Author Topic: Impart your knowledge.... (Read 15942 times)

Drew · « **on:** September 12, 2002, 09:50:20 PM »

I have looked at some C4's and I would like to find out peoples thoughts on conversions

Mirror v's linkage setup leaving the original steering box??

Cheers

Drew

drew@xceltek.net.au

77CVT · « **Reply #1 on:** September 13, 2002, 09:34:14 AM »

I would think you would get a lot of different opinions on this one!

For looks, the full mirror conversion is the go, as well as ensuring all the air con, heater etc works on the inside.

1/2 conversion (brake booster on the LH side) is a waste of time in my opinion - my '77 is done that way and it is crap!

Many have had the chain drive conversion and are happy. Purists would advise against it but it is ultimately up to you how much you want to spend.

The most important thing to know is whether the person you choose to do it actually knows what they are doing! Looking at my car, I think I could have done a better job with a hacksaw and a bottle of scotch!

I'm no engineer but a lot of these so called small time "conversion experts" make some pretty basic errors.

Are you getting one done or buying?

rebel · « **Reply #2 on:** September 13, 2002, 07:16:47 PM »

Drew,

i agree with 77cvt that it all comes down to how much you want to spend.

The best conversions are either Full mirror (everything goes across) or Cross Over only the steering leaving the master cylinder as is. Mine is CrossOver and I'm quite happy - steering is predictable and responsive. I would have preferred a full mirror though.

In my opinion, whatever you do, forget the chains and linkages.

Good luck ..

SAVette · « **Reply #3 on:** September 09, 2003, 11:49:28 AM »

Always a topic bound to start arguments, and I would be extremely interested in hearing from others who have either conversion and what they think, especially someone who has had both.

First off, I have a chain/cross-over type of conversion and have had no issues or problems or anything with it. The one downside is probably that the heater doesn't seem to work overly effectively. Whether that is just the way '84 heaters were or it is effected by the conversion, I'm not sure. I probably guess it's the latter. However, it is a sunny Sunday afternoon car so the heater doesn't get used a lot. Neither does the A/C for that matter.

Technically, I see nothing wrong with the cross-over conversion theory if it is done well. Done badly may be a different story. It leaves everything where GM intended. Steering and suspension geometry are not effected, the firewall is not cut and shut and the engine is not offset from it's original location. If it wasn't safe, then surely it would not be legal. Having said that though, I don't believe that it is legal in every state, but I may be wrong. My car, though, is an auto, so it doesn't have the constant pivoting forces on the clutch pedal to worry about. God knows where you put a clutch pedal in the right hand foot-well of a C4 anyway.

Others will argue that the complete mirror is the only way to go. But having played around in a C4 engine bay I can only imagine what sort of nightmare that is. And a C5 must be worse.

I would love to hear some input from someone with automotive engineering knowledge, who knows Corvettes and DOES NOT have a vested interest in a conversion shop.

Nik · « **Reply #4 on:** September 09, 2003, 12:49:53 PM »

Go original, don't convert :mmm

but thats the benefit of getting a dinosaur :22

i'd go chain drive to preserve the firewall & its originality if I were you... but a full mirror would be darn nice.

www.corvettes.com.au have prices if you want to check them out. I think ill save the money to convert it before I come back to aus, but I will see what its like driving LHD for a few weeks beforehand :)

Ausrs · « **Reply #5 on:** September 09, 2003, 01:07:15 PM »

my camaro is a chain conversion
i also believe GM engineering should be left alone
benefits of chain ALL aftermarket engine bits (headers etc) can be ordered direct from usa and will bolt up with no mods
i have had a friend from usa drive my car and it (according to him ) feels no different to drive than his usa lhd camaro
that being said doesnt matter what conversion you have IF it was done correctly it should be ok
and yes i have seen cars converted both ways that could be better done with a bottle of scotch and an air chisel

77CVT · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2003, 01:58:49 PM »

Quote

....i have seen cars converted both ways that could be better done with a bottle of scotch and an air chisel

Amen! :b4

onya · « **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2003, 08:57:29 PM »

I have yet to buy my corvette, unless it has a mirror conversion I won't be looking at it. There's a guy in QLD selling a 87 for $23,500 I rang him it has a chain and linkage. So I said "sorry"
;27:);)

Ausrs · « **Reply #8 on:** September 10, 2003, 11:02:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by onya
I have yet to buy my corvette, unless it has a mirror conversion I won't be looking at it. There's a guy in QLD selling a 87 for $23,500 I rang him it has a chain and linkage. So I said "sorry"
;27:);)

why ???????????

SAVette · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2003, 09:58:06 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by AusRs
Quote
Originally posted by onya
I have yet to buy my corvette, unless it has a mirror conversion I won't be looking at it. There's a guy in QLD selling a 87 for $23,500 I rang him it has a chain and linkage. So I said "sorry"
;27:);)

why ???????????

Yes, good question that . . . why??

Everyone is entitled to their opinions and everyone is entitled to make their own decisions, especially when it is their own money they are spending. However, I would be interested in hearing some of the reasons you arrived at that decision.

IMHO, a mirror-image job could be better in some ways than a linkage/chain if done well, but I think there is more room for disaster if it is done badly. That is, a bad mirror-image job could be a lot worse than a bad linkage/chain job. I'm open to be told otherwise.

I believe that with a mirror-image job that a lot of parts have to be either fabricated or sourced from non-Corvette vehicles. If you buy a mirrored vehicle or have the job done, try to find out exactly where most of those parts came from, because if you ever need to replace some, sourcing an unknown part from an unknown vehicle could be a absolute nightmare.

I would still like to hear more on this, especially some specific pros and cons. Preferrably not hear-say.

