SteveCurry

I've started the process of going through my base '70 Coupe to restore and modify it to be what is the right kind of car for me. It's not going to be a super high horsepower car or a perfect show car. I plan to drive it, road trip it, and just enjoy it. I will say that I'll have more money in it than it'll be worth so I plan to keep the car for a long time.

I haven't decided where I'm going with all aspects of the car. I've thought about wheels flares and very wide tires, but waffle back and forth on that. It will most likely get the Baldwin/Motion stripe. It will most likely get a TKO600 5 speed transmission.

This process is not going to happen quickly. I have a house remodel I am also doing and that usually takes priority. I hope to have the car back on the road by the spring of 2016.

Some before photos:

SteveCurry

I've been buying parts for it for a while. I had these parts in hand before the tear down started.

Blueprint Engines 355. Dyno sheet says 410HP / 417TQ


L88 style long hood that replaces the wiper door.


Hooker stainless steel headers and side pipes. I also have Classic Chambered Vette Pak muffler inserts and Bangkok Dean's stainless heat shields.


SSBC front and rear brakes


Steeroids rack and pinion


Misc Parts

SteveCurry

I put the 18" wheels that go to my 79 Cutlass (Hurst/Olds clone) on the car to see how the wheels fit (18x9.5 rear and 18x8 front). The tires are too short for the Vette but the wheels fit very well. I did have to cut off the parking brake tabs on the outside of the trailing arms to get the wheels to clear. I'll weld a new tab on the top of the TA's. The car will get a set of polished Torque Thrust II's when it gets to that time.

one too many

Nice bunch of parts you've got there! That should spice things up

AzMotorhead

Nice looking 70. Where in Az are you? I'm guessing Phoenix, east valley area.

SteveCurry

Thanks! The car should be a good foundation for the restore / modify project. The car will be pretty much an old school hot rod.

I'm in Goodyear, west valley.

SteveCurry

Some photos from the tear down still in progress.

Alan 71

Hi Steve,
This certainly looks like a very nice solid 70! And quite un-molested, which makes a project like yours more of a pleasure.
I can understand your desire to do what you're doing, but it looks like it would be a nice car to restore too.
This will be the restorer's side of the equation's loss.
Good Luck!!!!
Regards,
Alan

I'm working on restoring the radiator… it's a nice one!

SteveCurry

Alan, you're right it would have been a good one to restore. I thought about selling it and getting a different car, one that has already been modified but then I thought, well, it takes a lot of work to locate and make a deal on the right car. Plus, being it is a no option base coupe that there may not be a lot of restoration interest since the person doing the restoring probably couldn't recoup his investment.

The car is what I was originally looking for, no options. I didn't realize how difficult these cars are to drive without power steering at low speeds, hence the new rack and pinion that I'll use with a gen II PS pump. As far as other options (lack of), no PB, no A/C, no PW, etc., is just what I want.

Glad you're restoring a nice radiator! It's good for those parts to go to the people who appreciate them.

The Hot Rod Grille

I have to agree with Alan. That car looked really nice at the start of your project.

Jim

SteveCurry

Thanks! I'm hoping the performance matches closely to my 2013 Mustang GT.

SteveCurry

Yes, pretty good foundation. The car is/was a nice original but it needed all the stuff a 44 year old car does. Hopefully it'll drive like a new car when I'm done and the 110 HP bump will be nice.

SteveCurry

Cleaned up my work space. I have a growing pile of parts that will go to the sandblaster.

I tried to get the trailing arm bolts out this morning. No go. I'm off to Lowe's for saws-all blades,...

jwappes

Any of your take of parts for sale?

SteveCurry

Anything not going back on the car is for sale.

tokim

Nice car/project.
It's obvious you've spent a lot of time planning.
In the end, the only thing that matters, is to create your answer to your dream car.
Good luck.

AirBusPilot

You made the right decision. There are already plenty of stock restored cars being towed around the show car circuit.

These cars are far more fun when driven, particularly when modified the right way.

SteveCurry

Thanks, guys!

Yes, this car is being built to be driven. We have a lot of car events in the Phoenix area, from Goodguys twice a year to the every-weekend Saturday night car shows where people just show up with what they have. I plan on driving the frequently, but still respect the car for the classic it is and take very good care of it. If Power Tour ever heads out west again, I'd love to do that with the car!

I have a 2013 Mustang GT that I use for the "special" trip now. I bought it new in January of '13 and had completely modified the GT to what you see below before I had 300 miles on it. I have about 6,000 miles on the GT now, so I use it but only for special trips, date nights, etc. I'll use the Vette the same way. I view factory stock as the blank canvas and you add color as it befits your own style. I'm looking forward to getting the Corvette finished and enjoying this awesome car hobby with it!

From this:


To this:

jwappes

Will you post a list of what you have for sale when you are finished?

SteveCurry

It'll be a while before it's done, probably more than a year. Send me a PM with what you are looking for and I'll let you know if I have it.