Contact

Andy's Parts Smarts

Cart

Hello, Sign In!

Home

Sitemap

Andy's Parts Smarts

Industry News

VetteNet FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Corvettes

Answered by The VetteNet

FAQ originally by J. David Cover.
HTML version by Brad Waller and Andy Efron.

Last Modified 3/23/97

Introduction:

This FAQ contains distilled wisdom and specific articles written to answer questions that come up frequently on the VetteNet mail group. Please use this information as a guide and not as the absolute truth. This FAQ is only as good as the information provided, so *PLEASE* send any corrections, additions, criticisms, etc. that you think are relevant, informative, etc. to Brad Waller (brad@vettenet.org)

Finding Parts . . . A list of vendors with reviews
Insurance
Winter storage
Wax Facts
Car covers
Performance chips
How fast are those gears turning? . . . A guide to calculating speed, RPM, horsepower, and more
CAGS 1-4 Shift (Computer Aided Gear Selection)
- How to disconnect it
"Save the Wave"
Do radar jammers really work?
Do laser detectors really work?

Learning More About Corvettes

Books -- and where to buy them.
Magazines
Clubs
Buyer's Guide: What should I look for in a used Corvette?
- Midyear (1963-'67) Corvettes
- '70s Corvettes
How to tell the difference between model years
National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Corvette plant tours
Corvette terminology
- L88, LTPWS, M21, etc.

What is the VetteNet?

The VetteNet is a mail group devoted to the discussion of all aspects of Corvettes. It is available either as a mail reflector or as a digest (with headers and signatures stripped). See the section on subscribing for details.

There is an additional group that deals exclusively with Corvette racing (for more info send mail to vettes-request@pms706.pms.ford. com).

[Table of Contents]

How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to the VetteNet?

There are two ways of doing this. One uses a web interface at http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa. To join the list by email, send the command "subscribe vettes first_name last_name" in the body of a message to listserv@asu.edu. Please note that this command must NOT be sent to the list address (vettes@asu.edu) but to the LISTSERV address (listserv@asu.edu).

You may leave the list at any time by sending the command "signoff vettes" to the appropriate listserv address given above.

More information on LISTSERV commands (including the LISTSERV reference card) can be found here.

If you encounter problems or have questions about this list, please send them to Bob Kaneshige (KHAAV@asuvm.inre.asu.edu).

How do I post to the VetteNet?

Postings should be sent to: vettes@asu.edu.

How do I temporarily suspend my VetteNet mail?

There are two ways of doing this. One uses a web interface at http://lists.asu.edu/cgi-bin/wa. If you want to turn off your VetteNet mail temporarily by email, send the command "set vettes nomail" in the body of a message to listserv@asu.edu. Note that this is the LISTSERV address, NOT the Vettenet mailing list address.

When you want to restart your mail send the command "set vettes mail" and you'll be all set.

How do I get previous articles of the VetteNet?

Two answers. The new, modern way is to access the VETTES archives via the WWW. Use the following link:
http://lists.asu.edu/archives/vettes.html

The old way is to use email commands to the listserv.
Contributions sent to the list are automatically archived. You can obtain a list of the available archive files by sending an "INDEX VETTES" command to listserv@asu.edu. You may retrieve the log for any particular week by sending the command GET VETTES LOGyymmw, where yy is the year, mm is the month, and w is the week represented by the letters "A" through "E". For example, sending the command GET VETTES LOG9307A will retrieve the log for first week of July 1993.

You can also use the database search facilities of LISTSERV. Send an INFO DATABASE command for more information on this, or go to the next topic.

Searching the VetteNet Archives using keywords

Because their main application is the scanning of list archives, the LISTSERV database functions are document-oriented and therefore quite different from "usual" commercial database systems.

Batch access

When accessing the database in "batch" mode, you must construct a CJLI job which you must then submit to the appropriate server for execution. This means that you must know in advance what you want to do exactly. If you are not familiar with CJLI, you can use the following "job skeleton" to build up your database search job:

    //  job  echo=no
    Database search DD=rules cpulim=300 outlim=5000
    //Rules  dd  *
    search  VATS  in vettes
    index
    print body
    /*

Just copy the above text, paste it into your message to listserv@asu.edu and replace "VATS" with the string for which you want to search. See below for info on more complex searches (such as multiple keywords).

You will then receive a "DATABASE OUTPUT" file containing the results of your search. This file might look like this: (**=comments)

  > search  VATS in vettes          **(searching for VATS)
  --> Database VETTES, 3 hits.

  > index                           **(give me an index of
search)
  Item #   Date   Time  Recs   Subject
  ------   ----   ----  ----   -------
  000133 92/04/04 10:09   43   Advice on 86,87
  000134 92/04/04 20:26   42   Re: Advice on 86,87
  000137 92/04/05 00:59   63   Re:  Advice on 86,87

  > print body                      **(now print only the
body)

[messages would be printed here]

More complex searches: some examples

search steering wheel in vettes
Returns messages containing "steering wheel" as well as those containing both "steering" and "wheel". Not case sensitive.
search 'steering wheel' in vettes
Returns messages containing the string "steering wheel". When you use single quotes the search is not case sensitive.
search "steering wheel" in vettes
Same as above but double quotes make the search case sensitive.

You can also use "and", "or", "not", and parentheses in a variety of combinations (remember, "and" is implied if you don't use quotes!):

search 'steering wheel' bolt
search 'steering wheel' and bolt [same as above]
search 'steering wheel' or 'steering box'
search paint and (urethane or lacquer)
search paint and (urethane or lacquer not red)

For complete documentation on the database search functions, send the command "info database" to listserv@asu.edu.

What is "R***" and why do people use it?

Ahhh. This comes from the days of the original creation of this distribution. First there was Don Day's 'vette distribution. Don created this distribution mainly to talk about Corvette competition topics. Don is a serious Corvette racer and has a highly modified late model that he competes with. The VetteNet was a spinoff group which was created to talk about all the stuff we talk about! :-) R*** stands for racing and was once considered to be a taboo word on the VetteNet. Jim Lockwood was the first person to use it, to humorously taunt the list moderator. It is now okay to talk about racing on the list if you want to, but tradition says to use r*** instead of 'race'.

Are there Corvette pictures and can I upload mine?

Corvette pictures can be found here. If you would like to add a picture, contact Brad Waller (brad@vettenet.org) for more information. Usually, attaching a reasonably sized .jpg or .gif file will work.

Where can I get parts for Corvettes?

See the VetteNet list of Corvette parts vendors.

What things should I look out for when insuring my Corvette?

See the recommendations of a VetteNet member on insuring your Corvette.

What should I do to store my vette for the winter?

Info From: Dave Bright

I don't do all of them. Some are a must and some depend on where you live and where you store your car. It also depends if you are only storing it for a few months or a few years.

So here it is in no order:

Clean the car inside and out and put a good coat of wax on.
Change the oil and filter and run the car for at least 5 minutes to circulate the new oil.
Flush the radiator and add new fluid.
Flush the brake system and add new fluid.
Change the rear axle fluid.
Change the transmission fluid and filter.
Replace the fuel filter.
Fill the fuel tank and add a gas stabilizer. No fuel injection cleaner.
Long term remove the good tires and wheels and put on a set of crappy tires and wheels. Short term over inflate the tires by 10 or 15 lbs to cut down on flat spotting. You can also put the car on jack stands but I don't like doing this because it puts the car in an unnatural state and undue stress.
Put moisture absorbing packets in the car.
Stuff rags in the tail pipes to keep rodents out.
Remove battery and charge it once a month.
Store your car on wood. Wood absorbs moisture, cement floors are like a sponge. You should lay plywood down on cement and park your car on top of the plywood.
Put a cover over the car. The type depends on where you store the car, inside or outside.
Do not start your car over the winter. If you do you should drive it around for at least a 1/2 hour.
Pull the spark plugs and squirt a little oil down the cylinders.
Tape a piece of paper to the steering wheel to remind you in the spring anything that you need to do first before starting the car for the first time like pulling the rags out of your tail pipes.

Info on car covers

This section has not been written yet.

Where can I get performance chips for my vette?

PromPaq can be bought from Adaptive Technologies in Port Hueneme, CA. (800) 677-6672 or (805) 488-8832 (in CA).

How fast are those gears turning?

Info from: Bill Jurasz

Try these on for size:

mph = (rpm * td) / (gr * rr * 336.13524)

mph = 234 * (hp / wt)^(1/3)

et = 5.825 * (wt / hp)^(1/3) [NOTE: for < 100mph]

= 5.825 * (235/mph) * ((mph-100)/400)^(1/3) [NOTE: for > 100mph]

rpm = 336.13524 * mph * gr * rr / td

gr = td * rpm / (mph * 336.13524)

hp = wt / (78655.65 * gr * rr / td / rpm)^3

hp = (torque * rpm) / 5252

Where:

Speedometers are pretty much standardized from car to car -- so many revolutions of the cable equals 1 mile of travel. I beleive that number is 4000 cable revs per mile travelled, but could be wrong. Anyone know? Any rate, the faster you are going, the sooner you travel that mile, the faster that cable spins. Thus, you have odometer and speedometer easily off one cable.

What can I do to get rid of the 1-4 shift lock in late models?

Pre-'96 Models

Info From: VetteNet member Pete Peterson - No connection to the organizations discussed.

The "standard" way to fix this is to order the CAGS DISABLE KIT from Ecklers [800-327-4868] or MidAmerica [800-500-8388]. It's about $13-$14 from either place as I remember. It's simply two connectors, one of each gender, that are sealed off where the wires would normally come out. You just unplug the CAGS connectors at the transmission and plug these connectors in. It takes less than a minute, once you get under the car. These connectors serve only to keep crud out of the original connectors, so they could be plugged back together in the unlikely event (VERY UNLIKELY) that you would ever want to do so.

