Category Archives: Corvette

Stereo Swap on A C6 Vette – Part I

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Even at my age I still love cranking the music while I’m driving.  When you have a long commute, you don’t mind it as much when your tunes are on.   A couple of months ago my CD player in my 2007 C6 Vette decided to toss error message rather than belting out music.  I thought perhaps the CD was bad and changed it out.   Nope…still only read errors.  Ejected that one and tried a third and got the same result.

Ya know, radio ain’t what it use to be, it’s sad when you can go nearly half your drive hearing only one track and the rest of the trip is listen to a couple of voices attempt to entertain you and fill the ‘dead air” with totally horrible local commercials.  After programming the buttons on the receiver and about a month of actually mashing the buttons on the radio, 40 times a each way,  I decided to pick up a used stereo online and swap them out.  It only took a few minutes to find a used stereo (receiver and CD player) that coincidentally came from a 2007 Corvette and of course you trust that it works and this one did.

I hadn’t up to this date spend any time taking the dash apart on the C6 -unlike my 1970 Mustang and 1984 Corvette where I visited behind their dashboards a lot.  So I reached out across the nation, via Google to find instructions.   Needless to say there are a lot of videos out there and after the first time pulling the center dash off it’s pretty easy (yeah…I had to do that more than once).

Caution:  As with most tech laden cars, be careful of all wire connections. Highly unusual for me, I avoided all those fit falls.

IMG_20150411_160103198_HDR

This is the lower part of the dash (ashtray cig lighter areas) opened up.  You can clearly see the back side of the cigarette lighter (maybe we should call them – power port – whole generation out there that don’t know that this luxury item is).  Additionally, there is the connection to the to a second power port and at least in most models the traction control.  Just highlighting the necessity to be careful.

In short you have to remove the consul storage lid (a few hex drivers are required for that) and the unsnap the cover for the emergency brake as well as remove the shift knob.  The rest pulls off easily…BUT…first disconnect the power ports.

There are a few screws for pulling out the cd player and receiver and you’ll need to disconnect the power and antenna.

You can find that all out on one of the online video or you tube and since this isn’t the subject matter of the post I’ll let you find the one you like.

Dropping in the replace stereo is just as easy….piece of cake!   Just before putting all the trim pieces back in I rested the CD/Receiver units and tested it.  It played for a few seconds and then “LOCKED”.   Clearly a bad sign.

Stay tuned for how the options and how I handled it.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

c6 corvette stereo replacement

1 Millionth Corvette Restoration

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Craftspeople and technicians at the General Motors Design Center are painstakingly restoring the historic 1 millionth Chevrolet Corvette damaged nearly 16 months ago when a sinkhole opened beneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.

The restoration crew is part of GM’s Mechanical Assembly group at the Design Center, which typically spends its time building prototype and concept vehicles. The white 1992 Corvette is a challenge because rather than build an all-new vehicle from the ground up, the workers are trying to preserve the original appearance of a production vehicle.

It is the second of three sinkhole-damaged Corvettes that Chevrolet has pledged to restore. The first, a 2009 Corvette ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, was only lightly damaged and was returned to its original condition last fall. The National Corvette Museum will oversee the restoration of the third car, a 1962 Corvette.

Five other Corvettes swallowed by the sinkhole will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve the historical significance of the cars. They will become part of a future sinkhole-themed display at the museum.

Shared from: http://corvettemuseum.blogspot.com/2015/06/sinkhole-swallowed-1-millionth-corvette.html

If you are wondering  about all those signature they are original to the car when it first rolled through the assembly line.  This forced the restorers to fix parts that were originally set to be replaced completely.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#Corvette

 

Surprise discovery shifts strategy to save sinkhole Corvette

(CNN) For Corvette lovers it’s sort of like a painter being asked to touch up the “Mona Lisa.” Because — like Leonardo da Vinci’s painting — there’s only one 1 millionth Corvette. Restoring the white, 1992 LT1 convertible roadster doesn’t really come …

Ron Scott’s 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Has a Split-Window Personality

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Emulation is probably one of the most commons things in the car hobby. We see a car at a show or race and are instantly entranced by its siren song of looks, performance, and imagination-stimulating allure. And after enough exposure, commitment to building a duplicate becomes irresistible.

Ron Scott Jr. had always loved the vintage race look on classic Corvettes. Wide wheel flares, spoilers, race-style wheels and brakes, the growl of a powerful V-8 through headers and race exhaust, they all had him entranced to the point he wanted to build one of his own. He wanted a car he could not only show, but also take to track days and autocross events as well. After searching online, he found a suitable candidate on eBay to start his build with.

