25 Low-Buck Tech Tips - Chevrolet Parts Guide

The engine bay of your car has all kinds of extremes going on all the time, and for those of you trying to keep up the appearance of your ride, this means wear and tear. Things under the hood can get hotter than a two-dollar gun and this can range from paint flaking, the burning off of heads, manifolds, and radiator fluids spilling and eating paint. While that cold wind's a-blowin' this winter, spend some time leaning on the fender cleaning and re-detailing your engine compartment. Places like the Eastwood Company (800/343-9353, www.eastwoodco.com) have some excellent products, like its Under Hood Detailing Kit.

Changing tire and wheel sizes affects the accuracy of the speedometer. Aftermarket gauges come with calibration instructions, and if not, call the manufacturer for help. Factory gauges are calibrated a number of ways, depending on the year of the car. There are shops that specialize in this, and there are suppliers in Super Chevy who can help. Don't be caught wrong on your speed.

We all love power and we all love money. Unfortunately, to get power it costs money, which not everyone has. But if you're looking for straight-out-of-the-gate, bang-for-your-buck power, it's hard to beat a nitrous system. One company that offers a variety of kits for TBI, TPI, LT1, and LS1 motors is Nitrous Works (706/864-8544, www.barrygrant.com). For a minimal amount of money, users can hit a button and instantly gain anywhere from 50 to 175 hp, depending on which kit you order. The Nitrous Works systems are compatible with OEM engine components and don't require any fuel pressure regulators or upgrades, which makes installation much easier.

What's that squeaking noise coming from your right front wheel? Maybe it's nothing, or maybe it's everything. Once upon a time, on a long road trip, one of my dust caps fell off of my '59. It didn't take long before the bearings dried out and I was in real trouble. To make a long story short, I spent the night in the middle of nowhere while waiting for a set of ball bearings to be overnighted out to me, and that ain't cheap! First off, if you're driving around on ball bearings, get rid of them and convert over to roller bearings. When was the last time you checked and re-packed your bearings? If you can't remember, then maybe it's time to do it. There is no need get both hands covered in grease, either. At any tool hut worth its salt, they should have a handy bearing packing tool. For around $20, how can you pass it up? While you have your drums pulled off, save yourself some piece of mind and check on those wheel cylinders. You may think you're stopping on all four drums, but only a closer inspection will prove that. Make sure you have no leaks, and if you do, replace them. Bearings and wheel cylinders are not expensive at all, and with your life depending on them, it's worth a look.

For Fourth-Gen Camaros, there's not a lot a whole lot going on as far as the exterior. There isn't a lot of trim all over it, detailed bumpers, or big inserts; therefore there aren't a whole lot of things to refine. One thing you can do is check out RK Sport (800/214-8030, www.rksport.com) and Street Trends (760/929-4747, www.streettrends.com). They offer such exterior detail items as clear corner turn signals, to replace those bright yellow markers, and clear side marker lights for the rear bumper. They also offer other exterior pieces to aid in your quest, starting with a new mesh or billet grille in the front and new hood inserts to match. Another area that can give your Camaro a unique look is replacing the OEM Z28 or Camaro badges with a set of Carbon fiber badges, or other various color badges from RK and Street Trends.

When hot rodders start thinking about suspension for their cars, stance is the first thing that comes to mind. It's all about dropping the car down, installing airbags, drop springs, drop spindles, and so on. Unless you bought new control arms up front, odds are the A-arm bushings are the same as the ones that Chevrolet popped in. One overlooked aspect of setting up a suspension is rebuilding the frontend. Hot Rodders would much rather jump ahead and get straight to something exciting, like altering the appearance or handling. Yet, the truth is, new bushings are vital to not only a car's handling, but just everyday driving, as well. Take the weekend to install frontend kits from someone like Performance Suspension Technology (877/224-1697, www.p-s-t.com), Energy Suspension (949/361-3935, www.energysuspension.com); Performance Suspension Components (800/572-3768, www.performance suspension.com); Just Suspension (800/872-1548, www.justsuspension.com); or Classic Performance Products (800/522-5004, www.classicperform.com). Each company has different kits, which include lower and upper A-arm bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, bumpstops, sway bar bushings, and more. The difference felt in the first mile of driving is worth the little money and time spent doing it.

For the average guy, buying a used car usually means it won't be anywhere near perfect. There's going to be rust and oxidation on the weathered paint, bumpers, trim, etc. Unfortunately, one of the last stops on the list is replacing trim, bumpers, and such. Most even hold off on sending out bumpers to be re-chromed until the last minute. On the other hand, there is a quick fix that gets rid of light rust found on bumpers and trim. Simply walk into the utility closet and grab a fine steel wool pad or an SOS pad (which has to have detergent in it, but will work) and walk outside. Dip the pads in water and then use them to scrub the rust off the metal. It's not going to look as good as a rechromed bumper, but you'll be amazed at what a difference it makes.

When cars were built anywhere from 1960 to 1970, the last thing on GM's mind was that 40 years later we would put in high-tech stereos, alarms, headlights, and ignition systems. Therefore, fire caused by inadequate wiring becomes a problem just waiting to happen. To alleviate this, American Autowire (800/482-WIRE, www.americanautowire.com) and other companies offer wiring kits for just about anything. Although it seems like a lot of work, it's better to know that your car is safe with all the high-tech gadgets you want. The least you can do is to go through your ride and check out the wiring. Be especially cautious for wires damaged from burns, insulation melting, failed factory connectors, and firewall plugs. Also check the OEM fuse box to be sure that the terminal connectors haven't been loosened. If you run across any of these issues, be sure to fix them properly; don't use electrical tape and wrap stuff together.

You've been wanting this one for a while, but didn't have time for it. Now that it's winter and your car is up on jackstands, what else are you going to do? A set of good exhaust headers does wonders for punching up the ponies under your hood. So get rid of those little stock headers on your musclecar and ante up with some new ones. It seems that nearly every aftermarket company makes headers. Take a look at these headers from Doug's Headers (800/827-3758, a Pertronix company, www.pertronix.com), but keep in mind there are various other manufacturers, if Doug's doesn't float your boat. They fit perfectly in a First-Gen Camaro, and if you take your time, you should have no trouble clearing your steering box. Having newly coated headers works wonders in temperature control, or a set of shorty headers for the guy who keeps his car in the weeds. Either route you take, a performance gain is guaranteed.