SR-74

Hello everybody, my name is Benjamin and I was born in 1996. This thread will document the process of restoring a 1974 LS4 Coupe. It started as I was browsing Kijiji (like a Canadian version of Craigslist) in August 2011 to keep up with vehicle prices. Black, 454, and flat back window had all the traits I had wanted in a Corvette if I was ever to buy one. Although I was only 15 at the time, I got permission to call and inquire.

After going to look at it, and many discussions regarding it, my father finally decided we could get it. It was located in Cheadle, a very small town outside Calgary, Alberta. The car was bought for 6500$, and we had a slight problem with the rear tires being too wide and rubbing on the parking brake piece, but the owner had a few extra tires we could use. Although the car ran and drove, I had decided to complete a frame off restoration on it anyway. These pictures are from when it was picked up.





I'm very excited!









Stopped because it sounded like the tire was rubbing.





Switching the tires.



Driving home now.



Got it in the garage.

























And, I think it time to start the frame off.



Let me know what you think! More to come soon.

MrJlr

VERY nice!!!!!

I have a small block '74....love it !

Keep us posted!

FLA-C3

Big block...

Good luck!!!

LeMans Pete

Goodluck with your restoration Benjamin. What are your goals as far as restoration goes? Are you planning on returning the car to factory correct or make modifications that suit your eye?

You mentioned you wanted a black corvette, did you know that black was not a factory color in 1974? Regardless, black corvettes are very .

Alan 71

Hi SR,
A new, old Corvette for you!!!! Pretty Exciting!
What type of restoration are you thinking about? Back to original?, maybe some modifications?, maybe a lot of modifications?
How extensive a restoration are you considering? It's good to have a general plan to keep the amount of work involved, and the $$$ under control. Working on an old car CAN get out of hand sometimes.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

Your dog seems to like it pretty well too!!! He'll be a big help

As you can tell I was typing right as LeM P was posting. Same thoughts!

rogman16

Wow, wish I would've got started that young!!! That's Awesome... Nice first car!!!

Did I miss the story of why you are going to do a "frame off"??? A frame off will get you a very nice Vette at the end, it requires a lot of time, money, effort and frustration... Sure you don't want to drive it and work on smaller projects one at a time???

Don't want to discourage you, but would really like to see you driving it versus enjoying it in the garage for the next couple of years...

Good luck in whatever you decide...

Rogman

Easy Mike

IMHO your car does not need a frame off restoration. I believe I would clean it up, tune it up, and drive it. You can do a reasonably good restoration without taking the body off the frame. You will also have the bonus of being able to drive the car while you're working on it.

Cruise and enjoy.

F22

You'd be surprised at how lengthy and tough this process is. You'll wait years to drive this car. You'll make yourself and the car, just as happy fixing what's wrong with it, making it road worthy and then driving the heck out of it.

If you've never worked on a C3 Corvette before, or done a restoration (not sure if you have or not...), these can be very tough cars to work on. You will weep under the dash, doing the power brake booster and think of gasoline and matches. The power windows even, are a challenge. Then you're tossing money at it, in unbelievable amounts weekly or monthly. Take it from us, drive it! It looks great!

MidShark

Very cool! Congrats!
I bought my 1st Vette at 15. It was a '57 basket case I got for $300 (nobody ever accused me of paying too much for that one, but it was 43 years ago). It needed everything, but 18 months and $2200 dollars later I had it on the road.
I tend to agree with the others- I know I'd just want to drive that sucker, but it's your decision. I know I had a lot of fun learning and had some good help while I did mine, and you have the added benefit of coming to this forum to ask questions. Good luck!

Paul L

I agree with Mike. A body-off restoration is a lot to handle. You can do quite a bit without taking that extreme measure.

Just an observation. The heater core has been bypassed. That little replacement job will take 6-10 hours. But you seem willing to learn repairs. Enjoy that car!

BTW, cute doggy. He/she seems willing to help out!

oledave60

Just get a hundred or so zip-lock bags, some sticky notes, and several thousand dollars and go for it. I am about to get mine back together after 18 months and it really is an enjoyable, but sometimes frustrating experience. Good luck And good looking dog.

hwcoop

Welcome to the Vette club
There are a few of us in Airdrie. a 69, 73, a few 78's. You will have to come out to A&W by Co-Op on Friday nights usually a few of us hanging around.
I had the body off mine a few years ago so if you need any help just shout out
Howard

Redwing01

Great advice , have a blast ! Congrats.

gcusmano74

Yes. A frame-off is a big project. And you can quickly spend a BUNCH of money, if you are not careful. "While it's apart I might as well........." If you run out of money when you are only halfway through, you will have a garage full of undrivable parts.
Inspect the car closely. You may find that you do not have to lift the body. Drive it (carefully- a big block can get away from you in a second) and enjoy it for a bit first.

oledave60

I say for a 15 yr old, go for it . It will be a great father-son project and from the looks of the garage with a four point lift, it is way ahead of me.

texas jim

That is GREAT! You seem really excited and into that car, and I'm super glad f/ you. Your Dad was really great f/ getting that car f/ you and taking the time and effort to dive into a project w/ his son. You obviously have a great Dad and I hope you thank him from time to time. He obviously feels that he has a great son also. That 454 must pull good when you stand in it, plenty of torque. Best of luck w/ your project, whether you go all out or just do a mild restor., it will be a great experience. Please keep us posted. Sincerely, Jimmy.