“I found the car on eBay for $35K. It was rough, with some bodywork completed and a second-gen LT1 out of an early fourth-gen Camaro sitting in the frame. It was pretty much a roller with no interior, wiring, or anything special. It was perfect for what I was looking to do, as we didn’t want to modify anything that was nice.”

See the rest of the images and store @  Ron Scott’s 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Has a Split-Window Personality.

 

1963-chevrolet-corvette-drivers-side-view

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

super chevy show 2015super chevy show 2015

Mel Martin’s Auto Museum – Corvettes

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Last week my wife had to sit for a certification exam for her profession.   It was conducted over multiple days and held in Phoenix, AZ.  That is about a 1.5 hours drive (unless I’m driving the Vette, just joking always, obey the speed limits kids!!) north of Tucson and it made sense to grab a hotel room and spend 3 days.  While she was enduring the slow torture that they cleverly called “taking the exam”, I was left with a very rare, continuous span of free time.

I don’t know about you, but when I end up with unappropriated time and I’m in a hotel room, I don’t spend it watching HBO. I’ll jump on the WiFi and find some car action.  This was a perfect time to find some local car shows or events.  Just so happens on the way to the hotel I saw a sign, a few exits before the one we exited to reach the hotel, that read “Auto Museum”.

I gave that a Google and found the exact address.  The museum was called Mel Martin’s Auto Museum – “Phoenix’s Largest Auto Museum” and it was only open from noon to five the next day and asked for a $5 donation. So I put that on my to do list and head there the next day.

The museum is on a one way frontage road.  The building looks to be an old self-storage place converted in to businesses.  The museum entrance looks unassuming and you wouldn’t think it large enough to house 60 cars and a ton of automobilia.

Here are some highlights:

 

What kind of car museum would you be without a Corvette or two?

 

This beautiful 427 is an eye catcher!

This beautiful 427 is an eye catcher!

Check out Corvette Row!!!

VetteRow-3 VetteRow-4
VetteRow-5

 Here is a Vette you don’t see anywhere!!!

ListerVette-1

The 1992 Lister Corvette

ListerVette-2

Great lines…barely resembles a C4.

ListerVette-3

Front end looks like a Jaguar’s

ListerVette-6

I think the 17″ wheels are great looking!!!

ListerVette-5

The hood has those breathing holes for a reason. The LT1 under the hood…yeah it’s Vortech Supercharged!!! 500HP and 454 LB-FT of torque!!! Only automatic produced.

ListerVette-7   ListerVette-10

It also included the 1978 25th Anniversary Indianapolis Pace car.

Only 15 miles on this well preserved beauty! (No I don't know why I took the pic this way.)

Only 15 miles on this well-preserved beauty! (No, I don’t know why I took the pic this way.)

 

Thanks for reading.  More coming up on Mel Martin’s Auto Museum.

Tim

 

mel martin auto museum

Fahrenheit Z06: The Max Operating Temps for the Corvette Z06 Are Insane – Feature – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

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From the March 2015 issue of Car and Driver

via Fahrenheit Z06: The Max Operating Temps for the Corvette Z06 Are Insane – Feature – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog.

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 posts some impressive performance numbers thanks to its 650-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. It also posts some impressive BTUs. A byproduct of that flame-breathing engine is heat, and lots of it, generated ­primarily by combustion, friction, and intake-air compression. These and other factors, such as the low hoodline and pinched frontal openings demanded by stylists and aero engineers, contribute to the complex thermal-management task faced by engineers working on nearly all of this car’s varied subsystems. To assure that the Z06’s maximum performance is attended by minimal risk of failure, GM p­erformed heat-related stress analysis and modeling, as well as conventional hot-weather testing in Arizona. Here’s a look at the maximum operating temperatures of Z06 components:

Fahrenheit-Z06-inline3

These are some extreme temp and they will be higher during an Arizona summer

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Tim

 

2015 z06

Chicago Auto Show: 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

With an MSRP of about $79,000, but with trim levels that’ll take up much closer to $100K, the 2015 Z06 doesn’t mess around with measly six cylinder engines that pretend to be powerful with aid of umpteen turbochargers. It offers a massive, supercharged …
2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06: Top 10 Reasons it Shatters the Supercar Category

Racing Tires for the Street: Michelin engineered two tire options for the 2015 Z06. The standard Pilot Super Sport ZPs are sized 285/30ZR19 in front and 335/25ZR20 in back. A Z06 with the Z07 performance option gets Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP tires in the …

Peter Max Corvette Collection – Ultimate Barn Find? – Road & Track

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The long and twisted tale of the so-called VH1 MAX

