Who can care less about having their original engine? And Why?
 

Based on pride of having something better or for some other reason, alot of guys don't care that the original was separated from the car!

For our cars, we have the original engine in one of our cars, we have the original engine still for the second car (but not in the car and it "in our lifetimes" will probably never go back in!), and for the 1964 it has all top shelf GM Performance Bowtie major components (block, crank, rods, heads, intake, cam), so we don't miss the original at all.

Its nice to have it, but matters little for some. Replies?

The 1st thing I did when I purchased my 65 was remove the original engine and build another. With the quality,cost and availability of parts the hit for a non-original engine was not worth hurting the original one. Sure is easier to beat on it when its just another small block that has no real value, and lets be honest the original stuff is SLOW.

I'm of the opinion if it's still with the car sweet.. If it's not and there is still a 327 in there have at it and make as much horsepower as you can... Then again I still get a thrill when I can turn the steering wheel and the car goes straight.. BTW if you haven't experienced this than you need to go faster... lol

My car came to me with no motor which was just fine because I have a 427 that needs a home.

I like any of them...original is a nice surprise if you have it but when it's gone it's gone and finding it later is like winning the lotto.

Most people looking under the hood wouldn't know the difference anyways...

I enjoy seeing a beefed up, tricked out, chromed out engine...maybe more than a plain jane original.

Could care less gave mine away.
It was stock slow and for sure worn.

Some do it for the worry of money which imo makes ownership WORK at that point. Its supposed to be fun-

I mean the car doesnt drive any differently if its the same size but a different motor

almost felt bad for a guy posting last week hes afraid to take his "original" motor over 3k because he was worried about blowing it up.

PAid HOW much for it, really?
Hey that sounds like fun! :rofl:

If you are looking to give away any other parts of your car, drop a note. I live close by, and will hustle right over. And I have a truck.

Putting the original 327 (fully dressed) and trans on a stand and dropping in a 427 and a 5 speed. The car will be more fun to drive and the engine will show nicely on the stand. :thumbs:

There are enough nit pickers & financial planners . The hobby needs drivers, not bankers, braggers, egos, or " not better than mine " altitudes. ( higher than an attitude ) It's a piece of engineering from long ago when points and carburators ruled the fringes of space. The design is great but screams mechanical updates. Original has a place ... but the guy looking for a nos fan belt and tag on a coil spring really needs to be exposed to the rest of the world.
Two of my four cars have the original drive trains. I know because my friend " the expert " checked. To me it means no one enjoyed them enough. I don't have anything for sale and plan on driving them till father time tells me different. At the estate sale the new teen age owner will drive it like he stole it replacing what fails...... the way Zora designed it.
* ps. My dog loves to ride also. The vinal hardly shows his nail scratches. It gives the interior character.

I do not give a damn about the original engines or other parts for these cars. I have drag raced these cars since 1966. I still have that first car and built it to a 1000 HP Pro Touring car. Tried to race it, kicked out for not enough "safety equipment". I did have a real roll bar.

After dumping almost 100 Gs in parts in the Pro Touring car, I decided to go cheap. Some of you are really going to hate this, I bought the best survivor car I could find ( the black car ) and made an Old School Street/Strip racer, just like I did back in the 60s, using the same parts removed from my old car. Lots of rare parts to some, are just waste to me. :D

Black 62 original engine, next owners problem.
http://i50.tinypic.com/28wj1x.jpg

Car when bought
http://i45.tinypic.com/2hgqmol.jpg

Car now
http://i47.tinypic.com/rmtimf.jpg

Let me break it all down in simple terms. The only thing that makes an engine original to the car is the little numbers stamped on the engine pad. With that I say who cares. The 66 I am doing now has the original Muncie and rear, the engine is gone. Do I care, nope in goes a 496 BBC. With my 69 Nova I have the original 350, I don't really care about that either. In fact I am building a 4.035x3.562 race motor out of it now. I guess you can say I'll have a numbers matching race car now. BJ here I come I now have an instant 100K car!

