I know I enjoy mine!
Bought my first vette!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,289
Likes: 3
From: East Waterboro Maine
Bought my first vette!
Well, after several months of looking I finally brought my first vette home this weekend! 
Thanks to everyone in this forum for your valuable advice, it came in really useful in my search!
I ended up with a 1971 LS5 coupe with the manual tranny. Although it needs a paint job and some minor repair work, I'm pretty anxious to get started on my new project. I planning on doing frame off restoration for several reasons, first to help preserve the current state of the car, an second to make it much easier to do a lot of the repair/replacement work I have planned.
For those who have done a frame off before, can any significant portion of hte interior be left assembled while still managing to lift the body from the frame? I'm trying the leave as much of the car intact during this process in order to minimize the amount of "spare parts" left over at the end of the project.
Thanks again everyone!
Thanks to everyone in this forum for your valuable advice, it came in really useful in my search! I ended up with a 1971 LS5 coupe with the manual tranny. Although it needs a paint job and some minor repair work, I'm pretty anxious to get started on my new project. I planning on doing frame off restoration for several reasons, first to help preserve the current state of the car, an second to make it much easier to do a lot of the repair/replacement work I have planned.
For those who have done a frame off before, can any significant portion of hte interior be left assembled while still managing to lift the body from the frame? I'm trying the leave as much of the car intact during this process in order to minimize the amount of "spare parts" left over at the end of the project.
Thanks again everyone!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,702
Likes: 900
From: Warminster PA
Great! Sounds like we are in the same boat! I just got my Bridgehampton Blue 71 LS5 last week. It is really unmolested with all of the original parts intact. The clock even works! It has had one repaint, but that was almost 15 years ago and it has cracked alot since then. It has 120k miles but runs strong. The previous owner had it for the last 20 yrs.
I am also debating on taking the body off or doing a frame on resto. Frame on sounds much easier. I guess I have the winter to think about it and save money for the future paint job.
In the mean time I'm having a blast tearing up the neighbor hood. And my neighbors thought that when I sold my race car things would quiet down!!!
I am also debating on taking the body off or doing a frame on resto. Frame on sounds much easier. I guess I have the winter to think about it and save money for the future paint job.
In the mean time I'm having a blast tearing up the neighbor hood. And my neighbors thought that when I sold my race car things would quiet down!!!
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,347
Likes: 9
From: Salinas Ca.
Welcome and enjoy!!! I'm in the process of a frame on restore. I've been told that the frame off will add 2 years to your project. Needless to say it is easier in regards to blasting. I blasted this puppy from one end to the to the other... (on my back!!) I even reconstructed my nozzel to get into places you would not imagine. I seriously think, if I lifted the body off now, my frame would nearly be 100% blasted and painted. Hey, I had to work at it though. Here is a link to a couple of pic's http://photobucket.com/albums/a278/donchaney/
On that note, have fun & enjoy!
Don
On that note, have fun & enjoy!
Don
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,140
Likes: 7
From: Ohio
Rather than a frame off that takes 1-5 years for most people or they sell the basket case for half of what they paid for it. Restore one area of the car every winter or when it needs it. If working in the rear clean and paint that area of the frame while doing other work. Every spring have your vette ready to drive you will enjoy it lots more.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 87
From: Putnam county NY
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by LYLE
Rather than a frame off that takes 1-5 years for most people or they sell the basket case for half of what they paid for it. Restore one area of the car every winter or when it needs it. If working in the rear clean and paint that area of the frame while doing other work. Every spring have your vette ready to drive you will enjoy it lots more.
I like the sound of this idea the best! Enjoy the car as much as possible.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,848
Likes: 0
From: Beacon NY
To answer your question, you can leave the entire interior untouched if/whenyou decide lift your body.
I lifted my body just this last weekend without touching the interior. I also did the job completely by myself with a bunch of jacks, jack stands, and a lot of patience.
What I plan on doing with my Corvette is to do what Lyle recommended. This winter I'm painting my frame, rebuilding my engine and transmission, and clearning my engine compartment. The next year I think I'm going to do the suspension steering and brakes. Maybe in 2-3 years I'll actually get around to painting it.
I lifted my body just this last weekend without touching the interior. I also did the job completely by myself with a bunch of jacks, jack stands, and a lot of patience.
What I plan on doing with my Corvette is to do what Lyle recommended. This winter I'm painting my frame, rebuilding my engine and transmission, and clearning my engine compartment. The next year I think I'm going to do the suspension steering and brakes. Maybe in 2-3 years I'll actually get around to painting it.
