Crash Dummy

I look across these boards and see Vettes in all kinds of states. I'm curious how long some of you have been working on your projects to get your Vette to where you want it to be. What I thought would be a simple engine change is not going to happen as I have found so many worn out parts in the suspension that this is now going to take time. Enthusiasm can sure be crushed at times with these cars. I could go back with the new engine & probably get away with it, but it wouldn't be right so I'll just take my time and order parts.

Que sera!

Who's been at it the longest by the way?

WhyFly

I feel your pain..I bought my 79 coupe three years ago and am still working away on it. I bought the car knowing it was going to need tlc and some work. I got it for a pretty good price 4500 and was prepared to spend that much to get it in to reasonable shape. Well this will be my third summer and I have to this point done the following, Replaced the heads, new T-tops, Complete new front end including springs, 1& 1/8 anti sway bar, upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, new sleeves, SS brake calipers, idler arm, Gabriel Gas Shocks, new ceramic coated competition headers, MSD ignition, new Holley 110 gph fuel pump, new steering components, oh yea...new rebuilt engine, had the doors re-fiberglassed and painted, rad flushed, new hi flow water pump, MT valve covers, SS Braided hoses, New polly motor mounts, New weather Stripping doors and windows, new power antenna, new Sony Cd player..complete inner workings for both power windows, new instrument cluster bezel, new speedo and tach bezel, new arm rest, and I'm getting ready to order new carpet and new door panels.....It's an addiction....I need serious help.....I hope my wife never sees this.....hehehehe...but I love every minute of it...and can't wait to get back out to the garage....I just have to wait for another paycheck...or my wife to get a second job......Be patient...do it over time...look for bargains.
Have Fun.... :D :chevy

" Looking For a Solution...Trying Not to BUBBA "

WhyFly
79 Burgundy Coupe
ManyMods..More To
Follow

74FLCONV

Although I'm not going to tear apart my car extensively, I plan on replacing everything necessary piece-by-piece so as to not have it inoperable for longer than a weekend. A busy schedule permits me to drive it about once or twice a month, so I don't want to miss out on cruising when the opportunity arises.

The more work I do on the car, the more overwhelming the task becomes. Everytime I touch something, I find something else that needs replacing.

Although I enjoy personally working on the car, as my income increases, I plan on having someone else do the "grunt work" (just read the recent posts on trailing arm & half-shaft rebuilds...:(ugh). At the rate I'm going, it will take several years to "finish".

D. Ocean
Miami, FLA

442olds

Since I have owned the car it has been apart for 1 year. But then again the taking it apart part was already taken care of. I found evidence that the last time my car was together and on the raod was '91. So how long do i expect it to be till its ready to go, about 5 months.

paintdaddy

Mines been apart for about 3 1/2 years.I work on it when ever Im not working on someone elses car which is rarely.Hell right now it isnt even at my house I did some labor trading and its been at someone elses shop for a year.It should be back home with in 6 mos. :seeya

LT1driver

I think I have you all beat....17 YEARS :steering:

bhays

Couple of years now, got short on time and money...hope to reattack with a vengeance within the next six months.

Started here

Took a driving, pretty decent Vette and turned it into this:


Now, I am on the road to recovery, but been stalled for a while:






Somewhere right around in here when I became hallucinatory and determined that I could do my own wiring and custom dash is when the project hit a major stall
:confused: :mad :confused:





Now, the aftermath looks about like this, although I have gotten the doors back on so I can wire the door locks, windows, etc.



My advice, if it runs and you can drive it around and have fun, think long and hard before you tear it apart all at once...I know I will complete this project and I look forward to getting her on the road, but it sure would have been nice to do little projects as I went along and still been able to enjoy the car a bit instead of using it for a storage container in the garage.:yesnod:


[Modified by bhays, 3:19 AM 1/23/2003]

Nomad78SA

Mine has been apart for 3 years now. The last year we have been doing all the fiberglass work and prepping it for paint. It has been at a frieends house for that part. When I get it home agaaain, I still have the inside to do. It is completely gutted out wiring and all. I hope to be driving it this spring or early summer.
Neil in Tenn



[Modified by Nomad78SA, 8:11 AM 1/23/2003]

67HEAVEN

Don't be so sure. ;)

Rolling Thunder

Two years last month. Hit some snags along the way but hope to have it at CI-IV. I won't be too disappointed if I don't make it, it's still a lot of fun in the garage. :yesnod:

Dave

RMVette

Took me a year to do the majority of work on mine. Now if you count the ongoing process of work, about 7 years which equals the length of time I've had it! :rolleyes:

Twin_Turbo

Mine has been in pieces for almost 1&1/2 years. The problem is I keep coming up witht new ideas. I have everything ready to install but I am going to divert from original so I have a fully rebuilt front & rear suspension sitting on the shelf and I'm not sure what to so with it.

