Sleeping Beauty - bringing my '64 back to life
#1
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Sleeping Beauty - bringing my '64 back to life
The story of finding, buying, and bringing home my '64 has been told. ( https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...n-keep-it.html ). I'm starting this separate thread to add to as the days, weeks and months (and hopefully years) go by. I'm not going to detail every nut and bolt I turn, but in that thread several members asked to be kept informed of how this project goes. Hopefully it will be interesting, and I also hope it helps others who are, or will be, doing a similar project. There are a couple similar threads working and I'm always amazed at the progress, the obstacles and the determination we exhibit.
Somebody had a thread about car names, and while I don't normally do so I figured I'd name this one - "Sleeping Beauty", since it slept for somewhere between 10 and 20 years before being bought, moved, and transported about 1,000 miles away. I'm not Prince Charming so I'm not going to kiss it, but hopefully I can wake it up, patch some of its problems, and put some more miles on it.
I'm not going NCRS with it, but will keep it reasonably stock. And finances are limited so I won't always be taking the top-shelf choice. I'll probably solicit advice often, but quite possibly I'll wind up ignoring some of it.
The other thread has lots of pics of the move so I won't dupe them all. Here are two for whoever didn't read that one - the car as it was sitting years, and loaded up ready to travel home.
Somebody had a thread about car names, and while I don't normally do so I figured I'd name this one - "Sleeping Beauty", since it slept for somewhere between 10 and 20 years before being bought, moved, and transported about 1,000 miles away. I'm not Prince Charming so I'm not going to kiss it, but hopefully I can wake it up, patch some of its problems, and put some more miles on it.
I'm not going NCRS with it, but will keep it reasonably stock. And finances are limited so I won't always be taking the top-shelf choice. I'll probably solicit advice often, but quite possibly I'll wind up ignoring some of it.
The other thread has lots of pics of the move so I won't dupe them all. Here are two for whoever didn't read that one - the car as it was sitting years, and loaded up ready to travel home.
The following 12 users liked this post by Railroadman:
71/502 (01-16-2023),
Bluestripe67 (04-18-2018),
C2Scho (11-15-2019),
Dave64 (06-14-2018),
Easy Rhino (04-19-2018),
and 7 others liked this post.
Popular Reply
01-16-2023, 11:16 AM
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
To quote the country song - "Together Again" !
Body is back on the chassis, all except one of the body mounts are loosely bolted up. Had to eliminate one bolt in each set of brackets, and do considerable grinding, but here we are. Really motivating, altho we're heading south for 3 weeks and it will have to wait for further progress. LOTS remaining to do on the car, but at least it's looking like a Corvette again.
Body is back on the chassis, all except one of the body mounts are loosely bolted up. Had to eliminate one bolt in each set of brackets, and do considerable grinding, but here we are. Really motivating, altho we're heading south for 3 weeks and it will have to wait for further progress. LOTS remaining to do on the car, but at least it's looking like a Corvette again.
#2
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
So here it sits today!
The garage is half full with a lawnmower, snowblower, garden cart and stuff. The other half has one of our son's 300ZX's. (that's the other one next to the Vette). I will be taking most of the lawn stuff out to a shed, moving the Z over, and getting the Vette indoors. Hoping to get that done by the weekend, but this place is about 25 minutes from our home and I'm not sure just what our schedule will allow. The weather is calling for a warm-up, but I'll believe it when I see it.
I DID spend a bit of time today sitting inside and just looking things over. Ratty for sure but not terrible. Removed the console and adjacent panels for cleaning.
The garage is half full with a lawnmower, snowblower, garden cart and stuff. The other half has one of our son's 300ZX's. (that's the other one next to the Vette). I will be taking most of the lawn stuff out to a shed, moving the Z over, and getting the Vette indoors. Hoping to get that done by the weekend, but this place is about 25 minutes from our home and I'm not sure just what our schedule will allow. The weather is calling for a warm-up, but I'll believe it when I see it.
