Post your best budget mods! ($50 or less)

[oldblue1968chevy]

Need to think/remember about the door seals...good idea guys

[BrianV]

subscribing - love this thread

[soxplayer]

Get a distributor re-curve kit and experiment. Really helped the torque and mileage on a 250 six. Kit was for a V8 but the springs worked fine.

[vectorit]

I thought this was handy.

Removing rusted stripped lug nuts with a welder ...

[daily'68]

I could never see my climate controls when driving at night. So i bought a led light strip (under $10) and trimed off a group of 3 lights...spliced into my dash lights and stuck it to the bottom of the ashtray...closed the ashtray, turned on headlights and works great! Actually a little too bright at first, had to cover 2 of the lights with elect tape...perfect now. It even illuminates my console cup holder in the floor board. I'm thinking about using the rest and mount under the seat for some more floor board illumination. Anyway, cool trick thought id share.

[8door]

That is a ahem... "brilliant" idea.

[Andy4639]

Can you explain how you tied into the LED's?

That may be something I need to do latter on.

[Southcity]

Originally Posted by daily'68

I could never see my climate controls when driving at night. So i bought a led light strip (under $10) and trimed off a group of 3 lights...spliced into my dash lights and stuck it to the bottom of the ashtray...closed the ashtray, turned on headlights and works great! Actually a little too bright at first, had to cover 2 of the lights with elect tape...perfect now. It even illuminates my console cup holder in the floor board. I'm thinking about using the rest and mount under the seat for some more floor board illumination. Anyway, cool trick thought id share.

Cool idea and looks good but I was curious to know if your stock climate control bulb is out, not hooked up or just don't have one?

[iceship]

Has anyons done the camaro gauge mod... I'm looking for the HOW TO for it

[MacGyver72]

I have some repair tips that aren't mods but they'll get you home if you need to. I've already seen the photo of pantyhose used for a belt and I can tell you from personal experience that works. Here are some others.

Aluminum foil dipped in coke will remove surface rust from chrome and make it look new.
WD-40 wiped on seals will help them last longer.
A matchbook is the correct thickness to set point gap.
A number one paper clip (most common) is the correct spark plug gap.
800 grit sandpaper will make wipers clean better.
A papermate pen (once the guts are removed) makes a very good hose splice.
Pepper or an egg white will temporarily seal a radiator leak.
Aluminum foil can be used to improve an loose electrical fitting.
WD-40 can be used to reseal the bead of a tire that is off the rim.

And finally you can weld a broken shift linkage on the side of the road with jumper cables and a penny. (Got me my nickname)

[Scott Webster]

Originally Posted by MacGyver72

I have some repair tips that aren't mods but they'll get you home if you need to. I've already seen the photo of pantyhose used for a belt and I can tell you from personal experience that works. Here are some others.

Aluminum foil dipped in coke will remove surface rust from chrome and make it look new.
WD-40 wiped on seals will help them last longer.
A matchbook is the correct thickness to set point gap.
A number one paper clip (most common) is the correct spark plug gap.
800 grit sandpaper will make wipers clean better.
A papermate pen (once the guts are removed) makes a very good hose splice.
Pepper or an egg white will temporarily seal a radiator leak.
Aluminum foil can be used to improve an loose electrical fitting.
WD-40 can be used to reseal the bead of a tire that is off the rim.

And finally you can weld a broken shift linkage on the side of the road with jumper cables and a penny. (Got me my nickname)

Using the penny like an electrode?

[kikkegek]

DIY fan shroud guide. Must be under $50,- didnt check that though!

http://www.cadvision.com/blanchas/54...FanShroud.html

[MacGyver72]

Hello Scott. Yes, if you ground the item to weld then grab the penny with the positive lead, you can create an arc using a battery and weld. at least enough to get you back on the road.

[chilihed]

How 'bout a $20 electric windshield washer pump so you get a nice even consistent spray. Especially nice in the winter. Simply install a bulkhead fitting on the bottom of your reservoir, mount the pump below that. Then you only need to rerout the washer fluid lines and run the hot lead from your switch to the pump, and ground the other lead.

[camrycurt]

Originally Posted by chilihed

How 'bout a $20 electric windshield washer pump so you get a nice even consistent spray. Especially nice in the winter. Simply install a bulkhead fitting on the bottom of your reservoir, mount the pump below that. Then you only need to rerout the washer fluid lines and run the hot lead from your switch to the pump, and ground the other lead.

I definitely want to do this swap, but when wiring up the new pump do you wire the hot or ground wire through the stock switch?

I thought the switch in the dash controlled the ground wire so was planning on running the ground from the new pump through the switch. Is that not correct?

[chilihed]

I don't recall off the top of my head. I just ran both wires from the old pump all the way up to the new pump.

[cjohnson6772]

bump

[19Hoosierdaddies68]

Cool tricks and ideas, subscribed!

[cst69]

How about using black shoe polish on black plastic to bring the color back to new or weatherstipping

[big_al_71]

underdash lights from painless...


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRF-30702/

[BMERDOC]

How about the Jeep door checks. I heard about them working in the 60-66s but couldn't get confirmation about wether they work in my 67 or not. I heard $8 per in a JY?

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=446066

[BIGKEV]

Originally Posted by 70BLAZERX2

It had a totally different power curve in it..for the vette camshaft.

It dont hurt to ask..

It will wake up even a 86 stock 305 in a 4x4...make it pull like a 350...Yes it does work..and its cheap.

This short read will shed a whole lot of light on the subject!

http://outintheshop.com/faq/Vac%20Adv%20Spec.pdf

[hugger6933]

For those of you that kinda know me or of me would'nt be suprised to find out that this a bodyshop cheapee. Take an old coffee maker out to the shop plug it in fill'er up in about five min. you are ready to wetsand with warm water. It is very usefull in the winter months and I tryed it not long ago thinking why have I not done this sooner. Wetsanding is a miserable enough as it is without having to dip your hand in freezing water! cost on this tip $00 if you have an okd one but even if you don't and need to do this 20 bucks at a dollar store will put you in bussiness

[mrhino]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

for those of you that kinda know me or of me would'nt be suprised to find out that this a bodyshop cheapee. Take an old coffee maker out to the shop plug it in fill'er up in about five min. You are ready to wetsand with warm water. It is very usefull in the winter months and i tryed it not long ago thinking why have i not done this sooner. Wetsanding is a miserable enough as it is without having to dip your hand in freezing water! Cost on this tip $00 if you have an okd one but even if you don't and need to do this 20 bucks at a dollar store will put you in bussiness

nice!

[stfinney]

When painting the dash cluster, what do you do about the lettering and numbers?