DZAUTO

Rob,
The big brake option included the HD brake components on BOTH front and rear.
The STANDARD brakes had 2in front shoes and 1 3/4in rear shoes (same exact brakes as 51-58 full size Chevys) . The BB option got 2 1/2in shoes up front (and wider drums) and 2in shoes at the rear. Both front and rear BB drums were finned and both front and rear backing plates had holes covered with wire mesh for ventilation. The cars were delivered with air scoops for the backing plates in the trunk (in a burlap bag) and had to be owner installed.
All BB shoes had individual segmented pads instead of a continuous lining. Basically, big brakes are not worth a crap for street driving (they have to be heated up during competition before working well). That's why I have shoes with a more up to date type, continuous lining on the 56 for street driving.
Back "in the day", brake cooling was strictly race stuff. Today, all cars have ventilated disc brakes to disipate heat and improve braking efficiency and brake life.

jimgessner

Well we are all waiting patiently to see and hear what the 62 is.

Pictures tell a big part of history, but evidence of racing.......roll bar, or holes in floors etc. will give a clue. Vin number will also help. I know two cars where we know the vin numbers and history, but don't know where the cars went. Send me a PM if you want to discuss privately.
Thanks

6vette1

Body is off the car now and we found the VIN. I will some pics posted soon. The car looks like it has been pieced together from various donors. The body looks like it was from one car though. At least so far. The suspension looked to be standard. We restore vintage fire engines and have done stuff from the horse drawn era all the way up to the 1970s. Restoring something this small is kinda nice!

6vette1

The number on the frame is 311029.

6vette1

Can anybody figure that number out?

jimgessner

The ''3'' is more than likely an ''S'' and there should be more numbers before and after.

1962 vin #'s went from 20867S100001 thru 20867S14531. They made 14531 cars total. Please recheck the area and use a solvent like WD-30 or very light wire brush to clean the entire number

My guess is the number 20867S11029, or the 1029th car built in mid October 1961.

6vette1

Will recheck. The 3 looked pretty clear though. There also appeared to be a space between the 1s and the 0. 11 029.

6vette1

Ok the Vin on the frame appears to be 110129. The fourth number in the sequence is very faint so I'm not sure about it. Is there any place else on the frame where the VIN number may be located. Also what I thought was a 3 is, as you all told me, an S. I have my glasses on today.

DZAUTO

USUALLY, but not always, there were two VINs stamped on the LEFT frame rail---------------------------that is all there were.
I would strongly recommend you thoroughly clean the area to show the VIN clearly and then take a picture of it and save it with your documents.

6vette1

Will do! Looks like the mystery number is a 1 or a 4. Will also look over the rest of the left frame rail. Thanks.

jimgessner

Here are a few photos of a 54 ,56, 57 and 61 frame. Driver side, top rail, located about where the door closes in front of the body mount.

6vette1

Here are some pictures of the brakes on this car.

6vette1

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Thanks for posting the VIN pictures. We will clean the rest of the frame rail to see if we can find a better stamping.

jimgessner

The drums are vintage late 1959-62 RPO #687 H.D. Brake and suspension items. The car should also have the following.
1.- 5 leaf H.D. Rear spring. Standard springs have 4 leafs.
2.- quick ration steering adapter.
3.- HD Front springs that have one less coil, and are thicker than standard springs.
4.- fiberglass front air ducts to direct air to the rear screened backing plates.
5.- yes, I said rear screened backing plates.
6.- Front ''elephant ear'' brackets that direct air to the screened backing plate
7.- Rear metal scoop that directs cool air to the rear screened backing plate.
8.- Segmented cere-metallic lining
9.- Finally, wide 5.5 inch wheels that were riveted, not welded. Standard wheels were 5 inch wide.

jimgessner

Most of these ''RACE'' Corvettes were originally FUEL INJECTION CARS. See if there are two holes on the inner fender where the metal air cleaner was attached originally.

jimgessner

I blew up the picture of the lining, and I see the screened backing plate. It appears the ''METAL COVERS'' are in place on the rear. These were removed and the elephant ears were attached in the same mounting holes using the same bolts.

The ''fans'' were used in the later RPO 687 cars. Often they interfered with brake operation and were removed. Wheel cylinders were larger on these cars. There will be a number on each which will identify.

The ''white cove'' is not standard on 1962 Corvettes. Are you sure it is a 62 and not a 61? 61'S had cove moldings where the outer edge of the cove is located and will have holes or filled in evidence of mounting holes for the side cove molding clips.. 62's had a distinct fiberglass edge different than the 61 and the edge is a greater in size. A 61 door will not work on a 62. Looks the same, until you see the difference up close.

If this car is a 61, the vin # will be 10867S100001 thru 10867S110939, OR IN YOUR GIVIN NUMBERS 10867S111029.

Check the wheels carefully. They may be the wide wheels and should not have the ''nubs'' to hold the large hub caps in place.

6vette1

Thank you so much for the images and detailed descriptions. Your post will help us greatly. I will post better images of the vehicle soon.

6vette1

Ok the chassis has the 5 leaf rear springs. 5/8" diameter rear sway bar and looks to be 7 coil front springs. The front finned brake drums have had all the fins hammered off by some brain surgeon years ago. There are no scoops present for channeling air to the brakes but the covers are present. I'm sending images. Thanks again everyone.

6vette1

Left rear

6vette1

The rear end has a stamping of AB 2 02 on the front right. Any ideas?