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As a young kid I worked at the local chevy dealership during the 70s. I inspected the new cars upon delivery by the commercial car carriers, prepped them for the lot/showroom and kept them clean while waiting for their new owners. Once sold I again prepped them for delivery to the new owners, drove a few miles down the highway to top off the tank and back to the dealership.
I always loved it when a new (or used) Corvette was sold. This meant I got to scream down Hwy 431 south to "blow it off" after a detail/wash and get the tank filled. My first experience behind the wheel of a Vette was in 1974, they had sold a used 70 LT1 4 speed, I almost got fired that day because I was gone "far too long" to gas it up! The new owner was smiling when I arrived and backed it in underneath the showroom owning. The big boss was not impressed and was NOT smiling, however the new owner defused the situation and probably saved my job, he said "did you take her through the gears like I told ya to?" "Yes sir, no issues, she's in tip top shape, you'll be happy with how she performs" Thus began my love affair with the Vette.
Of course I could not afford a new or used Vette at the time only making minimum wage, ($1.60 an hour, I think), I worked there a few more years and out of desperation and a growing need for a change I joined the U.S. Army, volunteered for airborne training and then for a Ranger Battalion. What started out as a one hitch 4 year tour turned into finding a wife, having and raising two sons along the way, spending not 4 years but 20 in the Army, retiring and going back to work for the federal government and after a very long wait of taking care of my family, I finally got back to my first love, although she is not a 70 LT1, it fills the void and returns the smile non-the-less. I recently purchased an unmolested two owner original 78, I look forward to transforming it into "mine".
I have always been a Camaro guy. Vettes were also nice. Loved the lines of them. I sold my '79 Z-28 in 1998 to get my wife her engagement ring and figured one day I will get another Z. Well time went by and never had the opportunity until a few years ago I picked up a basket case. Still not having much time to do much with it, I decided to look for a fun one to drive and was looking at Vettes and Camaros and found a 1975 Stingray with a rebuilt 350 and sidepipes. Just obnoxious enough for me. I picked her up a few weeks ago and began my list of improvements I need to do but she is a driver as of now and I don't have to wait for an engine / drivetrain etc...
I have an uncle, Bill, that I really take after. Similar interests, a few mannerisms, similar build, and so on. We didn't see each other much while I was growing up because he lived in Nevada and I was in Massachusetts. When I was 11 (1980) he bought a new Corvette and I heard all about it. It was his baby; nobody else could drive it. He souped it up and really enjoyed it.
Fast forward 30 years. My wife and I have no kids, our finances are stable, our house is comfortable, and we have two practical cars. I'm driving a Ranger and she gets the Prius. We decide it's time to get a third car with no practical value whatsoever. A two-seater convertible would be perfect. I'm 6 foot 5 inches tall, so we know our choices are limited if I'm going to be comfortable.
Last summer (2014) my sister married the man of her dreams. At the wedding my wife and I are hanging out with Bill's wife. Bill is still a workaholic and didn't make the wedding. We find out they still have the old Vette in a garage out west and hadn't driven it in 10 years. We ask Shirley if Bill would be interested in selling it. She took the idea home to him, and the deal was done in a few weeks.
He tried like heck to fix it up before shipping it to me, but I was in too much of a hurry. Since we received it in September my wife and I have rebuilt the carburetor, replaced the radiator and hoses, and rebuilt the parking brake system, and we couldn't be happier. We get our hands dirty every weekend while cranking the funk or blues in the garage, and we get to a couple of car shows a month to hang out with car geeks like ourselves.
I just bought a corvette 1982, which has not run for last 10 years. I was told engine and transmission is rebuilt. I put a new battery, new starter, cleaned the gas tank. The engine does not rotate by hand. I removed the spark plugs filled the cylinders with PB blaster and Marvel mystery oil and tried to rotate with 25" breaker bar putting a Proform 66782 Engine Rotation Adapter on the pulley and nothing happens. Please advise what I should do next
I just bought a corvette 1982, which has not run for last 10 years. I was told engine and transmission is rebuilt. I put a new battery, new starter, cleaned the gas tank. The engine does not rotate by hand. I removed the spark plugs filled the cylinders with PB blaster and Marvel mystery oil and tried to rotate with 25" breaker bar putting a Proform 66782 Engine Rotation Adapter on the pulley and nothing happens. Please advise what I should do next
Keep trying the oil in the cylinders every day for two weeks. If it doesn't loosen up its time to rebuild or replace the motor.
I just bought a corvette 1982, which has not run for last 10 years. I was told engine and transmission is rebuilt. I put a new battery, new starter, cleaned the gas tank. The engine does not rotate by hand. I removed the spark plugs filled the cylinders with PB blaster and Marvel mystery oil and tried to rotate with 25" breaker bar putting a Proform 66782 Engine Rotation Adapter on the pulley and nothing happens. Please advise what I should do next
Should put this in the general discussion. You'll get plenty more views and feedback there.
