Journal Updates

Based on a recommendation I saw on a forum, I tried cleaning the type discolouration using Steelo Stainless Steel Soap Pads. These worked surprisingly well, the white walls look a lot whiter and cleaner. I'd rate this the most successful of all my cleaning attempts so far.

The replacement Rear Blower Vent Cable I purchased from Zip Corvette broke the second time I used it! That was a waste of US$139.00. I complained to Zip, and they sent me a replacement — I think I'll keep it in stock for now and see if I can come up with a fix for the broken one. The point of failure is exactly the same as the old cable I replaced, the hard plastic cable sheath just pulls out of the metal sleeve that connects it to the under-dash bracket. The rear blower motor is useless anyway, so I doubt I'll ever use the cable, it's more about knowing that everything on the car is correct and functional.

Despite getting a clean bill of health on the radio, the reception was still dropping out. I decided to replace the antenna cable to see if this helped. The antenna cable fitted to the car was not original, it was much too long (perhaps from a later model Corvette) which meant it was coiled up under the dash.

I purchased a new cable from Zip Corvette, and fitted it at the same time as the blower motor cable (given that both cables run along much the same path).

I also installed a new grommet where the cable goes through in to the wheel well. The original grommet was missing entirely, so the cabin was not sealed in this location.

I finally purchased a replacement Rear Blower Vent Cable from Zip Corvette. Replacing the cable requires removal of the blower cover panel, b-pillar trim panel and kick panel. The cable runs along the sill panel under a metal cover (hidden beneath the carpet) that also houses the radio antenna cable and the wiring loom for the rear of the car.

The replacement cable is quite a complex part, it includes the under-dash knob and bracket and the brackets to mount the cable end to the blower switch.

Once fitted, the new cable worked perfectly. It's now possible to control the blower motor speed using the under-dash knob.

When the Ignitor ignition was upgraded I never had a chance to check the setting of the rev-limiter. It's relatively easy to reset (or disable) the rev-limiter, it's set at 5500 from the factory. I removed the distributor cap and followed the instructions below to set the limiter to 5000.

REV-LIMITER SETTING PROCEDURE

1. Remove distributor cap and rotor.

2. Turn the ignition key to the ‘ON’ position. Do not try starting the engine.

3. Turn the Rev-Limit dial clockwise until it stops. Turn the dial counterclockwise until it stops. A slow blinking of the LED indicates that the setting procedure has been initialised and that the Rev-Limit can be set.

4. Turning the dial clockwise sets the Rev-Limit. After turning the dial, pause and watch the LED for verification of the Rev-Limit setting. Long flashes indicate 1000 RPM’s and short flashes indicate 100 RPM’s. For example, 6 long flashes followed by 2 short flashes means the Rev-Limit is 6200 RPM’s. Continue turning the Rev-Limit dial until the desired Rev-Limit is reached.

NOTE: Leaving the Rev-Limit dial in the full counterclockwise position disables the Rev-Limiter.

5. Let the LED sequence thru at least three complete cycles. This verifies the correct setting and prepares the unit for permanent storage of the Rev-Limit.

6. Turn the ignition key off, this signifies to the Ignitor III that the Rev-Limit procedure is complete. Note: The Ignition key MUST be turned off or the engine will not start.

7. Your rev limit is now set and will not change until you go through this procedure again.

8. Re-install cap and rotor.

NOTE: Setting the rev limit may be done effectively and easily on a bench or table. Connect the module to a 9-volt battery as shown below. Then follow the setting procedure outlined above.

I ordered a couple of headlight motor drive gears from Zip Corvette. Fitting the new gear was simple, but a good tip is to mark the position of the old gear on the casing before you remove it, this makes it a lot easier to re-fit the headlight motor to the car (as the gear will engage with the pivot shaft when the headlight is in the closed position).

With the new gear fitted the headlight is now working 100% correctly, both headlights open and close in perfect sync.

I've had the new Mastercraft white sidewall tyres on the car for more than 6 months now. I purchased the tyres in 2 batches from different suppliers — the fronts first and then the rears. The production date on the tyres showed that the 'new' fronts were actually a year older than the rears (2020 production versus 2021).

When I washed off the blue protective coating I noticed that the white band on the fronts was already showing some discolouration (a slight yellowing on the outer edge of the white band) while the rears were perfectly white.

I wondered at the time if this was due to the age difference, and sure enough, after 6 months of use the rears have also developed the same discolouration. Do all white walls do this, or is is just the Mastercraft tyres? I'm inclined to think this is due to inferior materials or manufacturing, it seems I'm going to have to learn to live with it.