Awefully quite around here . . . . .

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:33 am

OK,
since no one is chatting . . . .
I'll start on a completely unrelated subject . . . .

I have an older Corvette that I've been doing a slow rebuild of.
I use the Corvette to drive to the marina when I go sailing in the summer! ( there sailing content ).

She was an old race car when I got her. She was gutted of all parts that did not make her go fast. Interior was shot. Nothing electrical worked, the entire vacuum system was shot, etc etc. She did however look pretty!

Over the last few weeks I took it upon myself to completely replace the entire airconditioning system. Evaperator, condensor, dryer, compressor, all wiring, hoses, etc. This included the entire heaterbox, heater core, and a rebuild of the controls in the console.

Last night I took her in to the local AC shop to have the system evacuated and then fill with R134A. Woohoo! It all works! Remember the typical defroster in cars from the 60's? They barely blew air on the windshield and never really defogged the windows. Well, the new system ROCKS! The defrost really blows now! The best thing of it all is it looks absolutley stock! Uses factory outlets and controllers!

So last night it was 60 degrees and I drove home with the top down, windows down and the AC on! LOL!

Yeah I know, where is the wisdom of airconditioning in a convertible in Seattle! These cars run notoriously hot and on warm summer days with black interior you really get cooked! I'm looking forward to some hot summer days cruising!

Scott

PS: I now return you to your previously scheduled sailing forum . . . . .

NYCSAILOR · Post by **NYCSAILOR** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:28 am

WOW! did you put in a OEM system or aftermarket.. if so which one...

I am about to do the exact same job on my SUV that will also be the tow vehicle for the boat ( now that I ahve my trailer) it looks like I will have to completely disassemble the entire dash and console ( looks to me like they built the whole vehcile around this climate control box).. I think the evaporator is leaking and the heater control valve must be shot as Ihave heat coming out no matter the temp setting or even a/c selection,, also the oem blower motor sound like a cat with it tail caught in the door...

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:19 am

Being more the racing type, I've taken A/C out, but never put it back in. Good job!

Gus · Post by **Gus** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:13 pm

nevermind... car talk =p

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:19 pm

NYCSAILOR wrote:WOW! did you put in a OEM system or aftermarket.. if so which one...

I am about to do the exact same job on my SUV that will also be the tow vehicle for the boat ( now that I ahve my trailer) it looks like I will have to completely disassemble the entire dash and console ( looks to me like they built the whole vehcile around this climate control box).. I think the evaporator is leaking and the heater control valve must be shot as Ihave heat coming out no matter the temp setting or even a/c selection,, also the oem blower motor sound like a cat with it tail caught in the door...

The system is a "Vintage Air" system that looks like the old system once installed however is all new technology! So far I'm impressed but hey, it is only 65 here today so the test really is not valid! LOL! Yeah, the vette was assembled around the evap box too. When completely dissassembled you could sit in the passenger seat and see the headers on the passenger side! Dash, console, guage cluster and all associated pieces all the way to the firewall came out leave a rather large hole in the firewall!

A thought for your to much heat issue is if the water flow valve is not working to the heater core you can stuff a ball valve in the feed line and manually shut it off on hot days! I learned that on my vette!

I have photos of the dissassembled car I can post if anyone really cares! LOL!

Scott

NYCSAILOR · Post by **NYCSAILOR** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 1:01 pm

I thought about the ball valve in the heater supply hose... up to now I have been disconnecting the feeder hose abnd routing it back into the block...

can I just shut off the supply w/o rerouting it...? will it create any back pressure on the pump? I was planning a crazy rube goldberg type bypass sytem with a Y valve and then I thought.. hell just fix the damn a/c system already... the suv is triple black and leather interior so it really heats up!

congrats on starting the scuba lessons.. it sure is on my list as well ( along with flying lessons and a crazy dream of fixing up a chrysler 26 and sailing her...!

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 1:27 pm

69Shark wrote: I learned that on my vette!
Scott

Funny the things you learn to mod on old cars. The 86 Rx-7's carried a hefty amount on fuel pressure even with the engine off, and when the injectors got old they'd leak over a few days, and flood the engine. When you spun it to start the raw fuel would lube the rotor chamber too much, and the wipers wouldn't make compression, and it wasn't going to run. On my second one (at 200k miles) I ran a switch back to a line that powered the fuel pump. Before turning the engine I'd interupt the power, let the engine die from fuel starvation, and no problems when you started it up days later !!!

Mario G · Post by **Mario G** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:15 pm

I think I might semi retire from old cars soon. When you work on them for others you never get to work on your own...throw in a few sailboat projects.....lol
I have never owned a car with A/C , if it hot I would drop the top.

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:40 am

I gave up instructing at HPDE's to get back to sailing. Old cars are still part of the equation though, I guess I'm too cheap to buy new cars (or new boats).

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:51 am

Yeah I know about working on others cars!

I just don't do it at all anymore.
Had an extended family member whos car lost the battery. The question was asked if I could come on down and help out. 30 miles away in downtown seattle which is about an hour from me. NO problem. Job Done. After listening to the stories I explained on a higher mileage car the alternater usually goes shortly after and would you like to replace it now or at least take it to get tested now since I'm here. NOPE! The response was quick, sharp and se ya later, no time for that now! I was a bit suprised but hey, not my car, see ya!

About 4 months later guess what died. Same person, same car, and it was the alternator. I got the call mid week. I said no problem helping but I coach little league and tonight is the night. So . . . . tomorrow evening or preferably the weekend would be best for me. OMG! The person became ANGRY! She was absolutley pissed that I would not drop the baseball team in lew of her need. Well the next evening I drove down again, put in a new alternator. She was still visibly pissed at me for making her wait. She did not thank me and was rather short with me. Courtious but noticably short.

Hmm, now that I think about it, it was THAT DAY I decided to no longer work on another persons car. I'll happily help someone on their car but I will not take the lead nor will I do it FOR them.

I've had a lot of similar issues but this one was by far the worst. To boot it was a "family" member. NO thanks. Now I just answer with I don't know , I've never done that, or I'm gone that day!

He he! Gotta love family I guess!

Scott

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:17 am

Scott, I don't work on other's cars for the reasons you describe plus liability. By that I mean, at least she didn't blame your battery work for the alternator going bad.

I do help my grown daughter, but whenever possible, she comes to my garage and I involve her in some way. Even if it's just holding a flashlight that I don't really need

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:11 am

Scott I actually drove a couple hours once to help a family someone like that with a house repair, and they told me they were heading out to the ball game after I got there.

My rule is usually I will help you do it, but I won't do it for you, so once they left so did I!!

On the other hand I have to brag on an adult daughter. When we did the brake pads on her car she insisted I show her the first side so she could do the second side herself, and the project herself next time !!

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:48 am

Glad to see it is not just me!

OK, enough of the sour stuff . . . . .

Back to sailing!

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:02 am

May 1 is splash day for Copacetic. I have a lot to do before then.

Capt. Bondo · Post by **Capt. Bondo** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:05 am

I did other folks cars, but it would always be something else, stripped bolt, wrong part, that would turn it in to a longer operation.
My conversion van is ideally back-up wheels so if I run in to issues with one of my own cars I can just use the back-up until I'm done.

The cool thing now is that my 19 year son is in vo-tech for auto mach and I just out source the work to him and school now.