knockbill

i've been thinking about starting this thread for a while...
just thought i'm not the only one that is currently working on a c1,,,(56 ex drag, basket case i dragged home in 1983, been working on it off & on, as time and money allowed)...this car will never be a NCRS, trailer queen, but my goal is to drive it, cruise nights etc, and just for fun...

in the past, i joined corvette clubs, even ncrs for 12-15 years, but, i never really met any guys who are into it for teh fun of bringing a c1 back to life,,, rather than building a 100 point show car, just to sell...

i learned a lot, reading teh ncrs periodicals, and also a lot of info in this forum... i'm just wondering, if anyone else is doing what i am,,, and maybe, are located close enough, to get together and compare notes...

lets hear about your current C1 project...

thanks,
john

C1-Curt

John,
I am 7 weeks into my 1960 C1 project, doing it all myself (even the paint and body work). I am in the Nashville TN area and I have an aggressive goal of an October completion. Mine will also not be NCRS but it will look and drive great as we are making ours to drive We are doing a 350 crate motor with period 2x4, 5 speed, Vintage Air, Meyer's front suspension with front disks. The car will look mostly period with 17X7 Torq Thrust or Coys.

I have some progress pictures up at www.505hp.com

Where are you located at?

Curt

knockbill

curt,,,thanks for replying...i'm outside of phila...

sounds like you got quite project and, as you say, an aggressive goal...
i started out building a 350, but ended up putting it in a chevelle in teh 80's,,, i found a 67 283, and rebuilt it, and put it in front of a t-10 i saved from teh old days, in the 56....i got teh glas done pretty good, and am looking forward to getting it in primer, at least this summer,,, lets see how that works out!!!!!

i just looked at your pics,, love the shop!!! i'm pretty sure you will meet your goal!!!

newguy1

G'day, I am getting ready to start on my 59 that has been back burnered for 30 years. I guess it is about time to do something with it. The car was drag raced all of its life until I got a hold of it so we are planning on continuing with its racing heritage. We hope to have a solid Bonneville salt car put together by next summer.

We have a solid 418 ci small block put together and have both a pro-shifted Doug Nash 4+1 and a hd street version 5 speed. These were the predecessor to the Richmond gear version. The pro-shifted trans is fresh back from Richmond so we are leaning towards it. However, the final drive is still 1:1 and with a 3.54 rear gear we need an overdrive. I have been in contact with Gear Vendors overdrives and they do have a 20 over bolt on kit available but they are not too sure if it will fit the C1 tunnel.

I guess a lot more research is needed before the driveline is finalized. Luckily drag racing is not a contact sport so the body is unhit. It already has a full roll cage and is a heater, radio, wiper delete car so it should not take too much to get the body ready. If I can figure out how to post pictures I will try to get some up of the car.

ms

knockbill

sounds like your car started out a lot like mine, and you had it as long as me... they do get "back burnered" as you said,,, i had 3 novas, 3 chevelles and 3 other corvettes, since i got the 56...i guess its time to get serious with it !!!

you sound like you have an interesting goal in mind,,, have you run at bonneville?

newguy1

G'day, No, I have never run Bonneville. I have done some top end runs in the drag Camaro at about 150+ but this was done on an airport landing strip with a warmed up old crate LS7 bbc. The sound that thing makes at 8000 rpm's is sweet music.

But, we want to go small block with the 59 and would like to make the 200 mph club. It is going to take a lot of mouse motor and a lot of overdrive. Just need to work out the gearing I guess.

ms

jbrun

Hello,
My father, brother, and I have been restoring my father's 1961 Corvette for the past 2 years. It is a numbers matching car that he has owned since 1964. We have done everything except the paint and it is due back here next week from the paint shop. Painted it back to original ermine white lacquer Most of the parts are NOS that my father purchased 25 years ago and stored away knowing he was going to one day do a complete restoration. I will post pics soon of the project and hope to have it on the road by July. That will be first time since 1983 that it has been driven. Have enjoyed working on this car over the last 2 years.
Thanks

6D2148

John I have a very similar story,very very similar, reading your thread, I thought it was about me and my 1960, I"m not far from you in Limerick Pa. We need to hookup. Priming the frame today. GREAT THREAD!! Got to head out to the shop now and get to work, weekends are too short. Chip

cbernhardt

I have been working on a '59 for several years (www.carols62.com/59). My original intent was to drag race it a little, but then I learned about the Maxton Mile (www.ecta-lsr.com) which was a 1 mile run on an old WWII era air field located about 2 hours from me. I decided to build the car to run at that event and added a lot of safety features in order to meet their rules. Now they have moved the event from Maxton, NC to Wilmington, OH, so I'm not sure where I will run it.

I have some charts related to aerodynamics on the C1. According to these charts it takes 540 RWHP to propel a C1 to 200 mph and there is 680# of lift in front and 260# of lift in the rear. Are you making aero mods to reduce the front end lift? Do you have plans for a front air dam to your car? Any thoughts on removing the air from the underhood area?

Here is an interesting pic from a recent ECTA event. This '56 ran 186mph in the standing mile at Wilmington, OH.

Charles

knockbill

thanks for your reply,,,,
seems 1983 was a good year for finding c1's!!!
its good to have a supply of nos parts, you won't have to worry about them fitting... good luck with the project, looking forward to teh pictures....

Vette Daddy

Currently, I have a 53,54,55, Mike Terry's Fastback and another 53 Motorama car under construction.

knockbill

hi chip,,,
i knew there were c1 guys in teh area!!!!!!!! and that they aren't all built yet...
i went to the thomas chevy show last sunday, and there were at least five or six 56-57's,,, and maybe 12-15 c1's,,, that's pretty good for a local show, most of them were driven there...
i live right off teh blue route, and go thru limerick a few times a year...

good luck with teh frame, looks like you got a good day for painting...

knockbill

nice pic.....

knockbill

cool,,,
that will keep you busy.......

Waffle

As you may have seen on previous posts, I am restoring a '58 back to originalish. Currently at McJacks here in So Cal for Paint, which you can see on his facebook page. Here are some timeline pics of the last year:


first car show one week after a got the car

teardown begins

body off

engine done

rolling chasis

yesterday at Mcjacks

knockbill

[QUOTE=Waffle;1580792706]As you may have seen on previous posts, I am restoring a '58 back to originalish. Currently at McJacks here in So Cal for Paint, which you can see on his facebook page. Here are some timeline pics of the last year:

nice... i like teh body rack you built in teh garage... i did something similar with 4' high sawhorses,,, chassis look good, also... what engine did you use?

Waffle

its a near miss on the numbers but a 283 with a mild build. 3/4 race cam, edelbrock intake, holley 4 barrel, hooker headers and old school MT valve covers.

knockbill

i could see teh power pack heads,,,
i have a wcfb on a 57 manifold,,, but i have plans for teh 2x4 manifold and a pair of wcfb clones, when i get teh body done...then i can put teh "corvette" valve covers on...

RayB

I'm working on a '62 ... An in progress restomod I bought a few weeks back. My 4th Corvette but first C1. Street shop Chassis with LS2. Also outside Philly - Chester County.

knockbill

sounds good...seems like c1's are popular around here....