Beggers

I am a new member, but not a new, dyed in the wool Corvette car guy. Last week I found and bought my first C1 56 vette. While traveling in Phoenix I found this car on Craig’s list just hours after it was listed. This story begins with the luck of being in the right place at the right time. After calling the seller I struck a deal to buy this car just hours after it was listed, the gentleman was selling it on behalf of his Fathers trust, his Father was in the process of restoring it as a restomod when he passed unexpectedly. The undercarriage has been fully powder coated, it has a mustang rack and pinion with disks up front and a modern SS Camaro rear end, suspension with disks in the rear, professionally built.
The engine (5.7L) and transmission are both out of a new Camaro, no miles yet. The body is complete with a couple of repairable modifications, those being a missing cowl vent and rear fender wheel lips. Although it is all new paint it is not quite up to the standard I would desire. The dashboard has been cut up which I will restore. The electrical system was never completed, nor was the interior.
So the project begins, It is being transported from Arizona to Michigan as I write. I can’t wait to get it home and begin the fun and tedious process of bringing this car back. I plan on restoring the body an interior but retaining the restomod undercarriage for drivability. I look forward to sharing the process here with fellow corvette counterparts. I am sure you understand what I am feeling now; the exuberance of finding a good car for a great price combined with the optimism and tenacity it will take to bring this project to completion. This is my 7th vette project car and the thrill just keeps getting better.
pictures are in my folder

Low Rider

Sounds like you are in for some serious fun.....built my first resto rod 3 years ago (a 57) You will have a blast .....I also live in Michigan so if you run into any areas you have questions on ....PM or email me and I will see if I can help.....
Enjoy your new project
Tom Low Rider)

Beggers

About two months have passed, I finally got the car back to Michigan, and much progress has been made. After disassembling the car and closely inspecting every aspect of it I decided to begin with a new modern frame, I chose a Chassis Concepts C4 completely new unit. The old frame had enough modifications that I just wasn’t comfortable with it achieving my goals.
Some of the other challenges that I face included a cut up original dashboard, where the previous builder installed a Camaro instrument panel and steering column , why on earth I can’t imagine. When I bought the car I was lucky enough to find a half a dozen pieces of the cut up dashboard laying in the sellers garage which I have been successful in putting back together to form the new original look dash. Interestingly enough, he also added rear fender lip flares that ended up being nothing but bondo fabrication over the solid intact original fender lips. While striping the car I also found that the entire front clip had been replaced from the doors forward, this didn’t upset me as the original fiberglass on the 56’s are quite delicate and not nearly as good as the replacement parts and modern cars. No other major surprises were found on the body after the paint came off which turned out to be in very good shape.
Now the process begins to shape up the body, fit the panels, repair the alternations previously made. This will take some time, my project timeline goals are set to have the car complete by the summer of 2014. The engine and tranny combo have yet to be determined but I am leaning toward a LS3 GM Crate with a 4 speed automatic. Here are a few pictures to highlight the condition of the process:

oldsarge

Welcome and have fun.

C-1 Generation 2

Welcome to the Forum!
You car has great potential,keep posting your progress.

Todd H.

30 years ago I sold a '56 body and frame and a few other parts. The body had a new front end on it. It's unlikely yours could be the same car, of course, but does your deck lid have evidence of a pattern of holes drilled in the center of it? I still have some pieces of that '56.

Beggers

Todd, No evidence of holes drilled anywhere other than the dashbord deck. I bought the car in Arizona and I have requested a compleate history from the DMV, I hope to have that soon. This car was missing all of the original interior parts but otherwise a good project car. Thanks for responding, Brian
The vin ends in: 65

Beggers

I tackled opening up the bondoed up cowl vent last night:

After drilling a couple of spot holes I used a jig saw to carve out the bulk of the fialed alternation and once I had it open I was able to use my heat gun to soften the filler and remove the rest:
Now that its roughed in a little sanding will help, the glass is intact below:
I also tackeled removing the bondo fender lips, why they did this I will never understand, again a little heat softend up the bondo enough to peel it off with a good wood chisel, much better than generatoring all that dust with my grinder:
I bet there was a gallon of bondo on each lip, check out the pile on the floor, It felt great to begin to bring the old girl back to her original form:

91DRM

Good Gawd! Some people!

