Rookie's first attempt at a restoration...
#242
I think modern "sports cars" are really Grand Touring cars now. Everything is heavy, heavy, heavy. Porsches, Ferraris, Lambos, etc. are all 3000# plus. Remember that AC Cobras back in the day were less than 2000# (maybe a little more with a big block). But when the factory can build a streetable motor that puts out 500+ HP, the buying public apparently doesn't care if the car is overweight.
Temvette72
Temvette72
#243
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Anywho, I think I'll stick with my C3 rather than the new corvettes...maybe if I have the money one day, I'll be able to afford one of those. Got my new CDI torque wrench in today - its the same one Gary uses to setup his differentials and steering boxes. I want to do it right, so I bought the tools needed to do the job...I'll have them for the rest of my life, which is good to know.
#244
Anywho, I think I'll stick with my C3 rather than the new corvettes...maybe if I have the money one day, I'll be able to afford one of those. Got my new CDI torque wrench in today - its the same one Gary uses to setup his differentials and steering boxes. I want to do it right, so I bought the tools needed to do the job...I'll have them for the rest of my life, which is good to know.
temvette72
#245
Burning Brakes
I want to do it right, so I bought the tools needed to do the job...I'll have them for the rest of my life
#246
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Good thinking on you part, I keep telling my employees not to buy cheap tool because they are just a waste of time and money. I started building my set when I was you age and now I pretty much have a tool for everything. Just remember not to lend too many out as they seem to disapear
#247
Le Mans Master
Jeremy, I just read this thread all the way though, and I have to say I can't believe how impressed I am. I'm exactly twice your age and have never dreamed of tackling as much work as you have done. I've swapped engines in ohter cars, stripped the vette and made it ready for paint, redone the rear end in a Camaro, but I"m not even in the same league as you. GREAT WORK! Keep the pictures coming.
#248
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Jeremy, I just read this thread all the way though, and I have to say I can't believe how impressed I am. I'm exactly twice your age and have never dreamed of tackling as much work as you have done. I've swapped engines in ohter cars, stripped the vette and made it ready for paint, redone the rear end in a Camaro, but I"m not even in the same league as you. GREAT WORK! Keep the pictures coming.
#249
Advanced
So I haven't posted since the 1st page, but I just wanted to say "Keep going, you're doing great!". I've got a '55 Ford P/U I'm working on and you are an inspiration.
#250
Safety Car
Thread Starter
#251
Drifting
Hey Jeremy, I bet those people who were talking crap earlier are becoming tight lipped now. I remember at the start how everyone was telling you were in over your head. Keep up the good work, I'm following your posts and enjoying it!
#252
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I don't think anybody has seen the car/frame since it came back from the powdercoaters. I think my dad and his friend are fixing my sister's ford jokus (no...this is not a typo ) today. I don't remember him saying anything negative to me other than the fact that I shouldn't be getting an old car like this because they are hard to maintain - I'll keep you posted
#254
Drifting
It also kind of bothers me when family friends come over for dinner and look at my car and ask when it will get done - because i know in their right mind that they think it will never get finished. Someone also came over and said that it looks the same as it did 2 months ago...that really hurt.
quote from post 21
quote from post 21
#255
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Update!
I got my new offset trailing arms in from Van Steel two days ago and had both arms assembled in the same day. I can see the parking brakes being a *&tch toassemble if your trailing arms are still on the car (because of gravity and parts falling everywhere), but if you have your arms on the workbench...they really aren't that bad - honestly. I heard a tip somewhere in the archives to tie the springs with fishing line, then after you get them set right on the pins, you heat the line through the hole in the spindle using a propane torch (don't hold it in one spot assuming the line will break, point it towards it...you just want the line to break so the spring pops up). It worked great. These offset arms make the stock ones look like a popsicle stick...I can't believe how sturdy and strong these new ones are, I'll never use stock arms again. Remember that one hole in the caliper mounting bracket which I tapped for a 1/2''-20 bolt over the stock 7/16'' bolt? Well, I finally enlarged the caliper so it would fit, everything lined up perfect. I was going to use an ez-thread insert and make a 7/16 bolt fit, but the risk was way too high...if I messed that up, I would have to setup the trailing arm bearings all over again.
I also changed the upper control arm bolts using a nifty trick I picked up over on the DC forum. I went the NAPA and picked up some lug studs which were almost the exact size as the control arm bolts (I'll have to get the part number from the box, its laying around here somewhere). I did one bolt at a time and pulled each on through using a nut and a 4 foot piece of pipe for leverage on a wrench; it couldn't have gone any smoother. This way I don't have to hold a wrench on the other side when I am doing an alignment, which would have been a pain in the *** if I had just used regular bolts.