I'm gonna do some work on the frame (strengthening), finish installing the engine & ZF, drop the body back on and then I'll get a rollcage. When that is finished I'll decide what to do with the rear suspension. Since I can't find a Dana44 C4 IRS I am currently going to the backup plan, convert the stock dana44 so I can run upper struts and then install the C4 IRS. That way if I find a Dana44 I can always swap it in. No need ot install a 36 and blow it up.
Then there's the issue of coil overs, bigger brakes, rack and pinion steering. Dang, I need a whole new car :)

Marck




[Modified by Twin_Turbo, 9:29 AM 1/23/2003]

rexx78

Mine has been apart for 3 months this time. I had the trailing arms out twice before this to fix my bushing problems. I took a weekend and replaced the front ball joints and control arm bushings.

I have painted all the rear end pieces, and buffed and painted the rear frame. I will take the engine out and do the same for the front. The new carpet is waiting to go in, and the interior is ready to dye. Time to get my butt in gear...

My original plan was to do a complete restoration this time, but money is running short and I want to drive it next summer, so the paint and engine may have to wait until next fall. :auto:

NHvette

I've been at it for about 1.5 years, also. Mine came to a halt after I realized
that the body and frame of my vette were virtually trash (good for parts).
What inspired me to get back on it was my youngest son. He had recently
turned five, and remembered when Dad would take him places in the vette.
This past Spring he asked me, "Dad, when are we gonna ride in the vette again ?".
SWEEET - I thought - he is only 5 and already has Corvette Fever.
Well, he gave the fever to me - and I've been going as fast as my time permits
to get this thing done by early summer (at least driving her).

Now, my thoughts have begun to shift. I wonder, now - should I go 'all the way'
and rebuild all and everything as best I can - or piece it back together
with OK used parts that aren't repainted - etc ? The early C3s will only
be worth more in the near future, so maybe this won't be a driver like I
started out to build. I still need to decide, but it just illustrates how things can
snowball and plans can transform - once you commit to any restoration.

Proceed with caution, but keep moving forward.
:seeya

Ken73

It's only been about 8 or 9 months I think. I started ripping into it just after CI-III, and have been building the motor and transmission up ever since. I'm only doing engine, transmission, and suspension though - I'm not doing all the body/interior stuff because my interior is (mostly) good to begin with. A new set of seat foams/covers and the interior will look pretty nice. A new coat of paint and some weatherstripping and I should be done!

I'm hoping to have the car back on the road and running good by mid-February..

Teuffelhunde

Wow, I don't feel so bad now. 17 years!!!! My car has been out of comission for almost a year. It had some bad oil leaks and I was sick of adding 4 quarts of oil every time I put gas in, so I pulled the engine and started with the idea of 1 month and I'd be done. Here it is 11 months and $6,000 later and the only thing left before I sgtart it is my starter motor repair.

HDIronman

Mine has been in the garage now for 19 months, ever since the engine blew. Time constraints due to my regular job, as well as problems along the way, kept me from getting the car running until last November. I ran the engine in for 20-30 minutes, and now she's back in hibernation again. Damn Michigan winters. Garage isn't heated so I can't even work on the few remaining items still left to be done. Well, only about three more months til nice temps.

:sad:

7t2vette

Full body off resto ongoing for 6 years now, should,I repeat should, be ready for this summer, but life usually gets in the way of any schedules I try to keep! :cool:

Schmucker

I've had mine apart for a few weeks now, hope to get it back together in a few more weeks, then it will be time to tear it apart again in a different area... pull the engine and build a new one. That will take about two weeks. I hope to have it done by April... when prom is. Probably the only way I'll be able to get a date! :lol:

bhays

Thanks, guys....I feel better about my semi-stalled project now. I figured I had about the longest rebuild going but the light at the end of the tunnel seems a little brighter and closer now.