Kyle Rhyne

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum and I'd like to just say hi. I have a 73 Corvette that my dad and I pooled together and bought. The body is in ok shape, just the front and rear bumpers are warping. The doors sag a little when they're open. Interior is pretty messed up. I guess I'm just here to ask about where to start on fixing things now that we have it running.

One specific thing I'm curious about is kinda odd. When we got the car, the previous owner had a hole drilled into the center of the back just behind the rear window and he put another antenna in there. There's a cable running to it from where I haven't looked, but removing the antenna didn't reduce the already terrible radio quality (whole different story). I want to know how to go about getting rid of that hole. I plan to convert to a power antenna once I find out what's up with the radio.

Sorry to ask so much with my first post, but I'm pretty eager to get started on this project.

Thanks much,

Kyle Rhyne

scottw

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the car. You will find a huge amount of knowledge here. First thing I do is an advanced search because just about everything you can think of has already been discussed.

with that said, you and your dad really need to sit down before buying any parts and go through the entire car and identify issues. Order them in some type of order of must do's, wants, and would be nice to do's. Safety first, followed by drivability and lastly I would go with appearance issues. Then, sit down and figure out how much money you really want to put in the car. I've had mine for 12 years and it is now how I want it. Only think I have left is a paint job but I can't afford that so I'm good with a paint job that looks good from 15-20 feet.

Good luck with your car. Sorry, can't help on the antenna but someone will chime in.

den(thevetteman)78

Welcome. For the door is the door hinges bushing. The bumper, is normal for a 40 year old car. They all do it after a while. My 78' has wave in the bumper as well. For the hole you will have to glass the hole.

Kyle Rhyne

Thanks for the reply. I think most of our must do's have been taken care of. But we haven't yet taken a close look underneath the car. That's about the only thing that is still a big question.

Kyle Rhyne

Thanks Den. I sure hope it is the bushing for the doors because it looks like those are pretty cheap to replace.

oldschoolvette

welcome, you will find a wealth of information here

good luck

Easy Mike

The correct way to fix the unwanted antenna hole is to lay up a fiberglass patch from both sides. The factory antenna mounting position was on the top of the left rear fender.

My advice would be to order the '73 assembly instruction manual (AIM) and look through it a time or two before you begin serious work on the car. Do you have an owner's manual? If not, order one when you order the AIM.

Congrats on the '73.

Kyle Rhyne

Looks like I made a mistake, It's a 76 not a 73, my bad. As far as manuals go I have a Clymer Shop Manual and a Haynes Automotive Repair Manual.

indydoug

I was wondering how a '73 got a wavy rear bumper, since it's fiberglass! Congrats on your 'new' '76, and welcome to the forum.

The AIM mentioned by Easy Mike and the GM shop manual have a lot of helpful information if you plan to be a 'Do It Yourself' type. Have fun!

edk136

Does the car have the original radio antenna mounted on the left rear fender? It could be possible that someone added a cb radio at one time if there are two antennas. If your not ready to paint the car, you could always find a creative way to cover-up the hole until your ready to do the proper body work and paint. Like everyone else already said, if you plan on keeping the car, the AIM and GM shop manuals are the way to go. Good Luck on your project and get loud exhaust, that way you don't have to worry about listening to the crappy radio.

Eric

Kyle Rhyne

Yeah we still have the original antenna installed, it gets about 1 station at best.

fadingrockstar

Welcome to the Forum, this place is a gold mine for help, advise, information, etc. I have an '82, took her out yesterday for a nice run.

markids77

Spend some time under the car before you start thinking about cosmetic and comfort upgrades. Look for rust in the frame, oil leaks, other fluid leaks, worn out front end components, bad shocks etc. There's lots of stuff under there which can need attention on a 30 plus year old car and ALL the mechanical systems need to be in good shape before you spend anything elsewhere. Welcome to the forum, and have fun and be safe!

billcarson

another '76 on the mend,wahoo!best of luck.i had duct tape on the vacant rear luggage carrier holes when i got mine so i know it is a pain.my advice is to make sure all the mechanicals and frame are up to snuff before attempting interior repairs,which are very expensive.

Kyle Rhyne

Thanks for all the advice guys. Actually just managed to fix some of my radio problems by turning the little dial that is around the volume **** (don't actually know what it's called). I think the antenna cable may be a little loose as well.

Stingray-Jer

Welcome to the Forum. As stated above, you will find a wealth of information and some of the most generous guys in the world here.

Sound like that hold was used to mount a CB radio antennae. I can think of no other good reason for it. 76 was about the time the CB craze was gripping America. Everyone had to have one.

Good luck with you car and project. What color is your vette??

Easy Mike

Those are handy every now and then, but you are likely to find them a liitle too C3 generic. The Clymer might be a little better than the Haynes. You will be doing yourself a favor if your purchase 76 model year specific manuals.

Kyle Rhyne

Thanks again guys, I'll post some pictures tonight when I get back from work.

1976 corvette

My 1976 has a CB antenna installed by a previous owner. When I paint it, I plan on fiberglassing it up but for now I am just leaving it the way it is. I thought about removing it and using a chrome cap or something to cover the hole but just decided to wait until I redo the paint.



Best of luck with the vette

Kyle Rhyne

This is a pic from when we first picked up the '76 in Los Angeles.




And this is us first seeing the new tires and wheels on it. We only really needed brake calipers, bearings, and new tires but dad insisted on new wheels as well .