bk2w

I'm looking at buying a C1 (ideally 1960) in the near future, and I'm wondering what were some of the more cronic problems experienced by the solid-axles.

Are there specific areas I should be sure to check for rust? Suspension members that had a tendancy to wear out easily? Locations on the body to check for cracks and splits?

Basically, what's the short-list of items to check and be aware of before buying a solid-axle 'vette?

I'm attempting to locate someone expereinced to help with the appraisal, but i'd like to be prepared if I'm not successful.

Thanks,
-bk2w

Johns 61

Saggy rear springs, crappy worn out steering, rotten brakes. Saggy nose these are antique cars! check for previous repairs in the nose from being crashed due to the rotten brakes. Any Missing part, they are all bucks $$$. Spagetti wiring, dull headlamps, generators really dont work well, did I mention the terrible brakes? Broken (collapsed) motor mounts. Mine had a broken trailing arm bracket. loose kingpins, worn out tie rods.

Tom '62-ZZ-4

Any car 40-50 years old will have its challenges (did anyone mention the C-1's brakes?), but also its own brand of fun !! While I'm not one of the mechanical wizards on CF, I've had my '62 (driver) for 18 years and love it - quirks and all. C-1's are fairly simple mechanically, and parts are generally readily available (though, sometimes at a price). Just be sure you have a qualified mechanic look the car over. By the way, those C-1 brakes can be improved tremendously with a front disc conversion kit. Good luck!

62fuelie

If I were buying a C1, I would check the frame carefully, paying special attention to the area just forward of the rear wheels. I would also check out the front suspension and steering. The kingpins usually need to be repalced unless someone already has done so. Look at the brake fluid. If it is nice and clean and there is no evidence of leaks, someone has serviced the system and it's probably ok. If not, plan on needing to do so.
Pay special attention to the windshield and windshield wipers. If the windshield or the rubber gasket need to be changed, it is a chore. Also, the windshield wiper system can be a pain and expensive to revamp.

Check the body (like any Vette) for signs of poorly done body work or cheap parts. Minor body repair is not a huge bad thing, IF IT'S DONE RIGHT. Also check the function of all the instruments. Replacements are becoming expensive.

The newest of these cars is 40 years old, so don't expect a new Z06 just because it cost as much as a Z06.

58Vette65

Here are some of the spots on mine that cause problems:

1. Separation under both the drive and passenger door rocker panels bottom edge.
2. Separation on the lower edge of the recess for the gas cap.
3. Lip behind back bumpers gone. Lots of work!!!
4. Lips around fender wheels in rear gone due to over size tires sometime in its life. This can be a real pain to get the correct!!!
5. Wrong tach installed and the housing around the tach had been modified to make it fit.
6. Small hairline cracks around the front grill area, didn’t notice them till we strip the paint.
7. Wiring had to be replaced. Some wires when you trace them had different colors spliced in. Most the wires in the engine compartment and under the dash were brittle.
8. Lots of worn parts and some of them were replaced just because we had them apart.
9. Lots of overheating problems till I replaced the raditor, now runs 175 even on days with the temps over 100.
10. Spare tire area was a mess. Someone put a spare in and didn't secure it and it wore a hole though the bottom of the spare tire tub.

I know everyone complains about the brakes but I can lock up all four tires, takes a little more force on the brake pedal than disc brakes. As long as you not during lots of stops over a short period of time or high speed stops they still work as they did when the car was new.

I have a C1 -- C2 --C5 and I prefer the C1! C5 was a little disappointing to me but thats another story.

If you want to see one torn apart look at http://www.58vette.com .



[Modified by 58Vette65, 6:07 PM 8/13/2002]

Katz

Most everyone has covered everything. I've had a chronic problem on my '58 with the filler hose leading to the gas tank-- sometimes they just don't seal right, so gas can leak out-- the left-rear suspension and body can show traces of how and where gas has dripped. This can also effect paint in that area.

Another thing to check for is if the front was wrecked in a car crash... feel up in the fender wells behind the headlights and in that area-- you can tell if the fibreglass has been repaired if there are a lot of layers.

Leaky carbs can be another thing-- see if there are stains from gas seepage around the carbs and intake manifold.

Early 58s would sometimes have issues with the fanbelt rubbing against the motor mount. This can be fixed with spacers and OEM pulleys.

kenmo

I've owned my 1960 since 1982 and I love it :

1) Front end - I've had to completely rebuild mine (thanks Dad), wish I would have swapped it for an IFS
2) slight sag in car passengers side is 1 inch higher then drivers due to rear springs (soon to be fixed)
3) hood was cut out in it's previously drag racing life and I've had it glassed in twice due to cracking along the seams. Getting a new hood skin soon.
4) rear brake lights, turn lights would not always work until I had the turn signal rebuilt (thanks to information from Blue Ribbon Corvettes)
5) front shock mounting brackets have been replaced twice and need to be replaced again
6) Converted single master cylinder to dual braking - hope to convert to front disc next year
7) Converted to alternator from generator
8) Rear well wheels slightly enlarged for drag slicks
9) Original trans replaced with Muncie M21 & scatter shield and clutch linkage feels odd. May replace with auto TH350 or 200R4 or 700R4
10) Original gas tank was badly rusted inside and replaced with exact replica made from gas station can type plastic

All things said I would not trade it for anything else (maybe a completely restored 1956-62 C1 with C4 suspension or a Shelby Cobra). Parts are easy to find and buy, and car is simple to work on. Christ, I'm no mechanic but alot of the work I can do myself. But because I mostly drive the car with the top off, it's no fun when it does break down (happens very seldom).