With the advent of high quality re-stamps numbers matching stuff is a watered down term the show and shine throphy goons throw around like badges of glory. Having the original motor means nothing to me but then again I build cars the way I want them to be not write a check for the car as an investment or a stauts symbol.

i don't care because i never had it...
Bill

This is why we have this website. I've had four engines in my car, each a little better than the last one and certainly not the original 283. NCRS performs a valuable function for some as a repository of history, but a few of their members do seem to go overboard and have forgotten that the reason for any vehicle to exist is for it to be driven.

I am fortunate to have owned my car for almost 43 years. 1966 L-79 327/350 . I have put on the motor and car over 250,000 miles plus 46,000 from 1 st owner.

5 rebuilds later, it is still running, traveling the world. No it is not the fastest car in the world. But the feeling of driving the same car and engine for so long is like time traveling.

Having said that, what ever engine you have in the car, if it lets you drive , and drive and drive, then be happy , you are one of the few in this world that have one of the greatest looking cars ever made.

Jack

Most ppl, aka "the market" does because original cars demand higher prices. If you don't care, then you reap the rewards for lower prices, on NOM cars.

I would very much like to have the original engine to my car, but I purposely bought a car with a NOM so I wouldn't be a slave to maintaining every correct date coded part on it.

I draw the line
 

Hi Dan,

I draw the line on numbers when it comes to some parts.

regulator correct cover, electronics inside (best upgrade ever)
Alternator, put one in that looks correct, but will run without problems
Starter, correct style but new
Water pump correct, just rebuild every few years
Pistons and cam lowered to 9+ and cam to match ,

But as said before, as long as you have an engine that runs and allows you to drive your car... great

Jack

I have a 68 327 Vette motor in my 64 to go along with the non original color outside and a black leather non original interior. I have no worries. I would love to find the original motor just to say that I have it, however.

:iagree:

Mine is similar. Owned by one family (my father, now me), one rebuild on the engine and ~300k+ miles. Once I finish the work on it, it will be driven. A LOT.

I'd be happy with whatever is in it. Just because I have the original motor doesn't mean that I'm a slave to keeping everything proper for the time. I keep it running and that's all I care about.

My original engine in my 1961 was probably replaced by 1970, so fuggetaboutit !

Bought my '67 in '71. The L79 in it was trashed. Put in a 1970 LT1 engine and threw away the original engine - who knew.................:(. Have now had the car for 41+ years. It currently has a built ZZ4 and a Tremec 5 spd, both of which make it a far better driver than it was originally. Original engine - couldn't care less. I will keep the car until I'm not around anymore, and then leave it to my grandson. Doubt he'll be too disappointed by the engine.:D

PS - I did keep the original Muncie this time around 'tho!

:thumbs:

good thread
 

Interesting discussion

nostalgia versus coolness; neither is the other, the other is better than the neither

I was watching a show on the Science Channel last night called Through the Wormhole: Did We Invent God? It explored the human mind, our experiences and value we place on things, ideas, and experience from the point of view of perception. An interesting study was done in which a group of kids brought their favorite toy. The scientist showed the kids a special machine which reproduces their favorite toy exactly as the one they had in every detail, it was identical. When the kids were asked to choose only one, all chose the original and ignored the reproduced one. Would the kids have enjoyed the identical reproduced toy if there was no difference, or is there some value to something original? That was the episode, an interesting look at the intangible.

Otherwise, why not just replace old friends, significant others, and even family (legal fiction) with new ones like the maintenance of an oil change. Would a duplicate or reproduced thing or experience not be identical to the first time? Why can't we have a second first love, a second first anything incredibly new?

Why enjoy an original juke box, vinyl record, or old speakers when you could just put on a brand new iPod? Immediate gratification is the new black dress of today. I want this, I want that, gimme now. The things we have available at our fingertips and enter key on the PC are astounding. I can hit a few keys and buy myself a Grand Sport replica that outperforms my original '64 L76. But will I ever get rid of it?