I don't know whether you've encountered this, but what's really scary, is the complaint you get from the transmission if your hand notices that the shift into 2nd is blocked and you unconsciously pause before actually shifting into 4th gear. The manual warns you about this and the transmission reminds you! :-(

'96 and Later Models

Info from: Stephen Brown - No connection to the organizations discussed.
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 09:51:47 -0600
Subject: Re: CAGS '96/STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!

I just talked with Eckler's technical department (a guy named RJ, actually). The CAGS disconnect is now available for the 1996 LT4's!!! It does address the OBD II situation. The part number is 32542. It's brand new and I didn't get a price (who cares about the price!). This RJ guy said he would confirm some of the technical aspects of the connector to me tomorrow.

BTW, the reason I found this out was because I sent Eckler's an email yesterday about missing a big opportunity to sell merchandise. I suggested they get this connector in the works ASAP. When I logged onto email this morning, bingo...I had a reply from their customer service department. Not bad.

From the F-body email list FAQ
Q: How do I disable CAGS?

A: There are several electrical connectors going into the transmission. There are three two-wire connections on the drivers side of the tranny. Two of them are hooked up to large, brass colored protrusions that look big enough to be solenoids (and guess what, they are!). The third connection is to a small black box on the tailshaft of the tranny This is the speed sensor (no speedo cable on these babies!). Disconnecting this will stop CAGS, but also your speedo will not work and a CHECK ENGINE light will come on. Of the two final connections, on is up on the tailshaft. This is the reverse lockout solenoid. Actually, lockout is a bad term, I should say reverse enable solenoid, since when it is not powered on, you are locked out of reverse. The final connection is the CAGS solenoid....the furthest forward of the 3, pretty much in the center of the trans. Unplug it, tape it, forget it.

Although the Service Engine light won't come on, the PCM still stores and error code of 84 indicating the open circuit in the CAGS wiring. Since an open circuit (which a disconnected solenoid would be) using 2 wires can only be detected by _no current_ flow. Simply insert a resistance relatively close to the DC resistance of the solenoid coil across those wires. That way the current detector will still see the load, assuming the CAGS solenoid is still there and operational.

To find out the DC resistance, you will need an ohm meter, or a part number from the solenoid. One could guess, however. I would start out with about a 1K ohm, and work my way down, but be careful not to go too low. What is too low?? Best guess, don't go below 25 ohms - that's a half amp load to the circuit.

Q: Why does my Service Engine Light come on now that CAGS is disabled?

A: You most likely have 1996 or later car. In 1996, GM instituted the OBD-II standard on the F-Body computers. This makes modifying the car much more difficult than in the past. Simple changes (such as disabling CAGS) will cause the computer to sense a problem and light up the service engine light. Luckily, you can fool the computer into thinking CAGS is still connected.

The resistance of the CAGS solenoid is 15 ohms. Assuming 13.5 V, that means about 12 W are dissipated. Go to Radio Shack or any local electronics store and pick up a 15 ohms, 10 W resistor (about $0.50). 10 W should be fine as it will be mounted to the tranny which will work as a heat sink and the skip shift is only active a few seconds at a time, so there won't be much time for any extensive heat build up.

Simply put the resistor in place of the CAGS solenoid thereby closing the circuit and making the computer think CAGS is still connected. You can also buy some heat shrink tubing to put around the resistor to protect it. Then take a tie wrap and fasten the "eye" of the wire connector to the tranny so everything is nice and tight. The connection be returned to stock form in less than 5 minutes if needed and easily be duplicated again for $1.

What is this "Save the Wave" stuff?

Info From: Dave Bright

>From what I understand the "Wave" started many years ago when "sports cars" were few and far in between. Because of the rarity and uniqueness of sports cars back then, when one sports car passed another sports car, the owners would wave to show their mutual admiration and to acknowledge that they both drove unique automobiles.

Corvettes were of course no exception, if you figure that even today only a little more then a million corvettes have been built in 40 years that Corvettes have been around still makes them somewhat of a rare automobile to see on the road. Back 20 years ago Corvettes were indeed very seldom seen on the road. So of course the "wave" was the best way for one Corvette owner to acknowledge another Corvette owner that they were driving cars that were to be envied and admired.

Over the years the type of Corvette owner has changed. Many factors, including price, force today's owners of Corvettes to be older and most likely be employed in a professional field (lawyers, doctors, businessman, etc). Many of these people didn't understand or weren't told about this "wave" and what it meant or even didn't care. Anyway, less and less Corvette owners were waving (especially in the late model Corvettes).

Because of this a cry has gone out to "Save the Wave." To go out and try to make these people understand what the only true American sports car is all about. If we all start waving then maybe we can still save this sports car tradition and at the same time reaffirm to one another that we own and drive one of the best.

In 1969, Corvette News published an article about the Wave. Click here to read that article.

Do radar jammers really work?

Info From: Neil Gallagher

We have been testing the two radar jammers that we received from the marketing company. We have taken them apart and studied the circuits. Our conclusion so far is that they do not work at all. The only circuitry inside the devices seems to be an oscillator that makes a humming sound when a button is pushed and a power supply for the light on the front of the unit. Our feeling is that the antenna in the device must be at least 25 sq cm in cross sectional area. This means that the current jammers do not have a sufficient antenna area even if they were designed to do something.

The radar commercial jammers do not work in any of our road test. The jammer idea that we had does seem to work, but we have used an oversize antenna; one that is too large for general use. We need do redesign with a smaller antenna and see if it still works.

Do laser detectors really work?

Info From: Neil Gallagher

About laser radar---I have now purchased and tested a Cincinnati Microwave laser detector and it seems to work. I have encountered police laser radar several times in the past week. It does not detect the direct laser beam itself, but detects the scattered light. Because the laser radar works by sending pulses. It measures the distance to the target at each pulse and computes the change in distance form pulse to pulse. This is how the speed is computed. The laser radar detector looks for a pulsed infrared signal in infrared light scattered by dust in the air. It can give significant advanced warning of a laser radar trap. There are virtually no false alarms. Unlike a microwave radar jammer, a laser radar jammer would be very easy to build. It can be active because it is not against the law to shine a light.

It is still my feeling that the laser radar is easier to detect and defeat than the microwave radar. Time will tell on this one.

Finally I think it is possible to beat a laser radar ticket. I would use the following argument. The coherent laser light and incoherent visible light diffract differently. The equations that describe the diffraction of the two types of light are different. Therefore, the target that the cop sees in his telescope may not be the spot illuminated by the IR laser.....

I have in my current possession a ProLaser police laser radar. We are doing some more tests on the device. I don't know if I ever mentioned that at present there is no way for the police to calibrate the velocity measurement of the device. Because it does not use doppler shift as does microwave radar, the tuning fork method does not work. Contrary to what you may have read in popular magazines, the police have no way of testing the velocity measurement accuracy of the radar gun. This is because the pulse rate on the pulsed laser is too slow to use the tuning fork. Also, the radars are only recommended for use at a maximum range of 2000 ft. The beam diameter is 4 ft at 1000 ft range. This is not exactly the point size laser beam your read about in popular magazines. This is first hand information from the source - technical reference manual for the ProLaser.

By the way in the sales literature for the device they have a picture of a cop nabbing a red Corvette. Am I just being paranoid or what?

If you get nabbed by laser radar you should be able to beat it on the calibration issue alone, let alone the beam width issue.

What books are there on Corvettes?

1965-82 Corvette Disc Brake System Manual

Stainless Steel Brakes Corp. 34 page booklet covering disc brake system operation, maintenance, adjustments & troubleshooting.

The Complete Corvette Restoration and Technical Guide

If you are working on an old Corvette, you gotta have this book. It is an awesome assemblage of information unlike anything anyone else has ever put together on Corvettes. Noland got inside GM and walked out with blueprints and factory photos that reveal just about everything you'd want to know about old Vettes. Not cheap, but definitely worth the price. Volume 1 covers 1953-1962 models; Volume 2 covers 1963-1967.

Corvette: America's Star Spangled Sports Car

Originally published in about 1972 and revised many times since, this book is the all time best selling Corvette history book. This book is the literary work that gave the Corvette "credentials" in the world of collectible cars. Before this book was published, the collector aspect of the Corvette hobby was almost non-existent. After it came out, everybody had to have a Corvette and prices began to escalate. The book has aged well and even if a few details are wrong (like the claim of only 240 fuelies in '57....actual is over 1000), it is still, in my opinion, the best thing out there.

Corvette Black Book 1953-1995

Shows production figures by color, option figures, engine data, block and head numbers, month of production, etc.

Corvette Chassis Restoration Guide 1953-1972

95 pages packed with details and photos on the restoration of a rolling chassis. Chapters detail body removal, chassis shims, front & rear brakes, finishes, fasteners, frame markings and more. If you're really into restoration.

Corvette Restoration, State of the Art

Very useful in preparing for a restoration project. The first book to cover genuine "factory look" restoration. Not your basic restoration manual. Includes 81 full-color photos and a detailed look at a 4,000 hour restoration of a '66 "big-block" by David Burroughs, the man who created the Bloomington Gold Certification.

Corvette Seat Belts 1956-1976

Seat belt reference book with over 100 photos & illustrations of buckles, tags, and webbing; year by year. If you're really into restoration.

The Illustrated Corvette Buyer's Guide

I would use this as a reference for identifying the different years. There is also some analysis of investment values in this book.

Michael Antonick is also the author of The Corvette Black Book.

An Investment in Excitement: Buying a 1963-'67 Sting Ray

A terrific resource for anyone about to buy their first midyear Corvette, with plenty to hold the interest of veteran owners as well. There's an overview of the history of the cars, an explanation of all the numbers (what they mean, how to decipher them, which ones are most important), and a section on what to look at when inspecting a prospective purchase. Finally, there's a detailed description of each model year with suggestions for things to look at that are specific to each year.

You will not regret buying this book, even if you are knowledgeable about midyears.

NCRS Pocket Spec Guide

As many numbers as you could possibly want, in a small, convenient package. Actually fits in your pocket!

