newbee with tons of questions
11-30-2012, 03:30 PM
#1
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newbee with tons of questions
Hey guys, I've always had my heart set on getting a vette but never thought it would be in the cards for me, well, low and behold, I just picked up MY VETTE, it's not pretty and will require tons of work to be the way I want it. I got an '81 that I am the third owner of, so I'm pretty sure it's an un-molested original. I plan on doing a restoration on it (probably frame off) but haven't decided yet.
I'm going to need guidance during this whole process so I hope your up to it. I guess the first thing to figure out if it is a "numbers matching" car, or if it even matters since it's just a basic 'vette. how do I go about figuring out if the numbers match?
here's my plan so correct me if you see me planning on something that will seriously hurt the value of the car (not that I'll ever sell it)
1. pull engine and tranny (rebuild both), may do some internal things to pep up the 190 hp it has from the factory.
2. pull the entire interior and replace almost every soft piece that's in there.
3. pull the body off the frame, blast and paint the frame, replace the bushings and/or any worn parts.
4. put the body back on
5. replace the interior
6. repair/paint the body (color change is for sure unless it will kill the value)
7. drive and enjoy my years of work.
sounds simple -- HUH????? I know better, though I've never done a frame off restoration, i've done plenty of engine and body work over the years. but, this 'vette thing is totally new to me.
I'm going to need guidance during this whole process so I hope your up to it. I guess the first thing to figure out if it is a "numbers matching" car, or if it even matters since it's just a basic 'vette. how do I go about figuring out if the numbers match?
here's my plan so correct me if you see me planning on something that will seriously hurt the value of the car (not that I'll ever sell it)
1. pull engine and tranny (rebuild both), may do some internal things to pep up the 190 hp it has from the factory.
2. pull the entire interior and replace almost every soft piece that's in there.
3. pull the body off the frame, blast and paint the frame, replace the bushings and/or any worn parts.
4. put the body back on
5. replace the interior
6. repair/paint the body (color change is for sure unless it will kill the value)
7. drive and enjoy my years of work.
sounds simple -- HUH????? I know better, though I've never done a frame off restoration, i've done plenty of engine and body work over the years. but, this 'vette thing is totally new to me.
11-30-2012, 03:36 PM
#2
Is everything in such poor condition that you feel you have to do a complete frame off restoration? Pictures would help.
11-30-2012, 04:17 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
show us some pictures.
11-30-2012, 04:46 PM
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I'll post some when I get the chance to take some, I had to hurry up and get to work right after getting the car home. should be able to take some tomorrow.
and yes, it's in pretty bad shape. I don't see alot of rust on it but haven't really looked at every area. it does run and moves on it's own, at least in first gear. the brakes are shot so I can't/won't try it out on the road. the good side is, the guy I got it from had a complete new brake system for it still in the boxes that came with the car.
I figured since this will likely be my "forever" car, might as well do it right. I could just fix it up enough to drive but I wouldn't feel comfortable with it that way.
and yes, it's in pretty bad shape. I don't see alot of rust on it but haven't really looked at every area. it does run and moves on it's own, at least in first gear. the brakes are shot so I can't/won't try it out on the road. the good side is, the guy I got it from had a complete new brake system for it still in the boxes that came with the car.
I figured since this will likely be my "forever" car, might as well do it right. I could just fix it up enough to drive but I wouldn't feel comfortable with it that way.
12-01-2012, 09:43 AM
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...pull engine and tranny (rebuild both)...
...pull the entire interior and replace almost every soft piece that's in there...
...pull the body off the frame...
...blast and paint the frame...
...replace the bushings and/or any worn parts...
...color change is for sure unless it will kill the value...
Congratulations on the 81. My advice is to tune it and drive it for a while before you begin any major work. Get to know the car. After driving it for a while, you can then begin planning what you may or may not want to do with it.
I would suggest making three lists. Must Do List - any item necessary to keep the car safely drivable. Top priority. Need To Do List - Important, but not critical. Secondary priority. Want To Do List - nice, but can wait.
