livin

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I posted. So long it will be interesting to see who even remembers....

I was great about listing my progress reports, with photos each time I hit a new project, as I took the entire 1957 Corvette to pieces and began my restoration.

Anyone considering a FULL NUT AND BOLT RESTORATION, think more than twice...

March of 2009 will make 3 years I have been working on my 57.... I hope she is done before than! If all goes well and people keep their promises.... she will be ready to roll by Christmas.... Of course I will post more photos!

Everything was addressed. EVERYTHING! I'm not leaving one piece of the car unrestored. I have kept up with the costs very well. IT is VERY EXPENSIVE to restore a Corvette... even if you do most of the work yourself... Parts are expensive and if you want your car to be worth the amount of money you are going to sink into it... You will end up letting some professionals lend a hand $$$ Unless you are a pro-painter... you will probably send it out for paint... likewise with the rest of the car...guages, chrome, interior, the list goes on.....

So basically I tore the ENTIRE car apart, bagged and tagged everything, sent everything out for restoration to a million different vendors.... I did this over 2 years as I could afford it....

I got most of my parts from one awesome vendor (Thanks Randy at Yesterday's Corvettes in Colorado Springs) Randy is awesome!!!!

I have an excellent painter working on the body and paint... The last 57 he did took best paint at the Seattle Road Show. He has had her since May of 2007. I think she is ready for paint... I haven't seen her in a while, but I am told by an outside party that the body looks fantastic.

The chassis was completely stripped and I even ground off the seam welds, as they looked weak. I had the entire frame re-seam welded and then pulled to within 2mm of factory spec and then blasted and powdercoated to look similar to OEM finish. (granted the general didn't powdercoat... I took the liberty )

Putting all of these precious restored powder coated pieces together correcttly proved to be more challenging than I thought.... so I wussed out here too. My painter suggested a neighbor of his to assmble the chassis, and he agreed to assemble the entire chassis for a very fair rate and that is where she sits, completely assembled and waiting for the original engine and tranny.

The engine and tranny are ready to go, however I am NOT putting the engine on the chassis till she hits the dyno, and that seems to be the big hold up the last several months... I am promised that the engine will be ready to go by end week. It is an original 270 Horse Dual Quad with correct dated and #'s carbs. She has the better fuelie 539 heads.

So like I said... think long and hard before you rip that corvette apart.... As if you are like me.... (A FIRST TIMER, with good intentions) It could turn into a nasty pile of parts, that end of getting farmed out. As you realize just how many parts need to be bagged, and tagged and restored in a FULL NUT AND BOLT RESTORATION then you may wonder what you have gotten yourself into. Of course, THEN.... you may try and sell it as a project to find out you are going to lose money and all of your precious time was wasted....

You may be thankful that you didn't sell her as a project... as at the end of the day, you may figure that you may as well move on and finish what you started... you'd might regret it had you never finished it anyways... of course at this point you realize you are going to put as much money into it as it takes to make it worth every penny it could be. You are restoring it for the better of Corvettes... and to enjoy. You may or may not make a penny off of it... and of course we all want our Collector Corvettes to be worth more when we are done with them than when we purchase them. ( unless maybe you bought it to race or abuse So again, I beg of youl.... think long and hard before ripping that antique Corvette apart... as you may spend just as much money to restore a corvette as it takes to buy one completely restored and your time has got to be worth something too.

This whole thing really burnt me out on Corvettes... Which is why you don't see me much around here anymore... Lately my passions are my two new German Shepherd Puppies.. 4 months and 9 months.... and they don't get to set paw in the Corvette!

I don't think I will be in any hurry to do a nut and bolt on the 67 below... my new plans are to drop the rebuilt #"s matching engine into the flared body and have FUN!!!!! However when I do decide to do the nuts and bolts, I think I may just wait till I can afford to send the entire car to the PROS and not sweat it.

Thanks for listening..... maybe this thread will keep someone else from ripping thier car apart for "the better, and maybe it will encourage some others to finish their cars for "the worse!"

Very Best,
Jacob

Joel 67

Welcome back Jacob. I remember your threads very well.

Glad to hear you are sticking it out.

livin

Thanks Joel!

babylonvette

i did a 61 basket case ,it was actually what was left of a parts car after everything was removed and sold ,i got a rear tub without quarters and most of a chassis,it took 3 years and 3000hrs of labor plus 15000 cash for parts, that was 8 years ago when parts were cheap ,its not cheap or easy so be careful taking apart your cars i have a customers car almost done ,i have had it for 3years how he said money was no object, after 80,000 and 2 years he ran out of money ,i told him it would go over 100 he said no problem ,now it just sits in the shop unfinished,i hope he hits the lottery so i can finish it and get rid of it

gord holden

10 years ago i talked to a fellow that restored his 58 every nut and bolt total cost $105.000.00 after that figure i would be paranoid about driving it.so both my 58s sit as original needing paint but still look nice.But i can take them to shows and not worry. Gord Vancouver B.C.

67's

I thought you sold this car and the Yellow '67 a couple of years ago on Ebay, any recent pics?

