself to keep the original lines of the car....

Excellent MOD.... if you feel you need the 3rd brake light. I installed the LED taillights and they are so bright you may not need the 3rd brake light at all :-)

I had considered before adding the led taillights that I might add an interior led brake light so as not to ruin the aerodynamics of teh original design.

In 86 there apparently was briefly ALSO an Interior mounted Rear brake light! I remember getting into an argument back in the late 80's with a friend over the addition of the tacked on 3rd brake light we all know today and whether the bumper mount like on a convertible was better.
My friend worked at a car dealer at the time and insisted that an interior 86 brake light existed. I doubted him for quite some time until the 86 he was thinking of came in for service and sure enough after conversing with its original owner he claimed it had come from the factory with and interior mounted brake light!!!:eek: I dont recall seeing another since!

I'm torn several ways. I like the black one's better between the 2. I can appreciate the tying them to past generations but would prefer that the script be more modern with the c4 Font. Sorry. I know that wasnt much help :-P

I just intend to polish my original fins and paint the body in a wrinkle finish so its more "European" since the designers were leaning that way when toward making the c4.

Quote:
The NCRS is assuredly well intentioned but nonetheless amatuer in its approach. As a professional museum curator their work is SLOPPY and very unscientific and an insult to my profession. The 84 judging guide is ripe with errors (as any original 84 owner can tell you). The original owner survey was initially done by an 86 owner from NJ with zero attention to detail and corrections are a long time coming.
Perhaps they have since corrected their errors as its been a few years since I purchased their guide and tossed in in a drawer in disgust. I do not intend to waste any more $ on them :-P
It's truly a a wonder to me that anyone gives them any credibility at all...I can only IMAGINE the errors people believe as fact for previous years!

Absolutetly love the Camaro! U ROC! :-D

A GOOD businessman would have had already emailed you with tracking information so you knew when to expect a shipment (so it wasnt left outside in bad weather or possibly stolen). Add to that his deception of quoting one price and chargiung another is just BAD business and VERY shady!

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Yeah, yeah, yeah...who cares? your ".org" is a local vette club and is USELESS for 99% of the country.

Bottom line is that Hydrocarbon is cheaper looking...period. If you think it looks "real" then your standards arent very high ...sorry...it looks NOTHING like real to a discriminating eye.
Hydrocarbon looks like fake wood looks...why bother?
Its like someone saying their formica "granite look" countertop looks "just like" real stone...then they make an abserd claim its "better"..... yeah go ahead keep telling yourself that!

If you want a better looking dash super cheap then just spray paint like many other people do instead. (Some great pics on this site of people's finished resprays)

BUT... Guess what? REAL CARBON FIBER kits are LESS $$$ then that hydrocarbon garbage if you shop around. Check ebay or research companies online. Sure, if you want an entire piece 100% molded of CF it's expensive...but if you want to accent with CF why buy fake when real is better for less?

PS Dont believe the hype hydrocarbon sells you about real CF discoloring. Sure if its your ROOF then it may discolor...but I've had my INTERIOR for over 10 years and it still looks GREAT!

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I took one from my kid's cheapo tool set...they were thin enough to work perfectly!


PS I dont like the title "Lazy Man"...it shopuld be smart man tip..... always "work smarter not harder!":-)

There are 2 flashers you need for 2 different purposes(at least on an 84.)

One is the tail light flasher (located in 84 on the passenger side below the "breadbox"). The one I bought from Eckler's had an additional ground wire.

and the other is the Hazard Flasher which on 84 is behind the DIC(Driver Info Cluster-warning lights). I didnt buy this from Eckler's because at the time they didnt warn me I needed a second one... so I eventually bought one at autozone and it worked fine :-)

Hope that helps your application and an idea of what you may need to disassemble :-)

Reminded me of what a service tech who worked at Chevy in the mid 80's told me 20 years ago. Customers with new Vettes would come in under warranty with the mirror glass wobbling. They would just stick a piece of cardboard behind it to stabilise it. By the time the cardboard rotted the car wasn't under warranty anymore and then they'd charge them to fix it right! :-O

Sorry, but hydrocarbon is a personal pet peeve when used to simulate real carbon fiber....they just look cheap especially since you did such other quality work.
They actually make REAL CARBON panels for your year car...there simply isn't a valid comparison....I dont know why anyone would settle for a picture instead of the real thing when they are only slightly more expensive :-(

I did neither. I bought a thicker new reproduction 86 wheel at a car show vendor for a very reasonable $125. (I also saw the same guy at Carlisle later that year.) Eckler's sells them for $230! On Ebay new reproductions range from $130-$175 with free shipping.

