So I have a relative who's father purchased a '63 split window corvette brand new. To make a long story short, it was passed down from father to son. As his son got older and entered the real world it got driven less and less and has been sitting in a garage getting drive maybe once a year for I don't know how many years. Now what I'm curious about is getting this thing back to pristine condition. It has some minor problems like the fuel gauge not working, one headlight won't roll up, etc. The chrome has a rust spot, the paint is in good condition, but once the engine...looks in rough shape. Now, I know next to nothing about cars. I know it runs, because I've driven it, but that's about it. I've attached a couple pictures to give a brief idea of what it looks like. For those of you who know these cars like the back of your hand, from what you can see, where do I start in getting this restored? I'd like to just get it looking really nice, it would get driven, possibly taken to a car show or something, but I just feel like right now its not in the condition that a car of this caliber should be. So where do I start? I live in MN, who would I take this to? I know there can be lots of hidden problems that I don't see on the surface, but give me some kind of rough estimate as to what I would expect to spend. One final question, if nothing is done to the car, at what point is it too late to save it within a reasonable amount of money...

 

How cool, that looks like a nice original S/W coupe.

If this is your car and you want to keep and use it like you described, consider joining the NCRS and take it to a show and have them look at the car. You should get some helpful advice from knowledgeable people but it's very important YOU learn about the car.

It's only going to be original once so be careful what you do. All that glitter is not necessary to drive down the street with a big smile, remember this is a S/W coupe. When I take my 67 out and open the hood I laugh to myself at the dirty motor sitting next to all those pretty engines.

Oh, by the way it's probably more original than most of them. :-)

If your intention is to sell the car don't touch it.

 

Good advice. Dont touch it.

If it runs, thats a good thing.

There's a lot of reference guides out there, but from your description I think they might not be helpful to you right now. I think the best advice is to get some Corvette people to look at it and offer input. Local NCRS chapters, Corvette club members and enthusiasts. Maybe some forum members who are close. You will get some different thoughts so listen and process what everyone has to say and craft a strategy.

Cool car, good for you.

 

Don't do anything with it, at least not till you know more about it.

Right now, original unmolested, and unrestored cars are very hot. From what I can see in the pictures, it looks like the only things ever changed were the master cylinder, water pump, belts and hoses.

You may want to restore it eventually, but first you should find out what you have. This Forum is a good place to start, as is the NCRS. Make friends with some people knowledgeable about early Corvettes, and especially 63's, before you do anything.

Cars are only original once, and more and more people are learning to appreciate that. There are thousands of restored split windows out there, but only a hand full of original ones!

 

WOW! What an adventure. Welcome to the CF! If I read it correctly, you are not the owner. If that is true, you will need to clearly get the owner to buy in on this because it may get complex and expensive. You say you do not know anything about cars. That tells me whatever is intended (preserve or restore) to be done will need to be done by a shop, one with knowledge of midyear Vettes. NOT just some garage and defenitely NOT a dealership. Purchase some books that show and explain the restoration of '63-'67 midyear Vettes. If only enough work is needed to get it running and drivable since it is original as we understand you too say, it will still need to be done by an experienced shop.
Leaving the the car original is your best first course of action. Safety is first! Start with the tires. They are probably old and ready to crack open. Then brakes and brake system. Shocks and bushings in the suspension. All the while working on getting it running properly. The gas gauge issue could be the sending unit in the tank. Replacements are readily available. Headlight motor issue could be the motor, the pivot ***** and or the gear box gear. I'm sure the paint could be buffed very carefully. Clean the interior and polish all the chrome. Stay with us and we all are more than willing to help. Fill in your profile with general location. It may help us help you. Dennis

 

I'm with the others as far as learning your way around these cars before launching into some quasi-restoration. Original "survivor" cars are indeed hot - but not for me. I wouldn't be able to stand that engine compartment and dinged up steering column and moldy vertical trim at the B pillar. But that's just how I roll....

I would get one of those cheapie Harbor Freight inspection cameras and run it up in the door hing holes and behind the dash looking for rust; then remove the glovebox (10-12) bolts and examine the horizontal bar back there....these checks will tell you about the 'birdcage' that encloses the cockpit. If that's all good then its very VERY good; if its bad then its very VERY bad !!

While there decode the trim tag and make sure the interior/exterior paint etc all match the tag. If you find any numbers in crayon on the car (they will be less than 500) leave them ALONE - that's the factory daily production number...

Ask before screwing with anything that appears delicate...e.g. '63 headliners, gauge clusters and 100 other parts are fragile items that aren't reproduced and NObody is giving up an original...

