Roger's 1978 C3 Corvette Radiator & Window Repair Video 1 

To think the '78 was once the second best selling Corvette of the C3 generation (behind the 1979), is no surprise. Glad you're brining this 'silver anniversary' back. *Another great video Ben.*

Ben, yours is by far my favorite channel and one of the first I subscribed to. Being a Cadillac freak and owner of a 78 Eldorado the videos of your 56 got me hooked. I love how you diagnose things and repair whats needed that many guys maybe don't know how or are in too much of a hurry would just start replacing parts that may not be the problem. I think I remember one of your older videos where you said you were a student of a subject not related to mechanics. One thing for sure is you'll always be able to open your own shop one day and have lots of work with people willing to wait for their turn in your shop than go anywhere else. I know I sure would! Love the pups too and even that annoying rooster. My wife and I have a brindle lab/pit mix named Abbey.

I love how you can look in that engine bay and spot things that are incorrect immediately. Shows that you know your Corvettes!

I have a 82 and its nice to see someone showing c3 corvette repairs. C3 is the longest body style of a american sport car.

Leave the radiator cap off until the thermostat opens then add antifreeze if needed, put cap on. This will keep it from over heating. Good job working on the car.

Man your patience continues to inspire me. Nothing seems to rattle you. Much respect.

LOL, I spotted that solenoid as soon as you opened the hood. That bypass solenoid set up I must admit works better.

Ben, All 1978 Corvettes were "Anniversary" models. And yes it is the L48. Love you video's. Keep them coming.

Great video, I noticed the bald front tires when you had a quick shot under the car. Glad you made the comment of the squirrelly front end. Again thanks for the great video.

When I had engine rebuilt and powered coated a few parts we got over heating. We raped starter and exhaust pipes. Still overheating. New JEG radiator, the biggest they make. No help. We dumped all water. We tried two 16 Oz wetter water and no antifreeze. None. I live in Oklahoma and garage kept. 1999 rebuilt. To this day no antifreeze. No more overheating..I've owned the 82 /350 for 50 years.

Ben, I'm not surprised that the car has a Ford solenoid at all. It's actually a classic upgrade if done correctly. The reason?!? It's done because GM cars are notorious for the good old "GM HOT START PROBLEM". It's basically a condition where the GM Starter solenoid on the starter gets "Hot Soaked", and actually keeps the car from not starting. You have to wait 20-25 minutes, and then the car will start again. Re-locating the starter solenoid to the firewall (Using a Ford Solenoid) remedies this ultra-common GM problem. It especially occurs on GM cars that have Headers because Headers generate more heat under the hood...but it can occur on any GM V8 car with normal exhaust manifolds. Drag racers of GM vehicles have been re-locating the starter solenoid from the starter to the firewall for decades using a Ford solenoid. It's one of the very first things that Drag Racers of GM cars do when they set up their GM car for Drag Racing. :o) Tony K.

Great and thorough job. 3 things, 1 expired sticker ? 2 overflow tank ? 3 Dogs and antifreeze don't mix well. Thanks for sharing. Makes me wanna get a vette.

Loved the longer vid over many days!

At Walter Jackson Chevrolet in 2011 a 1978 corvette pace car with less than 100 miles on the clock was destroyed by an F4 tornado.. Walter gave it to his son Danny as a graduation present but for some reason Danny just drove the car a few times always pulling back on the showroom floor after every short drive he took in it .. I remember the first time it caught my eye i was 10 years old & the year was 1982.. through the years i would see C4,s, C5's, C6's Iroc Z's, Z24's, LT1 F-body's and even the reintroduced Camaro's sitting beside it & it would always be the one you were checking out.. In 2011 that F4 went straight across that dealership & totaled a 1978 corvette pace car with less than 100 miles on it.. Kind of makes you rethink that whole predetermined destiny thing... Lol .. My house is about 4 miles from the dealership and it was about 2 miles from an F4, being that far out it was still intense here

Like watching forensic files, Corvette edition. The Bubba Files with Detective Ben. Brought to you by Autozone aisle five

As a note to add for reference... When you are purchasing items such as the radiator hoses for these Stingrays it is important to reference the build date. Early / Late run models came out with different size hoses. Or at least mention this to your counter person at the parts store so they can get you the correct size.

I put a 4 row. Worked great from JEG.

I like it but best year is the 1977 with the small back window.

Love Chopstick and Noodle : )

Your remark about the "squirrely" front end, and the notes about the tire wear, make me think ball joints, tie rods, or related pieces. You know the drill; get your bar and wiggle stuff. "High speed shimmy" was something we ignorantly enjoyed and laughed about in ha' skool.