I then listed my old OEM thinner mushy original wheel on ebay with plenty of pics of its condition and still got $75 and positive feedback!
New wheel =$50 :-D

This may help too if you want to wire them to be on withOUT your headlights popped up http://corvette1984.freewebtools.com/ ... /DrivingFogLights/FL.html


And while you're in there...why not just upgrade to HID? :-)
http://www.corvettehid.com/cart/index ... bef3bd8c4f19c289f8aa97d1c

I seriously dont know why anyone would ruin a nice Vette with that fake CF hydrocarbon! Its REAL CF or OEM! ;-)

I don't recommend adding those foam "air filters" over the screens. I bought a set and they retained water and gave the car a musty smell. :-(

Good Luck. Been searching myself. I really only want the horn button in chrome. Like you said, they used to make them but only currently sell them in Gold. I have seen full sets of gold on ebay for only $50!

I find that HILARIOUS that people really care about this so much since I dont value it based on my experience. The NCRS judging manual I have for 1984 is very inaccurate. This leads me to the conclusion that the NCRS doesnt really have a clue as to what is actually factory correct :-(
Maybe they have updated it in the past year but I 'm certainly not going to waste more $ on a newer edition. :-(

Once the wheel gets squishy I dont think a wheelskin will solve the problem since the mush gets worse with time and heat.
The 86-up thicker wheel will work with a stock 84-85 horn button assembly.
I have a reproduction wheel and you'd never know the difference. I bought mine at a car show and was only $125. So if you shop around you could find one cheap :-)

Since this is the Restoration section and one might have NCRS in mind:
84-85 steering wheels were thinner than 86-up.
Another is that 84-85 have different horn buttons. OEM has a horn stamped on the leather. They also actuate differently so they have a different appearance. 86-up fit flush with the wheel so they have different mechanism where leather depresses but 84-85 are raised and the whole horn button moves.

Maybe its because MR Goodwrench isnt as skilled as he used to be? GM probably still has it listed in their manual as taking some ridiculous time frame so they charge for that then do it in 1/3 the time.

Dont bother with your stock manifold...check this out...new performance one!
http://www.crossfireinjection.net/DCS%20News.html

The wheel centers are grey so if wheels are original its an 87. Plus it has the 3rd brake light so its not an 84-85

Anybody remember when they used the vette in the TV show Scarecrow and Mrs King? That was cool lots of chase scenes!

Thats very weird and sad whenever someone dies. Apparently, we're not hearing the whole story.

Quote:

YES! Couldnt agree more. Especially when they do so online and use it as their "handle". The way I see it is that "specialists" should be right 99.9% of the time. Its almost like they are challenging you to find something wrong!

As for dealerships. Lucky you found a decent dealer! Congrats! It does depend on the mechanic. I used one guy who worked at dealer for electrical problems...once he left I never went back.
I find that EVERYTIME with that ONE exception that when went to dealer to do something I couldnt handle myself they seem to break something else, probably so I bring it back! Thats been my experience anyway.

Quote:

That would be why he mentioned it being an exception. BUT I dont think that technicality should have any bearing since:
Technically its not a techinical question about a c4 corvette. However it is a statement about the board's technicality.

Cant quite make it out....Does it say "all I can now afford was this Tshirt"?
Congrats on the "completion" of your project!

Watched it in freeze frame. The shot I posted is the bullet in flight at the height of victim's head and slightly left.



There is minimal recoil this early after shot is fired and drawing a str8 line from barrel is fairly accurate where the bullet would go. The bullet went right next to the guys ear!

I think the pistol is a beretta 92 or 96. First, her finger shouldnt have been on trigger unless she intended to shoot. Certainly the weapon should not have been cocked and I dont think it was or even their dept uses double/single. If it was Double action Only that takes about same pressure as DA/SA... relatively a lot of pressure to fire.
Pistol must have been getting heavy. Fortunately, she jerked the trigger which would send the shot low and to the left. Otherwise...brains all over the pavement!

Bullet appears to ricochet past the cops knee probably into cruiser.