Noland Adams' Body Lift Workbook

A complete guide to body lifting by someone who's been there. Includes comprehensive diagrams and a recommended vendor list. If you're really into restoration. Noland Adams also has 3 videos out: "How to Buy a Corvette", "Numbers, History and Documentation", and "Body Lift and Chassis Disassembly."

Vette Vues Fact Books: 1963-1967, 1968-1972 & 1973-1977

Has photos, numbers and detail on each year.

Where can I buy Corvette books?

Classic Motorbooks

What: CM has books on every type of automobile as well as motorcycles, racing, restoration, street rods, trucks and tractors. They also have video tapes. Huge selection.

Pros: Huge selection, friendly and efficient service

Cons: ?

Dragich Auto Literature

What: Selection is similar to Classic Motorbooks

Pros: Prices are similar to CM, sale prices are the lowest around. Several people have reported quick, friendly service.

Cons: ?

What magazines are there for Corvettes?

Corvette Fever

Corvette Quarterly

Corvette Quarterly is the re-incarnation of Corvette News, both of which are/were closely tied to Chevrolet. So it's the closest thing to an official GM approved/sponsored newsletter on Corvettes that you are going to get.

Vette Vues

Vette Vues, out of Sandy Springs, Ga, is excellent for ads for parts and cars and adequate for article content.

VETTE Magazine

Good coverage of all years and all interests, from the drag racer to the restorer. Occasionally cheesy (ie. scantily clad women in front of the cars) but otherwise good. Vette is a "general purpose" Corvette magazine.

What Corvette Clubs are there?

NCRS - National Corvette Restorers Society

Deals with the most minute imaginable details of how Vettes were assembled by the factory. Publishes an excellent quarterly magazine called The Corvette Restorer and a bi-monthly want ad magazine called The Driveline. Classified ads are free to members. Focus is on 53-77 Vettes.

If you would like to join, send your email and snail mail addresses to Eric Mortimer (ncrscincy@aol.com).

SACE- Straight Axle Corvette Enthusiasts

As the name implies the focus is on 53-62 Vettes only. Publishes a quarterly newsletter called Straight Talk that contains truly helpful information on correct parts, alternate sources, etc. President of SACE is a fellow named Noland Adams. Remember this name.

NCCC - National Council of Corvette Clubs

No other info is available.

Corvettes Unlimited

If anyone from O.S. is interested in our club, the above is the contact name and address. Stephen Brown is the President, if you wish to address him personally. Yes! we do have a newsletter!

Buyer's Guide: Midyear Corvettes (1963-1967)

Now located at Doc's Old Corvettes Buyers Guide

Also, check out the description of An Investment in Excitement: Buying a 1963-'67 Sting Ray in the books section.

Buyer's Guide: '70s Corvettes

Read a VetteNet member's recommendations on what to look for when buying a '70s Corvette.

What characteristics are there to differentiate years?

A good book to help in the area of differentiating years is the Corvette Buyer's Guide by Michael Antonick.
Also, see How to determine the year - very basic primer for determining what year each Corvette is

How do I find out more about the National Corvette Museum?

Check out the NCM Home Page!

What are the details on getting a Corvette plant tour?

Tours are given every Mon. - Fri. except major holidays at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Reservations are needed only for groups of 10 or more.
No cameras allowed.
Take I-65 Exit #28 to Corvette Drive to locate the plant.
Make sure to call before going!!! Anyone got the phone number???

What do L-88, LT-1, etc. mean?

Insuring Your
Corvette

What should I look out for when insuring my Corvette?

Info From: Phil Gunsul (prg@mgweed.att.com)

STATED AMOUNT

Additional research revealed there are, in fact, two types of stated policies. One is a stated amount policy in which the premium is based on an amount stated by the insured. Losses, however, are still based on the actual cash value (ACV) of the property at the time of loss, but not to exceed the stated amount. To pay the stated amount automatically would create a moral hazard in that policy holders could overvalue their cars, thus making a profit. This is contrary to the basic principle of indemnity which is to restore a person to the position they were in before the loss. (Mr. Flippin contends, however, Nationwide effectively removed the moral hazard by having their agent inspect the car prior to issuing the policy.)

STATED VALUE

The other is a stated value policy, which is a true valued type of policy where both parties agree, in advance, as to the value of the property. In the event of a total loss, the company will pay the full face value of the policy. It turns out this is an Inland Marine type of policy generally used with works of art, boats and other marine equipment. There are a few companies, however, that do offer it as an automobile policy. This difference may be the reason for the wide misconceptions about stated value policies. Mr. Flippin asked eleven different Nationwide agents how the company would settle a stated value policy. None of them corrected him by saying they were actually *stated amount* polices, five of them said the company would pay the full stated amount and five of them did not know. Only one actually knew the company would not pay the stated amount in the event of a total loss. He said he chose not to sell that type of policy because the insured pays an additional premium and receives no additional protection. In fact, the insured receives less protection. The standard indemnity policy pays the ACV at the time of loss with no limit on the company's liability. The stated amount policy still pays the ACV at the time of the loss, but the company's liability is limited to the stated amount. For example: Assume a car has an ACV at the time of loss of $10,000. For an $8,000 stated amount policy, the company would only pay $8,000, where they would pay the full $10,000 under a standard indemnity policy. The insured pays an additional premium for the "privilege" of limiting the insurance company's liability.

ADVICE TO OTHER OWNERS

If you have a stated value policy and have not yet suffered a loss, it is suggested, in the strongest possible terms, that you read it, paying particular attention to the section entitled "limits of liability." The words STATED AMOUNT on the declaration page is a red flag. Read the respective endorsement very carefully. More than likely, it is based on ISO form E167 which states:

"The limit of the company's liability for loss shall be the lesser of:

(a) the stated amount shown in the Declarations,

(b) the actual cash value of the stolen or damaged property, or

Unless it was written by one of the few companies issuing such policies, [ the article later list them as Central Mutual, Chubb, Midwestern Indemnity and Zurich-American. - PRG ] you probably will find the policy does not say the company will automatically pay the stated amount in the event of total loss. In addition, discuss this with your agent immediately. Ask the following questions:

1) Will the policy, in fact, pay the stated amount in the event of a total loss?

2) If no, why did you buy it?

3) If yes, have him show you where it says that in the policy.

4) Will the company insure the same car under a standard indemnity policy?

5) If so, what would be the premium?

6) What additional consideration are you receiving by paying the additional premium?

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Remember, have your agent show you, in writing, where it says the insurance company will pay the stated amount in the event of a total loss.

Wax Facts

THE NEW WORLD
ACCORDING TO MEGUIAR'S

by Thomas B. Nast

Copyright 1994 by Thomas B. Nast
[References to photos deleted]

Five years have passed since I last wrote the definitive tome on using Meguiar's products to keep your car looking, well, as nice as mine. In that half-decade, some products and techniques have changed. Add to that certain production problems with the last publishing on this subject, membership turnover, and the recycling of old Zundfolges as kindling and parakeet cage liners; the time for a rewrite is upon us.

Credit for this rewrite must be shared with Dennis Noland of Exeter Garage of Seattle, one of the few detail shops which follows the processes outlined below; and with Terry Richards, the area representative of Meguiar's, who was kind enough to bring me up to date on new product details. I have personally ob- served or tried every operation described in this article, and routinely use the appropriate procedures on my own rolling stock. So, departing from my usual practice, I will take the blame for any errors the editors have not installed for me.

How to keeping new paint looking new always baffled me. Wash it, and I got scratches. Wax it, I got more scratches. It seems like the cleaner I tried to keep it, the more scratched it got. I'm not talking about gouges, just light scratching. Take the car to a detail shop (at least to judge from cars I've seen), and you can add swirls to the list of horrors. And I know I have a lot of company.

One solution (to which I used to plead guilty) is only to wash and wax once a year. Assuming the car is garaged, this does minimize paint damage, at the expense of appearance and oxida- tion. It is not really a solution at all, any more than a hat is a solution to baldness. Fortunately, there is a real remedy to the dilemma, and it is Meguiar's.

There are more companies making car care products than there are rust pockets in a Karmann-bodied coupe, and I cannot say that Meguiar's is the best. I have not tried them all (I have tried dozens, however). I have found only one line that seems to consistently work, with emphasis on consistent. In addition, Meguiar's has done more to see that its products are used proper- ly (read, "successfully"), than any other manufacturer I know of (at least through its reps -- its printed literature is a bit confusing). I am not a Meguiar's salesman, and I feel that if you already have a system which works for you, stick with it. For ex- ample, I can suggest no Meguiar's compound which will do a better job on chrome than Simichrome. But if you have had decades of frustration, as I have, with $6.00 waxes wasting $3,000.00 paint jobs, read on.

Mr. Achilles takes a stand. Meguiar's has expanded its pro- duct numbers since the original publication of this monograph, continuing its entropic tradition. Unfortunately, there remains no choice but to learn which numbered product does what. Since you are not running a detail shop and are (presumably) concerned with only one or two cars, probably an half-dozen products will do it for you. Don't let the numbers intimidate you, you only need to learn a few.

Another bit of lameness is Meguiar's' naming of products -- "Professional" this, "Hi-Tech" that. To its credit, the "No. 11 Professional Hi-Tech Finesse Quick-Step" no longer appears in the catalog, but what is the difference between "No. 00 Hi-Tech Wash" and "No. 62 Carwash Shampoo & Conditioner"? Especially if your car is not endowed with a full bonnet of hair? Such monikers will not be honored by further repetition in these pages.

Theory

The theory behind Meguiar's products is simple. A system is needed to care for the car's finish, not just one or two `universal' products. First, take out scratching and don't put any in. Second, put oils back into the paint instead of tak- ing them out. Third, avoid wax buildups or anything which will dull the natural gloss of the paint.

This theory is expressed in Meguiar's products in a number of ways. Solvents and detergents are avoided. Abrasives which will not break down are not used. Nearly every Meguiar's liquid has feeder oils, which replenish the natural oils in paint. Al- most no carnauba wax is included, as solvents are needed to make it flow and it leads to wax buildup. Silicones are avoided in nearly every material except the waxes, where they are used as carrying agents. And the foam pads for machine use are about the best product to come down the pike for polishing without inducing swirling.

