I bet you thought I'd leave you hanging, eh? As a number of longtime VETTE readers have noted, regular staff turnover at the magazine-and the resultant discontinuation of partly finished project cars-is a very real problem. But while I made the decision to leave Primedia last May, "Son of Zombie" is here to stay-at least until we complete our goals. This month, we take some time to fulfill a request made by more than a few readers: freshening up the front end.
Whether over the phone, through e-mail, or at a show, several of you have questioned us about our plans for the front third of the car. A Vette Brakes & Products suspension package and a Purifoy Chevrolet-sponsored ZZ4 crate engine will be installed in short order, giving the Vette newfound performance to match its freshly revamped exterior. But even with new paint and bodywork on the outside, a look underneath would still reveal a black frame coated with 20 years of road grime.
So the decision was made to take a side trip down the road-the long and winding road, as it turned out-of front-end beautification. (For those of you who don't think we listen to vox populi, this one's for you!) And while we were giving it a better look, why not improve the feel with a front-end refurb as well?
With the original suspension in the same shape as the rest of the car, more than a few replacement parts were needed to put things back in as-new condition. To that end, we contacted Corvette Central for one of its front-suspension rebuild kits (PN 574629). With the kit in hand, we were nearly set. So, sit back and watch our progress as we turn our attention to an oft-overlooked area . . . VETTE Magazine-style.
While it wasn't something we had considered previously, when the front-end-beautification gauntlet was thrown down, we rose to the challenge. Our first screws were turned on the plastic shields that form the inner front fenders. | 
And while we won't give you all the dirty details, in a few hours our C4 was reduced to this. | 
We want to preface the remainder of this installation with a public-service announcement: If you're planning something similar, be sure to take plenty of reference photos in good light. You will need them! Knowing the location of, say, this ground wire can be extremely important, and the price of a digital camera will be miniscule compared with the cost of having a mechanic fix your mistakes later. |
Another important detail is the condition of the original parts on your chassis. We have an arm's-length list of vacuum lines, wires, and widgets that need to be replaced. If you're not sure what you're looking at, check your assembly manual. And if you don't have one, you shouldn't be getting this deep into your Vette's internals. Corvette Central carries several generation's worth of repair-type reading material. | 
Our first step was to compile a suspension checklist. Our shocks were shot, our tie rods were tired, and our bushings were bushed. Yes, this car was ridden hard and put away broken. | 
The brakes and the rotor came off stat... |