I want both; an original, and a toy.

I would not trade my original L79 for a brand new 383 crate motor, plus a 5K check. Then again, I have bias ply tires on my 65, so that pretty much tells you where my heart is in this hobby. I have restored my car as close as I can get it to exactly the way the General made it.

No thanks!
 

My 60 base engine 3 speed was a DAWG when I bought it in 1965, with reportedly 29k miles, but it looked good with the Corvette staggered valve covers and shiney ignition shielding. It immediately needed a valve job. AFB, then Duntov cam, then 4 speed Muncie, then fire #1, then bye bye ignition shielding, then in 1970 a replacement balanced 283 with 2.02 heads and tri power or AFB for the next 33 years and a whole bunch of commuting miles and repairs/replacements. Originality-who cared? Healthy 350 was installed in 2003.
Found out last year that the "original" staggered bolt heads had been changed out before I bought the car in 1965. 1959 was the transition date, not 1960. So who knows what else was swapped out before I got the car? Not me...It could have been base 265 for all I knew...
If the car hadn't been tweaked over the years, it would have been traded in for something with better performance.

If it had been a solid lifter engine to start with, I might have been more inclined to keep it. But a base engine car? Nope. :cheers:

Unfortunately there are many on this forum that have no concept of an experience or opinion that may differ from their own. "If you aren't with me, you are against me" it seems.

Chase numbers - you must be an idiot because "I don't believe in numbers chasing"

Restore a car and show it instead of driving it - you must be an idiot because "I don't understand how anyone derives pleasure from their car in any ways that differ from mine".

The forum is a microcosm of society and should be allowed to operate with independent thought and actions without retribution and ridicule from people who think differently. But like a society, myopia is sometimes rampant. Even this thread title has a tone of condemnation for those who want an original engine. A pot-stirrer it appears.

I restored my 62 and chased the numbers because I wanted to see if I could achieve that goal I had set for myself. I had a LOT of input from people who told me how I should build it and what I should do with it - but none of them were writing the checks, so I built a car that make a lot of people angry, but it made ME happy.

For me my 61 is a time machine and I want to keep it that way. Yes I could make it faster and make it corner better and probably make it more reliable and safer but I like it as close as I can get it to the way it was 50 years ago.

But then again, I sold a 9 second drag car to buy this car so I've had my share of speed. I get enjoyment out of the old technology and am finding myself drawn evermore to even older hardware now. I toyed around with picking up a Model A recently until I realized they can only go about 40mph.

Well reasoned and logical arguments are not allowed here. Clearly someone missed that particular memo... :rofl::cheers:

If you really want to drive the car any distance without the headaches of breaking down or tinkering with a tempermental carburator, there's nothing like a newer fuel injected motor. Just turn the key and go. :thumbs:

Good post. I would argue that both side are the coin are actually necessary for the hobby. The original cars (including restored) will always bring back that moment of discovery, like the first time one sees a Da Vinci. But originals of anything over time become very rare - often so rare that people can forget about them. That is why the cars piling up the miles with their non-original components becomes a continual reminder of the excitement of these cars.

And herein lies the reason why the "older" restored cars lost favor with the youth (not just that their ownership diies out) - from a practical standpoint, they don't work on modern roads with modern traffic patterns. Who wants to be a rolling roadblock? But even older Corvettes are still very capable of hanging with traffic of any sort - and looking cool while doing so.

For whom is the hobby?
 

hobby - enjoying something

job - what you do to pay for a hobby

tyranny - forcing someone to do it your way because you think it's good for them

Why I wouldn't want an original engine - see my vision/resto-mod become a reality and drive it hard, replace with better, drive it harder

Why I would want an original everything - after chasing parts, I imagine the production line workers reaching in the same bin and the part I just found was possibly in the same bin

I too, dislike threads that try to Rend the Corvette community asunder. We are united in that we all are passionate about Corvettes, lets not look for ways to divide ourselves.

We still "wave" to guys in NCRS cars, and we still "wave" to guys who have Rest/modded... right?