Beggers

Can you imagine how anyone in their right mind would see that as an improvement over the original dash? I was shocked when I first looked at it when I bought it. The owner was proud that everything worked! I just clenched my teeth and searched the guys garage for any old pieces that I could use to reassemble the dash. Look at the depth of the glass he cut to do this. It looks much better now:

Beggers

Got the body off last night:

I set it down without any issues on my newly built dolly:

Verified my vin, made me happy:

Now I have no more need for this, I want it out of my garage to give me a bit more room:

This 56 Arizona rust free frame has been modified, it has a Mustang II rack and pinion front end, a new 92 Camero SS 5.7L TBI engine, auto trans and rear end. As near as I can tell the owner installed it in about 92, it has since sat in his garage as he died, the entire unit has less than 25 miles on it. Disk brakes, new GM exhaust, shocks, and not a speck of rust anywhere.


Bubba was here though, most of the welds are good but then there is this:

Any ideas? should I sell the engine and tranny seperatly? Any suggestions on what the altered frame may be worth?

This new Chassis Concepts C4 is going underneath it:

autoonero

Sounds like you hit the mother loud. They say timing is everything. I have a 57 that I plan on doing exactly what you are planning. I haven't started anything yet. Still trying to decide what kind of system I want to use. I live in Fenton Mi. Where bouts do you live. If at all possible I would like to discuss somethings with you. Please pm me.
Thanks,
Larry

autoonero

Hi Tom,
I have a 57, that I've had for a few years and want to go the restomod route. Do you still have yours? Not sure what chassis I want to use and was wondering what you used?
Thanks,
Larry
larry@autooneinc.com

Kerrmudgeon

Another one rises from the ashes! Good work so far, any idea what colors or wheels you are going to be using when finished? :

Beggers

Kerrmudgeon
I have been thinking about huger orange with white inserts, as for the wheels I am not sure yet, I do like the chrome 5-spokes that came on my 08. I thought I might through them on to see how they look.
I am still very open minded as for the details. My plan is to finish it for spring 2014. Summer is so busy for us that I wont get much accomplished. Fall and winter I lock myself in the garage, turn the heat on and get to work, my wife knows where I am and she is excited as well. I will update my progress in pictures Monday.

Larry I sent you a pm, thanks all for the feedback

Beggers

Picked up my new LS3 and 4 speed automatic connect and cruise package last Friday:

put the pieces together, all went well:

Set the beast into place in the chassis concepts frame:

Comming together:

I set the body on it last night to begin to fit and tweak all the issues. I can see myself doing this another dozen times to fit everything in place before it goes into the paint booth. I am enjoying every minute of it though.

Off intrest and wonder, I found this old Goodyear sticker on the inside of the drivers rear fender located next to the fuel door, only visable through the fuel tank cavity looking into the inner fender. Did Goodyear make fiberglass panels for the 56? I have read that they did for the first 53s, but this surprised me:

The Chassis Concepts C4 frame requires just a couple of body modifications in the trunk to clear the rearend and suspension; this is the biggest cut:

More adjustments this week as she begins to settle down on her new bones:

biggd

I really love these resto mod projects and I can see the enjoyment people get out of building their own car but the money that goes into one of these is crazy. I've talked to quite a few guys that have spent 125K or more only to sell the car a few years later for much less. I guess I just don't get it but I don't have that kind of money to throw away either.

JohnZ

Yes, they did, for a short while - they thought it would be a good business opportunity, and begged Chevrolet Purchasing for some Corvette business. Chevrolet gave them some, Goodyear proceeded to lose their azz on it, and they begged Chevrolet to let them out of the contract; Chevrolet gave that business back to MFG-Ashtabula, and Goodyear got out of the fiberglass business.

Beggers

John: Thanks for the feedback regarding the Goodyear glass, it was very interesting to find that sticker. I was told they only made it for some of the 53's but glad to find their name on my car.

biggd: As for the cost of this type of build, if your doing much of the work yourself and you do it for the enjoyment of the process, its worth it. Jay Leno was interviewed in last months Car Craft saying that "if your doing this to make money your making a mistake" or close to that anyway.
In the end, I dont think it matters much, cost wise, if your building a frame off C1 as a NCRS contender car or a restomod, its not going to be cheap. These cars deserve a quality build and all of the attention to detail. Interesting enough, at both the BJ and Mecham acutions last month the restomods brought the big money, the market seems to be favoring the quality builds. Thanks for weighing in though, Brian

1963GrayGray

Brian,
Keep the build photos coming. When the rest of us are between
projects, it helps to keep our Motorhead juices flowing.

Regards, Dave