Torchred62

Go ahead and get the C1. I have had mine since 1980 and I love the car more than any car I have ever owned. They are easy to work on as people have pointed out. The parts are easy to get. Just check the items pointed out and have fun. If you can do the work yourself you can have a really nice car, the people here on the forum understand these cars and are always willing to help out with problems. They don't drive as bad as some people want you to think and they always turn heads, more than any of the newer vettes. I bought mine as a drag race basket case and rebuilt it myself learning as I went. I have turned down offers of over twice what I have invested in it several times so doing your own work pays off. Join the C1 crowd and have a blast. :cheers:

Mark Lovejoy

Most of the important stuff has been covered already, I'll offer this.

On the frame look at the rear-most cross member, they often rust out there.

On the front suspension try to get a look at the upper inner shaft which attaches the A-arms. The holes in the front crossmember often become egg shaped and are difficult to repair.

The electrical system on C1's is bearly adequate, the weak part is the grounding system. Most electrical problems arise from bad grounds. Easy fix but if you are not experienced with that stuff, it's best left to pros.

Check for cracks in the front fenders directly above wheel centerline. The whole front end of the body is suppoerted by the radiatior support, they very often sag which continually cracks the front fender wheel openings. Again not an easy fix.

If the frame is solid and all the doors/trunklid/decklid open and close properly the rest of the car can be repaired. These are very simple machines.

Good luck and keep us posted.

kcust62

Agree with all that's been mentioned. Electrical problems can be especially troublesome! Bad grounds are usually the key. Been there and done that. Join the rest of us and have fun! You won't regret it.

:cheers: :cheers:

kcwild62 :chevy http://user.pa.net/~kcless

CHRISP

Ilove my '62 Fuelie! I have really never had any problems with it. I consider the maintenance aspect of it half the fun. One can only expect so much from a 40 yr old car. They're fun to drive and fun to work on and any questions you have will be answered here on the forum. Buy it, you won't regret it. :cheers:

chris ritchie

Agree with all that went before on mechanical issues. Biggest problem with these cars, is paying too much for them. So much of their value is dependent on how original they are. And to the inexperienced, it is easy to fake originality. The danger is in paying $30K for a $20K car. You might not care much for obsessive originality, but the resale market does. Get an NCRS fan to go with you when you look at C1s.

White62

One other thing to remember if you test drive it, it will steer hard! Especially if it has wide tires or deep dish wheels.

Remember, no power steering, so even at their best, these old boys take a lot of muscle to turn the wheel.

Tom

58Mike

Almost any non-restored car will be missing some parts. Many are cheap, but some can really surprise you. For instance, that lower windshield trim (stainless) is $450 from Mary Jo. '58 trunk spears are $700. It might be worth getting a parts catalog ahead of time so you can guage whether a particular part will be cheap or expensive.

- Mike Greene

mgriffis

Trust no one and have patience!

Spend the money and get someone to help with the evaluation process! Just went through the process of buying a 61 in May. I had a person helping me do evaluations on specific cars and had gone through several and not found the one that I wanted as far as options, color etc. Then I saw my 61 and it looked absolutely great and I thought I could do it myself by now! The seller was a nice old man who talked me into taking the car to a local garage to have it evaluated. Big mi$$take. I could competently judge the condition of the engine and suspension, but the body and interior is turning out to be the biggest headache. There are so many things that can happen to a car over 40 years. I didn't notice it until I started replacing some parts and couldn't figure out why they didn't fit perfectly or how it didn't look like the manual. Make sure you have a reputable person that knows the tell-tale signs of previous body work.

Even making that mistake, I still love my car and it looks great (if you don't look too close - (next year)). Once you learn how your car behaves and know what it can and can't do you will love it!

BTW, are cokers speed rated? :lol:

DZAUTO

Without question, there is a lot of truth to all of the above, and I'm not going to address all of the comments. I have a 56 which has undergone a 100% disassembly. ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL of the common wear components of the suspension have been replaced. Once that is done------------------------------------------IT IS IMPERATIVE TO KEEP THESE OLD FRONT SUSPENSIONS GREASED, GREASED, GREASED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Invest in a grease gun, jack it up, remove the front wheels, get some old rags and when you're done, wipe off the excess. YES, THIS IS TIME CONSUMING, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT for maintaining these old frontends. Rebuild the steering box and adjust it per the ST12.
You don't have an ST12?
If you're going to own a straight axle, BUY ONE!

Run radial tires on NO MORE than 6in wide wheels with the stock offset, convert the front wheel bearings to rollers and keep the radials aired up good (30-32psi). Make sure the brake drums are in good shape and install a good quality set of shoes (you may need to have some made up). UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO RETAIN AN ORIGINAL MATCHING NUMBER ENGINE, replace it (but save it) with a healthy 327-350-383-400. These kinds of things will make the car so much better and enjoyable to drive. I have a set of home made HD drum brakes on my 56, and I admit, they are NOT as good as discs, but they do one heck of a job.

Its true, a straight axle car will not drive/handle like a 63-later, but their handeling can be improved without breaking the bank.

bk2w

Okay, I'll admit ignorance: What is the ST12? Where could I get one?

K2

It's the GM service book for the straight axle Corvettes. Lots of them on E-bay. I got an original a couple of months ago for $12.00 on e-bay but they usually go for about 30.00.

By the way its been by far the least expensive to own, most reliable, easiest to work on, and most fun to drive vehicle I've owned and I've had it for 30+ years and put lots of miles on in that time. :cheers:


[Modified by K2, 12:32 PM 8/15/2002]