NSW Corvettes
General Discussion Area => Corvette Related Chat => Topic started by: demonx on February 24, 2007, 07:39:47 PM
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Was coming home from helping out someone with kitchen renovations and got pulled over by the "roadside taskforce" which were doing on the spot roadworthy's.
Turns out my car is a "few" centimeters too low ... which I kind of knew since the chassis and stuff bumps nearly everything I drive over.
Looks like its time to get it "un" lowered!
RIP low 76 vette:
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b97/submissionfighting2/cars/18feb2007/18feb2007012.jpg)
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hi demonx:24i would be spewing abouit that;27put some springs in her ,get her up,then drop it after the canary has flown the coop;54;54;54;54;54
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Bugger!
I think you should be OK if you lift the front only, or did they measure at the rear too?
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yep i would say it was low.looks sweet but.
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Originally posted by Thunder Kiss
Bugger!
I think you should be OK if you lift the front only, or did they measure at the rear too?
Just the front needs to be done...
Going up on Monday to see what options are available.
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great to see the cops are concentrating on important issues and leaving the real crimes to there own solution.
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dont know if im correct or not,but cant you wind up the front on vettes like on a valiant?
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Originally posted by nifty
dont know if im correct or not,but cant you wind up the front on vettes like on a valiant?
No idea.
Maybe if the rear is "wound" down it might lift the front - I thing Alex (thunderkiss) suggested this to me a while back but I still havn't investigated.
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you cant wind them up like the old valos:24it is a simple fix though:vsome one in your club should have a spare set of springs,standard ones that is;ayhq holden v8 springs would do the trick though;27i mhave a spare set you could borrow but your a little far away;37to put them in it would only take say a saturday afternoon & a case of beer;49
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Originally posted by MADLT1
you cant wind them up like the old valos:24it is a simple fix though:vsome one in your club should have a spare set of springs,standard ones that is;ayhq holden v8 springs would do the trick though;27i mhave a spare set you could borrow but your a little far away;37to put them in it would only take say a saturday afternoon & a case of beer;49
I'll just take it up to the susension joint after I finish work tomorrow. Let them deal with it.
I think it might be as simple fix as adding a spacer, so that should be pretty easy, but I'll get it looked at first to see what options are available, what's the safest (cause my car cops a regular hiding) and what is cheapest and work out whats the best overall option.
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;40cool ,keep us posted;40
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I have standard front coil springs and a standard rear leaf spring from 1978; that you are more than welome to borrow. Just pay the freight; $20-25 me to you. You cover the return journey. If you are interested give us a call 0411 021 061.
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I drive a Silvia so I expect to get stopped for "Random" checks. I thought I would be safe from stuff like this in the vette though...Guess not.
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i have a mate who is a copper.nice bloke,but he would book me if i done the wrong thing.
2 yrs ago we had a ferrari F355 in town.in red of course.owner was out for tea and had it parked out front.chuck(the cop) pulled up and had the once over and the wowner came out.they got talking and chuck went to get his camera from home,but got called away to a pub brawl...fast forward next evening.chuck pulls over the 355 with siren and lights....gets out and takes his pictures.....with a nod and a wink it was somehow mentioned a blind eye would be turned if the exhaust was to emit a sweet revving noise as he left....nudge nudge ..wink wink...say no more.well this bloke floored it,and chucky looked the other way..whats that sound he was heard to say.
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Went to the local "pedders" place today.
Spacers will cost about $20 each side, plus labor. Booked in for tomorrow arvo.
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Update #2:
Got the spacers put in. (biggest spacers pedders can supply)
Took the car for a roadworthy - still 2.5cm too low! Even after addind 1.3cm spacers. Not sure how it stuffed up as I was there when it was measured. Somehow in the 1min drive from the suspension place to the roadworthy place it dropped down?? Who knows
Today it gets brand new springs since spacers won't do the job.
For the roadworthy they also knocked the brake pads and rear uni. I'm getting the parts from All American Auto as they are here in town and have them in stock. Brake pads $55 and a heavy duty rear uni $46. Pedders springs $160. Hopefully I'll have more luck today.
When I was getting the roadworthy he also said he should have knocked the rust in the radiator support and a bit in the floor and the wheels being wider that the guards, but he let them go.
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What a hassle!
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When I was getting the roadworthy he also said he should have knocked the rust in the radiator support and a bit in the floor and the wheels being wider that the guards, but he let them go. [/quote]
while its off the road why not fix the rad support....i got a thread abot it somewhere on here.we just done puds 73,and his was a real mess.use 1inch tubing,cut bend and slice to suit...if you cant tig weld it,gas weld will get the job done.or even cut the bits and take to a welding shop.
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Originally posted by nifty
while its off the road why not fix the rad support..
I also forgot to mention the rotors were also just under spec. Add new rotors to the list.
