Just thought I’d follow-up with the finished product.
If you look a back at the original post (http://wp.me/pKHNM-sS) you can catch up on this mini project.
After a few more hour of sanding with 220 and 600 grit and Purple Metal Polish (applied with the 600 grit and polishing wheel for my Dremel) you can see the results as compared with the original code aluminum pieces.
New Heim Joint
Now I won’t be able use the entire kit from Summit Racing but I will install this as the replacement for the old stock tension bracket.
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?
No gadgets, no electronics, no error code readouts.
Just a ratchet, socket, feeler gauge and a set of 8 Autolite 45 spark plugs. Oh and a crappy old garage radio, sometimes playing music sometimes just static.
It takes me back in reverse chronological order. Back to some of the important “car” stages in my life. Back to my 82 Camaro, back further to my 69 Dodge Dart, back to my first 1966 Chevy (in 1976).
It takes me back one more stage, working in one of my father’s garages where I worked long days in the summer on customers cars and back a bit further watching my father work on our 61 Chevy Belair and his old Dodge pick up. Even further back to my grandfather’s garage with the half dirt half cement garage floor, watching the two of them trying to get that old early 1950 Ford or Chevy truck (we called it the “doodle bug” ..and no I don’t know how it got its name) running.
There was always a radio playing somewhere nearby often a baseball game or country music.
That’s one reason I love my 70 Mustang. Working on it takes me back to those days. Today I could have been 12 again, leaning over the fender of a real American made car, just the basic tools and an old radio tuned to a sports station recapping March Madness 2011. It could have been 1970 again.
Finished up the job and fired the Mustang up and that started the way-back machine again.
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.)
As I have mentioned, I love the old station wagons. I love the fact that they are being restored. I even like the fact that many are getting the power plants they needed back then transplanted. Although I have to admit I am growing bit tired of the seen a “Corvette” engine between the front wheels – maybe just the fact that they left the “Corvette” labeling on them.
There were some beauties at this show.
All Custom Wagon 1
Nicely Done.
Here is a nicely done Plymouth:
Plymouth Wagon
Love the Nose of this Ply - They really didn't want any one near it.
Now you can call me a DORK but I love this Ford Wagon.
Ford Wagon
Love the Grille
Hey..I even love the hood ornament.
This Torino Wagon, although banged up and hood all mis-aligned, it’s still a keeper with good tread and not too shabbby wheels. I think it’s a keeper.
Ford Torino Wagon.
Lowered but still standing tall was this beautiful Chevy Wagon.
Loving the paint and the roofline!!
I’ve got a few more post coming up shortly before wrapping the Goodguys’ car show trip.