I DID spend a bit of time today sitting inside and just looking things over. Ratty for sure but not terrible. Removed the console and adjacent panels for cleaning.
The following 9 users liked this post by Railroadman:
6T5RUSH (04-18-2018),
Artey (09-02-2023),
Bluestripe67 (04-18-2018),
Frankie the Fink (04-19-2018),
GTOguy (04-18-2018),
and 4 others liked this post.
#3
Melting Slicks
Cool!
#4
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
#5
Melting Slicks
I’m looking forward to the resurrection story of your ‘64. I’m sure the family you bought it from would also cherish the process/progress to being streetable again. Will you share this thread with them?
#6
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
As progress is made I'll shoot them a brief email and a picture or two. And next fall, when they close for the season, we have extended an invite to come visit us, see Niagara Falls which is only an hour and a half away...and weather permitting, take a ride in the Vette.
The following users liked this post:
ptjsk (04-19-2018)
#9
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
#10
Racer
#12
Melting Slicks
#13
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Thanks guys!
My plans at this point are:
1. Give it a decent cleaning
2. Give it a real good look-over, just get to know it
3. Make a list - or several - of various "to do" items
4. Get underneath and evaluate whether this frame can be fixed or just get another.
5. All through this, I may be cleaning or painting a few minor parts. I look at those as "morale builders" - you say "Well at least I have THAT done"
It will be a driver so at this point I'm not looking at a paint job. Not crazy about the black hood bulge, would not have done it myself, but it's not terrible and for the time being I'll leave it. Got to see about buffing the paint - at present it's about "patina-ed" beyond belief!
My plans at this point are:
1. Give it a decent cleaning
2. Give it a real good look-over, just get to know it
3. Make a list - or several - of various "to do" items
4. Get underneath and evaluate whether this frame can be fixed or just get another.
5. All through this, I may be cleaning or painting a few minor parts. I look at those as "morale builders" - you say "Well at least I have THAT done"
It will be a driver so at this point I'm not looking at a paint job. Not crazy about the black hood bulge, would not have done it myself, but it's not terrible and for the time being I'll leave it. Got to see about buffing the paint - at present it's about "patina-ed" beyond belief!
#14
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
I told my wife if we get any more snow, I'm going to put the damn Christmas lights back up!
The following users liked this post:
Ornery (07-02-2019)
#15
Safety Car
Member Since: Nov 2000
Location: Clinton Township MI
Posts: 4,750
Received 119 Likes
on
98 Posts
Cruise-In III Veteran
Hang in there Railroadman! Warmer, drier weather is coming this week!
Congrats again on your approach to small steps at a time. That's the way to keep your sanity/a good therapy approach to enjoying our passion!
Jim
In God We Trust!
Congrats again on your approach to small steps at a time. That's the way to keep your sanity/a good therapy approach to enjoying our passion!
Jim
In God We Trust!
#16
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Member Since: Aug 2008
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 31,358
Received 5,009 Likes
on
2,528 Posts
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
The inscription on the underside of the air cleaner lid. In pretty good shape for 54 years old!
#17
Race Director
Member Since: Jan 2002
Location: Close to DC
Posts: 14,541
Received 2,127 Likes
on
1,466 Posts
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
I told my wife if we get any more snow, I'm going to put the damn Christmas lights back up! [/QUOTE]
That's funny! Dennis
That's funny! Dennis
The following users liked this post:
RYTOCOR (02-24-2020)
#18
Race Director
I'll be in the crowd admiring the steady progress and looking forward to pics!
#19
Safety Car
Thank you for making me spit DrPepper on my phone screen with the Christmas lights. That air cleaner looks real good. We have thunderstorms in store for this weekend. My strap wrench arrives tomorrow and I'm going to see if this motor turns over easy. I have had oil squirted in the cylinders since yesterday.