Laborsmith Pedderised

[laborsmith]

Malvino: I will be going back next week, and will ask Gerry Mraz if he can get an approximate date as to when they can be ordered. There may be one more set unaccounted for, but you would need to get them through a Pedders dealer and pay the labor charge, which was 3.5 hours. If I had ordered them through Pedders I would have had them installed by my local service shop, whose rate is 2/3 of what the dealer charges.

Doreo: the graphics were ordered when I bought the car: Chevrolet Graphics - Sonic

The site is a little tricky but practice patience and you can move around.

Laborsmith

 

[xtremek]

Where's Rodger's at?

 

[laborsmith]

Rodgers Chevrolet is in Woodhaven, Michigan, near the Detroit Metro Airport.

Some pictures, first one pre CF Hood:

Now some taken a few minutes ago in a Meijer's parking lot:

And one after it turned Fathom Green in the sunlight:

That last one is the strangest looking Sonic I've seen to date.
Oops, it looks like a Corvair. I wonder why?

Remember, having fun is what life is all about!

Laborsmith

 

[laborsmith]

Those wheels are replicas of the aftermarket wheels sold by John Fitch back when the Corvair was still in production.

Laborsmith

Another view of the Vair:

L

 

[theenico]

There's a Yenko Stinger convertible in Springfield MO that was running around on a set of the original Fitch wheels last time I saw it.

 

[laborsmith]

I come across the originals from time to time, but they are always in need of refinishing. They otherwise look in good shape, but the unknown cost of refinishing the now weather worn grey wheels scares me.

Once your car gets past age 25 or 30 it is almost a monthly car payment keeping it up. But the smiles I get when I have it out and about, along with the driving experience, makes it all worth it.

Laborsmith

I do not believe I have seen a Stinger convertible. I will definitely be on the lookout when I am attending Corvair gatherings. - L

 

[runtz52]

at least the corvair has more readily available parts. try finding parts for a 1979 pacer lol. both cars are looking good tho

 

[laborsmith]

Thank you, Garry.

When I started this thread I intended to link these:

http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/t1615-3/

The above links the first two pictures posted after the Pedders lowering coils installation. It took a while for me to find them (all senior moment quips apply) because of the thread where I put them.

Installation $388, or 3.5 hours at new car dealer rates.

Laborsmith

 

[Eric Smit]

I'd steal the crap out of that if you left it parked in my driveway. ;P


-Eric Smit

 

[Stratton_Chevrolet_Sonic]

Wow I like that alot... I'm waiting on the Pedders coilovers.. Love the Seibon hood!

 

[SSonic]

Wheels and Exhaust Tip?

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your exhaust tip and wheels?

 

[laborsmith]

The exhaust tip is part of the DDMWorks exhaust system.

The DR-33 rims from Discount Tires.

Laborsmith

 

[m.rsonic]

Have you been on any dirt or less then perfect roads before and after the install, if you have any impressions you'd like to impart?

 

[laborsmith]

No dirt roads, either before or after. In fact, it has been so long that I have been on a dirt road, I actually can not remember the last time.

Less than perfect roads: I live in the Detroit Metro area. Because I am retired I no longer have to drive the worst of the worst (roads so bad the tie bars are exposed), but there are roads that I travel on that would be considered less than perfect.

My impression: In the context that I have owned and driven lowered cars in the past, the Sonic's ride is comparable, ie, firmer than when not lowered but not unduly harsh. If the Sonic was a family car it would not be lowered. In fact, I would not lower any car that would be primarily used as a family car, because you reduce the amount of passenger/cargo weight you can carry when you do lower a car using drop springs or lowering coils.

Laborsmith

 

[Bogus]

what size are your wheels?

 

[laborsmith]

17X7.5 which replaced the OEM 15s. The OEM shock absorbers for the 15s are firmer than the ones for the OEM 17s. The Kuhmo Ecsta ASX tires would also have firmer sidewalls due to being rated z speed ultra high performance.

Laborsmith

 

[Bogus]

awesome ive been waiting for a pic of a sonic with 17" wheels to pop up. im gonna get the same size as well.

 

[m.rsonic]

No dirt roads, either before or after. In fact, it has been so long that I have been on a dirt road, I actually can not remember the last time.

Less than perfect roads: I live in the Detroit Metro area. Because I am retired I no longer have to drive the worst of the worst (roads so bad the tie bars are exposed), but there are roads that I travel on that would be considered less than perfect.

My impression: In the context that I have owned and driven lowered cars in the past, the Sonic's ride is comparable, ie, firmer than when not lowered but not unduly harsh. If the Sonic was a family car it would not be lowered. In fact, I would not lower any car that would be primarily used as a family car, because you reduce the amount of passenger/cargo weight you can carry when you do lower a car using drop springs or lowering coils.

Laborsmith

I ask becasue I have been needing to go offroad on some groomed dirt and gravel roads and wanted to make sure i can keep a decent speed on these ie10-15 mph without having the car shake itself apart. In your opinion how much is the load capacity affected, I plan on having 4-5 people in the car at any one point or have the seats lowered and fill the cargo area.

 

[laborsmith]

Using lowering coils would, in my mind, improve handling on the roads you describe. In the seventies I always had a Jeep, either a Cherokee or J-10, and always ordered the heavy duty suspension. BUT I would not carry four adult sized passengers in a Sonic, lowered with drop springs or OEM.

As for total weight, I off the top of my head would suggest subtracting at least a hundred pounds from the Gross Vehicle Weight.

On the other hand, if you used coilovers (admittedly more expensive than lowering coils) you could be ok, depending on what coilover makers advises.

I have experienced the results of four adult passengers plus me as the driver in a lowered car: the following day three of the four shocks were bleeding which meant shocks replaced at a cost of $500+ 15 years ago.

Laborsmith

 

[american_tuner]

where did you get the graphic at labor?

Rodgers Chevrolet is in Woodhaven, Michigan, near the Detroit Metro Airport.

Some pictures, first one pre CF Hood:

Now some taken a few minutes ago in a Meijer's parking lot:

And one after it turned Fathom Green in the sunlight:

That last one is the strangest looking Sonic I've seen to date.
Oops, it looks like a Corvair. I wonder why?

Remember, having fun is what life is all about!

Laborsmith

That hood sets that car off. How does the opening of the hold do during raining?