Congrats on the '82. Got pics of the car and is this your first vette?
As a kid growing up in New York in the 70's I was always impressed by muscle cars but the corvette was my top pick. Always wanted to own one since I was kid but never could afford one. My older brother Billy shared the same enthusiasm for corvettes as he owned a shop and worked on a few corvettes in his time. But he fell on hard times and lost his shop. Anyhow, my brother always knew I wanted to own a corvette someday so he found a 1991 C4 corvette on craigslist. We actually had time to hang out and work on the vette together. It was a very cool project and I had fun fixing it up. But my love for a C3 vette was a bit stronger and I just knew the c4 would be short lived. He had a really beautiful 1974 corvette which I held on for him in my garage for a bit and I just loved this car!! But as times got tighter for him, he ended up selling it. Yes it was a big kick in the gut for him but he needed to sell it.
About a year later I was searching through craigslist and found a 1976 corvette all the way out in Hazelhurst, Georgia. Even though there were many c3 vettes this one just spoke to me. I just had to have it!! The owner was such a great guy and he held the car for me until I was able to drive out there and haul the car myself. Me and my brother drove my truck and uhaul trailer from Long Island New York to Hazelhurst Georgia, round trip it took us about 35 hours! I guess our love for corvettes just runs in the blood, we would do anything to get our hands on this vette.
So this is my very first C3 vette and I'm having a great time restoring it. It's a learning experience and I can't wait to show her off once I'm done.
I was just reminiscing as I ran into these old photos today. I sold this car in 1994 to be sure I had the funds to close on my first commercial property. As it turned out, I sold my baby when I didn't need to. But I now have a new Z06 to make up for it.
Story behind mine is wife comes home from work. Tells me her new assistants father has passed away a year ago. They are looking to clean out there garage and tells her they are going to sell her dads Vette. Wife tells me the girl says she thought it said 427 on the hood. I immediately ask for pics. Needless to say its a true 68 427 Convertible numbers matching. I go over to the home and look it over. I see it has been painted once (Originally Red) and someone has done some repairs to Rh rear torque box on frame. I offered her 5000.00 and the mom says she wants 12. I told her I couldn't do it as I know the car needs a frame and I will not take the chance as the motor also needs work and has been sitting for 18 years. Needless to say I got a call a week later to come and get it. So I finally have hit it my garage. Now on the hunt for a good frame.
Guys i have a 1979 vette but I'm not sure of what engine i have,i was told that on front of the head on the passenger side but the only thing that i see there is MM27800 and on the rear of the engine on the driver side says Hecho en Mexico and the casting number is 3970010 i am very lost this is my first project and any help is appreciated thank you
last friday this 76 followed me home it was sitting in the guys garage since 85 it has 42000 miles i am the third owner he owned it since 84 wife crunched to door and fender so he had it fixed and repainted then put in garage under a blanket.
now refreshing everything cleaning up but its already clean
My friend and his wife had bought this car as a project. She got sick and died, it set untouched. He after a time remarried, his life took a different direction. He drops it in my lap, I let it sit for about a year the asked if he was serious about this gift. He was, did not want to see the car.
My wife says she is not putting a dime if her name is not on the title too.
So it became out project car.
We took it down, removed everything I could, steam cleaned it and started back fresh, Sanding, painting, new motor, new, new, new...
replaced everything worn and or questionable....The furthest I had driven it up to the day of our moving to Dayton, NV. was up and down the driveway. In Dayton it set in storage, 6 months, Then I drove it to the house. I had forgot what the 350/300 would do when given some gas, it fish tailed, I let up and it snapped back.
So this is where we are now..waiting for a dash, and seat foam.
Now
Then
Last edited by Douglas Brown; 08-04-2015 at 06:39 PM.
I fell in love with C3s when I saw a TV commercial for the new Corvette in 1968. I was in 4th grade and swore I would someday own a Stingray. Well for various reasons after I was a working adult I could never seem to afford one, in fact I still cant afford the one I want so one day a 73 basket case fell into my lap. It would be a ton of work but it was only $2000 so away we go. Its a huge challenge but that will make it even sweeter when its done. Pix are in this thread . . . https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...off-resto.html
I had always wanted a Corvette but felt the family had to come first so I put it in the back of my mind thinking I would maybe get one when the kids were grown and out of the house.
My wife knew I had been lusting after one most of my life, so Christmas of 1998 she got me my beloved 77 L-82! She bought it from a used car lot and drove it through a huge snow storm so it would be in the driveway for me. It was one of the happiest days of my life! I'm still trying to figure out how to pay it forward to her.
My future plans for the Vette are a BB transplant and new suspension components. It may be a rubber bumper Vette, but it's mine and I love it!
