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After Market Products
The Good The Bad and The Ugly This is a new section that was inspired by our readers comments about some of the products that they have been purchasing for their Corvettes. It has been and always will be our policy to reward the many good after-market suppliers and warn consumers about the dubious ones. The Good Save-a-Battery Charger  Save-a-Battery The Save-a-Battery charger won hands down in our battery charger shoot out test. The charger
is a fast, 50-watt 2x Battery charger. After charging is complete the unit automatically switches to maintenance/monitoring mode.
By varying current and voltage in a deeper cycle, the charger desulfinates and extends battery life without overcharging.
A low voltage alarm monitors the battery and sounds before damage occurs from discharging.
The manufacturer claims that you can leave the unit permanently connected, with no risk of overcharging. A built in voltmeter also lets you test your wiring and charging system. the large LCD screen and bright LED bank make it easy to monitor battery voltage, charging mode, connection status, and overall battery health. The LCD display can be turned off while charging or maintaining for long-term storage. The unit is equipped with modular plug-in cables with three types of battery connectors. The charger comes with a 10' foot long AC power cord; and gold-plated connectors for reliability in damp garages and boathouses. The "No-sparks" polarity protection prevents operation if you screw up the connection to your battery. 
The Save A Battery 12-Volt Battery Charger Maintainer and Tester comes with a 6-foot 5-Amp battery terminal lug cable, a 6-foot alligator clip cable, a 6-foot cigarette lighter adapter cable, a 10-foot AC power input cable, and a mounting bracket for permanent wall or vehicle installation. . We give this product a definite thumbs up, it is reasonably priced at about $99 The Good  Alden wrenches can slide into places that other tools can't, and the combination of the open end and the ratcheting mechanism is
sometimes exactly what's needed to complete a difficult task.
The ALDEN WRENCH is an open-ratcheting wrench that only needs 30 angled room to ratchet. It is equivalent to a flip-flapping 15 angled
open wrench with a much faster ratchet action. The wrenches have a uniquely shaped head, with a spring-loaded "under-jaw" that acts as a ratchet.
Most open-end wrenches need as much as 60 degrees of swing to work, but the Alden wrench only needs 30 degrees.
The design of the wrench also allows them to fit slight variations in fastener sizes when the fastener head is rusted or deformed. The 17-4PH stainless is not as hard as the metal used in conventional wrenches. This allows the tool to "bite" the fastener, providing a good grip. The head of the Alden wrench acts like a "Monkey wrench", that is, as more force is applied, the wrench provides a tighter grip on the fastener. 
The Alden Wrench is the only open-end ratchet with a strong grip and a small head, for easier access to right work spots.
The Alden Wrench is made of 17-4pH Stainless Steel. It is designed for aerospace hydraulics, and is also good for marine use.
The Alden Wrench comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty, prices start at abort $85 per set
The Good  We were given a pair of Proskins mechanics gloves by the manufacturer at this years SEMA show.
After using them on some real knuckle busting chores around the shop we can report that they
are a great product,
Unlike some of the other work gloves that we have used the Proskins fit extremely well and allow you to keep a
great portion of your tactile sense
of touch. This is especially useful as you do not have to remove the gloves to do simple fitting of parts. The gloves are made of a synthetic leather like material that covers the palm,index and ring finger tips. The glove repels up 25% more water and oil than other gloves on the market. The gloves feature a low profile hook and loop cuff closure and a two way stretch spandex top. It has hidden interior seem stiching and Lycra insert panels,ensuring comfort and mobility. The gloves retail for about $20 a pair. The Good Corsa Exhaust Systems  Every once in a while a line of products comes along that really impresses us.
Corsa exhaust systems fit that category. The Good The Fuel Bib  No matter how carefull you are when filling up your dream machines tank
there will come a day when you inadvertently spill a few drops of go
juice onto your cars meticulously maintained paint job. You panic,
and scramble for anything to wipe off the posinous fluid. The end result is that
you now have a fuel streaked quater panel and a smelly shirt and jacket. The Good Edelbrocks IAS shocks  We heard about Edelbrocks new line of IAS shocks, we contacted them and they
sent us over a set to test on a C5.
Edelbrock has introduced thier new line of IAS performance shocks. These shocks shocks feature Ricor’s patented Inertia Active System (IAS). This exclusive design switches instantly between a firm and a soft circuit for superior handling and a smooth ride. We installed these without using a lift in about an hour. The results are amazing. The car corners like a Grand Prix racer and rides like a Caddy. Retail price for these babies are $120 each. We give them a thumbs up for performance, easy installation and overall value. The Good Morse Creamic Brake Pads  If you have more than 30k miles on your Vette it is probably time
for a new set of brake pads. We have installed many types of pads on our
Vettes over the years for many types of applications including rallye, drag,
pro street etc...Most of these racing pads squeal,grab when cold and leave
copious amounts of brake dust in their wake.
We have found a real solution for serious street applications, Morse ceramic pads. They are available through AutoZone and are about half the price of factory units. They perform flawlessly, they have amazing stopping power with no noise, fade or brake dust to contend with. The Good Falken Street Radials
  One of the most asked questions we get is "what are the best
alternatives to the Goodyear
EMT tires that are standard on Corvettes". EMT is the abbreviation for
extended mobility tire or "run flat". The Goodyear EMT's do a fairly decent job
, the problem is they cost an arm and a leg to replace.
We have tested many non EMT tires and have come up with an alternative that will suit any street application. That alternative is the FALKEN F452 street radial line. These tires have killer looks, they ride great and unlike some other brands have no noticeable road noise.They also wear extremely well. These tires will also give a very noticeable increase in off the line and cornering traction. Falken 452's were used for our Project C5 build up. They are in our opinion the best bang for your hard earned buck when it comes to tires. A new Falken can be had for about $150,that's less than half the cost of a Goodyear EMT. You can order these tires on line from tire wholesalers like Discount Tire Direct. They will ship them to you or if you prefer to one of their approved installers in your area. For more info go to www.falkentire.com The Sometimes Good Hypertech system reprogrammer Hypertech's latest entry into
the wide world of electronics is the Max Energy reprogrammer.Just like its predecessors
the Hypertech Max Energy, is a system reprogrammer
that replaces the stock WOT (wide-open throttle)program with a new performance
version.
Product Description The Good Northern Tool Aluminum Race Jack  This Single Piston Pump 1 1/2-Ton jack has all the features of a professional aluminum race jack, and at a great price, it retails for under $100. The jack is light weight for easy transport and positioning. The jacking pad is made out of thick rubber and works great on a Corvettes lifting points. It has a beautiful blue and silver anodized finish. Lift Capacity (tons) 1 1/2 Min. Lift Height (in.) 3 1/4 Max. Lift Height (in.) 14 3/4 Frame Material Aluminum Strokes to Max. Lift (qty.) 10 Base 21 7/8 x 9 3/4 Most of the time Good but: Let the buyer beware Optima Batteries  Many of our readers have been complaining about the poor service life and
low voltage problems associated with the Optima battery line.
To be fair we have also recieved many letters complimenting the OPTIMA line of batteries.
The Good Mothers PowerBall  Mothers PowerBall is a foam polishing ball that attaches to your electric drill. This patent-pending detailing tool is made of professional grade closed-cell foam that is soft and highly absorbent. When you press the PowerBall to a surface, the foam maintains its shape so that there is a thick cushion between your vehicle and the drill. The individual foam tabs that compose the ball provide excellent polishing capabilities in combination with any polishing product. We have tested this product on several cars and have nothing but good to say about it. The PowerBall will cut your detailing time in half and will yield a professional shine. |
