I like your style, you do what works for you. I know what you mean by people going nuts when you disagree. Especially with cars. I'm not an ls fan, and I don't like overdrive transmissions either. I think people who are in the bike community are a lot more tolerant of others choices. As we say, "to each his own".

 

The main reason that I decided to install the A/C system was because here in the Midwest in the summertime and it's 95° outside in the shade and raining and you couldn't put the windows down, it was like a sauna inside the car. Since it was my daily driver, that was an intolerable condition from my viewpoint. I like to drive my 2023 C8 HTC with the top down as much as possible.

I like manual brakes also for the same reason that you stated. A lot better feel and you can stop just as quick. I found out in auto-crossing on a tight course with the power steering, that I could need to turn the steering wheel quicker than the power steering would allow. After some study I found that the relief valve in the Chevrolet pickup truck power steering pump had a lower pressure. I installed this which then allowed me to turn the wheel as fast as I needed to. For some reason however this caused a very light steering at highway speeds and you had to keep your eyes on the road because it allowed it to wander. Not sure why.

 

To his own, not everyone wants the factory production version. Unless you are going to store it and not drive it, that's not me. I like the 402 BB with twice the power and torque, and I'm sorry to say this but yes I do like the overdrive 700R transmission in my case with 3.08 gears it would tach 3k at 70mph with sucked a lot of gas with the 350 engine a 350 transmission, it ran good but thirsty. Haven't checked 402 yet. A/C for me is kinda a must, I had a heat stroke too many times, and dealing with 300 degree asphalt and 100 degree temperatures outdoors for years I really like A/C, in a Truck or Car. I don't drive with the windows down very often, over the years I have had too many Bees go up my shirt sleeve with my arm out the window. That's the way I roll and I don't expect other people to roll the same way because we are all different and like different things. That's why this is America you get to set your car or truck the way it suits you, I respect that.

 

To have a c-3 with power steering with a lot of slack in the steering wheel there must be too much play eather in the hydrulic control valve or the steering gear box or both. The 77 I have now is power steering and I have made sure everything is tight, with wheel alignments. It does not wander at all with no steering free play. With stock wheels. The 70 roadster I had was non power steering but had wide BF Goorich radials (60 series I think) it was really bad for following grooves. But the steering was tight with no A/c or power brakes, 350 with 4 speed two tops great car. I was the second owner with 60k on the odometer.

 

It was not the steering box....Gary Ramadei rebuilt mine, and its as tight as they come. The play was in the hydraulic control valve....and it was a completely rebuilt unit. At the time, I had others on the "big" Corvette forum agree the unit at best has some delay / freeplay by design. I was not about to try another unit.....it was easier, and more like me, to remove it and set up factory manual steering. I have no regrets about it. It saves the extra parts and power takeoff of a steering pump, making engine compartment mroe open and simple. Another part of this equation is the caster you can set on power versus manual. I only have about 2.5 degrees of caster,....because the more caster you set the harder the steering gets in slow turns. I also have 17 inch wheels with Nitto 555GT tires....10 inches of soft rubber on the ground on all four wheels. I do have some level of "tramlining" in the car, i.e. car wanting to follow grooves, and more caster would help that. But.....

Part of my passion for this car is its unique and different driving experience. As I said above, there are many things that I "prefer" on the car because of my personal needs. My needs are NOT about comfort, worrying about bees, or a "quiet" ride, or efficient shifting points, or modern cruise RPM's, or ease of steering and braking. With T-tops off, and windows down....its noisy...I don't have a functioning radio, nor do II want it....the wind noise plus the rumble of an American V8 are MANDATORY rquirements for me to enjoy the car. I have an Autogear M23Z 4-speed transmission with Rock Crusher style gears.....and that sound, as well as the clunky old original style (rebuilt and shimmed to tight) shifter is MANDATORY for me to enjoy the car.....it shifts as well and as cool as my T56 gearbox in my C6. I don't need a fifth gear, nor would I ruin the character of this car with any modern technology. As for steering and braking, ....yes, its harder in parking lots,....and braking requires a more manly leg action. The manual steering, and handling, with the 2.5 degrees of caster, and the Nitto rubber, is THE #1 most satisfying characteristic of the car. It drives like NOTHING modern,....and I absolutely love it. The road feedback,....i.e. bumps, grooves, etc, all require that you are actively steeing the car.....there is no time for ignoring it. And as you enter a turn at a higher speed, the force on the wheel to maintain the turn increases....very cool. It is a completely different experience than anything else I drive,...and I would have it no other way. The physical demands are part of the satisfaction.

I am a very different person from anyone I know in the way I relate to my machines....which include my Harleys, and the airplane I fly for a living. Every since I was a little boy, flying model airplanes,....the machines and my passion for them, has been the major theme, and importance, in my life. It saved me from all the grueling struggles that came my way. THE MOST satisfying minutes of my life have been, and continue to be, on the back of my Harley....it's where I find peace and contentment. All in the middle of the noise and the wind (no windshields or fairings for me, and yes, its physically demanding, and you get bugs and rocks in you face). The Corvettes bring me that as well, although not to the same higher level as on the bikes. So....all the creature comforts, and ease of modern technology only takes away from the experience. And I ride, and drive, my machines ALOT.....its no part time, Sunday car show only, part of my life. I normally put 100-150 miles on the machines a day.....every day, except for days I fly. And every day I wake up.....first thought is how I will be back on the road soon.

I would have it no other way. I am not saying this makes me "better" than anyone else and their choices, but I do believe the experience I crave means more to me than others. My life without all of this would have been far less valuable. Most everything else is disappointing at some level.

 

Well explained. The power steering units on C-3s are not really power steering but are power assist just for low speed turning, is what they were designed for. A few older people prefer more power from their steering and you can size the fitting on the back of the pump to do that. If you had that much play in the steering wheel you must have had an out of adjustment valve or worn valve to do that. Sitting still with the engine off the only play that you feel should be the springs in the hydraulic valve which is normal. The 77 I bought in 2k with 75K miles (I'm the second owner, I think) 4400 serial number, built in September in 76, early 77 has the alarm key on the left front fender no flags, it had PS and Power brakes (have not touched the vacuum booster, yet) with the stock 180hp engine. Sold the engine and transmission to a friend who said it had .040 pistons in a 76 Corvette block, I'm thinking the original owner treated it like a rented mule. The BB engine now is all steel so it's about
200lbs heavier than a SB. So the PS for me is helpful when parking with a small leather steering wheel. It's not fancy but it's fun to drive. The hood is stock and People don't realize it's BB with a 2500 rpm 700r stall converter with 3.08 gears, it's surprisingly quicker than people would think from a dead stop. It's fun.

 

​​​​ Did you get my private message on the forum about the pictures?

 

Well, whatever it was....I was not fighting it or spending any more money on it. I had bought a new / rebuilt valve and ram....and there was freeplay....by my definition. There should be zero in a Corvette. I could see the steering box moving the stud....but the ram did not respond until more deflection. That was the end for me...I ripped it all of and sold it....never to return.

 

From what you are saying I'm wondering if the PS pump was putting out enough oil pressure to make it work properly. One less belt and oil leak to worry about now. PS not needed for cruising anyway.

 

JMorgan, you spoke of your 400 engine rebuild how is that working out? I can see you are using a Holley
and waybe a perfotmer intake manifold. Good stuff, I'm curious what you used for heads, pistons, and camshaft?