Typical Case

The following is a typical treatment by a BMW owner new to the Meguiar's regime. It is based on about a dozen real-world applications by the author. This will help establish a baseline of products you can expect to use. We can then consider the exceptions to the rules, and the techniques involved.

First, wash with 00 or 62. Next, remove things that can be removed (e.g. windshield wipers) and mask vents, grills, or any- thing else that will be hard to clean spatter off of. Clean with No. 2. Polish with No. 7. Wax with No. 26 (one coat) or Medallion (two or three coats).

Whew, that's a lot of work! Fortunately, if you keep up with the car you won't need to do all the steps next time. Maintenance with No. 7 or No. 9 and wax is usually sufficient; if the car is kept polished and waxed, the cleaning is an annual event at most.

Now, on to more theory, technique and special cases.

Hand vs. Machine Application

We have been taught that the only way to clean and wax a car is by hand. This teaching, how- ever, must be relegated to the same dustbin where the teachings of the Flat Earth Society now repose. Proper use of the right power tools and products will not only yield better results than hand application, but is less likely to damage the paint in the process. I was surprised by this too, but I cannot dispute that which I have witnessed. Unless you are preparing for a body- builders' convention, use machines. Virtually all Meguiar's pro- ducts can now be applied by hand or machine.

Hand application is necessary in certain areas that ma- chines can't (or in the exercise of prudence should not be called upon) to reach. Examples would be around wiper blades, radio aerials and sharp body contours. And some people may not want to invest in machines. So because of this (and for those who won't use machines out of penury or atavism), hand application will be discussed, though it is not generally recommended.

Buffer Swirls

Buffer swirls are the result of (1) the fibers which comprise wool pads, (2) compounds which don't break down, and (3) dirt being ground into the paint. Swirls are quite common when wool pads are used (and many detail shops still use wool pads). (A few years ago I attended a Porsche club event at the dealer in Tacoma, and saw three brand-new cars have their paint systematically destroyed while being "prepped" with wool pads).

Swirls are also induced by rubbing with compounds made of silicate, sand or aluminum oxide. These materials are not used in Meguiar's products, which use materials (e.g. diatomaceous clay) which break down as they are used instead of scratching up the paint. Improper cleaning of the car before waxing, or failing to clean the dirt out of the foam pads, will also result in swirl- ing. Wax conceals buffer swirls, but does not remove them. Swirls will reappear as the wax wears or is washed off. Go to a car wash and take a look at the cars as they emerge -- otherwise im- peccable cars come out with grotesque swirling in the paint, now visible as a result of the wax being stripped off. (Not to men- tion that most car washes introduce scratching.) Swirls can be usually be removed, but it is best not to install them in the first place.

The Impossible

There are two things which no car care product can do. Totally oxidized paint, checked paint (thousands of tiny cracks), and peeling or flaking paint, cannot be restored. Paint this far gone (regardless of its age) should be stripped and new paint applied. No compound or wax can save that which has been destroyed. In addition, deep scratches (i.e. near or into the primer) cannot be completely removed, as obviously all the paint will be removed with them. They can be minimized, but not eliminated. So don't expect miracles, even if you find waxing cars a religious experience.

Do not be completely discouraged, however. Partially oxidized paint can be restored, and light-to-moderate scratching can be removed. If you aren't sure whether or not you are at- tempting a miracle, give it a shot -- no harm can come from trying.

Type of paint

The products and techniques you use will vary somewhat depending on the type of paint your car has. So you must determine the type of paint you are dealing with. Meguiar's divides paints into two categories, conventional and "high tech", which I will call "plastic paints" because I can't stand the hype. Conventional paints are enamels (acrylics and otherwise) and lacquers (ditto). Plastic paints include the ever-expanding family of urethanes.

This matters because the urethanes are very hard, and when they scratch (or swirl) you have to be more aggressive to get the flaws out. Conventional paints are softer, scratching and repair- ing more easily. Conventional paints will tolerate more heat than will plastic paints, so buffers can be run at faster speeds (within reason); if plastic paints are overheated, they will cloud.

Determining which paint you are dealing with can be quite challenging. Manufacturers have been inconsistent in what type of paint they use, and aren't very good about telling you. To make matters worse, a different type of paint may have been used on a repaired area than on the rest of the car. So if in doubt, ask a reputable body shop what type of paint you have. And if your car is repaired or repainted, make a note of the type of paint used.

Generally speaking, solid-color BMW's used to come with conventional paints, but now come with a single-stage urethane. Metallic painted BMW's always have a clear coat. The clear coat was of uncertain parentage (some would say it was a son of a bachelor) until about the late seventies, when urethane clear coats appeared. As many of us know, paint failure on metallic BMW's was a certainty until this change was made. Any clear- coated BMW may be treated as having plastic paint. Solid-colored BMW's of other than recent vintage will require some detective work.

To check if you car has a conventional or plastic paint, rub a small area with a terry cloth towel and some cleaner (No. 2). If color comes off the car onto the towel, you have conven- tional paint. If no color appears, you have plastic paint (proba- bly a clear coat).

Condition of paint

The condition of the paint will determine how aggressive you need to be in restoring it. New cars should need very little work (unless butchered when being "prepped"), but a five-year-old car which has been parked outside will probably need two or three additional steps. The differences will be dealt with in the text.

Equipment

In an effort to avoid inducing sticker shock, let me warn you that a one-time investment of $300 - $400 may be required to properly care for you car's paint. This could be lowered considerably by a club group purchase, or if your club purchases a buffer and DA and rents/loans them out.

What you need is:

A variable speed rotary buffer for cleaning. I am satisfied with my Makita 9207SPC, which sells for about $200 discounted. Also recommended is the Black & Decker No. 6138 (ca. $280) Whatever you use, it should work at well under 2000 rpm (like 1000-1400 rpm). Some people use a variable speed drill with a $5 adaptor, but this quickly gets tiring; not recommended.
A dual action (DA), orbital or "hutch" (Hutchins) buffer for polishing and waxing. Polishing and waxing can be done with the rotary buffer, but a DA is a better choice for a number of reasons. It is smaller and lighter than a buffer, thus a lot easier on your back. Because of its low speeds, it splatters less material. And the low speeds and eccentric motions make it much less capable of harming a car than a rotary buffer. However, a DA is not good for cleaning. A recommended orbital is the Porter-Cable 7335; it sells for about $125. Air-driven Hutchins sanders also work well for buffing. The theory behind DAs, orbitals and hutches is to simulate hand application, but at a higher speed and with less effort.
Meguiar's foam application pads. About $50.00. Do not use wool pads. Get two yellow polishing pads (W-1000 in 8" and W-5500 in 5-1/2") and one or two 8" finishing pads (W-9000). The finishing pad has velcro backing, so you will need a backing plate (No. W-65) if you don't have one. (A new backing plate with an alignment pin for the pads is imminent). The 5-1/2" finishing pads presently only come with a backing plate permanently affixed; 8" finishing pads come with permanent backing plate or with velcro (W-1000L). If you are using a DA, get a couple of 6" yellow polishing pads for it (W-6000); these are presently the only foam pads available for DAs. If you are attaching serious scratches, get a burgundy cutting pad (W-7000).
A supply of terry cloth towels (all cotton). Thick looped toweling is best; the theory is that dirt goes down into the loops, where it cannot damage the paint. Save your marriage, and get some nice, soft towels for your car at a department store sale.
Folded and stitched terry cloth pads, about 3" square. Not absolutely necessary, but very nice for hand work.
A small, stiff nylon brush. Like a toothbrush with a gland condition. Figure a dollar.
A small wire brush (Snap-On sells a nice one with stainless steel bristles for under three dollars).
Some dense, closed-cell foam application pads for applying polish (about 3" square). Cadge these. I use foam from the thermal barrier you put under your sleeping bag when camping.
Meguiar's materials appropriate to the job. Plan on $80.00.
Apron or coveralls, free of any scratch-inducing metal on the front. Some enterprising sort should market terry cloth aprons! To help you accept this, consider that the total cost is less than two trips to a detail shop, and the results should be sub- stantially better in most cases. If you share, borrow or rent a buffer from your club, you're probably dollars ahead the first time around.
The yellow polishing pads for rotary buffers come in large (8") and small (5-1/2") sizes. The 8" pad covers a lot of area in less time, but the 5.5" pad is good for getting into smaller spaces. My counsel is to start with a set of the 8" pads, and pick up smaller ones when you feel the need.

As to where to get this stuff locally, I bought my Makita at Tool Town on 15th Ave. West. The Meguiar's products are carried by Exeter Garage and Autosport Seattle. Look for depart- ment store or linen store sales for the towels. The orbital can be bought at Home Depot.

Technique

Technique is, of course, more important than size (850i owners take note). The following practices should be observed, as a general rule.

First, never wash, polish or wax the car in the sun. Do it in the shade, indoors or not at all.

If you are applying materials by hand, squirt the material onto the terry cloth pad, instead of onto the car as you usually would do with machine application.

With buffing wheels, use different pads for cleaners, polishes and waxes, and frequently clean or change the pad, as any dirt trapped in it will scratch the paint. Frequently refresh the pad with material, using modest quantities. When rubbing, do not use a circular motion. Always use straight strokes. This will avoid swirls and minimize the number of angles at which light is refracted by any scratches you induce. It is recommended that your strokes be back and forth, in the direction which the car travels.

Whether by machine or by hand, use light pressure. If light pressure does not do the job, try a more aggressive product (ex- cept on urethanes) and/or a higher machine speed, depending on the experience of the operator and the type of paint. Keep rotary buffers well under 2000 rpm; if working on urethane 1200 to 1400 rpm is better). Under no circumstances should you be "grinding" on the finish.