The remote Ford starter solenoid solves the Chevy starter solenoid problems you WILL have from heat. I just changed the one on my '69 Chevelle drag car. Provides a great place to pick up 12 volts also for things like electric fans, water pumps, fuel pumps, line locks etc. The Ford solenoid swap is one of the smartest things you can do to Chevy. Just build a jumper from the existing solenoid to the starter, run your ignition wire to the Ford solenoid and send 12 volts down there from the Ford solenoid. If you want to sell the car original just put it back the way it was. Easy stuff. And I'm a Chevy guy for the record. I have a mint 1978 Corvette also. I stopped building Ford engines 15 years ago. We only do Chevy in my race shop.

Well done sir. I have always liked the factory paint scheme on that model yr.

That car wasn’t on the road 6 mos ago. Tags expired a year ago. Another great video.

thanks ben ,, i have heating prblem to,, when i race it it goes hot.. and lost his water.. its a 302 ford mustang,, but now you learned me what to look for... i think all air is going round to.. it has a Extra electrick fan also... everything looks brand new on my car btw.. see for it on my chanel

Mounting a starter solenoid in a cooler place, rather than right next to a header or exhaust pipe, is a common thing to do when hard starting due to heat is a problem.

Your videos are very helpful,you know vettes, I get something from them every time, thanx ben

the chin spoiler transformed my '74...from overheating on the highway to rock solid 190 at all speeds. man that car has got BAD tire wear...no wonder it is squirrelly.

whoa I love the rooster crowing drinking game...

Love your video, why don't you replace the OEM thermostat when looking for an overheating problem with a high performance &hi flow 180 degree unit, like Mr Gasket ones? It is cheap insurance. You are the Corvette man for sure.

This is off the subject, but I was hoping you could do a video on the C3 door latch. I have a 79 and I've adjusted the latch exactly as it should be. But this is the problem. 8 out of 10 times, I put the key in and it unlocks the door no problems. But once or twice in 10, out of the blue it won't unlock and I have to go through the passenger side. Then it will work for the next 8 tries. Both right and left latches are set up he same. No problems at all with the right side. So what the hell??? The only other thing I can think of, is maybe some part of the latch mechanism is wearing out. But before I lay down $150 or more for a new latch, I wanted your and/or your readers opinions. Thanks.

Good video glad you put a new rad in it not some old crappy one from a junk yard. I like the corvette videos. And a C3 rattles worse than a C4.

Hey ben, while watching i noticed the drivers side front tire had abnormal wear on the inside portion. more than likely needs an alignment or some suspension love lol it must be pretty bad becuase you even said it was squirrelly in the vid. anyways thank you for passing your knowledge of cars an providing great entertainment at the same time. take care an keep them vids coming

Hey Ben All your videos are excellent. I can hardly wait for the next ones from you. Keep up the good work.

Love the C4 and C3 videos Ben! Never stop!

Again a very helpful Video, thanks for that. To bad that I live so far away from you.My car really could use your attention!

I'd take the old rad hose and make a sleeve to make sure the lower hose doesn't rub a hole

I always wonder why someone that owns a car like this would let get to this condition? Good job!

Keep WD 40 at hand with old car moving parts ( window regulators etc.) Works wonders!

New radiator and no more leaks should help a lot! Who came up with Chopstick? Brilliant dog name.

Love your vids Ben---keep 'em coming.

So gen light , blower fan , AC pump etc ,valve covers , front end alignment and parts for said ,,, maybe 1000 bucks and a vet to drive again for the summer ,, cool

Great job.

Excellent video. Thank you.

my dad have 78 corvette the ring gear run off the starter went out and then the door lock broke have broke in it by drilling a hole under the t top and unlocking it with a metal rod

Just a suggestion. But you should do quick video on how to jack up a C3 Vette and show the lifting and jack points. Those are a mystery to me and can't seem to find the correct video for my 80 Vette. Also what type of jack stands to use and what works for you when you repair the C3 Vette.

I see one of those ultra cheapo aftermarket alarms under that hood that needs ripping out too.

I have an 82 vette. One day my widows stopped working. Both were working fine one night I was driving it. The next morning. They wouldn’t move at all. Any ideas what you think the problem is?

I love your videos, occasionally I wonder why you do some of the things you do, but it's all learning from experience. I am wondering if you used white lithium grease on the pivot points of the window mechanism so that they operate better and blocks moisture.

Great vid Ben. Nice repairs.

My car over heated today the radiator pressure busted open. Thankfully no radiator leaks. I drove the car for about 2 and a half hours is it normal for this to happen?

Thanks for giving us all the great corvette content. Keep em coming!

Thank thank you for everything you do but why no 82s!??

Just a quick observation, from the wear on that right front tire,car may need some steering parts and a least front end alignment also with all these "pay" jobs,and your own cars,did you give up your maintenance job? Keep the videos coming,lov-em! Thanks

Love your channel

Wow, you really know these cars! Are you self taught or have you worked in a shop somewhere to learn these cars? I really like the way you do these videos in one from start to finish.

