Cheers

To the little red Corvette that I'm sure has truly saved my life.

Major Surgery Round 2

Stella went under the knife for the second time this summer to have the radiator replaced.  At first we had intentions of doing it ourselves over the winter, but various circumstances convinced us to take care of it sooner. After doing some research, our options included:

• Using a radiator sealant (temporary)
• Having the old radiator re-cored 
• Buying and installing a new radiator (plastic, metal or aluminum) 

Using a temporary radiator leak sealant was the quickest and cheapest option.  You can buy this stuff at any AutoZone or auto parts store and all you have to do is dump it into the radiator and drive your car around for a half an hour. We entertained this idea very briefly, mostly during the period of time when we were considering removing the radiator over the winter, as a kind of "get us to winter" fix.  After all, we have a mere handful of weeks before Stella has to go into long term storage for Michigan's 5 to 6 month snowy season.

Having the radiator re-cored was an attractive option and a way to keep the radiator original, but it was more expensive and more complicated.  It would involve having a mechanic remove the radiator, towing the Vette to some other location while the radiator was re-cored (because the re-core and the radiator removal wouldn't be able to be done by the same mechanics), then towing the Vette back to the mechanic to have them re-install the newly re-cored radiator.  So, we'd be paying for the labor hours, paying for the re-core, and paying for the towing fees.  Not to mention, I have no idea were I would be storing it in the interim. 

The last option was to buckle down and buy a new radiator designed to fit our make and model, which was eventually what we chose to do.  We didn't want to go with the cheapest choice, which was plastic, and couldn't quite afford the aluminum radiator.  We wanted to--aluminum radiators are most effective at keeping the engine cool and as I've discussed previously, old Corvettes run hot--but much like with the engine replacement, we simply couldn't  go above and beyond.  The original radiator was made out of metal and lasted 35 years--so hopefully I'll get at least half of that time from this metal reproduction!

We tried a new mechanic this time and so far we've been pleased (although I have yet to get the car back, so we'll see how I feel later today when I do! ;) ).  The work was supposed to take two days, and the morning of the first day I got a call saying that they've run into "all sorts of problems."  Apparently to remove the radiator will require removing parts of the engine (which were getting in the way) and parts of the front wheel suspension system (which needed repairing).  

Basically, this mechanic told me what I already know (and love despite myself) about this car--everything that Mike and I haven't replaced already needs to be replaced.  Luckily, those things are getting fewer and fewer as we go. ;)

We gave the (slightly reluctant) go ahead and we'll be picking her up today.  With only a scant few weeks before it snows, I'll be enjoying that car as much as possible before her long winter's nap. :)

Hot Mamma

As I've mentioned before, my husband Mike and I are just about as uneducated as they come when it comes to being mechanics (although Mike has an impressive knowledge base compared to mine), and spending time with Stella is a constant learning process.  For example, we recently learned that she doesn't do so well in traffic jams. >_<

Corvettes were designed to be as aerodynamic as possible--curvy, low to the ground, a pointed nose, etc--but although this made them very fast (and totally BAMF), it didn't make it any easier on the engine.  With a smallish grill underneath each headlamp, there just isn't enough air moving over the engine to keep it sufficiently cool.  This problem is made substantially worse when the car is running but not moving, such as it would be in a traffic jam.  The engine temperature, which usually sits at a scorching 200 degrees to begin with, creeps quickly into the 220s-230s after five to ten minutes idling in traffic.  This is not uncommon, but it took some time for Mike and I to learn that.

Unfortunately, each time we learn something, we tend to find a hole in something else. ;)

Thinking we had a coolant problem, we took Stella to our favorite oil-change place where a trustworthy father-son duo have been looking underneath our cars for many years now.  After a radiator flush and reassurance that our engine was behaving just as typically as any engine would've back then, they brought to our attention that we had a pretty nasty hole in the radiator anyway.  This didn't come as a huge surprise--since the engine was replaced we'd been noticing a sizable puddle beneath the radiator regularly.  Not to mention, no news is quite as bad as hearing that the engine block was cracked.  Everything else seems like small potatoes in comparison.

Nevertheless, Mike and I had to decide where exactly to focus our restoration at this point.  Owning a car this old is probably similar to owning an old house.  You may want to paint the rooms, pull up the carpet and put down some hardwood floors--make it look better in general--but you've got to fix the pluming, furnace, and structural damages first.  Because a great looking house doesn't do you a damn bit of good if it can't perform the functions of a house.  If it can't keep you warm, keep water in your toilets, or keep the roof over your head.  To everything there is a season, and Stella's vital organs take precedence over her worn seats and cracked dashboard.  I've gotta make this car better from the inside out--but I'm going to have to start deep inside.

I've already replaced her heart--time for her guts. ;)