Purchase the assembly instruction manual (AIM), the GM service manual, and an owner's manual. You'll use all three.
Last edited by Easy Mike; 12-01-2012 at 09:51 AM.
12-01-2012, 09:50 AM
#6
Drifting
How many miles on it? There are a few places to check for rust that may help you decide whether or not to pull it from the frame. A search of frame rust and birdcage rust may pull up several hours of good reading for you.
Congrats, you sound hooked already so hang onto some of your wallet.
Congrats, you sound hooked already so hang onto some of your wallet.
12-01-2012, 11:06 AM
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A few things to consider;
You are far, far better off buying a car that is in better condition or already restored. I've done a number of restorations and in every single case it is much cheaper to buy a car that is finished not to mention, your donating your time. I do it because I enjoy the work and it is a hobby. But, it is not financially the prudent decision. You need to consider that going in.
Sit down and do a material list, I think you'll be shell-shocked. An interior restoration alone is crazy expensive. I'm in the process of an interior restoration. Just the doors are $1000 each. Windows, weatherstrip, handles, regulators, motors, glass, and door panels. That's $2000 and you haven't touched the balance of the interior. I'm at $8000 just in interior expenses and still have seats and alarm system to go.
Be certain you have the space to work undisturbed and can commit the time.
You are far, far better off buying a car that is in better condition or already restored. I've done a number of restorations and in every single case it is much cheaper to buy a car that is finished not to mention, your donating your time. I do it because I enjoy the work and it is a hobby. But, it is not financially the prudent decision. You need to consider that going in.
Sit down and do a material list, I think you'll be shell-shocked. An interior restoration alone is crazy expensive. I'm in the process of an interior restoration. Just the doors are $1000 each. Windows, weatherstrip, handles, regulators, motors, glass, and door panels. That's $2000 and you haven't touched the balance of the interior. I'm at $8000 just in interior expenses and still have seats and alarm system to go.
Be certain you have the space to work undisturbed and can commit the time.
12-01-2012, 11:50 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
Corvettes are among the more difficult cars there are for the home hobbyist to restore. I have three cars' worth of garage space, and the biggest problem I have faced doing an at-home repaint on mine is storage space...there just is not room to put everything. That problem would be greatly exacerbated by doing a frame-off, engine-out restoration.
Also, you don't just "blast" the paint off of a Corvette (of ANY vintage). The 'fiberglass' ('SMC' in the case of a C3) is very delicate and can be very easily destroyed by the use of any sort of aggressive abrasive media. It literally took me a full YEAR to get all of the paint off of mine; weekend after weekend after weekend of nasty, dirty, messy, grueling WORK.
At the end of the day these cars (like MOST cars) were not designed to be restored, they were designed by GM to be as cheap as possible to PRODUCE at a profit, so in-depth restoration work is a difficult, time-consuming, and arduous task, and I personally have seen the prices of most of the restoration parts more than double in the fourteen years that I have owned mine. Fortunately, the value of the cars themselves have too, but they haven't done nearly as well as a lot of, say, Chevelles, Camaros, and the like. the limited utility of these cars also limits their resale.
In my case, I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the car, and hope to get more in the near future when it's finally reassembled, but the amount of work that it took to get there will likely be somewhat disproportionate to the amount of enjoyment and potential profit that might be realiuzed later.
While we welcome your membership into the club of busted knuckles C3 owners, be advised that this is not a club for the faint of heart! And, unlike Overhaulin', it is not free and your car will not fix itself in a week!! If you have the space, resources, time, and patience to do a complete restoration on this car and that's really what you want to do my advice is to take stock of what you've got and then begin the job. You'll be glad you did it in the end, but understand that as mentioned previously IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF MONEY, EVEN IF YOU DO ALL OF THE LABOR YOURSELF! Actually, restoring the interior is probably the most expensive single part of the job, but here is a listing of some of the other parts you will likely be looking at...
Front end...bushings x16, tie rod ends x 4, balljoints x 4, swaybar bushings x 6, PS ram rebuild kit, PS control valve rebuild kit, wheel bearings & seals, shocks.