See...here we go....
 

I just turn the key and go. 46,000 plus miles on last rebuild to bring the car and engine up to 300,000 miles.

But, I enjoy the marvel of keeping an engine going and going, I have done nothing extra ordinary , if anything I am a bit abusive on maintenance.

Many of the problems with these old engines and systems is lack of use. Use them all the time and they run almost all the time.

You enjoy the lack of fear about reliability.

I enjoy not thinking about it. We both get what we need

Jack

Yes, but I'm about to give up on waving to C6 cars. After awhile you start to feel a little goofy waving and not getting a wave back.

I get more waves from old guys in trucks. I drove my 61 yesterday and had a gray haired dude in a Ford pickup smiling and giving me a big "OK" sign. That was cool.

Same thing happens with me on my sports bike when I wave to Harley types. Although all Corvettes are awesome, some drivers aren't. Also, some might even think you're driving a Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, or... "Hey, what's that Spitfire guy doing waving to me, go back home you Brit!"

The original numbers matching ect ect.....comands the $$ at resale, that is IF it is truly an original and not a restamp which plenty of new people are fooled by.....one side of the coin. The other side is, take some of the C1 and C2 restomods. Whether you like them or you don't they are commanding much higher prices than numbers matching originals these days.

All of this means, it's about perception and I believe the perception of the market going forward with younger folks buying in will be in favor of the "old nice styling that drives like a newer car". Not my personal thing I like King Pins and worm gear steering. I want my 59 to feel like a 59 when I drive it (mostly), it's part of the nostalgia to me. I have new cars to drive if I want all the latest bells and whistles. But, I don't think the market agrees (not that I care), since like most of you, I drive what makes me happy. :smash: Pilot Dan

It's your car, do what makes you happy and enjoy it.

Sitting at a stop light (1974) one day, engine idling, there was this CLUNK sound. Engine frozen. Turns out a connecting rod had snapped in half. The stubby piece of rod still attached to the crank punched a hole in the block. Much as I hated losing that original block, what to do but hit the wrecking yard and retrieve another 327 block. 'Numbers' weren't so important at the time. While another '870', the replacement block was one year newer than the thrashed original block.

I've always loved the 327. My driver car won't be judged so I'm certainly fine with my NOM 327 engine. 'Original' matters now because market forces make it so. It's a big deal only in terms of value retained. Lots of original motors sitting in the corner of many garages bears this out. Original motor gets stored while 'fun motor' takes it's place.

Rev it up, wind it out, schmooze, cruise - it's all about having fun with these cars. Turn the ignition key and it's right back to the 1950's and 60's. Old guys understand (I think:crazy2:) .. .
Original or NOM...after all said and done the one thing they will always be is a CORVETTE.

I love them both. 3 of my 4 Corvettes have original motors in them, the 61 does not. I put a 383 stroker in that and don't enjoy it any less than the others. It does have an impact on value and the extent to which you need to care is when buying or selling.

Hey Jack, I've driven my 65 over 200,000 miles in 41 years. 3 rebuilds on the original L79. The last one was 1987. My car hasn't been to Europe though :D

I've had both. I prefer the original these days, but I totally understand why some couldn't care less about an original- cheaper to buy, no hassle or worry and drive it to death. Win-win.

The only issue I'd have is ignoring the relative value of original, just because someone don't want or have one. That never makes sense to not understand the market.

But I really don't understand the arguing over it. And people get equally mad on both sides of the fence. :willy:

Original motor on my 66 coupe does not effect how the side pipes sound and the CD player cranked up with Ronnie Spectra ! At 63 , I am not in a dress rehersal. Love cruzin with the the # 1 corvette body style of all times.

Interesting topic. I wanted a numbers matcher only because, if it is not, then its one stage below on the resale chart.
Now before the restomod peeps get upset, we are talking about an engine only. So If you were to place the non matching number car on the sale value ranking sheet its below a numbers matcher for sure. If you did not have to pay much of a difference then having the matching numbers engine is worth the investment.