Artist Peter Max’s Corvette collection headed to auction [w/video]

Sometimes, the stories that lead to cars turning up at auction are as interesting as the vehicles themselves. That’s absolutely the case with the Peter Max (pictured above) collection of vintage Chevrolet Corvette models that are scheduled to cross the …

, after sitting for nearly twenty-five years in a series of New York parking garages, has finally come to a close. According to a report in the New York Times, the thirty-six-car collection, which began as a grand prize in a television contest before finding its way into the hands of psychedelic graphic designer Peter Max, was recently purchased by a group of investors with the intent of returning the cars to their pre-infamy status.

via Peter Max Corvette Collection – Ultimate Barn Find? – Road & Track.

DAMN!!!

DAMN!!!

 

That’s an amazing find!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

National Corvette Museum: Museum Owned GS90 Unveiled at 20th Anniversary Event

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So what’s a GS90?   Here a share from  National Corvette Museum blog

BTW it you are a Corvette owner or enthusiasts and you are not a member of the Museum – you should be and here is the perfect reason why.  Read on!!!

History of the GS-90

In 1994, Corvette racing driver and tuner, Dick Guldstrand introduced his first and only coachbuilt Corvette: the GS90. The car is based on the Corvette ZR-1 chassis and engine designed by Steve Winter. When the C4 ZR-1 was released, Guldstrand saw an opportunity to bring back the Grand Sport he used to race with, pitching the concept of his radically restyled ZR-1 to Chevrolet. He requested several ZR-1s and a few million dollars. Instead he received one car and a blessing.

The GS90 was Guldstrand’s ultimate 475hp version of the ZR-1, incorporating influences from the Grand Sports of the early 60s inside a distinctive body style that is a throwback to the original 1963 Corvette Grand Sport race cars. Guldstrand left the ZR-1 cabin alone, concentrating instead on the chassis and engine development, and bespoke coachbuilt distinctive body.

Read entire article here National Corvette Museum: Museum Owned GS90 Unveiled at 20th Anniversary Event and see how a Lifetime Member supported the restoration of this rare car!!!

GS90

Thanks for reading.

Tim

corvette gs 90

National Corvette Museum to close sinkhole, plans for Great Eight finalized | Hemmings Daily

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It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on the Great 8. The National Corvette Museum has just announced that they will close the sinkhole.  See more here:   National Corvette Museum to close sinkhole, plans for Great Eight finalized | Hemmings Daily.

 

As for the Great Eight Corvettes themselves, the museum’s board of directors, in conjunction with Chevrolet, has determined that only three of the eight cars damaged were in sufficient condition to be repaired. Chevrolet will oversee the restoration of the 2009 ZR-1 Blue Devil prototype, as well as the 1,000,000th Corvette assembled, a white 1992 convertible, at the GM Heritage Center. The third car to be restored is the black 1962 Corvette; Chevrolet has agreed to fund this restoration, which will be handled by a shop designated by the National Corvette Museum. The remaining five cars will be preserved in their current states, and will form the basis of a future museum exhibit.Speaking of the car’s damaged in the sinkhole collapse, GM’s executive vice president of Global product development, Mark Reuss, said, “Our goal was to help the National Corvette Museum recover from a terrible natural disaster by restoring all eight cars. However, as the cars were recovered, it became clear that restoration would be impractical because so little was left to repair. And, frankly, there is some historical value in leaving those cars to be viewed as they are.”

 

1 Millionth

1 Millionth

1962

1962

Blue Devil 2009 ZR1

Blue Devil 2009 ZR1

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

Corvette museum to fill in sinkhole, leave five cars unrestored

Preservation or restoration. That’s the question that faces anyone dealing with classic cars, and it’s the issue with which the National Corvette Museum is grappling in the wake of the sinkhole that opened up in its midst this past February. In the …
National Corvette Museum sinkhole will not be permanent attraction

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) – A massive sinkhole that swallowed eight sports cars won’t be a permanent attraction at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. The museum’s board voted Saturday to fill in the entire hole that opened up in February and …

 

8th Annual Tucson Classics Car Show! Best Car Show in Southern Az! Oct. 18

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Wow where has 2014 gone?!  It’s almost Oct!!!!   But that’s a good thing here in the southwest, because that means its peak car show season and there “ain’t” nothing better than that!!!

Being a veteran car show participant, both as a spectator and entrant, I attend many hot, dusty car shows in Southern Arizona.   But the Tucson Rotary Club’s Annual Tucson Classics Car Show is a premier car show, in a beautiful setting and…wait for it…wait…it is on “GRASS”!!!!