About the radiator support, the rust has been painted over, so its hard to see how bad it really is. I'll have to have a good look and see it its worth repairing or if its ok to leave. From what I saw when I had a quick look yesterday it's not that bad, just a hole in one corner the size of a 50c piece.
Main thing is the roadworthy stuff so it doesn't get taken off the road. Everything else can wait.
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From this:
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b97/submissionfighting2/cars/18feb2007/18feb2007012.jpg)
to this:
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b97/submissionfighting2/cars/2mar07.jpg)
;wtf ;37;37;37;37
Apparently the suspension place tried heaps of different springs to get it as low as they could to make the minimum 100mm ground clearance. This is what a ROADWORTHY corvette looks like in Australia.
I don't like it. I kept the original springs. If these springs don't sag real soon the old ones are going right back in!
So how many of you guys have checked your ground clearance at the lowest point???
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the laws in victoria may be different in nsw,man that looks like a 4 wheel drive;47ghange it back:b4
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Originally posted by MADLT1
the laws in victoria may be different in nsw,man that looks like a 4 wheel drive;47ghange it back:b4
This law is Australia wide - 100mm minimum clearance from the lowest part.
The thing that has got me thinking is how these days insurance companies are knocking back so many claims because of any small reason they can think of, I have heard of insurance claims being completely denied because window tint is too dark, they can do it because your car is too low as well.
I'd hate to have my vette totalled and then the insurance company says "NO - we're not paing a cent cause your car is too low making it unroadworthy thus voiding your insurance" ... the thing is this is happening every day now. It's scary.
Trust me, every time I look at my car now I hate it. I'm not happy at all.
If you get under your car and the exhaust, bellhousing and all the other stuff that hangs down does not clear 100mm, it's not a pass.
My exhaust was tucked up above the bellhousing (height wise) so the lowest point was the bellhousing. It is a now just over 100mm clearance, it looks like sh#t.
These cars were designed in America which does not have height clearance regulations...
I've been scrolling through heaps of Australian corvette pics and most look like they are under height. I only found one pic that looked high like mine is now and thats a car from melbourne that I think recently underwent a roadworthy as well.
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Your springs will sag about 1/2" to 3/4" over the next few months if you use it often which going by your photos is not going to be enough. If it was mine i'd change it back and just keep those springs on the shelf just in case.
.
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Originally posted by MADVET
Your springs will sag about 1/2" to 3/4" over the next few months if you use it often which going by your photos is not going to be enough. If it was mine i'd change it back and just keep those springs on the shelf just in case..
Car gets driven every day, but I can imagine the old springs will be back in very shortly. Still not decided yet though:
Do I do the "right" thing?
or
Do I make the car look and drive good again?
;47
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i was always told nothing was to hang below the bottom of the rim,in case you get a blow out ,nothing will drag or bite into road.
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Demon, if you do leave the springs in there, get an alignment. These cars have a lot of bumpsteer in them and the change in ride height will mean the alignment is now out.
The chassis for the C3 was designed way back in the late 50's/early 60's. It was designed to work with high profile Bias ply tyres. When you put modern, lower profile radials on, all the ground clearance disappears.
When I first registered my Vette back in 87 I had to go over the pits in Carlton. The exhaust scraped over the lip over the pits which was set at 4 inches. The inspectors looked the other way at the time. ;28This is with the stock F41 springs and new Yokohama 235/60/15's all round.
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Originally posted by demonx
Originally posted by nifty
while its off the road why not fix the rad support..
I also forgot to mention the rotors were also just under spec. Add new rotors to the list.
;54
Just got some front rotors cost me $136 for the pair plus $236 for the express freight.
;50
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i just went and checked mine:bold80mm bellhouseing to the ground;40the exhaust is at its lowest piont at the back,were it is under the rear spring;laugh70mm,but there is room to go up some more,but i dont know about suspension travel;-)look mine has been this low for over 12 years now and have had no probs,touch wood,i hope i have not just jinxed myself:23there is the insurance issue;38but at the end of the day if your not happy with the look just change it back,maybe not as low as it was but get the front down to a piont were you will be happy with,allso stay away from the hot spots were the cops target young hoons for the defect notice:22thats just my 2 cents worth anyway.:}
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All this has come at such a crappy time...
Today - at a day where my vette looks like an offroad vehicle - the local Newspaper is coming to take a photo of our clubs cars to help publicise our club.
What crappy timing! We only have 6-8 members and I already know a couple won't be there, I only have 2 confirmed yes's plus me, so I can't skip out on having my car in the pic either.
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Its a shame you dont have those spring compresor clamps ,you could remove them after the shoot.
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Originally posted by demonx
Do I do the "right" thing?
or
Do I make the car look and drive good again?
It's a tough call but I think your car would look good with it's original springs and the 13mm spacers.
Did you get any pictures of that combo?
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No - no pics. They got ripped out before I even took the car home.