66jack

What should i do?

I have a had my car for a long time, do not have original engine or trans .
The body has been midified to the extent of rear wheel flares but the fronts were never flared but were cut out to accept wide tires .

I have had the frame and some parts powder coated and have purchaced a wide variety of parts to restore the body and interior to as close to original as possible .

BUT, now that i think about it what the use of trying to making it "original" if i don't have the motor or trans .

i would like some input from the forum as to what would be the best way to proceed with the rebuild of my car .

thanks
jack

PS
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Tossin

Obviously, it's going to be darn near impossible to return your car to true from-the-factory form. However, you can get it stock "looking," if that is what you desire.

When you look at the various and sundry photos of our members' Corvettes, what gets your heart pounding the most? The NCRS correct/very stock looking cars, the cars with minor mods, or the totally tricked out cars?

What do you want out of the car? Do you want a cruiser, a show car, or something else?

I, personally, like mostly stock looking cars with a few mods (mainly because of that's what I grew up with; and I think the body design is damn near perfect as it is), but I see the craftsmanship and art that is in the highly modified cars.

I would tell you what most everyone else here is going to tell you, do what you think is best. Do what gets your heart pounding. Who cares what anyone else thinks as long as you're happy.

toddalin

Do what I'm doing with my non-stock '64..., build it the way you would like it to be. Just keep it tasteful.

66jack

Can you post some Pictures so i can see whats out there?

Tossin

Here's a recent thread of pictures of both solid axle and mid-years.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1374979

Here's mine (mods are: emblems removed, third tail-light, chrome valve covers, wrong air cleaner)

Sky65

Build it the way you want it. Stock or modified. Whatever trips your trigger.

Personally I think you have an oportunity to save some history. Build it back to way it was before it was parked......modified.

Here's mine.

SPLITRAY

Almost the same deal with mine. Everything is mainly stock, but the engine and diff were long gone. Thought about returning it to "original" but that would cost more than just making it a good driver with some very nice things in it.

No One is going to say, "Wow lets give him top dollar because it LOOKS original"! So I ditched the original concept and decided to go with a very streetable driver that is stock looking because the body had not been chopped up. I do like the stock look but this car will never be "original", as most aren't.

Bottom line, do what you want, but I don't see the point in spending tens of thousands of $$$ more to make a non original car original looking. Unless of course original looking is what you Want and you are not expecting a greater return on your investment.

67L36Driver

Stock Corvettes are boring, they should all be personalized to some degree.

Listening to arguements over what is NCRS correct is like listening to the 'old men' when I was a youth hash over their precious Model A's and T's. The darn things were barely streetable.

henny496

Hello
It is a matter of preference. If you want a modified car, or a stock one, it is up to you
As it has already been said.....do you want to drive it a lot, show it??? You can have it mildly modified or ????
What way would you like the car????
Tom
mine is not stock by any means, but the body does look like a stock one( kinda)

jrs 427

What ever your happy with is the way it should be. Flares and loud pipes never go out of style. Paint it an eye catching color and have fun.

Jack60

Well maybe not boring, but I look at a car and think what can I change. Too make it mine.

KENS78SILVERANNIV

I've had em both ways.

Stock as a bone..... perfect interior.... paint.... matching numbers right down to the bulbs and carpet and radio and even the tires and the air in the tires... and the problem was...

I was afraid to drive the damn thing. It was so perfect... I spent 8-grand on the paint and it never left the garage.

Now... I'm driving a 66 coupe...with flared wheel wells.... big 50 series tires.... a loud engine and exhaust... and I'm having more fun than ever.

If it takes a rock chip on the way home.... no big deal.

I drive it more than the perfect '78.... and I'm having a ball.

Procrastination Racing

Just look where those Model As and Ts are today.

As to your car, you are in a great position to do what you want.

Original - lot of work, some impossible to do to be original (NOM) but not out of the running for Restored. You can do a restoration engine, either with all correct numbers for the car or the restoration restamp, if you really want to go the NCRS judging route. If you are not having it judged, then it is a lot of money that isn't well spent. NOM but correct with an NCRS certificate will bring you the bucks, but NOM but correct without the NCRS certificate means little to most people.