I am what one would call ANTI-NCRS so I sit in the middle. I like cars that can be returned to original, but also enjoy my own thing and will not tolerate someone looking down at me for doing it. So I will have a bevy of parts that will ensure the car can be returned to original and will never be sold, but I will also have my "bling engine" and modern steering, and suspension.
I loved watching the fellow document the 67 Split window, and really envy people that can spend the time to do some of the amazing restomods I see here. I appreciate Corvettes, no matter what condition, or what stage of purity they are in. I must admit some of the early changes to C2s from the 70s do cause me too upchuck but I have to realize that was the "thing". Shag Carpeting in a car was "like wow man" :D

I have no time for people that are critical of someone that wants to do something with "his or her car" just because they don't like the idea. So the numbers matching engine was only needed in my case because in 10-15 years perhaps its a huge selling feature....maybe not?? But as someone mentioned here, you really only get one shot at finding your true engine. (assuming someone has not done an excellent restamp and you do not know it)

I bought my '67 in 1973. I hadn't heard of "numbers." When I did learn about the numbers I found none on the engine pad. After researching the car I talked to the original owner and the 427 had a "tick" from new and the block was replaced a short time after purchase. Do I wish it was correct? Sure, but I can't see the number pad from the driver's seat when I push the loud pedal. Some day my kids will have to deal with the "NOM" in my car. I love original, NOM, and resto mod Vettes, I guess all Corvettes.

"original engine"
 

If you did not buy the car new, how do you know it is "original"? I'm an NOM guy myself, mainly because I like to drive my car and occasionally "hammer" it. If it blows up, I'm not going to have a stroke!

:iagree:

most of the c1 motors were gone in 1st five years . i remember my uncles corvettes in 1967 all c1s and more then one had different motors ! the only ones that retained original were a 53 and a 60 . and in 1964 that motor was beat to **** ! my 61 has a 327 and i like it that way

:iagree::iagree:

Interesting thread.

The motor on my '61 had been replaced in '72 by my father, who was the original owner. I remember as a 7 year old, helping him dig a hole in the cornfield next to our house to bury the original 283 block!

When I inherited the car, I had to decide whether to repair the LT-1 350 in the car, or go back to a "correct" 283.

Since I had no connection to the 283 whatsoever, I decided to fix the replacement motor, which had a lot of my dad's "handiwork" in and around it. It was much more valuable to me than matching an engine made before I was born.

When something serious breaks in the LT-1, I think I will go with a mild crate motor that is fuel injected, likes pump gas, electronic ignition, etc., etc. :D

I pulled the original motor out of my '59 a week after I brought it home. Every part that came off the car that has a date or number on it is in a box and will go to the next owner. I don't know what he has in mind but I have at least given him options. I wanted my car to be a driver so I built a 350 from a empty '95 block with stock heads. It uses 87 pump gas and can run my Vintage Air without any problems. The 100 amp Alternator, MSD all in one distributor (which hides nicely under the shielding) , front disc brakes, clutch fan,aluminum water pump etc. don't harm the car and sure makes it safer and better to drive. I would have bought the car even if it had a replacement motor but since it was all original I think it best to preserve it for the future since I could. Save the Wave.

Really?...Some people dig original, others not so much. Does this thread have a point? :crazy:

Go back to the cornfield and dig that thing back up. Even if you don't use it, there's no debate about the impact on resale.

All depends on what you want- Mine was gone in 1980 when I got my car. Three engines later and both me and the car could care less- we've both like each new engine better than the previous :)

There was an E-bay ad for a nice 64 black/black 2 top roadster a few months ago which the seller added a note stating: "I've taken many friends for a ride in this car. not a single one of them complained of the non original engine under the hood".

Pretty much says it all,
Russ

LAB that looks great, like everything belongs there vintage AC a real plus there, too. Nice job!

The point of my thread. A little selfish.
 

