Dalannex

I picked the car up yesterday. This is the one that has been sitting for 30 years and i talked the owner into letting me get it going for him. It is Orange, vert, 390 HP 427, 4 speed, power steering, hardtop, no soft top. Anyway, the car is currently 100% original, never been worked on at all. It isn't in all that bad a shape. Could be worse. Mice damage is what I was worried about the most, and that isn't good, but it could be worse. The insulation on the bottom of the body is pretty much gone because of those nasty little vermen, and the insulation under the hood above the radiator is junk for the same reason. We washed the car off to remove the first 6 layers of dirt, and vacuumed some of the "debris" out of the interior and now have the car in the shop. The seats and carpets are going to need to come out to get it properly cleaned inside, they should be good enough to reinstall. The underbody insulation needs replacing, so does the underhood insulation. I also need to drain the oil and refill, remove the spark plugs and get some oil in the cylinders, take off the valve covers and check for stuck valves or bent pushrods, turn it over by hand a few times, then get some gas in it and fire it up. After that it's brake and clutch checkover. He said he thought the clutch didn't work right when he drove it last (that was 1972) and I have no break pedal right now, so probably the standard issue Corvette brake job. There are some imperfections in the paint, just your standard rock chipping on the doglegs, and the front emblem has lost most of it's black and red paint, but that kind of stuff is staying just like it is. Just thought I would give you guys an update. I'll have the car for awhile, so I will have time to get some pics posted. later.

-Justin

Chuck Gongloff

Sounds like a neat car. LOVE those orange BB's. :) Chuck

Dalannex

Hey, your 69' has chrome trim in the gills, is that factory, because the one I'm working on doesn't have any trim there, or any holes that look like it ever was there?????

-Justin

67's

They were optional, they are are called fender louver trim or something like that. Got any pics of the car yet?

Tom :auto:

Dalannex

I'll try to get some pics posted tonight. Stay tuned.


-Justin

Dalannex

Here are a few quick pics. Remember that all I have done is rinsed it off with a pressure washer and vacuumed some mouse nests out of it. Anyway, this is what I'm starting with. I'll keep you all updated. :cool:


-Justin


[Modified by Dalannex, 2:16 AM 10/27/2003]


[Modified by Dalannex, 2:18 AM 10/27/2003]

Dalannex

[Modified by Dalannex, 2:21 AM 10/27/2003]

Chuck Gongloff

Nice looking car. Is it Monaco Orange, or Red with a red interior? Chuck

Paul Borowski

:cheers: :cool: :D

LemansBlue68

Love them barn finds!!! It looks like a great car! Does it have that barn fresh smell too?? Seriously, that red on red is really pretty. A white soft top would absolutely set this one off!!

When I stripped out my interior I found all kinds of acorns and little critter turds. Yucchh!!! The previous owner had replaced the exhaust system not long before putting the car away. When I removed the exhaust, the mufflers had all kinds of stuff rattling around inside. I figured there was no way that the mufflers could have rusted so badly inside that all the baffles would be rotted away so I cut one open out of curiosity. If was full of fuzzy stuffing, acorns and more turds. The little creatures had made my mufflers into a Habitrail!!

I've heard of mice chewing the insulation off of the wiring of cars in storage but the only wire chewing that went on with my car was by a previous owner in an attempt to install an 8-track stereo. Can you say '70's? Rock on!!!

Dalannex

I believe the car is Monaco orange. I'll have to check the trim tag and see for sure. It is orange with red interior.

It does have the "barn fresh smell" about it. :U The seats are coming out, and probably the carpets so that I can get a good cleaning job done there. I'll get after it with my little green clean machine and it should clean up. I did look over a lot of the wiring and didn't see much insulation damage. I haven't looked under the dash yet, of course. Either way it is getting a battery cutoff switch when I put the battery in it. I still can't believe somebody would let a car like this get into this kind of condition. :nonod: But fear not, I'm here to save the day. :lolg:


-Justin

67's

Good Pics it actually doesn't look that bad, could use a little windex in the engine compartment though :D


Keep us posted.

Tom

Desertdawg

Looks great Justin, but is that a fart pipe sitting on the drivers seat?? :nono:

Dalannex

Close to it. That's the new high flow super power fart pipe from Folgers. It comes with an easily removeable plastic end to gain flow and a complete sticker to add HP. :lol: Actually the parts for the hardtop that I had to remove to get the top off are in that coffee can. :yesnod:

And it certainly is going to need some windex, and more than in just the engine compartment. :crazy:

-Justin

ED DINAPOLI

Looks like and sounds like a great NCRS Bow Tie Candidate. If so, I would find a Bow Tie judge to get instructions on what to touch and what not to and what should be done in the clean up process. Its only original once. Best of luck with it.
Ed

Dalannex

I would like to get it judged one day next summer. The owner said he was OK with that already, so I should be able to get that done. I am going to spend some time on the NCRS site before I get to anything to major on the car. They should be able to help me out with judging in my area and how I should prepare the car and details like that. :yesnod:


-Justin

Desertdawg

Is there any chance of buying this car??? or are you doing this for money / or a favor???????

Dalannex

I wouldn't say there's no chance of me buying the car, because there is always a chance, but not much of one. He says he is keeping it then giving it to his nephew one day. :rolleyes: I am doing this for no physical gain to myself. The owner is paying for materials and I am getting it running with my time and tools as a freebie. I do get to drive it during the summer when I want to. I would love to buy it, and tried, but that didn't go, so the least i can do is get it running again so that it gets to see some road miles. It's a rescue mission of sorts I guess. It bothers me to see a car like this just sit and rot so i need to do what I can. :lol: :D

UPDATE: The car has no stuck valves or broken springs, I have a squirt of oil in each cylinder and it does turn over by hand. The frost plugs are all shot and leaking, so the motor will need to come out to change them with brass ones. The clutch is stuck as well. I will probably have the radiator checked for leaks and cleaned out while it is out for motor removal. Any tips for keeping it original or opinions on this?????? I can have the radiator hot tanked right?????


-Justin

Chuck Gongloff

Still curious to know the original colors. Just can't be Monaco Orange with a red interior. BUT...could be faded red exterior with red interior. Chuck

Dalannex

407-red vinyl interior
974- Monza Red

I guess it could be a kind of a red. Looks more orange to me, but is kind of red too. I see why you say it couldn't be monaco orange, it doesn't have black interior. Here's another update for you all. The car has something stuck in one cylinder. It will turn over fine until I get to one particular cylinder at DTC then it stops turning, so something is hitting in that cylinder. I'll have to check to see which cylinder it is. When the motor comes out for soft plugs I may need to pull that head and look inside. But on the brite side, the valve covers cleaned up nice. Most of the rust polished off. It's still pitted in the plating, but they look better now anyway.


-Justin