Sometimes the rotary buffing wheel will start to oscillate, jittering like an orbital sander. This is usually the result of the pressure not being on the center of the pad (plus the pads are not the best-balanced objects to pass through my shop). The oscillating motion can do your paint no good, and may well harm it. If you feel an oscillation building, ease up the pressure and try to center the pressure on the middle of the pad. Otherwise, lift the buffer off the surface and reapply it after the oscilla- tion subsides.

With an air-driven hutch or DA, don't turn the tool on be- fore the wheel is on the car. Without contact, the wheel spins up to a very high speed, slinging material and tearing up the pad. The slight friction contact with the car provides should slow the tool down to a fairly slow speed (adjust the air pressure if it doesn't).

Resist the temptation to hold the buffer with one hand while stretching to reach those hard-to-get spots, like the cen- ter of the roof. This is an invitation to disaster.

When applying liquids with buffing wheels, a number of practices should be observed. The foam pad must be kept clear of dirt and dead foam. Before reusing the pad and periodically thereafter, scrape it (while rotating) with the plastic brush un- til stuff stops coming off. If there is any suspicion of dirt caught in the foam, you may also apply terry cloth to the rotat- ing pad to clean it. The foam wheel may be trimmed using a wire brush. The wheel should be kept in flat trim, and periodic trim- ming can greatly extend the life of this fairly expensive pro- duct. Application of liquids may be in a column on the painted area being worked on, or to the foam pad directly. Which is ap- propriate depends on which product you are using (see text below and read the labels), but generally you will be happier applying the liquid to the car, as the wheel slings off quite a bit in all directions as it spins up. If the liquid has been applied direct- ly to the car, approach the liquid with the pad at a slight angle, so the liquid is thrown back onto the pad and not onto everything else. With the Makita, which rotates clockwise (when observed from above), the edge farthest from you will be the con- tact edge if you are right-handed. Once the liquid has been dis- tributed, keep the pad flat on the panel (with the weight on the pad's center) to avoid swirl marks. Do not apply cleaner to the car and then leave it sitting.

Guide the machine in long, straight, overlapping strokes, letting the machine do the work. Every novice moves the machine in a circular pattern on the panel being worked -- don't do it. On the other hand, keep the machine moving; if you rest it in one place, the paint may overheat from friction and be damaged. I have found that the trunk and hood are more easily approached from their ends than from the sides, and that the roof is most easily buffed without the use of a ladder. Avoid using the ma- chine on high points (the body creases), because it will wear through the paint. Do these by hand. And avoid objects which may catch the pad (e.g. the air vents on the hood, antenna, etc.), because the pad is too expensive to rip up and you may have the machine power itself onto the hood (or whatever), ruining your whole day. In the same vein, some system is necessary to avoid scratching the finish with a power cord or air hose. Encasing the cord in socks is one suggestion.

Also, avoid the plastic beading set in the rubber around windshields (2002, 320i). I found that the buffer can permanently disfigure these.

All Meguiar's materials have an indefinite shelf life (if not allowed to freeze), but they should be well shaken before use to evenly distribute the solids, which may settle out.

If applying a liquid directly to the car, squirt it in a 15" - 24" long bead. After it is worked in, lay down another bead on the feather edge of the area you just worked. Columns will be about 12" apart except the wax, which works better with more but thinner columns, so expect columns 8" on center for wax. The other exception is the No. 1 cleaner, which is best applied directly to the pad. When applying materials onto the pad instead onto the car, put it on the center of the pad to minimize splat- ter.

Although you can continue buffing until the liquid is most- ly dry, this is not a good idea on dark or clear-coated finishes. In general, you should stop buffing after the material begins to break down but before it becomes dry (you can tell when it is dry because it will leave a glossy finish without further wiping); stop when a thin film of material remains. At this point you can (and should) remove the film with terry cloths, rather than with more buffing.

Discrete foam pads should be used with cleaners, polishers and waxes. This is because their chemical and abrasive composi- tions differ, and mixing them up undoes what you are trying to do. So plan on having three pads, and identify the use of each with an indelible marker. Use your best pads for polishing and waxing; when they become tatty, demote them to permanent cleaning duty.

Be somewhat stingy with liquids. Most people use way more than is necessary, at least while they are learning.

Use the softest terry cloths you can. They often get softer with repeated washings, by the way. Remember, cloth is an abrasive! Any dirt caught in the cloth will undo your work, so clean the cloth frequently with a brush or another cloth, and don't be bashful about chucking it into the laundry and grabbing another, clean cloth. When washing, do not use liquid fabric softeners. Fabric stores carry terry cloth by the yard, but it will generate lots of lint before it is washed. Also, when you cut it the unbound edges will chuck off yet more fabric. So I prefer towels to terry-by-the-yard.

Finally, it is much easier on you and the car to maintain the paint (with regular washing and waxing) than it is to restore it and wax it, say, annually. (This is true of every aspect of any mechanical object, just in case you hadn't contemplated the subj. It is also true that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Such is the yin and yang of automobiles.) The idea of an annual wax (as with Meguiar's No. 20, a polymer) will not work out if the car is used outdoors. If you just drive it around your garage, though, it's probably ok.

Splatter
It is inevitable that, using machines, slop will get all over the car. Especially until you learn just how much liquid to use and how to apply it. The car will look like a muddy dog shook itself off nearby. For this reason, you should plan on doing each step to the entire car (or as much of it as is ap- propriate) before moving on to the next step, so you only have to wipe up once after each step. You could cover areas not being worked with soft (e.g. terry) cloths, but it's probably easier just to wipe up slung liquids with terry cloths.

Other suggestions
Wear an apron or coveralls, for some of the splatter will be tossed onto you, particularly your chest and gut. And start at the top of the car and work down, because splatter obeys the law of gravity.

Another characteristic of splatter is that it gets into cracks, such as between the hood and fenders, the door jambs, and so forth. You will find a thin line of splatter behind the edge you just worked. I suggest that after each step, you open the ap- propriate panel and remove the splatter before it dries out. Use a terry cloth. It may take a couple of wipes, as a thin residue will be left after the first pass. Dry or hard-to-remove splatter can be addressed with No. 34 spray and terry towels.

Wash the car. Never wash in direct sunlight. When washing the car, do use plenty of water and never, ever use a detergent (like dish soap). Prepare a five-gallon bucket of suds, so when you wring out your wash mitt the dirt can settle out. Wet the car thoroughly before soaping. Do one panel at a time (so the soap doesn't dry before it is rinsed), starting at the top. As I apply the soapy water to an area, I flush it with the hose at the same time.

Synthetic wash mitts work well -- this is the only place for synthetics (other than the buffing pads). Terry cloth can also be used. Frequent turning and rinsing of the mitt or terry is necessary, because dirt trapped in it will scratch the finish. Car washing is where scratching problems start; after all, that's when the most grit is present to cause scratching. Don't let it happen to you.

Meguiar's recommends its No. 00 wash, which I have used for years. A more recent product is No. 62, which is available in the large quantities No. 00 used to come in and which is a good deal less expensive (though about the same as No. 00 was before No. 62 came along). Though I am resistant to change, I can find no fault with No. 62 and for reasons of economy will adopt it. The Meguiar's products really enhance the shine of Meguiar's-finished cars, without silicones and without stripping off the waxes and oils.

However, most any quality car shampoo will do fine. A qual- ity product will have no detergents and no silicones.

Meguiar's also makes a waterless spray-on wash, No. 34, which you wipe off with a terry cloth. This product, now called "Final Inspection", replaces, is much less expensive and is entirely reformulated from, the former No. 34 "Trigger Wash." The notion of wiping off a dirty emulsion scares the hell out of me, because how can you avoid abrading the surface as you wipe? The theory is that No. 34 puts a lubricant (not silicone) between the paint and the dirt, floating the dirt off. It seems to work, but I remain uncomfortable with it in heavy grime situations.

Dry the washed car with The Absorber or clean terry cloths, again turning them frequently to avoid scoring the finish with dirt particles. Leather chamois is not recommended for drying (or anything else, for that matter, except patching elbows).

Removing Scratches

The technique for removing scratches depends on the severity of the scratch.

Very light scratching and light oxidation can be addressed with No. 9 ("Swirl Remover").

Light scratching is addressed with the standard cleaning routine, using No. 2.

Moderate scratching can be more challenging, and may re- quire a few trips to the arsenal. Try less aggressive products first, then more aggressive ones if needed. This is true both for the cleaners and the pads. So depending on how bad the scratching (or oxidation) is, first try No. 2, No. 1, then No. 4 (in that order); and start with an unaggressive pad (a finishing pad), moving to a moderately aggressive pad (the yellow polishing pad, Nos. W-1000 and W-5500 depending on size), then a cutting pad if that doesn't work (W-7000). Use your judgment and experience as you acquire it, though. Paints are different, and you may find it best to go right to a polishing or cutting pad. You may want to try a more aggressive pad with a less aggressive cleaner before going to a more aggressive cleaner. Note that the aggressive cleaners and pads will induce some light scratching while reduc- ing the moderate scratch; you will need to progressively rework the area with decreasingly aggressive products to polish it mirror-smooth.

Deep scratching is handled with Unigrit sandpaper (de- scribed below); 2000 grit is a good starting point. Follow this by No. 1, No. 2 and then either No. 3 or No. 7 in that order.

Severe scratching is present if you can run your fingernail over the scratch and it gets caught. This generally cannot be sanded. Likewise, if the flaw has penetrated near or to the primer or metal, sanding is not the answer. You have no choice but to use touch-up paint, let it dry thoroughly, then block sand and polish. Scratching underneath the paint, of course, requires stripping the paint and refinishing the metal.

Sanding and blocking
Sometimes a scratch will need to be sanded out, or touch-up paint will need to be blocked down so it blends with the rest of the paint. (And sometimes whole cars need to be wet-sanded, but that is beyond the scope of this article). Sanding is done with Meguiar's Unigrit (formerly Nikken) sand- paper. This has a very even distribution of grit which is closely controlled in size. It comes in grades from 80 to 2000 grit -- you will mostly be concerned with the 2000. It should be soaked overnight before use, and used with dilute No. 00 as a lubricant. The E-7200 backing pad is an excellent backing. Two sheets of sandpaper and a new backing pad run about three dollars. In sand- ing, you will simply feather the scratch out.