I just bought a corvette 1982, which has not run for last 10 years. I was told engine and transmission is rebuilt. I put a new battery, new starter, cleaned the gas tank. The engine does not rotate by hand. I removed the spark plugs filled the cylinders with PB blaster and Marvel mystery oil and tried to rotate with 25" breaker bar putting a Proform 66782 Engine Rotation Adapter on the pulley and nothing happens. Please advise what I should do next
if it is that stuck, you gotta pull the engine. there is a CHANCE you could get the pistons out, hone it and re-ring it, but most likely a rebore is called for. you might get it turning, but the rings will never seal in the bores. they are stuck in the ring grooves as well as stuck to the cyl walls.
i was surfing an auction site looking for a murano or rav4 or crv to clean up-flip. saw this 75 PS only vette. clean straight looks like it was very well kept up by PO and always garaged. pulled a kick panel and hadda remove a mouse nest from the body mount at bottom or windshield pillar. barely any surface rust at all. so not only is the frame-cage near perfect, i was the ONLY guy who really checked it. water pump, 1 steering ram bushing and unstick headlights and i have a nice driver. all 1 color, nice paint, good interior, new glass bumpers. probably gonna let it go in a couple of months and find me an engineless one as i have a garage full of 454's...
Found a NOM BB convert that needs some TLC. Engine tight, no leaks. Interior fair, paint driver condition, headers, chrome everything on engine. 18 in on front 20 in on back. Weekend project and cruiser.
During the fall of 1968, my senior year of high school, I had a new part time job working in a Mobil gas station. The first Saturday morning the owner had me wash his new 68 Corvette convertible.
It was blue with a white top powered with a 427 and a 4 speed. I washed it by hand taking care to get it as close to new looking as I knew how. As I started to towel it dry, he said “Thats not the right way to dry it” with a grin on his face. I looked puzzled until he tossed me the keys and said something to the effect of air dry it, but don't get too crazy. I took it on the triangle route about 3 miles total, brought it back but had not gone over about 3500 rpm cause I didn't want to beat on it and lose the job. As I stepped out of the car he stepped in and told me to ride along. We were on a 50mph highway and he wound it through the gears a couple of times before bringing it back.
I worked there for all of my senior year and then my freshman year at the local community college.
He liked to go drinking on Friday and Saturday nights, but would not drive the Vette so he would not crash it in case he was over served. I was allowed to drive it to make the bank deposit after closing the station at 10, and the car was mine until midnight. Maybe there are words to describe how amazingly lucky I felt when the car was mine to drive, but I am unable to put them together in a way to do justice to that feeling.
A few years later, when I was 21, I bought a new Ontario Orange coupe with the base 350 and 4 speed and was able to pay cash for the car. I knew from the first time that I drove the 68 that I would
find a way to have one. Thank you Myron for getting me started on a lifelong journey. Now as I am headed toward my 65th birthday I think that another 72 coupe would be perfect. Maybe Bryar Blue or Targa Blue this time.
During the fall of 1968, my senior year of high school, I had a new part time job working in a Mobil gas station. The first Saturday morning the owner had me wash his new 68 Corvette convertible.
It was blue with a white top powered with a 427 and a 4 speed. I washed it by hand taking care to get it as close to new looking as I knew how. As I started to towel it dry, he said “Thats not the right way to dry it” with a grin on his face. I looked puzzled until he tossed me the keys and said something to the effect of air dry it, but don't get too crazy. I took it on the triangle route about 3 miles total, brought it back but had not gone over about 3500 rpm cause I didn't want to beat on it and lose the job. As I stepped out of the car he stepped in and told me to ride along. We were on a 50mph highway and he wound it through the gears a couple of times before bringing it back.
I worked there for all of my senior year and then my freshman year at the local community college.
He liked to go drinking on Friday and Saturday nights, but would not drive the Vette so he would not crash it in case he was over served. I was allowed to drive it to make the bank deposit after closing the station at 10, and the car was mine until midnight. Maybe there are words to describe how amazingly lucky I felt when the car was mine to drive, but I am unable to put them together in a way to do justice to that feeling.
A few years later, when I was 21, I bought a new Ontario Orange coupe with the base 350 and 4 speed and was able to pay cash for the car. I knew from the first time that I drove the 68 that I would
find a way to have one. Thank you Myron for getting me started on a lifelong journey. Now as I am headed toward my 65th birthday I think that another 72 coupe would be perfect. Maybe Bryar Blue or Targa Blue this time.
Bob- I thought I was the only grey haired codger here, but guess not. Amazing how many of us pick these cars that were popular when we were kids. My 68 was made the year I graduated from college and it is in about the same physical shape as me.....needs work. Hope you find a nice 72 coupe. RA
06-11-2015, 09:16 AM