You should add your location to your profile - some member may cruise by to give you some pointers; might even have a split window you could look over (like me)...

 

First, do no harm.

There's original, and then there's neglected. That car is beyond determining factory finishes, markings and all that, so in my view, it's value as a survivor is long past. My first action if that were mine would be to stop the deterioration.

 

I would clean it and get rid of the mildew. Hope its in a dry place now looks like is was stored in a damp place before. Cool story. Go at it in your own pace, times on your side. Not making any more.

 

You mentioned its a relatives car, perfect. You dont have to do anything to it.....its not yours to do.

If you want it pristine, write a $75,000 check and drop it off with Kevin Mackay or Nabers Brothers.

If you end up owning it, join NCRS, make friends, work overtime and learn everything you can before doing anything to the car. DO NOT let some local mechanic touch it. If it already drives thats a start. Just an example but a real 63 brake master cylinder which that car does not have will cost you around $600....maybe more.
Boyan

 

Okay, the first thing I have to say is wow. I've never got this kind of forum response not even 12 hours from when I posted...especially with this many quality posts. That shows to how great of a forum this is, and this is my first time here! But yes, as a couple people mentioned this isn't currently my car, but my uncle's. The unfortunate part is that he is a 6'4" 250lb man who doesn't exactly fit nicely into the car and on top of it he has two kids that play hockey any time they aren't sleeping, so making time to take this thing for a spin just doesn't happen. And that's really how I fell in love with it, because I had taken it to prom back in the day and have driven it occasionally just to keep it on the road for him every once and a while. But, being that he isn't really into the car there may be a chance I could be the owner. That aside, even if I'm not he does fairly well and I don't think he would be against investing a little bit to keep it in good shape. It has been neglected, it is stored in a dark, moist garage and sees daylight maybe once or twice a year. That's why I'm here, too. I am by no means capable or qualified to do anything myself. The minor things like dings on the steering wheel column or mold on the b pillar I think add a little character as long as they don't cause more damage to the vehicle as time progresses. That's where my concern was with the engine though, is that there's just so much rust. I don't want the rust to continue and cause much more expensive problems in the future. As long as she runs and drives nicely I'm not too concerned, but I just don't want such a nice vehicle to sit in a bad environment rotting away to the point that its no longer of much use other than parts or a very very expensive restoration. I don't think that a full out restoration will be in the works, especially after listening to some of the replies because it is true, it is only this original once. But I do want to know what I can do to keep it from getting worse, and maybe I'm sure if I asked him if I could swing it through a NCRS show he wouldn't mind at all and I could talk to some guys and get advice on what would be a good idea to take care of so that it isn't a plaguing problem in the future. So in short, what can I do to keep the car from deteriorating further?

 

Oh and also, no worries about taking it to a local mechanic. I'm smart enough to know that 1. they probably know nothing about the car and 2. they would probably make things worse. Also, selling isn't on the table either, and neither the owner or if I were the owner would want to. It was purchased by my grandfather, the owners father, brand new and as far as I know the plans are to keep it in the family.

 

In order to swing that car through a NCRS judging meet (they do not do "car shows") your uncle has to be a member of NCRS, and he has to register himself and the car, and attend the meet. The car must be currently registered and insured. And it should be somewhat presentable and most of the functions should work or he will be wasting everyone's time. NCRS judging meets may be in this cars future, but from what you say and we can see, that time may not be now. Good luck with the car.

 

That's good to know....you should let folks know up front you aren't willing to sell. I've had some folks nearly hound me about my split window....they'll float silly numbers just to see if you'll bite and haven't the intention (or the means) to come up with that kind of money..

Its some sort of stupid game with them.

 

So in short, what can I do to keep the car from deteriorating further?[/QUOTE]

Between the two households, who has a better garage...move it there! The current environment is not, and will not be good for it any longer. Get it into a drivable safe condition. That means a lot, but get in touch with an organized Corvette club in your area, make some friends and connections. The connections should led to finding a qualified shop to get it "safely running/driving". Don't be in a hurry. Read about the NCRS and what it is all about. If you can post more pics, we can help quite a bit more. Dennis

 

And please, buy your uncle a dehumidifier for the garage. Also dont get discouraged. People who leave their cars in this condition tend to keep them that way, deteriorating.
Boyan

 

Alright guys I will see if I can't get it moved into a better garage or get a dehumidifier in the one it is in. That'll be a good start, and I'll go from there! Thanks for all they help and I'll be sure to keep coming back as the questions come up!