Sanding blocks are used to work out defects above the paint surface. Meguiar's blocks (which are fairly small) come from 400 to 3000 grade, and last almost forever. They should also be kept soaking before use.

After any sanding, expect to clean with No. 2 or stronger, followed by polishing.

Clean the Car - Theory

"Cleaning" the car is not the same as "washing" the car. A "clean" car is free of oxidized paint, road tars and salts, acids found in the rain, and so forth. The car is chemically clean, and the pores of the paint are free of contaminants. Thus, a wax- based material is not used for cleaning. Meguiar's cleaners are No. 1 (medium) and No. 2 (fine) and No. 4 (heavy).

A nearly new finish will need no cleaning at all -- the step can be skipped, and you can go straight to polishing. No. 2 has feeding oils, cleaning chemicals and a buffered earth abrasive. I have found it to be gentle and effective. No. 1 is used for finishes with moderate oxidation or swirling. If you use No. 1, plan on following up with No. 2 before moving on to polishing. No. 4 is used only to removed heavy oxidation or rela- tively deep scratching; in practice, you will rarely employ it. Experience will teach you that the proper amount of cleaner is more sparing than you think -- it does not need to be slopped all over.

The key is to start with the least aggressive treatment, and only if that proves insufficient do you move on to a more ag- gressive product. If in doubt, use the less aggressive. And re- member, it sometimes takes more than one pass to get the job done. Again, you are better off with two passes of No. 2 than one pass of No. 1, but I would draw the line there. You will quickly develop a sense of just what the two different cleaners do. If in doubt, experiment on test patches, as experimenting on whole panels is very time consuming, not to mention risky.

Clean the car - by machine.
For conventional paints, try a finishing pad first, using No. 2, especially if this is maintenance cleaning; if this doesn't get the car clean (you will know after working on one panel) move to a polishing pad. Bear in mind that not all panels are the same; frequently, the roof, hood and trunk will need more aggressive treatment than the sides, due to more exposure to the elements.

For plastic paints, follow the same procedure, bearing this in mind: plastic paints are harder than conventional paints. Much harder. That means that you treat them less aggressively. Why? The harder the paint, the milder you treat it, as harsh treatment will induce scratching you can't easily polish out (induced scratching is relatively easy to polish out of the softer conven- tional paints). Thus, you will want to avoid No. 1 (use only No. 2 cleaner or No.9 cleaner/polish) and you will run your rotary buffer at its lower speeds. Also, you will probably use a finish- ing pad instead of a cleaning pad.

Clean the car - by hand.
In the Meguiar's world, use No. 2 for most cleaning by hand, applying the liquid directly to the pad. Expect a moderately needy finish to require thirty to forty strokes to be clean.

Polish the Paint - Theory

By polishing the paint, we mean nourishing it and hiding hairline scratches. Meguiar's polishes also restore the oils which washing, age, sun, rain and air (smog) have leached out of the paint. (This is not to be confused with the "seal jobs" done by car dealerships, which involves put- ting a polymer over the paint, rather than oils into it, together with an adjustment to the customer's bank balance.) The immediate difference this step makes, especially for dark-colored cars, is so impressive that you would use polish even if it didn't renourish the paint. Meguiar's claims the benefits of its polish accrete with each application; and indeed, if maintained, very little polish is needed to replenish the paint.

The Meguiar's family of polishes includes Nos. 3, 7, and 9 (No. 5 has been removed from the line-up since last publication). Unlike cleaners, pure polishes are not abrasive. Meguiar's No. 7 is pure polish. No. 3 is a little more aggressive; it can pull a little haze off the paint, or a very light oxidation. No. 9 is a polish with a cleaner, and thus has some light abrasives in it; it is the most aggressive of the polishes. No. 9 is good for removing light swirling, or if you really don't need a cleaning step. Use it with a rotary buffer and a finishing pad, if avail- able.

Polishing by machine - in general
Polishing is not an abrasive process (except with No. 9, see above), and in fact the polish acts as a lubricant between the pad and the paint. For ma- chine application, the polish may be squirted directly onto the panels, doing one panel at a time. The polish may be buffed until the material breaks down, stop buffing before the polish dries into a powder. If one application and buffing is insufficient, try another. Be sure to observe precautions (under "Polishing by hand", below) about not letting the polish dry. Especially with No. 7, the polish will get gummy, making it unnecessarily dif- ficult to remove the excess. By the way, I have had a problem with blockages in the dispenser nozzles of No. 3; a bent paper- clip or coat hanger clears it nicely.

Polishing with buffers
If using a buffer (a rotary ma- chine) for polishing, use a finishing pad (W-9000). For polishing conventional paints, use No. 3; No. 9 is recommended for plastic paints. In addition to including mild cleaners, No. 9 is designed for the tighter molecular structure which plastic paints present. It is also the easiest of the polishes to use, if you need fur- ther incentive.

Polishing with DA
For polishing with a DA, orbital or hutch, yellow polishing pads are all that is available (and will work fine). Whether polishing conventional or plastic paints, use No. 7. Use No. 7 sparingly, and clean the foam pad often, to pre- vent the pad from gumming up.

Polishing by hand
For hand application on conventional paint, use No. 7. This polish can be applied with a rigid foam pad, a soft sponge or a terry cloth. Apply the polish directly to the car, and spread it out evenly with the pad. The pad will literally glide over the polish. The idea is to coat the panel (start by doing one panel at a time, until you gain experience with curing times) with as thin a coat as will completely cover it. The polish can be further worked into the paint using a terry cloth. The more which is infused into the paint, the better; how- ever, it should be used sparingly to avoid gumming and excessive wiping. The paint can only absorb so much; beyond that, the polish is wasted and just creates extra work.

The polish will not fully dry (nor would you want it to); hence, it can and should be wiped off with terry toweling. This can be done one panel at a time. If the weather is not too warm, removing the excess polish can be done after the whole car has been coated; however, warm weather will cause the polish to dry, and you will regret not having wiped it off earlier, so keep an eye on it.

Using the terry cloth towel, wipe gently using straight strokes. A residue will be left, which can be wiped up with a fresh terry cloth. Continue until all the polish is removed.

For hand application on plastic paints, use No. 7 or No. 9. If No. 9 is used by hand, apply it as you would a cleaner and not as you would apply the No. 7 polish.

Wax the Paint - in General

Whether by hand or by machine, and whether the paint is conventional or plastic, use either No. 26 liquid wax or Medallion. It is hard to describe the dif- ferences; the No. 26 is one of the few Meguiar's materials with silicone, and it has some (not a lot) of carnauba (you don't need or want much carnauba, by the way). Meguiar's does not disclose the contents of Medallion (it probably has some silicone in it too), but Meguiar's claims that it ionically bonds to the car's finish, resulting is freedom from dust-attracting static. This is a difficult claim to verify, but it does seem to yield superior results, last longer and be even less effort to apply than No. 26. Considering how little is needed to coat the car and its greater durability, Medallion's additional cost is more than off- set. Plus, it smells a lot better than No. 26. My unconditional endorsement goes to Medallion.

Apply the wax - by machine
I have found machine applica- tion consistently yields results superior to hand application here, especially with Medallion. Use thin coats, two if No. 26, two or three if Medallion), instead of one thick one. Both of these materials are so slippery that very little is needed.

If waxing with a rotary buffer, use a finishing pad; if waxing with a DA, you must use the yellow polishing pad (the only pad available for DAs), which will carry more of the wax in its larger cells than will a finishing pad.

For machine application, apply the wax directly to the car and buff in 8" columns. Buff using light pressure and overlapping strokes, leaving a film to dry; do not buff until the material begins to break down! Use the slowest buffer speed possible; this is the great advantage of the DA.

Apply the wax - by hand
If waxing by hand, use the same procedure as with No. 7 polish. By hand, rub the wax thoroughly into the paint so that it fully penetrates. Wipe with clean terry cloths, which will take several passes a few minutes apart.

Meguiar's does make paste waxes (No. 16 and No. 26), and someday I hope to meet the fellow who buys them (five gets you eight he owns a Porsche). Paste waxes may not be used with a rotary buffer, but can be used with an orbital. If applied by hand, they are maybe six times more work to apply than No. 26 liquid or Medallion, with an inferior result. If you wax cars for exercise, though, hand application of paste wax might be for you.

Finishing waxing
How long you let the wax dry (cure) is critical. It should dry to a hazy white. If you drag your finger across it, it should ball up and not smear. This will take five or more minutes (remember, you are not in direct sunlight). If wiped off as a liquid it does no good, and it is difficult to remove and you risk damaging the finish if it is left to dry to a powder. Of course, the warmer the day the faster the dry time. Keep an eye on it, and experience will quickly teach the optimum.

After the excess is wiped off with terry clothes, there may be oils from the No. 7 or No. 9 left on top of the wax, which looks like streaking. This is best ignored for a day, after which the oil may have been absorbed by the paint and a quick pass with a clean terry cloth will solve the problem. Otherwise, wash the car down with No. 00 or No. 62. Many have found that after the full Meguiar's treatment, a No. 00 or No. 62 wash further im- proves the car's appearance!

Maintenance
The best way to maintain the finish on your car is to keep it garaged when not in use. It is almost im- possible to keep a car looking nice if it's parked outside, espe- cially if you have a life.

To maintain the Meguiar's finish, wash with 00 or 62, polish with No. 7 or No. 9, then wax with No. 26 or Medallion. If this is done as needed, the car will seldom need the cleaning step. Since cleaning is the most time consuming, laborious and wearing on the paint, routine maintenance is a sensible (if self- disciplined) alternative to an annual or semi-annual detailing.