SR-74

Thank you everyone for the kind words and encouragement! I will be sure to keep posting and keep this thread up to date. So, the car was bought September 2nd, 2011. It took a few months to fully decide what the plan was for this car, and to set up the necessary tools to take on the frame-off.

The plan that I came up with, and is still the same today, is to make the best car possible with the budget I have. This includes modifications to a whole assortment of things, like suspension, engine, the rear bumper, and interior that make it an overall nicer car to drive. This will definitely not be a trailer queen. However, I will not permanently deface a car of this rarity and value, so every thing I change about it can be reverted back to the original if it had to be. Permanent modifications are not something I really agree with.

Believe me that is exactly what I thought! However, I had done countless hours of research on the subject before even entertaining the idea of buying on. I had read up extensively on the projects of others, for example Tim Cote, and of course Calgary's own Stinger12. That said, me and my father have done many mechanical projects since we live on a farm, like fabrication, engine swaps, and other things. Learning extensively from him, I started a youtube channel where I mostly share the things I have built. In retrospect, I am very glad I started! Thank you very much though.

In addition, the reason that I chose to do a frame-off, is that part of the deal in getting this car is that I couldn't drive it until I have a few years of solo driving experience, which I agree with, I want to be a good driver before I drive it. With that said, since i was 15 at the time anyway, I thought since this is the only time in my life that I will not be able to drive it, I might as well get a good head start on the project.

This project was initially a five year project, but last year I decided I wanted it done for graduation. This has made my last two years of high school very busy, and I also realize it probably will not be done for that time. However I feel I have made good progress from where I thought I would be.

Yes, although it not an original colour, I really like the look of it, and as I am not doing an original resto, an original colour was not a huge priority. Thanks though!

Thank you very much! I actually live just outside Airdrie. I have seen you guys out there before, trust me I've been admiring! Why don't you PM me some contact details, and then when it gets warm enough let me know if you are meeting! BTW, you don't happen to know Woody do you?

I actually took that out pretty soon after I got it, I don't entirely remember why. I think it was in bad condition and impaired my view of things in that area. No matter though, i have a plan for it!
haha my dog's name is Bocephus, and he sure is excited for it to be done so we can go cruising again!

It is a very big project, and when deciding on the feasibility of the project, my income was definitely considered. All the modifications to date I have paid for, but more on that later. Thanks!

Thank you both for the kind words. He really is a great man, I admire and learn a lot from him. Although, my mom definitely helped me to convince him to let me get it! I'll be sure to keep it up.




Back to the Project!! The frame off began late in October 2011.

I started by removing the heater core, just to get better access the body mount bolts.



Then I removed the hood and put it out in the shed, I'll get to it later! I then proceeded to just scout out the various things that would have to be done.



Removed the radiator and other components.



Large beams were installed in the attic, straddling many other boards in the roof's framework. It is more than strong enough to hold the body, as large eye hooks were sent through the beams and the roof with large tie down straps that had almost double the capacity of the weight of the body. Before anyone comes on and says it is a deathtrap, the body is already down now and it held it up there, with no sagging, for 10 months.



The car was lined up with the eyehooks and set up on blocks, so we could crawl around and undo stuff.



Dad just messing around with something.





This small strap was set around the T roof pillar to give some support to the nose for the time being.





Got the straps hooked onto the Birdcage, and move the nose support strap up to the garage door hanger.



Just starting to pull it off the frame, and this is what I find. Maybe this frame off is a good idea after all...



Tightening the straps.



The straps were hooked on to give good stability, but also at a location that the tangent force wouldn't crush any structure.



The body is starting to lift off, and basically the process was just to crank all the straps up an inch or so, then check again for any connections, and repeat.











We almost forgot the ground cable going to the starter.









And many hours later,





It's finally up! Moved the nose support to right over top, with the help of a carri******.





This was very exciting for sure!









That was a tiring night for sure. Came out the next morning, very proud of the work.







This is where it will stay for a while.





Well I guess that is all for tonight! Just about midnight here. More to come tomorrow, stay tuned!

stinger12

Good luck Benjamin! If you ever need any help, just send me a message. There aren't very many Calgarians here on the forum, so it's nice to see someone join me in my isolation.

Go for it and have fun.

ironwills76corvette

Doing a great job. 454 looks like fun.....love those big wide heads.....

scottw

Nice job and plan so far. You have some pretty smart parents that won't let you drive a 454 without a couple years experience.

Good luck w/ the project. Lots of great folks around here that will get you an answer pretty quickly. If you need a pic of something, Alan 71 did a GREAT job on his car and has pics of just about everything possible.