hi everyone , i am new to the forum . my father passed away last year and left me his 62 fuelie he bought new in 10/61 (97k miles) . when i asked what he wanted me to do with the car he said ,what ever you want to . well we restore the chassis(one modifcation), new stock interior, freshened motor 30 over , body work & paint being done now . hopefully done in time to make carlisle in august .hope everyone will respect my life long dream to build a nose high nostalgia gasser with hilborn injection . trust me hardest part of project was cutting hood for the hilborn. completed pictures to follow soon.

 

you may want to rethink your project.even though you say it your life long dream to have this type of car(buy a model and build it)it may be a mistake.in the old days we built some crazy cars (the kids loved them) but today a car such as yours would be a of great interest to the restored corvette community.would you consider selling it at all? oh also please dont cut that hood i would be interested in a purchase name your price, you can get a repop for it.

 

It's your car and you have EVERY right in the world to do with it as you please, even pour gas on it and burn it (which is what I'm going to do with the 56 when I'm too old to drive it).
BUT, I must agree, I think you should rethink your plan! ESPECIALLY cutting a hole in an original hood! So, if you must do that, as mentioned, how about buying a repo hood instead and chop on it to your hearts content.

 

Ummm guys, from his post I think that horse is already out of the barn.

 

I hope this is a troll . . .

 

Why would you think otherwise?

 

I am building very much the same but, starting with a gasser to begin with thats been cut up prior to me getting my hands on it.....would LOVE to see some pics

 

Around here that is the only conclusion I'd draw to such a post. But trying to be polite in case this is legit.

 

Has to be bogus. Is there anyone that is really this...let's say uninformed?
There is not a living humanoid who would knowingly devalue an allegedly original car by $50K by customizing it into a gasser of all things. Is it April 1st today?

 

Ed Reidy, I only hope that your post is the real deal. The posting may actually turn into an adventure or I can only hope. Not all of us guys are card carrying members of the goose-stepping stock police. To be quite honest my only interest in the solid axle Corvettes is in the performance end and drag racing more than anything else. Back in the mid to late sixties it was the gassers that sparked my interest in the marque. I own 2 1962s and both are drag inspired black with a 327 and red with a 427 and the red car will be along the lines of the old gassers. The black car was a mild custom that I changed back to stock looking except for Cragars and the red was a dedicated drag racer from 64 to 78 when it was retired. I bought it in 82 and while I own it there is not a chance in hell it will look anything other than a drag racer. I would not insult the heritage by making it stock. Stock solid axles are nice cars but if I hit the lottery tomorrow, I wouldn't give a plug nickel for a totally stock low mileage 62 Corvette except for maybe a true big brake car. I would not cut one up and leave it for the next guy but stock to me does absolutely nothing. On the other hand I would dig pretty deep to buy a solid axle gasser with history. The cars do not fit one mold for all but represent different strokes for different folks. We all realize that the cars have value but not all of us walk around with our calculators estimating every move with the car.

As I have said before when they lower me in the ground I want it with an irremovable smile that I have lived life to the fullest and not with clutching the judging sheets of a totally stock early Corvette, so I can go hither to the next life with the realization that I "kept it stock for all posterity" of some similar esoteric nonsense. Corvettes are meant to be enjoyed and if this guy is on the level he says it is to fulfill a lifelong dream to build a gasser. Who are any of us to determine what is the proper way to enjoy the car? He states he made one modification to the chassis and kept the interior stock and bored out the motor slightly. No big deal but all of a sudden we have all of this gnashing of teeth over cutting the stock hood. Tom Parsons may have a point to save the stock hood but come on to call the guy or similar thinkers humanoids. Get real, it is not the damn Mona Lisa it is a hood for heavens sake. Everything done is reversible except for the hood but we get a post of customizing it into a gasser is akin to destroying the car or its value. For all of the anointed, gassers do have a real history in the development of the Corvette, deal with it. I am not familiar in the last 40 years of any such heritage with the resto mods (many of which I personally like) although apparently the stock or enjoyment police politely give them a pass.

