ThorpesCorvettes

After the auction in Dallas where this vehicle sold, for an astounding 3.2 million dollars, I made a post on here about a little bit of the history of the car. I encourage everyone to check that out for a little bit of the back story on the vehicle. Needless to say, after my restoration in the late 80's, it has come back to me once more. This time, I don't get to call it my own, but I do get to enjoy the nostalgia of working on one of my old vehicles, and a wonderful piece of Corvette history. I will be doing a frame off restoration on this vehicle - Looking forward to seeing you all @ Bloomington where she will make her first appearance. Enjoy!


When I first got it back to my shop in the late 80's



Now

ThorpesCorvettes

Dr L-88

Congratulations Tim on another restoration "well done". I know this one will be most representative of a Tim Thorpe L-88 restoration.

Bluestripe67

I find it difficult to understand why this car needs a frame off restoration. By the pictures, it looks on the money. Please enlighten me. Dennis

ricks327

LT1driver

the worst thing the original owner did was get side pipes..for performance that is....the inside diameter is less than 2 inches and worse yet is the tight bend from exhaust manifold to side pipe...kills performance....how do I know, I currently own an L-71 with side pipes and my first vette was L-71 with side pipes, switched to under car and improvement was remarkable, but not as cool as side pipes so I went back after drag racing for a while to side pipes.

Adam Boca

Awesome car, awesome restoration shop and awesome owners!

ThorpesCorvettes

The car needs to be painted. We wont be "restoring" the whole car. A lot of cleaning. I will be posting pictures throughout the process.

69z28&ss396

Tell the story of how you located it and how you got started in the L88 game?

Keith Carlson

Love this story and car! Looking forward to the repaint photos and work to be done. Thanks for posting.

SupremeDeluxe

I can't wait to follow the progress. My L-71 is still a few years away from its next restoration, but I am already getting excited for it.

SBR

Tim,
I can't wait to see the car at Bloomington. The current owners should be very happy with their purchase, they bought a really nice car!

1974purchase

back to bare fiberglass before paint ?

vettebuyer6369

There is an amazing story about the owner, Buddy Herin, and his painful decision to sell this and other cars at the auction, and his drive of the vehicle onto the stage, in the January 2014 Mecum Monthly magazine. Brings a tear to your eye.

Picture is distorted- magazine folds in the middle:

groovyjay

So somebody paid 3.2 million for a complete project Corvette!?

Good to see it's back in your hands and staying tuned for updates.

ThorpesCorvettes

It's by no means a project. We are going to take it down to bare fiberglass. Don't really know what's under there yet, but we do know that the car needs to be darker. We have found some original marlboro maroon quarters to help us match how it should be.

ThorpesCorvettes

ThorpesCorvettes

We have never seen this before, but being that it was born on St Pats they may have used green markings in the factory. I never remembered that until we took it all apart but as it appeared to me I do remember tracing these lines and making them exactly as they were back in the 80's when I restored it the first time. Thanks for looking!

65silververt

[URL=http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/ThorpesCorvettes/media/1967%20l88%20maroon/DSCN2342.jpg.html]


Did you strip it down to bare glass or just scuff and shoot with 2k primer? Looks like the lower valance was just scuffed, that is why i ask.

LT1driver

in the pictures that paint looked good, some of the paints had different hues, RM, Diztler, etc. hard anymore to match due to some of the tints used no longer available in true lacquer. I am sure you will be able to do it somehow.