old vette

**jiveass** · 10-12-2009, 07:39 AM

anybody have experience in early 80s vettes? i got rear suspension problems. is there any common problems with these cars?

**pajeff02** · 10-12-2009, 08:16 AM

We have a '74, which should have essentially the same setup as anything up to and including '82. What's the issue?

**jiveass** · 10-12-2009, 09:23 AM

well the car is an '81. when i take off the car squats in the rear which i thought at first may be normal.. but as i let off the gas while driving the rear of the car raises up and the car kinda swerves to the left a little...it could get a little dangerous depending on the speed traveled. i also have a steering issue. steering to the left is fine i guess but when i turn to the right the car acts like the ratio changes and shoots over to the right way faster than the left. this is my first experience with these cars and im kinda worried...

**pajeff02** · 10-12-2009, 09:36 AM

The car utilizes a transverse leaf spring for the rear. Over time, the springs tend to lose their arch and the rear end will get soft and squat. If you look under the rear, you will see a bolt on each side that attaches the spring to the trailing arm. These should be adjusted equally and there should be rubber bushings that sandwich each component. The differential cover acts as a spring perch and these sometimes fracture and break.

Your car may, or may not, have a rear sway bar. Check to see that a link or mount is not damaged or broken. My car somehow destroyed the sway bar and caused it to bounce up and down going down the road. The ends actually bent out and contacted the wheel. It was a bit of a mess.

Last thing would be your rear shocks -- if they are worn it may cause odd handling issues. Shocks sometimes seize up as well and that could result in the problem you described. Bounce the back of the car and see how it reacts. It should bounce once, maybe twice, and then settle. If it continues to bounce, the shocks are simply gone.

Also, FYI, the rear spindle set up on C3's is a bit of a pain, as is the e-brake setup. If you have a spindle going out or the e-brake (or even brake caliper) is hanging up this may also cause the car to pull to one side. Let me know what you find.

**jiveass** · 10-12-2009, 09:49 AM

i will check it all out this coming weekend. and can you explain to me what and how to identify a c3?

**c5z28** · 10-12-2009, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by needls1again

i will check it all out this coming weekend. and can you explain to me what and how to identify a c3?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette

**jiveass** · 10-12-2009, 10:09 AM

oh that explains it lol

**justinmc978** · 10-12-2009, 12:42 PM

hahaha did you just buy it/get into vettes?

c3's are definatly my favorite, but they were def. not the best made/designed vettes of all time, i hope to get one someday and completely restomod it

**jiveass** · 10-12-2009, 01:07 PM

this is my first one. its got its issues. the main one being the L81 engine sportin only 190hp lol....it runs great but its no Ls1. I drive it every day so im learning more and more about the car. its fairly clean. ill post up pics soon...

**pajeff02** · 10-12-2009, 06:52 PM

Ours was a bit of a basket case when I started the restoration. It needed lots of TLC, lots of new parts, and fought me every step of the way. Here are some recent pics of the end result: http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121626

**jiveass** · 10-13-2009, 03:56 AM

that is a good lookin car

**pajeff02** · 10-13-2009, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by needls1again

that is a good lookin car

Thank you. Post up some pics of yours when you get a chance. Also, I have a Corvette salvage yard about 20 miles from my house - if you are in need of anything do not hesitate to ask. The place is "Gee's Corvettes" and the owner, Gale Gee, is a great guy to work with.

**jiveass** · 10-13-2009, 04:07 AM

i do plan on doin a resto on it...the body is in great shape with exception of the drivers t-top....a tree limb fell on it during hurricane ike and messed it up pretty good. i do need new carpet and door panels and dash pad. ill get some pcs this evening.....

**pajeff02** · 10-13-2009, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by needls1again

i do plan on doin a resto on it...the body is in great shape with exception of the drivers t-top....a tree limb fell on it during hurricane ike and messed it up pretty good. i do need new carpet and door panels and dash pad. ill get some pcs this evening.....

Now that's a coincidence! Our car was parked at my wife's parents' house for a few years before the restoration and sat outside. During a storm, a tree limb fell and punched a hole in the top of the passenger front fender.

Check out Al Knoch for door panels and such. I also order from Corvette Central as their prices and shipping seem to be a little cheaper than the other suppliers.

**jiveass** · 10-13-2009, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

Now that's a coincidence! Our car was parked at my wife's parents' house for a few years before the restoration and sat outside. During a storm, a tree limb fell and punched a hole in the top of the passenger front fender.

Check out Al Knoch for door panels and such. I also order from Corvette Central as their prices and shipping seem to be a little cheaper than the other suppliers.

just trade me your ws6 for the vette...lol

**pajeff02** · 10-13-2009, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by needls1again

just trade me your ws6 for the vette...lol

One C3 is enough -- but thanks for the offer. I don't think I could part with our WS.6. I seriously like this car -- more so than anything else I have driven.

**jiveass** · 10-13-2009, 10:01 AM

yea i plan to have another trans am by the new year. thats when ill start on the vette....i may just pull that l81 out and beef it up to respectable numbers.

**pajeff02** · 10-13-2009, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by needls1again

yea i plan to have another trans am by the new year. thats when ill start on the vette....i may just pull that l81 out and beef it up to respectable numbers.

That's what we did - .060" over 350, nice cam, Edelbrock Performer intake, Accel dual point distributor, Stage II Q-jet, and Dynomax headers through Magnflow mufflers -- all tallied up to about 330 hp. Enough to have fun with, but not over the top for a mid-'70's chassis.

**jiveass** · 10-16-2009, 04:45 AM

well, passenger window motor decided to take a crap on me this morning on the way to work. figures it looks like rain. did i mention i blew an exhaust gasket yesterday? sounds like an old garbage truck lol.....i need to park this thing soon!

**pajeff02** · 10-16-2009, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by needls1again

well, passenger window motor decided to take a crap on me this morning on the way to work. figures it looks like rain. did i mention i blew an exhaust gasket yesterday? sounds like an old garbage truck lol.....i need to park this thing soon!

I replaced the driver window motor in our car last year. FYI: Autozone had the part numbers reversed. I ordered a motor for the driver door, and the part that came in was for the passenger side. Re-ordered the passenger side and received the correct part. Not sure if this has been remedied.

BTW: Before you rip the motor out - pull the plug off the motor and run a jumper wire to the terminals. You could have a bad switch or a break in the door harness wiring.