I just wanted to see how many true enthusiast were still out there!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice, so now you've judged me based on whether or not I want an original engine in my car?

ya…. huummm. I don't think either group is more or less of an "enthusiast". Different sides of the same coin IMHO.

Russ

No!
 

Enthusiast is a guy that wants a Corvette for a reason. The challenge of modifying it to his taste, the challenge of keeping a fun ride on the road, the challenge of putting it back together to taste (with or without numbers matching to a level of dreamed about perfection/concourse or based on lists of dream parts/modifications!). Most of the answers came from enthusiast and there were only a handful that seemed to be truly hung up on investment value. Thus it has been an enjoyable thread to read!

Really? Are you serious. So if I had those small little numbers stamped on my engine block I would earn a higher enthusiast rating in your book. Give me a break. I read your response and it appears you are now back tracking.

I have a very difficult time thinking guys that do full frame off restorations in their garage resto mod or otherwise non 100% factory builds like John Mcgraw is less of an enthusiast than someone who just writes a check for a true numbers matching car and drives it maybe twice a year.

This is why I build cars how I want, screw everyone else. If you like it great if not, no big deal just don't bitch about it because it is how YOU would have liked it done. Remember as stated previously the guy paying for the parts wins everytime. And people wonder why I don't go to car shows anymore.

So that's why I heard what sounded like a truck backing up when I turned on my computer this morning. :rofl:

Same but different
 

Some of you may know that I took my 66 roadster to Europe this fall to visit Corvette owners in 10 countries.

France has 3 strong Corvette groups (Forums/Clubs) and guess what?

They bitch about the same thing only in French !

It is part of the fun of owning a Classic Corvette !

Drive your car, enjoy what you have, remember, more years behind, then ahead !

Jack

:iagree:

Tc I feel like you.I have one that is all orginal and one that is a project that all numbers match.. Half way through the first one it became very boring to make sure this bolt went this way and this was the correct number.Blah blah blah. Also after it was done there really wasn't much I could do with it . I hate ncrs and not much into local lawn chair nationals. So the second one is going to be done the way I want it, not the way GM sold it. Also it will be driven every chance I get. I will keep all the matching parts in storage and sell them with the restomod when its sold.

Yes, we wave at every Corvette driving by….. buuut if there’s ever a way to see under the hood & chassis when in motion the waving will be a figment of the past.

Be honest, how many times have you walked up on a Corvette at a show (thought to be an original) and became nauseated after finding what it reveled up close.

rustylugnuts :ack:

Trevroc....

What kept you from driving your NCRS car?

Rev, First it has Laquer paint which chips very easy. Secondly I've seen too many Vettes with little star marks on the top of their fenders from rocks getting flung up into the underside. I just want to keep it new as possible for resale value when the market rebounds. If it ever does.LOL As far as driving the resto I plan on applying bedliner on the fenderwells.

Strong words. No need to hate the organization. NCRS isn't making you do anything.

Yes, I am a member. I think there's value in the organization for preserving the history of these cars.

I can appreciate wanting to do whatever you want to do with your car. Nobody is holding a gun to your head. I just don't understand the vitriol that I often see directed at the NCRS.

But i thought the spirit of the thread was "resale value be damned, I am driving this car"?

It sounds like the real value maybe in your restmod... the prices those things are getting at auction... better not drive it too much.

:D

Good one Rev

After just burying a friend of mine who was in EXCELLENT physical & mental health, who died in his sleep of a stroke at 67 (ten years older than me), I will say this: I haven't seen a hearse YET that's got a trailer hitch on it...

I'll be buying a Midyear Coupe in the next 30-45 days, and I WILL be driving it like I stole it! I hope to leave this World EXACTLY as I entered it - bare-*ssed naked without a penny to my name! In fact, I told my wife at breakfast just the other day - "When I die, I want you to sell ALL of my stuff - I don't want some *sshole pawin' all over it!" She replied: "What makes you think I'd marry another *sshole?":D

Oh, don't get me wrong - I'd love to have the block if I could.

But that was in 1972 in Naperville, IL. I've been back and there is now an (ugly) tract of houses on that cornfield!