What is the part that sits directly behind the alternator? It has a vacuum line but mine looks like its broken. I want to buy a new one but I need a part name.

Would of been great to show how the window spring is installed and it’s proper location.

Ben, did the gap where the shroud meets the radiator bother you any? I just bought the same radiator and like yours there’s a gap about 1/2” where shroud meets radiator due to the difference in shape of radiator

You need to clean the tracks and put lithium grease so it moves more freely

Although the window motor works, it's slow, and will get slower. I'd replace it while it's out.

What are the radiator seals made of? Need to get some for my Vette.

all right now that all right ya.

You seem to know your C3s pretty well. Also good with older iron. I'm hoping maybe some day you'll combine those two with a C2.

Love the corvette video's man

My 75 Corvette 350 runs at most 195F. Is this temp ok? Never goes over 200.

sounds like angry bees nest.

Ben I love you Corvette videos, I always learn something from them, nice work !

So what was the external starter relay for, does it have an aftermarket high torque starter?

does the chin spoiler help at all with the tendancy of these cars to lift at 100 mph and higher. my 74 always got pretty warm when it was low speed, never had the chin spoiler on mine or my dads 74 both cars warmed up at slow speeds.

Is the vacuum manifold pipe twisted or am I seeing an optical illusion?

How did you learn all of this?

Great video. So, how is that radiator holding up? I have to get one and might get that one or any other you may recommend... Thanks

sounds like its got the old car blues, bad radiator, valve covers and shot front bushings from where all the action was when driving it, although its not too far off from the Cleopatra jones corvette with the way it looks actually lol but black and silver was a 70's color scheme, hell they made chevy eurosport wagons in this scheme back then too.

Never trust a thermostat that has been subjected to repeated overheating.

I hate the placement of the battery in the C3s.

New tyres needed before you drive too many times round the block. Might need to buy myself one from the US as bloody expensive here in the UK. How much is a sound car that just needs fixing over there?

Please tell me how you replaced that window spring . I have a 77 that has a broken spring on the passenger side and I want to replace it. I've heard it was a little tough to get in installed with the right tension on it. Did you install it inside the door or did you remove the window and all its parts?

Is it normal for a corvette to run that cool? I'm guessing it does not have a thermostat.

Man put some paint on that rusty stuff

Both dogs are great but I love the two tone one. No, I like the black one better. No, I...... Isn't it great when you get to the point where you know a Lot and can just look at something and know it's wrong?

GMs from the era seem to go through radiators.

78 with overheating issues? That sounds familiar

I like the rooster

HA i have one of these, its white with the red interior.

I purchased a new anniversary edition and really liked the car.

No disrespect but You put gloves on the keep hands clean and then ware them in the car and get everything else dirty Really I like your vids

The wear on the front tires gave away the bad front suspension.

Thanks man cool vid

Man id frame restore that sukka

Hey mate I've looked at a stack of your videos and think they are awesome, well done. I live in Australia and I'm looking at buying my first Corvette. I like the C3 possibly a '74 or '80 and there are a multitude over here for sale both molested and unmolested..... I'd rather buy one that is as original as possible within my price range. Could you please send me through any information in regards to authentic characteristics eg standard engine bay photos and thinks to look out for. Maybe particular models to steer clear of also. Any information would be greatly appreciated

Wow? 180hp in a corvette, isn't that under the...

Good vid, any idea when your going to start on the rocket?

Passenger front tire looked real bad!

man, those tires are shot... great videos tho, love your dogs, not the rooster so much ... lol

I talked to you before about parts and paperwork for.a 78..i need a door.pamel brown one.or.a.wjole interior.to switch color. Cheapest if possible but not ugly if possible. Lol. Anything better than I have is cool. I need carpet and misc do you.have a price list with pictures of everything you.are.selling ? I also havw a 55 chevy pickup and a 69 elcamino I need parts for a 58 apache and a 57 d200 on a 97 2wd s10 chassis that has 5 speed and 4.3 tbi

Ok I know I’m late to the party but I hope you get this.... I have a 76, and mine always will run hot on the freeway.. I have a new radiator and thermostat and no cooliant leaks... I do not have that front spoiler in mine... Can you tell me where to order one please? Pretty please?? 😁

One of the front tires is badly worn you have front end issues.

YEAH! YEAH!! YEAH!!! ford in a chevy! ford in a chevy!! ford in a chevy!!! That is funny and justice too. LOL

American engineers are notorious for their inability to design and manufacture power windows that worked longer than a week. It took the Japanese to do the job correctly as we've all had Toyotas that were 20 yrs old with windows which worked fine. If anyone wonders what happened to America's manuf. Sector, well there's ur answer. Sloppy,lazy work and inferior quality. Sad but true.

Great video, but why would you not show the actual work???? You didn’t show the window spring replacement nor the radiator and seals. Kind of a pointless video for people looking for a “how to”.