Ausrs · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2003, 06:57:10 PM »

i must admit when i started looking for a camaro i was told never to look at a chain conversion by many people ......at first i listened to them THEN i spoke to an engineer who told me done correctly (theres that word again ) they are better than mirror specially in a frontal impact situation
that being said i kept looking at ALL available cars just happened that the best car i looked at for the $ i wanted to spend happened to be a chain conversion
i also would like some other information apart from heresay
btw i have seen some shocking cars brought in from the rust belt of usa come over to aus as deck cargo ......bogged up to look pretty and sold .......maybe that is where the chain conversion got a bad name .......NOT the conversion BUT the bodgey person who wanted to make $$ from sub standard cars !!!!!!!.and there were plenty of bodgey converters out there
;37

Stingraynut · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2003, 08:13:31 AM »

The ‘mirror’ conversion (which I have) sounds like a good thing, but the more I get to know my car, the more I think it’s a bad idea.

The brake booster is moved from RH to LH, not too many problems there but the heater is moved from RH to LH and there are some ducts that just can’t be connected – I found a beer bottle cap and some gunk falling out of a cut end – have no idea where that tube should go. The fresh air door can’t open because the car body is in the way – everything is cobbled together, partially upside down. The job can be done properly but there’s few people out there doing that.

My vote is to leave the car the way GM intended – look at how the steering has to be butchered-a new bracket is welded to the cross frame, for the NON CORVETTE power steering to connect to, it must be hard to maintain the Corvette steering feel, not to mention the problems caused by welding the frame.

A few years ago I got a fact sheet about chain drive and it looked like the best option, I couldn’t and can’t understand why people are so against it. During my C4 research period last year I had some long talks to Wayne Rand, a South Aust convertor who highly favours chain drive. He mentioned that some chain drives have a couple of problems which he has fixed on his.

Since getting my 88 I’ve thought a lot about what he said about Corvette’s– we talked about tyres, AirCon, Engines, the conversion and so on - everything he told me has turned out to be correct so I have no reason to doubt his info on his chain drive conversion.

I have no vested interest because my 88 is mirror converted and apart from having to rebuild the airducting system and beer bottle caps falling out of vents I’m quite happy with it. Steering is good.

But when you look at the potential for problems, the chain drive wins hands down for me.

S’nut

SAVette · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2003, 04:21:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by StingraynutA few years ago I got a fact sheet about chain drive and it looked like the best option, I couldn’t and can’t understand why people are so against it. During my C4 research period last year I had some long talks to Wayne Rand, a South Aust convertor who highly favours chain drive. He mentioned that some chain drives have a couple of problems which he has fixed on his.

Since getting my 88 I’ve thought a lot about what he said about Corvette’s– we talked about tyres, AirCon, Engines, the conversion and so on - everything he told me has turned out to be correct so I have no reason to doubt his info on his chain drive conversion.

S’nut

There's nothing like resurrecting a dead and buried thread, but....

Is it possible to get a copy of the fact sheet that you refer to? Or maybe you can let me know where I can get one. My '84 is a Wayne Rand conversion. I have no idea whether that is good or bad but I haven't found anything wrong with it yet.

Do you think you can jot down some of those things that you learned from your discussions with Wayne, especially what he said about the chain drives, their issues and fixes.

So much to learn, so little time.

Ausrs · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2003, 10:17:33 PM »

wow this is resurecting an oldie
i would also like to hear of any small hassles with chain !

btw another good thing about chain
when the car is 30 years old if you want conversion BACK to lhd should be able to be accomplished in a weekend
parts required
dash
column
peddles
accelerator cable
bottle of bourbon ( or 2)
;27

Stingraynut · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2003, 10:54:58 PM »

SA Vette etc - sorry, I doubt I still have that fact sheet - when I mentioned it to Wayne Rand he knew of it and the firm that produced it - I belive he thought there were a couple of minor things that his chain conversion fixed better.

I got the feeling he really knew his stuff, I spoke to him maybe 4 times, I was interested in an 87 he was selling on consignement, but he talked a lot about the chain drive conversion and things he had done to fix problems like the brake lights flashing on and off - and more serious stuff that unfortunately I don't remember.

I got a very good impression of his work from our chats. I didn't bump into anyone that could speak for or against him but SA is a low way from Cairns. I certainly bumped into a few people that had horror mirror conversions from Qld and NSW

Only convertors I found to get a clean sheet were John Bondock & Chris Carson from Brisbane and Peter Whiston from the Corvette Clinic in Melbourne.

Once you own a converted car you start to see the problems. As AusRs says, the chain drive is far less intrusive and I wonder why there's so much bad press. I'd have one happily, my aircon would not be all hacked about - I found a fourex beer bottle cap stuffed in a cut off air tube !!! and much more-what you can't see can be bodged.

I guess you know that they move the aircon box from RH to LH and brake booster the other way - that means there is a metre more pipe in the Aircon line, less room to work with the extra piping at the front of the engine, the steering geometry I think I already mentioned - with the non Corvette steering box welded to the RH subframe - what will happen in a few rusty years ?

Good luck, give Wayne a ring he's very approachable, I get the feeling that if he recognises the car you're looking at he'll tell you the truth.

S'nut

87Z51 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 09, 2003, 05:20:23 PM »

My '87 has a mirror conversion done 1989 by some no name place.Engineering is very good.Original rack has been inverted and used.All original parts. No probs with steering or handling.Have just stripped out a LHD '89 and access (or lack thereof) was no different than mine.As stated there are things to be desired in the A/c ducting under the dash but mine works fine after I recharged the system.It just doesn't come out in the places it's supposed to.
All in all , I am very happy with my setup , it is only the the cosmetic finish that lets mine down (can see some welds in plastic)
As regards the manual , footwell on right side of car is less than left side so have to drive with foot under the clutch pedal.Bummer in city traffic.