That block is easy to replace they had the castin numbers only no suffix
codae as I:lurk: rembemer

Here is a picture of me drag racing my NCRS 340 corvette running the piss out of it The other driver would not show me his engine he got me by half car length the ******* probably sprayed it .13.99 in quarter.was my time I thought that wasent bad .
Sorry about your friend .thats why i enjoy the cars

Those Lt1s can run mid 13s stock depending on the air/driver.
good to see you flogging it anyway a little wide open throttle never scared the correct markings off any bolts. :D

Wow... this thread suddenly took a turn for the better!

I personally think its great.
in no particular order we have....

Folks that like restoring their cars exactly like they came from the factory!

Guys who take their cars, and make them their own... and Drive, Drive , Drive!

Guys who take cars that are technically 'DEAD", and restmod them to modern specs!

That is whats so cool about this Community of Corvette Brothers... it has all types, and there is something for everybody.

The best plan is to own both an original car and a modified car, and drive them both!

Ganzman , Sorry for your loss.I hope you enjoy your new car every second you own it. Have fun!

IMHO, the answer is buy whatever you want, do what you wish to it, and not give a ratsa$$ what anyone else thinks or says. :cheers:

Anyone that doesnt want their original stuff - let me know !!!! :)
its only original once.......
in my humble opinion.....

Here is the new one with a powerguild always had 4 speeds its kina nice now for a changealso had Z06 six speed 08:cheers
Had the white split 16 years just got back into the split after the Z06

If you need an original engine compartment to put that in instead of letting it sit around and gettin' dusty, I'm only an hour away, we can drop it in my 64' which doesn't have the original anymore either.:rofl:

Just trying to help :D:D

Whew, look at my profile- all of my cars except for most recent purchase are modified
 

No back pedaling- you need to reread! Boy, just make assumptions! We have a little bit of both in our Garage!!!!!

Amen! I am not religious and probably mispelled that!
 

Exactly the perspective that I agree with. I can respect the NCRS, and I throw one of their manuals on the hood of my highly modified 1964 Roadster with hot parts everytime that I park it at one of their shows. I tell the guys that they can pass on my car, the few times that I have attented an NCRS event, because not all of us need the car scored. And then I actually have three trophies, because I somehow ended up with the best modified. I had best engine also, even though I put a special sign out that says for display only. I don't know how that happened. I walked away to enjoy other cars and returned to find I was judged anyways- go figure! I also put the old Blue ribbon thing award to solicit comments there with the book that was for another car that we no longer have.

Also what I see is that usually the insults fly in the direction of the modified cars and not the other way around!!

No, the Corvette crowd generally separates itself.
 

Thus I thought it would be nice to have an enthusiast thread perspective. I only slam the individuals that are in it to turn a car for profit and have no keepers or have none that are cherished to keep till death causes them to part. I also don't like the concourse crowd at times (I do respect their cars, but at times not their high and mighty attitudes).

I replaced the steering wheel on my '67 with a smaller diameter wheel so my 67-year old carcass could get in and out easier (or at all <LOL>). A few weeks back, I was getting gas and a guy walked up to me and asked, "What else isn't original with your car besides the steering wheel?" That kind of surprised me but I didn't answer his obnoxious question and I didn't bother telling him it had it's original engine because, what's the point with someone like that? He would have just found something else incorrect with the car. So I did some minor chit chat with him until the pump clicked off and I left.

And Why?
 

I could give two $hit$... just as long as it runs like a Bat Out of Hell! :D

:cheers: Bruce

My 435 is my 7th Corvette, but the first NOM. It has a correct L-71 engine in it today, but by 1977 it had already lost its original engine (and someone painted it silver over the original Rally Red!).

Way easier to drive (hard) and enjoy when I dont need to worry about breaking the original engine and diminishing my "investment."