Rear End...Trailing arm bushings, wheel bearings, strut rod bushings, shocks, crossmember bushings, spring pucks...
Body...weatherstrip, front and rear caps, fasteners, windshield, birdcage rust repair, body mount bushings, paint...
Brakes...calipers, pads, hoses, maybe even rotors...
Engine/tranny...rings, bearings, carburetor, machining, etc.,etc. ...
It goes on and on and on.
Be prepared and bring your wallet!!!
Also, you don't just "blast" the paint off of a Corvette (of ANY vintage). The 'fiberglass' ('SMC' in the case of a C3) is very delicate and can be very easily destroyed by the use of any sort of aggressive abrasive media. It literally took me a full YEAR to get all of the paint off of mine; weekend after weekend after weekend of nasty, dirty, messy, grueling WORK.
At the end of the day these cars (like MOST cars) were not designed to be restored, they were designed by GM to be as cheap as possible to PRODUCE at a profit, so in-depth restoration work is a difficult, time-consuming, and arduous task, and I personally have seen the prices of most of the restoration parts more than double in the fourteen years that I have owned mine. Fortunately, the value of the cars themselves have too, but they haven't done nearly as well as a lot of, say, Chevelles, Camaros, and the like. the limited utility of these cars also limits their resale.
In my case, I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the car, and hope to get more in the near future when it's finally reassembled, but the amount of work that it took to get there will likely be somewhat disproportionate to the amount of enjoyment and potential profit that might be realiuzed later.
While we welcome your membership into the club of busted knuckles C3 owners, be advised that this is not a club for the faint of heart! And, unlike Overhaulin', it is not free and your car will not fix itself in a week!! If you have the space, resources, time, and patience to do a complete restoration on this car and that's really what you want to do my advice is to take stock of what you've got and then begin the job. You'll be glad you did it in the end, but understand that as mentioned previously IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF MONEY, EVEN IF YOU DO ALL OF THE LABOR YOURSELF! Actually, restoring the interior is probably the most expensive single part of the job, but here is a listing of some of the other parts you will likely be looking at...
Front end...bushings x16, tie rod ends x 4, balljoints x 4, swaybar bushings x 6, PS ram rebuild kit, PS control valve rebuild kit, wheel bearings & seals, shocks.
Rear End...Trailing arm bushings, wheel bearings, strut rod bushings, shocks, crossmember bushings, spring pucks...
Body...weatherstrip, front and rear caps, fasteners, windshield, birdcage rust repair, body mount bushings, paint...
Brakes...calipers, pads, hoses, maybe even rotors...
Engine/tranny...rings, bearings, carburetor, machining, etc.,etc. ...
It goes on and on and on.
Be prepared and bring your wallet!!!
12-01-2012, 12:54 PM
#10
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I would try to avoid a body off unless you really just must do it. That will change the car from taking say 1 year and $5k to 5 years and $30k. You end up wanting to do things like replace parts down to every line and bolt and washer to make it look "just right" or "just like new". On top of that, you might decide you want all the performance suspension upgrades as well which adds even more money.
I helped Dad with his car. We bought a 78 which had been mostly disassembled for $1600. We bought it because the paint looked decent and there wasn't anything more than surface rust that we could find. The drivetrain was in it but every part on the motor that could be unbolted had been removed. Everything else but the glass, wiring harness, vacuum lines and headlights and doors had been pulled apart. The original owner had intended to do a frame off restoration but he pulled it apart and then left it sitting for >15 years without ever working on it.
We replaced the body mounts and put it back together. We confirmed the condition when all the bolts undid and bolted back in place. It took us about 8 months to get it to the point it could be plated and driven. He's done some more work since then and he's got about $7k into it including tires and the alignment. We sourced both new and used parts. No performance upgrades besides the engine we found having a bit more power than stock. Overall, it's a very decent driver and I think it turned out really well for $7k. It could use some paint work to take care of some of the chips and scratches it accumulated while in storage but it not bad enough it needs a repaint. I've been to a number of cruise-ins and I've only seen 1 C3 that looked better and it was likely a $40k+ restoration (so it was expected to look better). My personal opinion is that he could sell the car for $12k to $14k easily in this area so he's not even close to upside down on it.