I got my new offset trailing arms in from Van Steel two days ago and had both arms assembled in the same day. I can see the parking brakes being a *&tch toassemble if your trailing arms are still on the car (because of gravity and parts falling everywhere), but if you have your arms on the workbench...they really aren't that bad - honestly. I heard a tip somewhere in the archives to tie the springs with fishing line, then after you get them set right on the pins, you heat the line through the hole in the spindle using a propane torch (don't hold it in one spot assuming the line will break, point it towards it...you just want the line to break so the spring pops up). It worked great. These offset arms make the stock ones look like a popsicle stick...I can't believe how sturdy and strong these new ones are, I'll never use stock arms again. Remember that one hole in the caliper mounting bracket which I tapped for a 1/2''-20 bolt over the stock 7/16'' bolt? Well, I finally enlarged the caliper so it would fit, everything lined up perfect. I was going to use an ez-thread insert and make a 7/16 bolt fit, but the risk was way too high...if I messed that up, I would have to setup the trailing arm bearings all over again.
I also changed the upper control arm bolts using a nifty trick I picked up over on the DC forum. I went the NAPA and picked up some lug studs which were almost the exact size as the control arm bolts (I'll have to get the part number from the box, its laying around here somewhere). I did one bolt at a time and pulled each on through using a nut and a 4 foot piece of pipe for leverage on a wrench; it couldn't have gone any smoother. This way I don't have to hold a wrench on the other side when I am doing an alignment, which would have been a pain in the *** if I had just used regular bolts.
#256
Great Work!
I am also very proud to see a young person taking interest in restoration! Especially a C3. You are doing a great job. I just finished a 69 Camaro for my daughter and I am still a Vette man! The Camaro is a nice car, but you will be prouder of the Corvette. The Camaro is believe it or not more expensive to fix! The one I bought was a $6000 parts car. I am still proud of my work, but I still prefer vettes. I hope to soon get a C3 convertible, probably a rubber bumper to put in the garage. Here is a picture of my Camaro just for kicks!
#257
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I am also very proud to see a young person taking interest in restoration! Especially a C3. You are doing a great job. I just finished a 69 Camaro for my daughter and I am still a Vette man! The Camaro is a nice car, but you will be prouder of the Corvette. The Camaro is believe it or not more expensive to fix! The one I bought was a $6000 parts car. I am still proud of my work, but I still prefer vettes. I hope to soon get a C3 convertible, probably a rubber bumper to put in the garage. Here is a picture of my Camaro just for kicks!
#258
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Springfield MO
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St. Jude Donor '07
Looking good!
That "nifty trick" just re-invented the wheel. The stock upper a-arm bolts had a regular bolt head with splined shafts to hold them in place - like a wheel stud with a hex head. I got a new set from Van Steel.
I also changed the upper control arm bolts using a nifty trick I picked up over on the DC forum. I went the NAPA and picked up some lug studs which were almost the exact size as the control arm bolts (I'll have to get the part number from the box, its laying around here somewhere). I did one bolt at a time and pulled each on through using a nut and a 4 foot piece of pipe for leverage on a wrench; it couldn't have gone any smoother. This way I don't have to hold a wrench on the other side when I am doing an alignment, which would have been a pain in the *** if I had just used regular bolts.
#259
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Yeah, I know the stock bolts had splines...so I didn't re-invent the wheel. There are many reasons why I went this route - they were a hell of a lot cheaper than the stock bolts, I think I paid $8 for five of them (I got one extra). It was way faster for me to just run to the store rather than have to wait for them to come in the mail. The last reason I chose this route is because the splines are much larger than the stock bolts. Think about it, the stock bolts were originally in there...so reinstalling the same (but new replacement) bolts may not work because of previous galling in the hole. The larger splines on the lug studs I used are a much tighter fit...and I honestly beleive it is the better route. I live all the way up in Canada, so shipping takes a long time...I would have had to wait for two weeks for four bolts.
#260
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St. Jude Donor '07
Yeah, I know the stock bolts had splines...so I didn't re-invent the wheel. There are many reasons why I went this route - they were a hell of a lot cheaper than the stock bolts, I think I paid $8 for five of them (I got one extra). It was way faster for me to just run to the store rather than have to wait for them to come in the mail. The last reason I chose this route is because the splines are much larger than the stock bolts. Think about it, the stock bolts were originally in there...so reinstalling the same (but new replacement) bolts may not work because of previous galling in the hole. The larger splines on the lug studs I used are a much tighter fit...and I honestly beleive it is the better route. I live all the way up in Canada, so shipping takes a long time...I would have had to wait for two weeks for four bolts.
From your post, I didn't think you were aware that the bolts were splined - I thought maybe some Bubba had installed regular bolts in the past.