Art Car – Page 7 – Average Guy's Car Restoration, Mods and Racing

Livin’ with the Glitches – 07 Corvette

By Tim Sweet | March 31, 2011 - 8:35 PM |March 31, 2011 Auto Body Work, Auto Cross, Auto Restoration, Auto Technology, Automatic Transmission, C4, C6, Car Art, Car Girls, Car Models, Car Parts, Car Restoration, Car Shows, Cars, Chevy, Chrysler, Corvette, Corvette C6, Dirt racing, Dodge, Dodge, Drag Racing, Engine Mods, Ford, low riders, MOPAR, Muscle Cars, Mustang, Plymouth, Pontiac, Restro-Mods, Stock Car Racing, Street Racing, Suspension Mods, Tires, Transmission, ZR1

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Technology…you love it, you hate it.

It’s the technology that can take a stock small block Chevy engine produce 420 hp and still get reasonable mpg’s. It’s the technology that kicks in the Active Handling when you get yourself in trouble ( I personally drive with it off).

But it’s the technology that can be troublesome and cause confusion.

My 2007 C6 has equal to or in some areas more technology them my wife’s 2011 Lexus RX. Her car will let you know when the tire pressure is low, the Corvette lets you monitor it was you drive, right on the Driver Information Center (DIC) and you can toggle between front and rear. However my Corvette has nasty habit of giving me a false reading every now a then – gives me the “ding ding” warning and then prompts me that my is flat..not just low pressure, but straight to flat and then warns me not go to over 55 miles per hours. The computer assumes you have run flat tires and that it’s safe to do so. Of course there is nothing wrong with my tires pressure, (however, I always pull over to check it anyway with $1800 worth of rims and as much in rubber, you can’t be too careful). Normally it clear up after a while.

Another interesting glitch is the “headlights suggested” warning. That’s great but in the middle of a bright sunny Arizona day? Happens all the time. It darkens the dash so I can’t read it and then as some point it goes away and allows me to continue with just the daytime running light.

Every now and then the light for the passenger air bag show on, without a passenger.

One of other glitches which isn’t technology based, however none-the-less interesting. It’s emerging now that, that C6 Corvettes with manual 6 speed transmission does not shift well in cold weather. I’m not talking 85 degree below zero, I’m talking just under 50 degrees (above zero). I live in southern AZ where under 50 degree weather isn’t as common as else where in the country. How do those of you in northern climates adjust?. The most common issue is that the driver is unable to shift into reverse. That is the issue for my 07. Others have reported not being able to reach 3rd and 4th gears.

How about the known issue with the removal roof? It often becomes unseated and squeaks unmercifully. The quick solution is to stop the car, unlatch and lift the top and the re-latch. First ride I took my wife on, give her the impression that I got a lemon.

So are the glitches worth it? Is the prestige of owning a world reknowned sports car worth the glitches? Is 420 plus horsepower and suspension that sticks to the curves like a fly on flypaper?

What do you think?

Tim

1970 Ford Mustang Mod Project

By Tim Sweet | March 25, 2011 - 10:47 PM |March 25, 2011 Auto Body Work, Auto Cross, Auto Restoration, Auto Technology, Automatic Transmission, C4, Car Art, Car Parts, Car Restoration, Car Shows, Cars, Chevy, Chrysler, Corvette, Corvette C6, Dirt racing, Dodge, Dodge, Drag Racing, Engine Mods, Ford, low riders, MOPAR, Muscle Cars, Mustang, Plymouth, Pontiac, Restro-Mods, Stock Car Racing, Street Racing, Suspension Mods, Tires, Transmission, Uncategorized, ZR1

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1970 Ford Mustang Mod Project.

1970 Ford Mustang Mod Project Heat and Sound help
http://wp.me/PKHNM-mJ

American Made – Are you sure?

By Tim Sweet | March 21, 2011 - 8:28 PM |March 21, 2011 Auto Body Work, Auto Cross, Auto Restoration, Auto Technology, Automatic Transmission, C4, Car Art, Car Parts, Car Restoration, Car Shows, Cars, Chevy, Chrysler, Corvette, Corvette C6, Dirt racing, Dodge, Dodge, Drag Racing, Engine Mods, Ford, low riders, MOPAR, Muscle Cars, Mustang, Plymouth, Pontiac, Restro-Mods, Stock Car Racing, Street Racing, Suspension Mods, Tires, Transmission, ZR1

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Ran across the article with some interesting facts about what’s made in American.

What do you think is the most red-blooded American car?

Maybe this 07 Vette??

Our government declares that any car where 75% of its value is from parts made in USA (or Canada) the car is American made.

But here are some numbers:

The Corvette above is only 75% US where as the Honda Accord is 80% US, Toyota Camery is 80% US.

The Ford F150 is only 60% US.

The Dodge Challenger and Charger only 70% US.

The most American cars on the list are Honda Accord and Element at 80% and 85% respectively, the Ford Explorer at 85% (90% for the 2010 model year) and the Dodge Grand Caravan at 82%.

Now you know.

