Update on my hi-miler Z project

[VetteMed]

Originally Posted by sammy

is the airconditiong working now? like what you have done to your car . my black car has 199521 miles on it .race you to 200000.hehe

I think you're gonna beat me to 200,000!

I got the AC working about as well as I think is possible, I ran into a lot of problems along the way, and I am now a lot more proficient with working on AC systems, as a result. One of the big problems I was having, was that the vacuum line for the fresh air door was malpositioned, so that recirc was inoperative, and when it was 90 degrees + outside, the interior never cooled off. With the ability to recirculate properly, within about 25 minutes of highway driving, even at 100 degrees outside, the interior is very comfortable. I'll take it.

[sammy]

tinting the rear hatch and side windows help alot in cooling her down .since tinting the window my car gets almost too cool even when its over 105deg

[VetteMed]

Originally Posted by sammy

tinting the rear hatch and side windows help alot in cooling her down .since tinting the window my car gets almost too cool even when its over 105deg

Yep, did that too, I forgot to mention. That helped a lot. 20% sides and rear hatch, plus solid top.

[sammy]

well at least its getting cooler for a few months . i wish i knew more about that stuff but i gave you everything i knew . you might try flushing the system again .it almost sounds like that little filter in that one tube might be partially plugged . i put a new one in last year and in no time i found it to be plugged. i had to flush and evact the system 3 times to get all the junk out . oh what did you use to dye the steering wheel /?

[VetteMed]

Originally Posted by sammy

well at least its getting cooler for a few months . i wish i knew more about that stuff but i gave you everything i knew . you might try flushing the system again .it almost sounds like that little filter in that one tube might be partially plugged . i put a new one in last year and in no time i found it to be plugged. i had to flush and evact the system 3 times to get all the junk out . oh what did you use to dye the steering wheel /?

A plugged orifice tube is an interesting thought, but I plumbed in an inline filter which would have caught any significant debris since it's got a screen with a smaller opening size than the screen on the orifice tube. Combine that with the fact that the system didn't suffer a failure like a seized compressor, and there's really no reason for there to be any significant debris in the system.

As for the steering wheel, I used SEM Classic coat. I'm pasting my writeup that I put on the other forum, below:

I have grown tired of looking at the steering wheel in my ZR-1, with its 20+ years of accumulated dirt, grime, and loss of color. Some folks opt for covers, such as those made by Wheelskins, but I wanted to try something a little different. I didn't want to make the rim of the wheel any thicker than stock, so a cover was not something that I wanted to do.

Having used SEM's leather and vinyl refinishing products previously, on seats, shift knobs, and dash plastics, as well as the steering wheel of an Escalade (light cream colored from the factory), with excellent results, I figured it was time to work some magic on my ZR-1.

Supplies needed:
Blue heavy duty paper towels
Simple Green (I diluted it 50%)
SEM Soap
SEM Plastic and Leather Prep
SEM Classic Coat Flexible Coating




Any automotive paint supply store should stock SEM products. They're also available online but if you're going to try to match a specific color I'd suggest ordering a color chip chart from SEM first.

I decided to change the color of my wheel, to Light Gray, which is an exact match for the 92-96 Gray interior. I have 1994-1996 Sport Seats in my ZR-1, in gray, and I recently refinished those as well, the color is as close to stock as possible.

Some folks may just want a new-looking black steering wheel, in which case, the only difference is the color you choose to buy.

I'm not going into details of steering wheel removal, there's other threads with that info. This was close to my starting point (already had 2 wipedowns with simple green and a soft brush. I diluted the SImple Green half and half with water, but I don't know if that's really necessary.



Already looked a bit better after the simple green, but the next step showed me that there was a lot of dirt remaining. Using the SEM Soap, apply a small amount to a blue towel and rub a small section, and wipe off before it dries.



Here's what came off after one pass with SEM Soap. Lots of grime still left on that leather.



You want to repeat this step until the towels are staying relatively clean, without much grime coming off. It's time consuming, but the color coat will stick much better in the long run if you take your time.

After the blue towels seem to be staying clean after rubbing with SEM Soap, dry the wheel thoroughly and then grab your can of Plastic and Leather Prep. The process for this product is much the same as for the SEM Soap, but because it's a VOC-based product, the working time is shorter, and you'll need to focus on smaller sections at a time.

After you're confident that you've hit all sections of the leather at least twice with the Plastic and Leather Prep, it's time to paint! be sure to mask off anything you don't want to paint .

continued....

[VetteMed]

Classic Coat is unlike any rattle can paint you're used to. If applied properly, it lays down very thinly, and absorbs into the material very nicely. I applied several light "dust" coats, about 3-5 minutes apart. Multiple light coats will give better results than fewer heavy coats -- trust me on this one!

Almost done:


Before painting airbag:


After airbag:
I decided to go ahead and do the airbag as well:


This same process can be used on any leather, vinyl, or plastic items, I suspect. Prep and cleanliness are key!

I'll update with a final pic once it's all installed back in the car.

[tomtom72]

Andrew, That is going to look so great with your seats. Oh yea, nice job on that slick wiring trick. Kudos man. Your interior will look so like it should have come that way from the general!

Okay, I'm partial to grey interiors myself.

Your car is going to be the boss when you're done!


Tom

Oh, I forgot this. Fwiw, great choice to do the air bag. Very integrated look, much better than black!

[XfireZ51]

So how is this paint when it comes to wear?

[VetteMed]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

So how is this paint when it comes to wear?

It wears well on the seats that I've done, when the seats were properly prepped. I expect that the heavy wear areas such as the bolsters will probably wear thin within a year or so, but time will tell. I am not driving the Z right now because there's no steering column in it

The 2500HD that I use as my DD had the seats done by the previous owner, who didn't prep them well, and there's some areas of peeling. The slightest bit of dirt or oil or grease will of course prevent proper adhesion of the paint.

-Andrew

[VetteMed]

Originally Posted by tomtom72

Andrew, That is going to look so great with your seats. Oh yea, nice job on that slick wiring trick. Kudos man. Your interior will look so like it should have come that way from the general!

Okay, I'm partial to grey interiors myself.

Your car is going to be the boss when you're done!


Tom

Oh, I forgot this. Fwiw, great choice to do the air bag. Very integrated look, much better than black!

Thanks Tom! We'll have to start our own "Gray Interior Fan Club".

-Andrew