With over 400 antique, sport, classic and hot rod cars, product and food venders everywhere,  it is a day well spent with the family.

If you are entering your pride and joy, these guys know how to run a quality car show!  Well organized and professional with lots of classifications.  They really cater to the car owner.

Since I’m a Corvette lover, I really like that the Tucson Rotary Club is, again, giving away a beautiful Corvette! I never miss a chance to win a Corvette.

Oh!!! All the proceeds support local charities, like the St. Joseph’s Neonatal Unit, among others.

Here a peek at this beauty:

 

Win this 2003 C5 Corvette Convertible!!!

Win this 2003 C5 Corvette Convertible!!!

For more information on the rules for the give-a-way and the car show navigate over to WWW.ROTARYTCC.COM and you can purchase your tickets for a chance to with this beautiful 2003 C5 Convertible (and other prizes) and enter your vehicle.

Maybe I’ll see you there and we talk cars!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

See you there!!!!

See you there!!!!

 

 

 

Engine Line Up for the 1965 to 1975 Avanti II

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The Avanti II was what was left of Studebaker car company (called Studebaker-Packard by that time) in the 1960’s . By that time all the car production for Studebaker-Packard was being done in Canada and South Bend factories were closed down.  Nathanial Altman and Leo Newman (two South Bend Studebaker dealership owners) purchased the rights and the dies/tooling for the Avanti, after failing to get the financial backing to reopen the plant in South Bend and continued production.

The Avanti II

The Avanti II

Of course Studebaker wasn’t making its own engine and the two dealers that pulled together enough funds to purchase the Avanti rights and dies/tools were in no position to start  full blown engine production.  So what’s next?   Make a deal with a company to purchase engines.

The Altman/Newman team Avanti turned to GM for the power plant.  So for 1965 – 1968 they opted for none other than the Corvette 327 cubic inch iron!!! Purchasing the previous year engines for placing in their new models – Now that explains why I often see the Avanti and the local drag strip during Test and Tunes!!!  The 327 was an overhead valved,  iron block that came with the stock bore and stroke of 4.00″ x 3.25″ and a compression ratio of 10.5:1.

Corvette Power Plant

Corvette Power Plant

Combined with hydraulic lifters, 5 main bearings and topped with a Carter (model 3846247) (for 1965) 4bbl carb produced 300 bhp at 5000 rpms.  All that in a light fiberglass body!!!!!

 

 

 

The difference between 1965 thur 1970  327’s were the carburetors that were available.  For 1966 it was a Holley 4bbl (model 3884505) , the remainder of production the hard working 327 was topped with various models of Rochester 4bbl carbs. ( 1967 it was Rochester 4bbl (model 3096631); 1968 a Rochester 4bbl (model 7028207); 1969 Rochester (model 7929203)

In 1969 Avanti II was blessed with an additional engine option.  It was the Corvette’s  350 CID.   This was an iron block overhead valve engine.  4.00″ x 3.48″ bore and stroke with hydraulic lifters and five main bearings.  With a compression ratio of 10.5:1 and breathing through a Rochester 4bb carb the lightweight was but 300 bhp.  (Same as the 327 – but there a lot you can do now with a 350 – again this may be the reason we still see them at the drag strips.

By 1971 the 350 was the only engine in the Avanti II and it’s configuration remained unchanged except the compression ratio was dropped to 10.25:1 and the horse power suffered to the tune of -30 hp, dropping to 270.

In 1973 the engine was changed to the generic GM 400 CID, but before you get too excited, it had 4.13″ bore and 3.75″ stroke but it was strangulated by a compression ratio of 8.5:1 and even the 4bbl Rochester could not help much as it produced only 245 bhp.

For 1974 and 1975 fompression was dropped and the Avanti II struggled to produce only 180 horses.  But you could still get the 4 speed manual Hurst shifter….so there’s that.

The first time I saw an Avanti II in person was at my local drag strip, during a charity race that I had entered by 1970 Mustang in (300 HP).  The Avanti was a 1970 and mostly stock as far as I could tell and it looked great and sounded even better at the tree.

The Avanti continued on through various owners and still using the Studebaker chassis until 1987 and the GM’s 305 was used for a time.  The Avanti continued on through 2006…but that is for another post.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

avanti ii

1969 Studebaker Avanti II is a “labor of love” – Jalopnik

If bongo solos and Studebakers are your thing, you are guaranteed to enjoy this week’s vintage Car and Track road test of the 1969 Avanti II. Even If bongo solos and Studebakers aren’t your thing, chances are you will still …