Thanks for reading

Tim

Aluminum – Chrome 70 Mustang Brackets

By Tim Sweet | March 20, 2011 - 8:56 PM |March 20, 2011 Auto Body Work, Auto Cross, Auto Restoration, Auto Technology, Automatic Transmission, C4, Car Art, Car Parts, Car Restoration, Car Shows, Cars, Chevy, Chrysler, Corvette, Corvette C6, Dirt racing, Dodge, Dodge, Drag Racing, Engine Mods, Ford, low riders, MOPAR, Muscle Cars, Mustang, Plymouth, Pontiac, Restro-Mods, Stock Car Racing, Street Racing, Suspension Mods, Tires, Transmission, Uncategorized, ZR1

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As I start gathering the different parts for all the new mods for my ’70 Mustang one thing I’m sure of is that I want a little more ‘bling” under the hood. I think the Ford blue engine paint with the brushed nickel look of the current intake need something to offset that color scheme. I’d like to do most of the brackets for the power steering, alternator, and ac compressor all in chrome. However that’s not going to be possible, if I rely on aftermarket/stock suppliers, as most of my brackets are custom-made. (That’s what you get when you keep the 6 cylinder components when you do a conversion to an 8 cylinder.) So I’m going to make do with what I can find and the rest will remain iron.

Now with the cost of all this mods looming on the horizon and having less than the average budget, I’m trying to upgrade at least the tension portions of the Alternator, A/C and the power steering to chrome. My goal is to replace them with heim joints w/adjustable rods between them. These are not inexpensive and often require some modification.

So in the pursuit of this end I purchased a kit from Summit Racing for my alternator. This was an all aluminum kit and only advertised as being for a ‘stock” 302 engine. So going in I knew that it might not work at all. This turned out to be correct except for the heim joints and the threaded aluminum rod.

So I going to use those for the tension rod for the alternator. However, it wasn’t chrome and had a very heavy coding to make it look like brushed nickel. The goal for this pieces was to polish it up and see how “bling” like it could look. This would be a series of repeated sanding, buffing and polishing.

I used my Dremel, sanding disks and buffing and polishing wheel, 200 and 600 grit sand paper and Purple Metal polish, cotton rag (ok..fine it was an old t-shirt) and a vice.

Dremel buffing while and 160 grit sanding disc

Now the 160 grit disk might have been a bit much but the coating was pretty tough and the disc made quick work but did leave a few marks on the test sample that might have causes a bit more work with the lighter grits.

This is actually purple in color and gritty like rubbing compound.

In short the process started with hitting the test piece (one of the stock bracket parts that wouldn’t fit) with the 160 grit disk via the Dremel. Next I ran the 220 grit sandpaper (by hand) over the aluminum and then the 600 grit and then with the buffing/polishing wheel via the Dremel with a coating of the Purple metal polish. I switched it up by using some metal polish with the 600 grit sandpaper.

It took a lot of elbow grease and a couple of hours. Here is what the test piece looks like. You can see the aluminum w/coating and polished portion.

Chrome? Absolutely as shining as chrome.

Now there are some in perfections in the aluminum and if not being careful with the sanding you can leave gouges but generally you can get this type of shine and it looks very close to chrome without the cost, just some elbow grease.

Next will be the polishing of the actual rod that will connect the two heim joints (they are already polished steel). (I’ve already started, but you won’t see it until it complete.)

Heim joint on one end and the aluminum rod.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Goodguys’ Car Show – Favorites

By Tim Sweet | March 16, 2011 - 10:27 PM |March 16, 2011 Auto Body Work, Auto Cross, Auto Restoration, Auto Technology, Automatic Transmission, C4, Car Art, Car Parts, Car Restoration, Car Shows, Cars, Chevy, Chrysler, Corvette, Corvette C6, Dirt racing, Dodge, Dodge, Drag Racing, Engine Mods, MOPAR, Muscle Cars, Mustang, Plymouth, Pontiac, Restro-Mods, Stock Car Racing, Street Racing, Suspension Mods, Tires, Transmission, Uncategorized, ZR1

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So I thought I’d take the last few post and just show you some of my favoriates.

First up is a 1957 Ford Fairlane. Beautiful car with a little some’in extra under the hood. Check it out:

1957 Ford Fairlane - great looking wheels!

Great view of the portapotties – I guess I should have photo shopped them, but that wouldn’t make you feel you were actually there.

: Oh..I bet you didn’t see that one coming!!!! Knocking out some HP with that set up.

Sorry but I have to go back to the wagons. The two doors are the best!

1957 Chevy Wagon - 2 doors - Great...newish LS2 Corvette engine...enough already!!!

You need to check out this next car!!!

They did this 1960 Ford Starliner just right!!

Header cutouts with side pipes and those headlights!!!!

But check out the bling!!!

Now say that ain't nice!!!

Thanks for reading.

Couple more coming up.

Tim

Feature Car – Powell Pick-up.

By Tim Sweet | March 6, 2011 - 9:48 PM |October 26, 2016 Auto Restoration, Auto Technology, Car Restoration, Chevy, Chrysler, Corvette, Corvette C6, Dodge, Dodge, MOPAR, Plymouth

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This is the first of Average Guy’s “Feature Car” blog entries so a little preamble is required. My daily driver is my 07 C6 Corvette and I love that car, but you won’t see new or newish exotic cars in this feature. Nope, it will be mainly comprised off beat, older cars including some muscle cars, pickups, utility vehicles and what not.

So I’m starting off with a pickup, most folks haven’t heard much about. It’s the Powell pickup.

These are a bit odd-looking pickups. See for yourself:

1956 Powell

These trucks were a collection of parts from other American car manufacturers. They were produced 1954 – 1957 with about 1000 units created and I do mean created!!

They were built on early 1940’s Plymouth and Dodge chassis, with part of the bodies being producted of steel, front ends made from fiberglass and tailgate and bumpers made of wood at one point. In most cases the engine was straight 6, Mopar‘s 201, but they did use a few other power plants in the same family, even some industrial engines.

One interesting notes is that the chrome used in the grille was from 1950 Ford rear door. But the most unique feature was the cylinder shaped compartment that slide out of the rear of the trucks for fishing pole storage.