Clean the glass
The glass may be cleaned, again preferably by machine, using No. 1 or No. 4 (which may also be used by hand) (and don't try to do the inside of the glass by machine). I am amazed how already-"clean" glass can be made to just sparkle with this treatment; it also removes water spots. And you should do it before polishing and waxing, as there will be cleaner splattered all over the glass from when you cleaned the paint, and cleaner will be splattered over the paint when you clean the glass.

Glass can be finished with Rain X if you wish (outside only). For those who haven't tried it (and it has been around for quite a while), Rain X seals the pores in the glass, which causes rain to bead and fly off, and also gives your windshield wipers a smoother ride. The down side is complaints about hazing, espe- cially in difficult lighting conditions (dusk and dawn). I have used the stuff intermittently for about a dozen years, and I think it's a good product if used correctly (the residue must be wiped completely off, and you can't tell if it's completely off in certain lighting conditions). Give it a try; it's around $5 per bottle, which will last years.

Clean the rubber
While the wax is curing is a good time to get started on the rubber and vinyl. Cleaning is done with No. 39 and a nylon-bristled brush. On the exterior, hose off the cleaner. For protection and appearance, No. 42 works well with rubber bumpers, tires, plastic and semi-gloss painted areas. It soaks in, and may take multiple coats. It does not leave a shiny coat like Armorall, and seems to have less of a tendency to wash off in the rain (the streaks Armorall leaves as it washes off are one of many reasons to avoid the stuff).

Clean the plastic
Interior plastic parts may be cleaned with No. 40, which can be wiped on or (if the filth requires it) brushed with a brush of stiff plastic bristles. (For real grunge, No. 39 is a more aggressive cleaner.) It is an Armorall sub- stitute, except that it leaves matte finishes matte. (I dislike Armorall's making everything shiny. I also dislike the way it evaporates and deposits itself on the windshield as a haze, some- thing No. 40 also does not seem to do.)

High-impact plastics, such as turn signal lenses, can have scratches removed by machine with No. 1 and No. 3 cleaners; No. 10 can be used for cleaning thereafter. I have restored lenses I was ready to scrap with these materials. No. 10 is the industry standard for cleaning plastic airplane windshields, by the way (they are restored with a product called Micro Mesh).

Protection/maintenance of clear high-impact plastic pieces can be accomplished with No. 18, which is a cleaner/polish. It can also be used on window tints and compact disks.

Clean the wheels
Everybody has a favorite wheel cleaner, from Mothers to Eagle One. Meguiar's sells No. 36, which is used with a household paint brush and elbow grease. The No. 36 is non- acidic and is not corrosive -- it will not damage wheels. Meguiar's makes a big deal out of No. 36 being the only cleaner blessed by BBS. But because No. 36 is not aggressive, you have to put in a lot of your own effort. So try them all, and use what you like best, but don't wait until after you have damaged your wheels with another product to try the Meguiar's.

Summary of applications
By machine: Conventional paints: Wash with 00 or No. 62. Clean with a buffer, using No. 2 unless severely oxidized or deeply scratched, in which case use No. 1. Polish with No. 3 if using a buffer, or with No. 7 if using a DA or hutch. Wax with No. 26 or Medallion, preferably using a DA or hutch. Plastic paints: same as above, only polish using a DA or hutch with No. 7 or with No. 9 with a rotary buffer and a finish- ing pad.

By hand: Conventional and plastic paints: Wash with 00 or No. 62. Clean with No. 4 or 2, polish with No. 7 wax with No. 26 paste or liquid, or Medallion.

Summary of products. A summary of relevant Meguiar's pro- ducts and their uses:

00 - wash. One capful per gallon of water.

1 - very aggressive cleaner for use by machine only. Can also be used as a glass cleaner.

2 - mild cleaner for use by hand or machine. Less aggressive than No. 1 or 4.

3 - machine polish, for conventional paints.

4 - most aggressive cleaner, for use by hand or machine. Fairly abrasive, and without chemicals. Use only if milder cleaners don't do the job.

6 - cleaner/wax for the one-step crowd and for removing road tars. Not for you.

7 - glaze. Apply by hand. Full of feeder oils and other good stuff, and hides hairline scratches.

9 - swirl remover for polishing out swirling or very light scratching by hand or machine.

10 - high-impact plastic cleaner.

16 - paste wax. Apply by hand or DA/orbital.

18 - high-impact plastic cleaner/polish for clear plastics.

20 - polymer sealant. For the annual detailer type. Not recommended for fine German cars.

26 - modern paste and liquid wax. Can be applied by hand or machine.

36 - wheel cleaner. Use with paint brush and elbow grease. BBS approved.

34 - squirt bottle wash. Good for clean-up, prepping panels about to be worked and concours. Enhances gloss.

39 - rubber and vinyl cleaner.

40 - vinyl and plastic cleaner/conditioner. Goodbye Armorall!

42 - rubber cleaner/treatment.

62 - car wash concentrate destined to replace 00.

Medallion for All Paint - the most wonderful wax.

Medallion for All Leather - Meguiar's leather treatment. I prefer Mercedes-Benz Lederpflegemittel (p/n 0009860571), Connolly Hide food or saddle soap.

S-2005 - Meguiar's Unigrit sandpaper (2000 grit). Most commonly used grades are 1000, 1200, 1500 and 2000.

K-2000 - Meguiar's sanding block (2000 grit). Available in grades from 400 to 3000.

W-65 - backing plate for W-9000

W-1000 - 8" yellow polishing pad.

W-5500 - 5.5" yellow polishing pad.

W-7000 - cutting pads.

W-9000 - 8" tan finishing pad.

-- FORZA! GWALKER@RTFM.MLB.FL.US "Big brown river. . ." Tuli Kupferberg, 1963

Buyer's Guide: '70s Corvettes

Info From: Fred Roberts
(froberts@gandalf.ca), Roger A. Goff
(roger@hpfrodo.fc.hp.com)

So .... you wanna buy an inexpensive Vette.

PREMISE

You know something about cars, but never got to "play" with vettes. You have minimal bucks and are NOT looking for an investment (although you don't want to lose money on the deal). Mid seventies vettes seem to be in your price range ($4-10K). What do you look for? What's a desirable car?

SOLUTION

Mid seventies vettes are not "desirable" cars, they are kind of a lost generation. No models in this era are viewed as desirable collectable cars (except maybe the 75 convertible, or the 74 454), but you don't want a museum piece, you want a cool looking car that goes like stink.

Here is my advice......

RUST

Surprise, surprise, vettes RUST!!

The clue is the front radiator support. This piece will rust out along the bottom. Fortunately this piece can be UNBOLTED. Its replacement isn't cheap, but they are available.

Another strange place for Vettes to rust is around the front window frame. Check REAL close to see if silicon seal has been used to cover this up. It is most apparent at the top of the window. I have seen new replacement window frames available for over $1K for all the pieces. This is NOT a bolt in operation, we are talking cutting, welding, big mess!

The "main" frames typically rust over the hump in the frame for the rear wheels. Replacement sections are available, but you gotta pull the body OFF the frame (ie the term FRAME OFF restoration). BIG mess here!!

BRAKES

Vette brakes for these years are all 4 wheel disks, the rear have little drums for the parking brakes. If you take your car in for a "brake job" you could EASILY pay over $1K. If you can do brakes on another car, you can do vette brakes. There are some different tools you will need and BUY THE SHOP MANUALS, BUY THE ASSEMBLY MANUALS and maybe a HAYNES or CHILTONS. The calipers have 4 pistons that have to be retracted when you try and re-install them on the rotor, hence you need a special tool that holds the 4 pistons in place. This special tool is basically a piece of sheet metal bent to slip over the caliper and hold the pistons. After market parts are cheaper and better, see rule #1.

Rule #1:

Replace all brake components with as much stainless parts as possible.

Vette brake systems seem to have problems with moisture and bleeding. When the brakes work, they work great, but they can be a pain fixing them.

The most common mistake is to forget that each caliper has TWO bleed screws (remember each caliper has 4 pistons)! This can cause a "spongy" brake pedal. You will now be buying brake fluid by the gallon! (or 4 liters for those of us using that other funny system of measure.)

In 1976 power brakes were an option, but every car was equipped that way. Prior to 76 you MAY find a vette with non-power brakes. 73 and 74 offered an off road suspension and brake package (very rare!), which I don't have any details on.

FRONT END PARTS

Front end parts (aftermarket) are real cheap! However if you have steering problems with the control valve /power cylinder this could get pricey. Vettes use conventional ball joints and idler arms, but have this weird power cylinder arrangement that isn't used on any other chev equipment.

NOTE: Vettes go where they are pointed with minimal steering wheel rotation ie the term "quick steering". If you have never driven a car with quick steering do not experience this doing 60mph into a corner. You will roll the car, allowing you to inspect the transmission for leaks without bending over!

Power steering was not standard equipment until 77. You may find one without power steering, which would be a major downer unless your into body building. Kits are available (see Vette Brakes and Products) to add power steering, or you could round up the pieces yourself. In either case it will also take a weekend of heavy muscle flexing installing all the pieces.

ABNORMAL EXPENSES

The following are things that are common problems.

You will find that the parking brake console is busted, because people lean on them too hard. The fiberglass pieces on the back of the seats tend to get broken, I'm not sure why. These fiberglass pieces are not always available in the colour of the interior. They must be painted or dyed to match.

In the rear end you have a positraction rear end (all vettes from 69 on have posi.) That means that the clutch packs will need replacing at some time. Don't forget the posi additives for the rear end fluid!

The drive train uses 6 universal joints! Not expensive (approx. $10-$20 each), just a lot of em. This is the usual cause of rear end clunking type noises.

Rear trailing arms/spindles are expensive and a real bear to remove. These drive train expenses are due to the independent rear suspension, ie one of the reasons you should be interested in buying this car.

Look at the clearance in the rear wheel wells. You will get to know how much is "normal", too little clearance probably means the rear spring is shot. Lots of aftermarket replacements of various strengths.

