Corvette C3 Project Vehicle - Don't Lose Your Cool

Other than basic hand tools, a set of wire strippers/crimpers is all we needed to install our new cooling-system components.

The power side of the relay is wired to the ignition side of the fuse box, and the ground is routed to the thermostat in the radiator. This setup will automatically cycle the fans on at 195 degrees and off at 175. For more control, a manual switch can also be routed to a ground, allowing the fans to be run at any time.

We reinstalled the coolant-recovery tank that came with our car. This is an important part of the cooling system, as it allows the radiator to recover coolant that is discharged through expansion when the car is hot. If your car isn't so equipped, you can obtain a recovery kit from Zip Products.

Our car has an aftermarket front end and wasn't equipped with a front spoiler. To direct more cooling air into the radiator, we ordered a front spoiler kit from Zip and installed it on our Stingray.

With our new parts installed, we filled the cooling system with Prestone antifreeze/coolant and fired up the car to check for leaks. It's always a good idea to run the engine until the cooling system builds pressure, then check again. Once it's cool enough to safely remove the radiator cap, top off the system with coolant.

In addition to improving the appearance of our Vette's engine bay, our new cooling-system components from Zip lowered coolant temperatures by 15 to 20 degrees. This decrease should improve the car's performance on hot days, and it will undoubtedly come in handy once we start upgrading the engine.