I kinda wish she HAD shot the cop in the knee...they would have gotten her off street for sure!
Second Scary part was seconds before it appeared to be aimed at the cops crotch! Maybe she doesnt like black cops? Scary in any case!

At least 3 Cops on scene and they NEED to draw a firearm?? WTF? Should be a felony and she should be prosecuted. Couldnt they "just" beat him like Rodney King?

Love it, love it, LOVE it! MEAN!
Reminds me of the smokinvette,com guy's c6....but yours has a body style I love!

I have an idea...While doing body work I personally would have had them cover over the center brake light....always thought it ruined the rear bumper...not as much as that horrible 86 thing though. Too late

Next best thing I'd suggest is black out the brake light with nightshades...make it disappear and look cooler :-D

If evrything you've said is true....Sounds like a case of fraud if I ever heard one.

You should get what you pay for without debate over whether one or the other is "better". Is Castrol just as good a synthetic as Mobil 1? Maybe yes maybe no, but If you get billed for one you darn well should get what you pay for!
The drill bit is the nail in the coffin...shoddy workmanship and a devious "correction" that led to failure down the road. Disgraceful!

Tuesday?..Naw, sorry....Pepe's is closed Tuesdays...

I never did like the horns either. First I replaced the A and C notes with an E and F. I thought about using a naval "battle stations" klaxon (corvettes being a ship and all). But I just didnt find one. Finally I settled on an OOOga horn instead.

It sounds like the Germans are being attacked in Kelly's Heroes. Sometimes I'll even play "All for the love of Sunshine" at same time.....

AMAZING! Not just that the incompetant B$%^ almost wacked a guy...but that no one seems to even care!

Did anyone even bother to WATCH the video?!?!? She almost SHOT the guy for chris sake!!
Thankfully it was caught on tape. Anyone know what happened to her? She should be in JAIL!!

IMHO adding the Vette logo is over the top...too much branding is just tacky.

How about brown LEATHER? I got a generic auto catalog the other day and they show them in a Mercedes with tan interior...VERY NICE! Couple vendors listed:
http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index ... B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA http://floormats4less.stores.yahoo.ne ... genuine-leather-mats.html

Or how about coco mats? http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=1607

That guy sure got lucky! Seems the windshield absorbed the impact.
Ironicly just saw that episode of Manswers on how to survive being hit by car at 40 MPH..jump.... roll onto hood and put shoulder to windshield.

Maybe YOU should sue HIM for replacement cost, time etc. He caused the accident! Mower shouldnt be in road...period!

Ever since I started posting at SmokingVette and here ... I've found myself having to edit for "appropriate" content elsewhere! I guess some places are a little more wild!

UGG not those UniqueAutosport guys! Anybody with a parts catalog could do what they do. Their stuff is SO below the level they pose to be at! They seriously need some guidance to be world class like the designs they executed for MarcEcko.
They need to step up to that level of UNIQUE-ness in all their work instead of being some sort of glorified parts warehouse with talented but misdirected installers.
The show reminds me of "AmericanHotRod" and Boyd Cottington who sits in an office all day doing same tired "designs" over and over. Castro doesnt do any real work except get others to pull parts off of shelves while creating bitterness among his employees.
They should look to example of Foose who designs excellence and executes it in the trenches with his guys!

Right..if it has CD than its later for sure!

This drove me NUTS back when I first bought mine!
On the 84 OEM Unit... Its actually a cool very "old school" way...like setting the radio presets! You PULL the buttons out to set the clock. There is one for minutes and one for hours.
Pull out the SCAN button to set hour.
Pull out SEEK to set minute!

When ignition is off you can also just check time by pressing the ON,Off,Volume control knob.

OR you can JUST BUY a 78 series Optima that doesnt have the top posts!!
I saw it 3 days ago at A&A auto parts, a local speed shop chain here in PA.

I have painted my rear speakers and roof brackets silver so I dont see why you cant paint your's black. BUT I have a better idea!
Paint wears away and can look bad quickly even if properly prepped. I have had great success with using DYE to restore my black parts with "Forever Black" http://www.foreverblack.com/ It just cant wear...ever! Some people I recommended it to HAVE changed some exterior panels on their Honda Element from grey to black.
Just like proper painting it is necessary to remove all grease and oil.
BTW, I think it might look cool to leave some of the parts Grey! Black and grey look great together. Why not just selectively things like the door panel carpet and leave the upper grey?