You ever wonder why some people don't look at Corvette people with the highest estimation. One of the reasons is that some set narrow parameters of what is acceptable in their tent. I for one hope the poster is real and that the wonderful welcome shown so far has not told him that what he has done to the car is incorrect. Post some photos as I am sure a few of us would enjoy them.-Jim

 

Well said Jim!

 

It is yours, to do what you want with.

Plasticman

 

hey , i haven`t cut the hood yet . everything is in stock form except motor , wheels & tires . plus we didn`t pay 50g`s for the car either .i am not a book geek corvette owner . did the work my self except paint .Duntov hated stock vettes , that`s why he gutted his cars to go fast . where i grew up in philly(delaware valley corvette club member in 1965 age 16 ) ,if you owned a vette it had to be to baddest car in town because everyone was gunning for you.thats always been my old school mentality .i think my car will draw a lot of attention at Carlisle because its different instead of a bunch of stock 62`s all looking alike except their color . i have a 69 conv too since 77 ,so my cars are not going anywhere soon. enjoy the imput .

 

hey , i haven`t cut the hood yet . everything is in stock form except motor , wheels & tires . plus we didn`t pay 50g`s for the car either .i am not a book geek corvette owner . did the work my self except paint .Duntov hated stock vettes , that`s why he gutted his cars to go fast . where i grew up in philly(delaware valley corvette club member in 1965 age 16 ) ,if you owned a vette it had to be the baddest car in town because everyone was gunning for you.thats always been my old school mentality .i think my car will draw a lot of attention at Carlisle because its different instead of a bunch of stock 62`s all looking alike except their color . i have a 69 conv too since 77 ,so my cars are not going anywhere soon , i love vettes don`t care how much their worth . enjoy the imput .

 

While I certainly can't argue it is your car,to do as you please. It would be nice to find a non-original car to do this to. Sell this one for the high bucks it may bring and buy a non-original car to do your mods to. With those cars, it makes sense to do that. They have lost their originality, so that can not be returned to them. To do this to an original car(though it is yours to do as you see fit) I think it is a shame. Please remember my opinion is just that. Enjoy the adventure......

 

hey; 1929 rats , jim dillon , triple black 63 , plasticman .i know now you guys get it . the true meaning of corvette passion , the ultimate car . having the baddest car around . love to sit down over a couple of beers with you guys . later edreidy ps my 69 is a member of the ncrs (not correctly restored stingray) norm goodman pres. (lotahp)

 

hey ed got your pm dont get me wrong i too am looking for a rough,wrecked,ruined,drag car c1 body to do the same thing.just thought it would be a shame to cut that hood though.hey what color are you going with

 

Ed, post some pics when you get a chance as there are a bunch of guys on here that will appreciate it. The only thing with being the baddest car in town (or the baddest car in the Valley as it was with Milner if my memory serves me) is that you have to constantly stay on top of the game. There are some guys on here that run their solid axles in a somewhat serious manner. Nothing more gasser nostalgic than stack injection-hope you have a knack for tuning the Hillborns. Have you thought of going Inglelese which I understand may be a bit easier on the street (they are on my wish list and I am setting money aside in the cookie jar myself)?

Post some pics-they will be appreciated I am sure-Jim

 

Ed, my personal favorite of the old time gassers was Dave Kanners in Prontito a 57 Vette with a 427 and a pushbutton clutchflite. His cars often either ran right on the national record or reset it. At the local gas meets here (Detroit or Milan) it was either Kanners or the Bill Coon in the 57 Cammer TBird (Bills Speed Shop) that were the top dogs in B/G although I would have to give the nod to Kanners. Best D/G car was Sam Giannino in The Executioner, hands down with his injected small block. Both Kanners and Gianino ran out of the same shop/group-Midwest/Standard and both won the Nationals at IRP in their classes in the sixties(Kanners in 67 in AM/SP and Street Eliminator, although I believe he ran as the Midwest Vette and changed the name to Prontito and ran B/G in 68 and 69, then Giannino in 67 in CM/SP and 68 in D/G and Street Eliminator). I watched these cars run numerous times and are probably most responsible for my solid axle sickness. Thought I would throw in a couple more with stack injected gassers.-Jim

 

Jim wow !!!!! great pics , that`s what i`m talking about . MAZMANIAN`s 61 did it for me .