Hi there,

I was just thinking to reduce the weight on my Corvette to improve handling and fuel economy.
Do you think it's a wise and effective thing or just time wasted?

I can't replace the rear spring now with a composite one , but I think I'll do it soon.I will not replace the front springs with a composite anyway ( too much job).

So , to reduce weight without spending any money , I was thinking :

-remove the spare tire. I don't need it. I will use a 12v air pump connected to the battto inflate the tireand driveto the tire shop. I haven't yet tried to remove the spare tire but I suppose that the related lid will be hard to fix ( floating)without the tire in. If so , I can probably work something out to fix the lid
- low fuel quantity in the tank ( just what I need but not so few to pick up the dirt in the lower part of the tank)

I don't need AC .
-remove the AC compressor . quite easy I think
-remove the AC radiator ( I think it's not exhactly easy and quick). I will improve the main radiator cooling too , I think. Does someone knows the weight of the AC radiator ?( if too light i think I will leave it there)

Is there anything else I can do?

 

Weight reduction on a dayly driver really isn't much help. If you're goin' to drag race, there are a lot of things you can take out. Interior, extra seat,front fender wells, all wireing that doen't need to keep engine runnin', and all sorts of little things that can add up to a few hundred pounds.

 

Might try driving it on a hot day without the A/C on and see how hot these babies are inside. They're a real roaster. [:'(]

The spare tire holder is easy to remove.

 

I hate AC in modern cars too...
I open the windows and go.

When hot , T-tops away.

Anyway I can't pay for the AC gas consumption too. Gas here costs 3 times more than in the US...

But there's a problem : I'm experiencing lot of heat coming from the engine . my feet becomes warm after 15 min.and heat coming from the underside of shifting stick. I suppose is normal in Corvettes.

But no way out for me . I would never drive in spring -summer with AC on and windows up. my corvette rides are short , anyway : just go to the sea and riding all around. I don't expect long trips...

please let me know your experience about

 

You can put heat barrier padding under your carpet and wrap the undersde of the tranny tunnel too.

Oh ya,...Bore X stroke / head chamber = comp ratio ( that would be with a flat top piston )

 

Might check to make sure that the factory insulation on top of the transmission is still there. Also there was a foam piece between the bell housing and transmission tunnel. Plus a piece on each side between body and frame. Check Dr. Rebuild. http://www.docrebuild.com/

 

I didn't know that, thanks! [sm=icon_rock.gif]

 

But there's a problem : I'm experiencing lot of heat coming from the engine . my feet becomes warm after 15 min.and heat coming from the underside of shifting stick. I suppose is normal in Corvettes.




Interior heat issues:

1. Heater control valve - located in the engine compartment on the heater hose coming off of the water pump. A. The valves get stuck in the open position. B. The vacuum line going to the control valve is blocked or disconnected.

2. Rubber shift boot - Install a rubber shift boot under the leather one. Make sure that you fasten the base of the rubber boot to the transmission tunnel.

3. Holes - These cars are old and have been "modified" by previous owners. Look for holes in the transmission tunnel, firewall and floors. Plug any holes you can. My car had a gaping hole in the transmission tunnel from a butchered shifter installation.

4. Insulation - Headers and dual exhaust produce lots of heat. Take out your seats, kick panels and carpeting. Throw out that rotted old horsehair (jute) patch of insulation on the floor, it hardly covers anything anyway. Buy some "Reflectix" or some "Dynamat" insulation. The Dynamat is superior but costs a lot too. I bought Reflectix at Lowe's for under $50.00. Insulate the floor and transmission tunnel and tape the seams with some of that aluminum duct tape. Noise and heat will be reduced. One guy found a diamond ring under the carpet in his C3!

5. Header wrap - You can insulate your headers with header wrap. This will help with underhood temperatures and also adds horsepower.

6. Air vents - The heat and air vents are vacuum operated. Loss of vacuum means they get stuck. They also have an insulating seal around the edge of the door. If the seal is deteriorated then air leaks past.

7. Aluminum foil - wrap your legs in aluminum foil - this will help reflect the heat. [sm=insomnia.gif] [sm=joke.gif]



[sm=gears.gif] [sm=gears.gif]

ALDOUS DeeVeeEight




[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Thanks to all...

DV8 . I think that the heat comes from underside the shift stick , travels forward in the center console , then out at feets. I'll check underside the shift and if necessary , insulate.

my Engine . pictured my engine after washing. going to make aesthetic restore .
I would like to know more about it. look at pic of side of head. It's cast iron type. but what brand? OEM? in a couple of weeks I will open the valve covers to replace gaskets and shoot pics of heads inside.Will post them to your attention

I suppose that my engine was placed in my car about 20 years ago (I suppose this because my old tires - never removed- are marked 1988 and the tachometer servicing was made in 1985 , there's rust on valve covers and lot of rust on the spark plugs , before replacement, rust on water pump)
which was the trend in the USA about engine tuning on Corvette 20 years ago? same today's "fever" or less.

the only things I can see about my engine are :
Edelbrock performer RPM intake , edelbrock 1406 carb, MSD hei distributor, hedmann hedders headers ( dual). But hard to say something about heads and camshaft choice

If someone has a Xray sight like superman...joking
Just I would like to know if , considering that the engine job has been done 20 years ago and considering what we can see from pics , a good job has been possibly done also inside ( also , rear end gear ratio brought to 3.55:1 from the standard 3.36:1)

Aldo



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The heads are the low compression version of the "double hump" high performance heads. Combustion chamber is a little larger and when used with flat top pistons yield a 9:1 CR. When used with the LT-1 11:1 pistons, they'll give you about a 10:1 CR.

They still have the 2.02/1.6 valves.

If you want to redo the power brake booster and master cylinder cover, check http://www.eastwoodco.com/for a rattle can substitute for the original dichromate finish. I've seen it and the color is close but the finish is slightly more shiny.

To check the engine, do a compression test, a leakdown test, and vacuum test.