Now, the thing is that if we had pulled the body off, the car would still be in the garage and he'd have $20k into it by now. If you look under it, the bushings aren't in great shape and it could use the suspension on both ends pulled to replace all the soft parts. But, it's age cracking that is showing so nothing has reached the point it must be replaced yet. The frame and such are covered in surface rust. Again, it doesn't matter when it's sitting on the wheels other than knowing you can't eat off the underside, which doesn't matter to Dad or me.
To me, it was an easy decision to not dive any deeper into that car. My advice to you would be to do a similar thing. If your car needs major work then look for one that costs a bit more up front which takes care of some of those major issues. It's too easy to end up with a car similar to Dad's where you get discouraged or life gets in the way and you never get to drive it. Then, someone else picks it up cheap and they get it back together and they end up enjoying it.
I helped Dad with his car. We bought a 78 which had been mostly disassembled for $1600. We bought it because the paint looked decent and there wasn't anything more than surface rust that we could find. The drivetrain was in it but every part on the motor that could be unbolted had been removed. Everything else but the glass, wiring harness, vacuum lines and headlights and doors had been pulled apart. The original owner had intended to do a frame off restoration but he pulled it apart and then left it sitting for >15 years without ever working on it.
We replaced the body mounts and put it back together. We confirmed the condition when all the bolts undid and bolted back in place. It took us about 8 months to get it to the point it could be plated and driven. He's done some more work since then and he's got about $7k into it including tires and the alignment. We sourced both new and used parts. No performance upgrades besides the engine we found having a bit more power than stock. Overall, it's a very decent driver and I think it turned out really well for $7k. It could use some paint work to take care of some of the chips and scratches it accumulated while in storage but it not bad enough it needs a repaint. I've been to a number of cruise-ins and I've only seen 1 C3 that looked better and it was likely a $40k+ restoration (so it was expected to look better). My personal opinion is that he could sell the car for $12k to $14k easily in this area so he's not even close to upside down on it.
Now, the thing is that if we had pulled the body off, the car would still be in the garage and he'd have $20k into it by now. If you look under it, the bushings aren't in great shape and it could use the suspension on both ends pulled to replace all the soft parts. But, it's age cracking that is showing so nothing has reached the point it must be replaced yet. The frame and such are covered in surface rust. Again, it doesn't matter when it's sitting on the wheels other than knowing you can't eat off the underside, which doesn't matter to Dad or me.
To me, it was an easy decision to not dive any deeper into that car. My advice to you would be to do a similar thing. If your car needs major work then look for one that costs a bit more up front which takes care of some of those major issues. It's too easy to end up with a car similar to Dad's where you get discouraged or life gets in the way and you never get to drive it. Then, someone else picks it up cheap and they get it back together and they end up enjoying it.
Last edited by lionelhutz; 12-01-2012 at 01:03 PM.
12-01-2012, 01:46 PM
#11
Jig A Low, you have been given some of the best advice ever regarding the restoration/rejuvination of these cars. Very good points in deed. I bought my first Corvette 19 years ago and it is just now getting back together. I am a bodyman and painter by trade and thought this would be a piece of cake. After two job career changes I am getting close.
The car is a full load 1976 L82 4-speed, original aluminum rims. The engine was out of mine and I thought it would be no big deal, I bought it for $1,300.00 dollars. Sounds exciting but I must have been missing every possible bracket or attachment for the air conditioning, exhaust, back up light wiring/brackets, AC condensor, evaporator, damaged rad and shroud. That was not counting the need for changing out the 'Disco' valour interior that was all the rage in the late 70's.
It looked like a great buy but after servicing everything that I could take off of the frame without seperating the body from the frame I have sunk $12,000.00 dollars into this car and that is not counting the hours that I have invested. I have gotten discouraged on this project 3 times but refuse to sell it, I will finish this out.
If I can give any advice, repair what needs repair, don't seperate the body unless you have to, these cars are not worth that much. Make sure if you are buying a car to restore it runs and everything is there. There is something to be said about a car that runs, you can at least start it up, listen to it, drive it forward, drive it backward, spin the tires to inspire yourself to get it done.
Make a list, check it twice, mix in some 'dicipline' to force yourself to get it done and you will see results.
Good luck to you.
The car is a full load 1976 L82 4-speed, original aluminum rims. The engine was out of mine and I thought it would be no big deal, I bought it for $1,300.00 dollars. Sounds exciting but I must have been missing every possible bracket or attachment for the air conditioning, exhaust, back up light wiring/brackets, AC condensor, evaporator, damaged rad and shroud. That was not counting the need for changing out the 'Disco' valour interior that was all the rage in the late 70's.
It looked like a great buy but after servicing everything that I could take off of the frame without seperating the body from the frame I have sunk $12,000.00 dollars into this car and that is not counting the hours that I have invested. I have gotten discouraged on this project 3 times but refuse to sell it, I will finish this out.
If I can give any advice, repair what needs repair, don't seperate the body unless you have to, these cars are not worth that much. Make sure if you are buying a car to restore it runs and everything is there. There is something to be said about a car that runs, you can at least start it up, listen to it, drive it forward, drive it backward, spin the tires to inspire yourself to get it done.
Make a list, check it twice, mix in some 'dicipline' to force yourself to get it done and you will see results.
Good luck to you.
12-01-2012, 03:02 PM
#12
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Welcome to the Forum and Congrats on the new ride.
There are a LOT of very smart guys in here with hundreds of years of experience among us.
IMO you have been given the best advice possible in this thread.
Post up some pics, fix the necessarys and drive it a while and then Read, Read, Read.
I am getting close to done with my 81 restomod, its taken 6 years and something like $18k
No way in hell I could get that out of it, But, its mine and I plan to enjoy it a Long time.
If you have space, skills and $$ go ahead and pull it apart, but do it with your eyes open. That will keep you from wasting a lot of $ and getting a bad experience out of this project.
There are a LOT of very smart guys in here with hundreds of years of experience among us.
IMO you have been given the best advice possible in this thread.
Post up some pics, fix the necessarys and drive it a while and then Read, Read, Read.
I am getting close to done with my 81 restomod, its taken 6 years and something like $18k
No way in hell I could get that out of it, But, its mine and I plan to enjoy it a Long time.
If you have space, skills and $$ go ahead and pull it apart, but do it with your eyes open. That will keep you from wasting a lot of $ and getting a bad experience out of this project.
12-02-2012, 07:02 AM
#15
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Where are you?
Look around for the local Corvette club and get involved with them; it'll be a good source for info (in addition to here) specialty tools, and the occasional helping hand you'll need for the restoration. The search engine on this site will soon be your best friend.
I'm in year four and ??? $$$ of my body off resto-mod (body drop planned for this week, WOO HOO) and there is no way I would have had the confidence to attempt the project without the help of this site. I would agree with EasyMike; make the Must/Need/Want list and drive it for a while. Safety things like brakes, steering, and suspension first; then worry about boosting horsepower. Enjoy it for a bit before you rip it apart.
Here is a link to what a body off looks like. I have a 2 1/2 car garage and still complain of not enough room. It is beyond amazing to me the guys that can do this with a single car garage...
http://islandtimeinvestor.com/iti/vette
Good Luck and welcome.
Scott
Look around for the local Corvette club and get involved with them; it'll be a good source for info (in addition to here) specialty tools, and the occasional helping hand you'll need for the restoration. The search engine on this site will soon be your best friend.
I'm in year four and ??? $$$ of my body off resto-mod (body drop planned for this week, WOO HOO) and there is no way I would have had the confidence to attempt the project without the help of this site. I would agree with EasyMike; make the Must/Need/Want list and drive it for a while. Safety things like brakes, steering, and suspension first; then worry about boosting horsepower. Enjoy it for a bit before you rip it apart.
Here is a link to what a body off looks like. I have a 2 1/2 car garage and still complain of not enough room. It is beyond amazing to me the guys that can do this with a single car garage...
http://islandtimeinvestor.com/iti/vette
Good Luck and welcome.
Scott
12-02-2012, 08:15 AM
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thanks for all the advice guys, I appreciate all of it and please keep it coming.
I've had a chance to do some more exploring in and around the car as well as some "dis-assembly", there is minimal rust around the body mounts in the kick panel areas (just surface rust mostly), there is hardly any around the upper corners of the windshield, so all that is good.
when I bought this car I went in knowing that it would take at least a couple years of work and lots of money to get it back to where I want it. I'm not SO concerned about that aspect of it, as I said, this will more than likely be my forever car so I want to do it RIGHT, if it has to be done or needs to be done then I'll bite the bullet and do it. the last thing I want is to "half ***" do it then something come back to bite me later once I put it on the road. I'm not wealthy by any means so I'll be saving up and doing/buying things as I can afford them. I'll also be doing a great majority of the work myself so labor isn't much of an issue. I don't mind taking my time and shopping swap meets, junk yards, or for sale sites to find the parts I need, I wish I could just go to a corvette parts site and order everything in one foul swoop but that just can't happen.
I finished pulling most of the interior out yesterday, the previous owner had started it then quit. The carpet was shot, I was able to tear it like a sheet of paper. the seats are the only thing that I think is savable in the car, they were just re-upholstered not long before it was parked (5 years ago). there is a fair amount of rust in the floor pans but nothing is rusted through, I don't think it has compromised the pans structurally though, I think I'll clean up the loose stuff, find something to neutralize the rust and put a couple layers of fiberglass down to water proof them and add some strength.
pictures are coming later today, it's not much to look at but in my minds eye, it's gorgeous.
oh, by the way, we've already picked the new color for the car, in fact I found a picture on this site that is the model for how I want it too look when done. if I only knew how to post it (still have lots of learning to do).
http://perrys1981corvette.shutterfly.com/
I've had a chance to do some more exploring in and around the car as well as some "dis-assembly", there is minimal rust around the body mounts in the kick panel areas (just surface rust mostly), there is hardly any around the upper corners of the windshield, so all that is good.
when I bought this car I went in knowing that it would take at least a couple years of work and lots of money to get it back to where I want it. I'm not SO concerned about that aspect of it, as I said, this will more than likely be my forever car so I want to do it RIGHT, if it has to be done or needs to be done then I'll bite the bullet and do it. the last thing I want is to "half ***" do it then something come back to bite me later once I put it on the road. I'm not wealthy by any means so I'll be saving up and doing/buying things as I can afford them. I'll also be doing a great majority of the work myself so labor isn't much of an issue. I don't mind taking my time and shopping swap meets, junk yards, or for sale sites to find the parts I need, I wish I could just go to a corvette parts site and order everything in one foul swoop but that just can't happen.
I finished pulling most of the interior out yesterday, the previous owner had started it then quit. The carpet was shot, I was able to tear it like a sheet of paper. the seats are the only thing that I think is savable in the car, they were just re-upholstered not long before it was parked (5 years ago). there is a fair amount of rust in the floor pans but nothing is rusted through, I don't think it has compromised the pans structurally though, I think I'll clean up the loose stuff, find something to neutralize the rust and put a couple layers of fiberglass down to water proof them and add some strength.
pictures are coming later today, it's not much to look at but in my minds eye, it's gorgeous.
oh, by the way, we've already picked the new color for the car, in fact I found a picture on this site that is the model for how I want it too look when done. if I only knew how to post it (still have lots of learning to do).
http://perrys1981corvette.shutterfly.com/
Last edited by Jig A Low; 12-02-2012 at 08:38 AM.
12-02-2012, 09:40 AM
#17
Melting Slicks
Floor Board Rust
thanks for all the advice guys, I appreciate all of it and please keep it coming.
I've had a chance to do some more exploring in and around the car as well as some "dis-assembly", there is minimal rust around the body mounts in the kick panel areas (just surface rust mostly), there is hardly any around the upper corners of the windshield, so all that is good.
when I bought this car I went in knowing that it would take at least a couple years of work and lots of money to get it back to where I want it. I'm not SO concerned about that aspect of it, as I said, this will more than likely be my forever car so I want to do it RIGHT, if it has to be done or needs to be done then I'll bite the bullet and do it. the last thing I want is to "half ***" do it then something come back to bite me later once I put it on the road. I'm not wealthy by any means so I'll be saving up and doing/buying things as I can afford them. I'll also be doing a great majority of the work myself so labor isn't much of an issue. I don't mind taking my time and shopping swap meets, junk yards, or for sale sites to find the parts I need, I wish I could just go to a corvette parts site and order everything in one foul swoop but that just can't happen.
I finished pulling most of the interior out yesterday, the previous owner had started it then quit. The carpet was shot, I was able to tear it like a sheet of paper. the seats are the only thing that I think is savable in the car, they were just re-upholstered not long before it was parked (5 years ago). there is a fair amount of rust in the floor pans but nothing is rusted through, I don't think it has compromised the pans structurally though, I think I'll clean up the loose stuff, find something to neutralize the rust and put a couple layers of fiberglass down to water proof them and add some strength.
pictures are coming later today, it's not much to look at but in my minds eye, it's gorgeous.
oh, by the way, we've already picked the new color for the car, in fact I found a picture on this site that is the model for how I want it too look when done. if I only knew how to post it (still have lots of learning to do).
http://perrys1981corvette.shutterfly.com/
I've had a chance to do some more exploring in and around the car as well as some "dis-assembly", there is minimal rust around the body mounts in the kick panel areas (just surface rust mostly), there is hardly any around the upper corners of the windshield, so all that is good.
when I bought this car I went in knowing that it would take at least a couple years of work and lots of money to get it back to where I want it. I'm not SO concerned about that aspect of it, as I said, this will more than likely be my forever car so I want to do it RIGHT, if it has to be done or needs to be done then I'll bite the bullet and do it. the last thing I want is to "half ***" do it then something come back to bite me later once I put it on the road. I'm not wealthy by any means so I'll be saving up and doing/buying things as I can afford them. I'll also be doing a great majority of the work myself so labor isn't much of an issue. I don't mind taking my time and shopping swap meets, junk yards, or for sale sites to find the parts I need, I wish I could just go to a corvette parts site and order everything in one foul swoop but that just can't happen.
I finished pulling most of the interior out yesterday, the previous owner had started it then quit. The carpet was shot, I was able to tear it like a sheet of paper. the seats are the only thing that I think is savable in the car, they were just re-upholstered not long before it was parked (5 years ago). there is a fair amount of rust in the floor pans but nothing is rusted through, I don't think it has compromised the pans structurally though, I think I'll clean up the loose stuff, find something to neutralize the rust and put a couple layers of fiberglass down to water proof them and add some strength.
pictures are coming later today, it's not much to look at but in my minds eye, it's gorgeous.
oh, by the way, we've already picked the new color for the car, in fact I found a picture on this site that is the model for how I want it too look when done. if I only knew how to post it (still have lots of learning to do).
http://perrys1981corvette.shutterfly.com/
I used POR 15 on my 70 Corvette windshield frame and it came out beautiful. All I had was some surface rust. Now it will outlast me!
Make sure to follow the instructions perfectly.
Sounds like a great project
12-03-2012, 07:34 AM
#19
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One thing I would advise against is buying parts way ahead of time; put that money in an account. The things I’m talking about are things you might change your mind about later. I have a shelf full of stuff I purchased for my project then I decided to go another direction; like steering rebuild kits and then I decided to put Steeroids in, exhaust kit, then I came across a great deal on some factory side pipes…
The list goes on; just something to think about.
Good luck
The list goes on; just something to think about.
Good luck
12-03-2012, 09:54 AM
#20
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Thanks, I'm in the process of making a "wish list" now, some things are already decided, such as a black interior, that way it will match any color, I am thinking about the side pipes too, personally, I think a Bette is about the only car they look good on