Stock looking - lots of fun, you have what looks stock, but you can stuff a 383 in or a 502 and with enough stock engine trim pieces, you have today's power with yesterday's look.

Modified - easiest to do, but hardest to make acceptable. In the '70s, most was accepatable, but then in the '80s we all got off drugs with Nancy Reagan and realized some of those modified cars were drug-induced nightmares. Still, the front bumper off is the slickest look IMHO and flares with the right wheels and right color is still one tough look. You can play under the hood, like an old dual-quad setup, an old tripower, or even a Z28 cross ram. Or set a TPI on it. Naturally a '67 big block hood.

And along these lines, many are doing the special chassis with the C4 and C5 suspensions, the newer engines, and so on. How big is you wallet?

You get the picture.

Wild custom - unless you are running one of the show circuits, you are going to find little approval from most people you encounter. That doesn't mean you shouldn't, just letting you know what to expect. Wild bodylines, extreme interiors, and so on work on the big show circuit, but expect most local Corvette people to look at it a bit odd.

Modified is probably your best shot, since the fenders are already cut.

Good luck with any direction you take.

Brucets11

While some of the custom looks are nice, I just think it's about impossible to improve the looks of the original midyear. They're one of the best looking cars of all time so I guess you know what I'd do.

For me though, my interest is driving one that's close to original but not necessarily a numbers matching. I'm like others in that I'm afraid that I'd not drive it if it were a perfect numbers matching car. I bought mine to drive. But I do enjoy driving a midyear the way they were designed and engineered.

OldDog58Vette

Well not boring.......but they should be personalized.

Cobra66

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddalin

Do what I'm doing with my non-stock '64..., build it the way you would like it to be. Just keep it tasteful.

with toddalin and others on this thread who advise you to have fun without the constraints of "stock" if you wish.

IMO, personalization of one's car, whether a Volvo or a Vette, makes it somewhat distinctive and shows creativity on the part of the owner/driver.

abedford

Count me as another guy with a stock-ish looking car, but non-original motor or transmission. I think the original body style of the car is stunningly gorgeous, so no big changes are required. I did, however, add a little more muscle under the hood, sidepipes, and some American Racing rims. That's what makes me happy !

I have to say that I'm not a big fan of the supermodded custom cars, but to each his own.

John McGraw

I would NEVER mod a completely original car, I would restore it. With that being said, there comes a time when enough has been changed on a car that it does not make sense to restore it. I have built many restored cars, and many hot rods, and I love them all! I am building a 65 now with a custom chassis and late model suspension and drivetrain.
The car had been flared at all corners had had the headlights glassed up. I wanted a stock look, so I replaced the front clip and both quarters to de-flare the car. I used a 67 front end, because I liked the look, and I am using a 67 bigblock hood because of the looks as well, and I want room to put a Magnacharger on the LS2 engine in the future. To the casual observer, the car should look about like any restored midyear convertible, because I think that it is almost impossible to improve on the original styling.

Regards, John McGraw

CRVT427

Jack,

I noticed we are probably close neighbors in Redding. I always liked the stock 67 look but wanted more performance. I didnt't care for any originality as long as the car looked great. My car is almost done and it will be a complete frame off restored car with stock 67 interior and exterior, black paint with red stinger, red interior. I wanted a big block but the person doing the restoration suggested a smallblock 427 for better handling as the big blocks tended to be front heavy. I followed his recommendations and will end up with a 427 smallblock, TKO500,
Power Steering, Power Brakes, Power Windows, Vintage AC. My car had non of these options but I wanted it. Bottom line, do what will make you happy and you won't regret. Thanks.

Ramon

KGBautos

I have found a local car that has a beautiful interior and seems mechanically strong with wrong motor/drivetrain & real ugly side pipes. I'm OK with the non-original mechanicals, the only thing I really want stock is the body; can the flares be repaired to original or do you have to replace the front clip & rear quarters?