From the rear of the car, check the rear wheels for the "knock kneed" look. This could point to other rear geometry problems. I've heard that to properly do a rear alignment requires extreme patience. A quick way around this is to heat up some of the alignment pieces and bend them! Needless to say you now know that you don't drop off your car for an alignment. You stay and watch!

Check the rad for signs of leaks or loose cooling fins. Vette rads are a bit more expensive than rads for other cars. The air flow through the rad is not as good as other cars due to its steep rake. This means it has to dissipate much more heat than a conventional rad, making their design more expensive.

HEADLIGHTS

All of these vettes have vacuum operated headlights. There is a big reservoir running across the front of the car that stores vacuum to rise and lower the headlights, even if the car is off. NOTE: first thing you do is to rise and lower the headlights before starting the car. The control to do this may be difficult to find (some owners don't even know where it is). This will verify that you don't have a vacuum leak. All of these vacuum lines are colour coded to help you figure things out.

This assembly is major bucks and has about 5 miles of vacuum hose. Its usually damaged in a minor front end collision.

I imagine (I've never actually seen this) but a engine with a "hot" cam might not pop up the headlights too well. I goofed wiring up the vacuum lines and had all sorts of weird problem. (Imagine accelerating hard from a standing start, having the rear "squat", the front end "rise", and the headlights pop up! IT TOOK ME 2 YEARS TO FIND THIS GOOF! I got the vacuum hoses on a 3 way check value mixed up.)

KEYS

What's the big deal with the keys? Well you have LOTS of locks, and you want to make sure you have all the keys! You have a key for the alarm system ( on the drivers front fender), ignition, door locks, rear storage compartments, AND THE SPARE TIRE.

WHATS ALL THIS MATCHING NUMBERS CRAP?

Its nice to have, but the car you are looking at will never really be desirable collector car. You can quickly check the block by looking at the front of the block for a small "pad". A serial number will be there, it should match the number in the VIN (vehicle identification number). The transmission will have a similar number. I won't get into this any further, I'll leave it up to you to decide if its important to you.

HOWEVER, if you are going to start "hacking" at least SAVE THE PIECES!!! Similarly, if you buy a vette with a super duper stereo, at least ask for the FACTORY AM/FM 8 track. (some of these vettes even had CB units from the factory.) This may be important to someone in the future.

ENGINES

After the demise of the big block in 74. There was the only the L48 "wimp motor" and the L82. (I think California got stuck with a 305 for a year or two.Bzzt wrong! That was only in 1980.) I don't think there is that much difference between them (meaning I wouldn't reject a car based only on it being an L48). How do you tell which one you got? The plate on the console can be bought as can the L82 letters that appeared on some of the hoods.

These engines respond well to headers and aluminum intakes, again KEEP THE ORIGINAL PARTS. Can you imagine paying $600 for a set of crappy big block exhaust manifolds? That's the kind of abuse people are paying to restore mid sixties big blocks.

In '75 they introduced catalytic converters and went to a single exhaust system. You will be pleased to know the frame didn't change and you can install dual exhausts on these cars with no problems.

In '75 they introduced HEI (high energy ignition) and went to an electronic tach. Prior to 75 they used a mechanical tach driven from the distributor. For what ever reason these mechanical drive gears on the distributor strip the threads on the gears. Something to be aware off. You can't put a HEI distributor in a car with a mechanical tach drive indicator and expect the tach to work.

The only way to tell which engine is installed is to retrieve the "tank sticker". This document was attached to the gas tank during the assembly process to describe which options the car was going to get. Most of the time these papers look like something the cat threw up, sometimes you get lucky and you can still read them.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Factory mags, really only available after 76, looks real sharp (IMHO)

Deluxe interior, optional interior on pre 76 cars. Added leather seats, carpeting on the doors (it really does look better), better carpets and some other trim stuff.

After market stereos sometimes cause people to cut away at the dash. There are aftermarket stereos that are made to look like original equipment. A replacement dash panel (where the radio get mounted) is about $75-100, if a the existing one has been hacked up to fit a after market stereo.

Factory luggage rack can be used to carry t-roof panels. Never actually done this though. These luggage racks do rust sometimes and I seem to remember that holes are drilled in the rear deck to mount the things.

BODY DAMAGE

Quality control on the body assemblies of these cars ain't to good. Gaps between adjacent panels isn't really that good, although it can point to collision damage. The places to look for body repairs is the wheel wheels.

Typically damage done to the fiberglass is very noticeable in the wheel wells because it isn't finished near as well as the exterior repair.

I've been told that side pipes can melt the doors due to the heat these things give off. Check this out on all cars, because the side pipes may have been removed for this reason.

SPOTTERS GUIDE

pre 72 chrome front and rear bumpers

73 plastic front, chrome rears

74 plastic front and rear. Rear is done in 2 pieces.

75 1 piece rear, individual letters

76 they really used a vega steering wheel (don't let this get around) and the last year a Corvette "stingray" was produced.

77 may have "bullet" sport mirrors, different script on rear and had the "stingray" script on the front fenders replaced by the crossed flags.

78 "green house" rear glass

FUTURE COLLECTIBLES

75 convertible SEEMS to be worth 2 times the coupe because it was the last year. Ho hum, personally I find convertibles don't look as nice as the coupe.

74 was the last year for the big block 454. This to me typifies what vettes are about! Still this 454 had no compression, and was a shadow of the BB of the sixties. I personally find this a MUCH more desirable collectable car than the 75 convertible, to each his own.

78 was the 25 th anniversary/pace car fiasco. Don't pay big bucks for one of these "collectibles". There is no way to actually determine if the car really is a REAL pace car, and they ONLY made 15283 silver anniversary cars. Having said that there does seem to be a huge number of these cars around with very low mileage (ie less that 1000). The fact that these are low mileage cars would be reason to value them as collectibles, rather than their designation. Remember you want a "cheap" vette to drive, not a museum piece.

Vettes from outer space. These are cars with blowers, fender flares, flip front ends, bordello interiors or other "wild" custom modifications. Personally I find this a bit upsetting, but I understand how this happens. I would TEND to stay away from these cars, simply because it must be extremely difficult to re-sell it later. Again having said that, it MAY be feasible to "normalize" one of these things depending upon your talents and parts availability. Or you make really like driving something that is "different".

OMISSIONS

Don't have any experience with air conditioners, convertible tops, or 4 speeds. But I imagine that like any other car the air conditioners need recharging, tops get ratty, and 4 speeds need clutches.

SUMMARY

The much maligned mid 70s cars are the cheapest way to wrap you ass in fiberglass. Typically you will find these cars expensive to keep running if you are paying MR Goodwrench to keep it going. These cars are not that difficult to fix and repair yourself. Buy a few vette magazines (Vette Vues is a different type of mag you may find interesting) and go look at a lot of cars. If you're not sure about a car, don't buy it. Another will come along.

Don't be afraid to offer a firm price and walk away, but leave your phone number. I've been called back over a month after making an offer.

BUY THE FACTORY AND AFTERMARKET REPAIR MANUALS!!! and read them to find out how things work and how they are put together.

It really is an experience driving a vette, people DO stop and look at you in a envious way. (I once had a cop in a cruiser roll down his window and say "...wanna trade?")

What got me into vettes was that I could buy a used 75 Corvette for less than the price of a (then) new Chevette. Somehow that logic still sticks in my mind.

Customer Support

About Us

30-Day Price Protection

Jobs

Andy's Parts Smarts

Andy's Auto Sport TV

Customer Rides

The Andy's Dictionary

Sales Programs

Newsletter

mph	= (rpm * td) / (gr * rr * 336.13524)
mph	= 234 * (hp / wt)^(1/3)
et	= 5.825 * (wt / hp)^(1/3) [NOTE: for < 100mph]
	= 5.825 * (235/mph) * ((mph-100)/400)^(1/3) [NOTE: for > 100mph]
rpm	= 336.13524 * mph * gr * rr / td
gr	= td * rpm / (mph * 336.13524)
hp	= wt / (78655.65 * gr * rr / td / rpm)^3
hp	= (torque * rpm) / 5252

VetteNet FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Corvettes

Answered by The VetteNet

FAQ originally by J. David Cover. HTML version by Brad Waller and Andy Efron.

Introduction:

Table of Contents:

What is the VetteNet?

How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to the VetteNet?

How do I post to the VetteNet?

How do I temporarily suspend my VetteNet mail?

How do I get previous articles of the VetteNet?

Searching the VetteNet Archives using keywords

What is "R***" and why do people use it?

Are there Corvette pictures and can I upload mine?

Where can I get parts for Corvettes?

What things should I look out for when insuring my Corvette?

What should I do to store my vette for the winter?

Info on car covers

Where can I get performance chips for my vette?

How fast are those gears turning?

What can I do to get rid of the 1-4 shift lock in late models?

What is this "Save the Wave" stuff?

Do radar jammers really work?

Do laser detectors really work?

What books are there on Corvettes?

Where can I buy Corvette books?

What magazines are there for Corvettes?

What Corvette Clubs are there?

Buyer's Guide: Midyear Corvettes (1963-1967)

Buyer's Guide: '70s Corvettes

What characteristics are there to differentiate years?

How do I find out more about the National Corvette Museum?

What are the details on getting a Corvette plant tour?

What do L-88, LT-1, etc. mean?

Insuring Your Corvette

What should I look out for when insuring my Corvette?

Wax Facts

THE NEW WORLD ACCORDING TO MEGUIAR'S

by Thomas B. Nast Copyright 1994 by Thomas B. Nast [References to photos deleted]

Theory

Typical Case

Hand vs. Machine Application

Buffer Swirls

The Impossible

Type of paint

Condition of paint

Equipment

Technique

Removing Scratches

Clean the Car - Theory

Polish the Paint - Theory

Wax the Paint - in General

Buyer's Guide: '70s Corvettes

FAQ originally by J. David Cover.
HTML version by Brad Waller and Andy Efron.

Insuring Your
Corvette

THE NEW WORLD
ACCORDING TO MEGUIAR'S

by Thomas B. Nast

Copyright 1994 by Thomas B. Nast
[References to photos deleted]