:woohoo::yesnod::hurray:........:thumbs:

===================================

In addition to what you said, the purist, the rest-mods, and the "This car is what I like", crowd make a perfect symbiotic relationship with each other, as the parts manufacturers are always making parts in many cases that someone in the other groups need. The broader the demand for Corvette Parts are, the healthier market we get to shop out of.

Just my 02.

:ack:

Buddy, you had an encounter from a "Corvette Queer"
Used to work for a guy that restored C1s and 2s, boy were they work!!! LOL


They know everything

And you dont

And they are better than you

Cause their Mommy told them so

They have special bolts

And their Corvette socks have their name stitched in them. :lol:


Cant STAND those mofos like they wanna go outside and play "iamaCARSH0WJUGGGE" with their little friends. :crazy:

Maybe you shoulda patted him on the back or something

Yep, that was the attitude. However, he didn't pick up on the Vintage Air that's been added to the car.

Ganzman,
I like your thinking...the key is timing it just right, I'd hate to see you sitting in that Vette bare-*ssed with no pennies to put in the tank!:rock:

Original engines are part of establishing a hierarchy of value, because there are tens of thousands of surviving C2s out there.

On the other hand, only 36 original Ferrari GTOs were built, and if an owner replaces his Marelli generator with a Ford alternator (a common upgrade), it makes no difference, his car is still worth many millions. Some are enthusiastically vintage raced, because even if one is rolled into a ball of aluminum foil, the original number plate on a re-creation makes it just as valuable at a fraction of the going price.

Time machine correct museum pieces have their place, original St. Louis assembly warts and all, but if you just want to DRIVE and ENJOY your Sting Ray. don't worry about it. There will always be buyers for every kind of old Corvette at every price point.

Some are enthusiastically vintage raced, because even if one is rolled into a ball of aluminum foil, the original number plate on a re-creation makes it just as valuable at a fraction of the going price.

Just like Vette restamped Big blocks.To me those are bogus. Period

We had this guy once in the corvette club that set this car up as an original racer with all the goodies he had plenty of money and we had drag strip day,He would always take a big story .He chocked on the line every time and froze on the line
and could not handle the pressure .
I ran the strip as a teenager and
some people just never been there and thought it would come natural ,
Thats why these Early cars make ya feel like old times and people like to restore them make ya feel good just to go on a simple drive.
its not the destination but the ride .:eek:

Over at the NCRS is way too tiresome, but don’t get me wrong I love it! Buuuuut for pure entertainment you can't beat the "Corvette Forum" this is why I post here....

You just can't make this stuff up!!! :lurk:

rustylugnuts :rofl:

I have mentioned several times on this board that I wouldn't pay a dime extra for an original engine as it meant nothing to me and held no extra value or at least the inflated value that some seem to place on it.

Many posts would follow that I didn't know what I was talking about, didn't realize the value of an OE, only cars with OE's were valuable, OE cars were quality cars, yada, yada, blah, blah!

Probably many of my detractors with retamped blocks (and didn't know it).:D

It's kind of refreshing for a change to see there's more here like minded to my way of thinking than vice/versa!

PS. And I do own an OE midyear but it ain't for sale and I could still care less!:D

I'm starting to worry about myself - I'm finding that I frequently agree with Mike about things recently :D............. help! Is it him or me or........:willy:

:cheers:

Ummmm.. I'd say you're totally justified in worrying about yourself. :D

Russ

I posted a question similar to this awhile back - but I think my wording was WAY OFF. This was the type of response I was looking for.

I've read most of the posts (kinda hard to read them all at work :smash:) and it all comes down to passion! What's your 'dream' car looks like.
For me - I want as close to original as possible. I don't put a lot miles on it - but I do enjoy driving it. I like the feel as it was when they came off the line. I guess I fear the day when the last of the 'originals' has been modified.

Having said that - the passion for many are to make theirs unique, like no others! I totally get this too. Check out the Harley motorcycle craze. MANY people buy, then customize it to give it their look, to make it unique.

To repeat what others have said, this forum is great for this very purpose. You get all perspectives. None are 'RIGHT' - just their take on it. :cheers: