New Here!!! --- Formal Introduction---
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: FL
Welcome to the forum nice car and good luck with it. I don't know what it needs or what you want to do to it but here are some suggestions.
Read. Read. Read. Then do the work. Get a Chevy Cassis Manual for your year, also an AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual). They can be found on Ebay or from any of the Corvette vendors like- Dr. Rebuild, Paragon, Corvette America, Wilcox, Etc. There is nothing like trying to dissasemble a car without any idea how it goes together.
Have a plan as to what you want to do with the car. Rest-mod, stock restoration, Concours show car, safe daily driver and then work toward that goal. As far as original milage is concerned do not bet the ranch on it. The car is nearly 30 years old so that is only 2K miles per year. Fat chance!! 160K is only 6K per year. Enjoy the car and enjoy working on it with you step dad that is the biggest gain you will get. 81's are not investment grade collectibles and the price you paid is fair for what you bought. Paint and interior will put you over the book value but you will have a nice looking car you can drive and enjoy.
Read. Read. Read. Then do the work. Get a Chevy Cassis Manual for your year, also an AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual). They can be found on Ebay or from any of the Corvette vendors like- Dr. Rebuild, Paragon, Corvette America, Wilcox, Etc. There is nothing like trying to dissasemble a car without any idea how it goes together.
Have a plan as to what you want to do with the car. Rest-mod, stock restoration, Concours show car, safe daily driver and then work toward that goal. As far as original milage is concerned do not bet the ranch on it. The car is nearly 30 years old so that is only 2K miles per year. Fat chance!! 160K is only 6K per year. Enjoy the car and enjoy working on it with you step dad that is the biggest gain you will get. 81's are not investment grade collectibles and the price you paid is fair for what you bought. Paint and interior will put you over the book value but you will have a nice looking car you can drive and enjoy.
if there wasn't much change other than cosmetic in the c3 range, then why are some of the earlier years worth so much more than the later years other than age?
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
I think what is meant is not to do the work for the wrong reasons.
Do it for quality time with your step dad, do it for the satisfaction of doing it. Don't do it to get your money back out of it.
There is another active thread right now that you may want to check out:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1868416
But don't get down on your ride, no matter what the resale is, you still are going to turn a hell of alot of heads with it.
Kenny Z.
Do it for quality time with your step dad, do it for the satisfaction of doing it. Don't do it to get your money back out of it.
There is another active thread right now that you may want to check out:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1868416
But don't get down on your ride, no matter what the resale is, you still are going to turn a hell of alot of heads with it.
Kenny Z.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: FL
yea see the thing i'm most excited about is learning.
also i dont care what its worth the car is just straight up gorgeous. IMO the best body style vette ever.
those are my goals and intentions...
his is yes, higher resale some day....
so there is a difference in goal with this car between us, but hell i'll learn whatever i can outta it, and enjoy driving it as much as i can until he either realizes its not going to appreciate like crazy, OR decides to stop pouring money into it.
at that time, it'll sit in my garage until i can afford to pour as much as he intends to into it.
also i dont care what its worth the car is just straight up gorgeous. IMO the best body style vette ever.
those are my goals and intentions...
his is yes, higher resale some day....
so there is a difference in goal with this car between us, but hell i'll learn whatever i can outta it, and enjoy driving it as much as i can until he either realizes its not going to appreciate like crazy, OR decides to stop pouring money into it.
at that time, it'll sit in my garage until i can afford to pour as much as he intends to into it.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 473
Likes: 6
From: New Port Richey FL
Its a good looking car, but no one knows what happens in 10 years. Could it go up in value? Sure!... Then again, Al Gore could scare enough people into thinking that man made global warming is the end all and all gasoline vehicles must be crushed and melted to make more electric cars. When you figure out what will be valuable 10 years from now, it will probably be 11 years from now. If you have some other method, you should become a stock broker. Anyway, it sounds like you have the right attitude going into this project. If it were mine, I'd just drive it, the interior doesn't look bad at all and unless the pictures are very flattering, the paint doesn't look bad either. Good luck!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: FL
This one:
http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-1966-.../dp/0879382368
I think I got mine on ebay for like $20.00
Kenny Z.
http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-1966-.../dp/0879382368
I think I got mine on ebay for like $20.00
Kenny Z.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
This one:
http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-1966-.../dp/0879382368
I think I got mine on ebay for like $20.00
Kenny Z.
http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-1966-.../dp/0879382368
I think I got mine on ebay for like $20.00
Kenny Z.
The book above is ok if all you need is general info.
This one is way better, specific to the 81.
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...78&dept_id=226
Shop around on ebay and amazon, see if you can find one with the schematics in color, its a lot better.
Don't get all happy about ripping out the computer, its actually a pretty good system.
I kept mine and my target HP is about 375 and I don't see a problem getting there.
If you haven't gottne the choke light issue resolved yet, let me know.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 3
From: Wildwood IL
a Chevy Cassis Manual for your year, also an AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual). They can be found on Ebay or from any of the Corvette vendors like- Dr. Rebuild, Paragon, Corvette America, Wilcox, Etc. There is nothing like trying to dissasemble a car without any idea how it goes together.
Purchase the year specific AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual). Probably "THE" most important manual you will use. This manual was used by the assembly line workers when they assembled your car. The GM Shop Manual is also very good for mechanical adjustments and repairs. You can NEVER have enough refrence books.... Very nice clean car for 7K
Eddie
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
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
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,669
Likes: 3
From: Kingston Ontario
Its a good looking car, but no one knows what happens in 10 years. Could it go up in value? Sure!... Then again, Al Gore could scare enough people into thinking that man made global warming is the end all and all gasoline vehicles must be crushed and melted to make more electric cars. When you figure out what will be valuable 10 years from now, it will probably be 11 years from now. If you have some other method, you should become a stock broker. Anyway, it sounds like you have the right attitude going into this project. If it were mine, I'd just drive it, the interior doesn't look bad at all and unless the pictures are very flattering, the paint doesn't look bad either. Good luck!
Drive it and read up on maintenance and changes you want to do later. Drive it and carry out minor changes as you drive it!
Did I mention - Drive it!
Welcome to the forum.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
You did quite well with this vette. Don't do anything to it for now, except required repairs and maintenance. Cosmetically it looks very good from the pics. Wash & wax it, clean and vacuum the interior. Drive it as much as possible. As you get to know the car, that's when you'll really start to see what NEEDS to be fixed and what you WANT to fix. Set priorities, do as much yourself as you can to save a lot of $$$. It's a great hobby to do with your step dad.
As others said, this year is not a collectible year, yet. The chrome bumper cars are the ones that command the bucks.
Good luck with it and have a ball!
Glenn
As others said, this year is not a collectible year, yet. The chrome bumper cars are the ones that command the bucks.
Good luck with it and have a ball!
Glenn
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 62
From: West Kingston RI
You did quite well with this vette. Don't do anything to it for now, except required repairs and maintenance. Cosmetically it looks very good from the pics. Wash & wax it, clean and vacuum the interior. Drive it as much as possible. As you get to know the car, that's when you'll really start to see what NEEDS to be fixed and what you WANT to fix. Set priorities, do as much yourself as you can to save a lot of $$$. It's a great hobby to do with your step dad.
As others said, this year is not a collectible year, yet. The chrome bumper cars are the ones that command the bucks.
Good luck with it and have a ball!
Glenn
As others said, this year is not a collectible year, yet. The chrome bumper cars are the ones that command the bucks.
Good luck with it and have a ball!
Glenn
Have a ball driving. Welcome aboard. Great looking ride.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: FL
literally 2 years later... first update:
This vette is my father's/mine... well, his but we work on it together and store it at my house
not the greatest pics but were taken at the rim shop this afternoon.
Going back to the corvette specialist place down the straight on tuesday for them to further adjust it--- gonna go about an inch lower and get an alignment...
then its back home to finish up the details/interior and then its ready for the road!
That is until i can convince him to do something to the motor....
Its got the stock 350 automatic setup for now. (for now
)
This vette is my father's/mine... well, his but we work on it together and store it at my house
not the greatest pics but were taken at the rim shop this afternoon.
Going back to the corvette specialist place down the straight on tuesday for them to further adjust it--- gonna go about an inch lower and get an alignment...
then its back home to finish up the details/interior and then its ready for the road!
That is until i can convince him to do something to the motor....
Its got the stock 350 automatic setup for now. (for now
)
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 945
Likes: 0
From: Ventura California
Welcome and congrats on a fine car. Making money on a restoration is tough. Just enjoy the hell out of it and see what happens. You both may just love it so much that you may not think of ever selling it. Good luck with it and keep us informed on your progress. PICS are a must as you go along.