Tom M

Low Rider

Bought my 57 about four months ago in the to be finished condition. I figured I would be changing/updating a few things so I set aside $10K which of course would be more than enough to finish it my way
This car was originally purchased as a road racer with no options at all on it. It then spend about 10 years as a drag car with a 327. It ended up in storage for 25 years and has been under construction for the last year and a half before I bought it.
The car came with a rebuilt 355 blower engine which I thought was perfect for me because I wanted a resto-rod anyway.
I immediately had the shop remove the front and rear suspension and install a Fat Man front and Jim Meyers coil over suspensions. Might as well put Vintage air in it and I better add another $10K to the Corvette Fund.
A tremec TKO 600 sure would be nice and Al Knock makes a great looking set of after market leather seat with leather door panels.....I really didn't like the old school rolled and pleated vinyl interior that came with the car anyway.......a set of Classic gauges and an new aluminum radiator pretty well wiped out that 10K.
But I sure this last $10K will be enough??????
The blower motor won't worksticks up to high so the hood would have to be cut out or an eight inch scoop added...neither one I liked so the blower I spent $600. to have polished is for sale but the new $1200 dual four set up from Edelbrock will look great. Of course I had to buy new heads (aluminum) and pistons and cam for the already built blower engine.......More shinny stuff for the engine and Corvette Central are having their way with the last (I hope $10)
This is the as bought picture the day I purchased it.....Completed pictures coming in December::blueange l:[IMG][/IMG]

livin

Hi Tom,

That was my Fathom Green 427 69 A.C. Roadster , and my Sunfire Yellow 327 67 Roadster.... I did sell them both so I could clear more funds towards my 57 and 67. The yellow one to a nasty man on the East Coast, through ebay. The 69 through the Corvette Forum to Denmark to an awesome guy named David Arborg, who came over to buy it for a friend of his.

I did admittedly try and sell the 57 as a project on ebay, but was back in 2006, and I failed at that miserably. Livin and learn... in hindsight and I am ecstatic that I didn't sell it as a project, as I would have always regretted not finishing it. I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is bright!

Harps

Welcome back Livin. Good to see you posting.

Sounds like you've made some good progress on the 57. Got any pics to share?

crw41

Hey - how 'bout some car and dog pics!

How's your grandfather doing?

adrenaline-guy

Right there with ya---never again will I go as far as I did with my 65 Vette, and I got the car for free! It took a lot more time and way more money than I ever thought it would. It seems much better to buy one already finished and accept the flaws, rather than be constantly reminded of the ones you created.

livin

Hey Everyone, thanks for the replies!!! It feels good to know that even after a hiatus from the forum... my good vette friends still remember and make me feel right at home!

Chris, great idea about the dogs and the vette.... I will take some A.S.A.P. and get them posted. I see you have a new addition... I remember you having 2, not 3! Awesome... I grew up with 3 Goldens... Maggie, Jazz and Indi. Your pic reminds me a lot of them!

Gramps is good...(thanks for asking!) He is 94 now going onto 95 in March! I think he is literally waiting for the 57 to be finished! He can't imagine the project I have taken on!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!
Jacob

LouieM

Good to get the update on your project, Jacob.

If I was ever going to think about a nut-and-bolt restoration of my 67, this thread has permanently scared me away!

Dave1998

My friend bought his 57 basket case in 1975 for $1500. He has been buying parts at swap meets since and now figures he has $10,000 in parts with lots of extras, like doors he can sell to reduce that amount. Engine now runs in frame he sandlblasted in his garage in 1978. Body is almost ready to paint. He only needs to pay for paint, glass, and tires. He has everything else.
He has no deadline to finish it he is now reaching his late 50's. This car may never hit the road. He is single, lives with his mom, and has had the same blue collar job since his school. He seems to have no motivation to finish it. It will be green and cream with dual quads.

My point: you can do a nut and bolt restoration for $105,000. or like here, $11,500. + paint, tires, and $1000. for glass

livin

Thanks Louie and Dave....

funny thing... my father-in-law has a 56 he has had since early 80's. It was in need of some work when he got it..but nothing too major... maybe an engine swap would have been just fine.... but now almost 30 years later... the car is in much worse shape than it was when he got it. I don't think he has any intentions of doing anything with it or its parts... (HE'S NOT SELLING IT, SO DON't ASK!!!!) I used to want it sooo bad. I would ask for it every Holiday Season... with no luck.. Finally I figured if I got a 56-57 and did my own resto on it... he would have enough respect for me to let me have his, or help him with his resto... now 3 years later. I know where he is coming from.... If I didn't have sooo much money in it... I wouldn't be in a rush either!

I am promised the engine will hit the dyno Monday! of course I was promised earlier in the week it was gonna be on Sat! ( and that's how this whole restoration has been! )

Jacob

Benduf

Hi, I am planning to buy your restored 57 E57S101851 which is still in the market long time after you sold it.
In your documentation you mentioned that you had the history back to 1988. Do you still have this?
I need a document that proves it had long time ago the miles you mentioned in your blog. that is, more than it has now.
And of course would love to have the historical documentation.

Ben

vettebuyer6369

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