I recently purchased a 1969 convertible with no motor or trans. The rest of the car seems to be complete, and as a bonus, I recieved much of the emblems for the car brand new in GM boxes with the invoices still taped on! Bumpers have been re chromed, but some of the smaller exterior trim needs to be restored or replaced. The chassis is straight and has no evidence of being hit, the rear end and drive line still turn when the car is pushed. It looks like some one rebuilt the front suspension a while back, the control arms have been painted. The car came originally with the 300 hp small block and a 4 speed manual (shifter is still on the car but not sure if it's the correct one). I also have the aux. hard top and it is in good shape (a major reason I purchased this car). Inside the car needs a full resto, but i do have a new steering wheel in a box, with a new horn button (more parts that came with it). The soft top looks like the original, but is still in usable condition. It goes up with little effort and latches, I suspect it was never used with the hard top present.

Here is my question:

Should I find a numbers matching motor and trans, ect. and restore it as such, or in thier place put a ZZ383 crate motor and tremec 5 speed? If I do, will it ruin the car's value? I won't cut the body or frame to do the swap. I understand that except for the hard top it is a base model car from a very high production numbers year. Any advice i get will be greatly appreciated

 

Pretty simple. It's 99.9999% that you can't find a numbers matching motor because there was only one, the 300 hp one that had the VIN derivative from your car on the pad of the engine. I serious doubt if you can "find" it.

That leave a couple of other ideas. Get a correct serial and dated block and restamp it, or find one that kinda sorta looks like one or has era-correct dates and codes. But you can't "find" a numbers matching block for the car.

PS, same on the trans... it also carries the VIN...

 

I wasn't sure if the block, trans, ect. carried the vin or a production date code. Thanks for the info. I've seen some ppl mention "correct GM replacement parts". Either way, i imagine it would be very difficult to find a nearly fourty year old small block in usable or rebuildable condition. This fact is at the heart of my dilema, and I am curious what putting a new motor and trans in the car would do to the value being that it is a classic.

 

Since its a long shot that you could ever find the correct numbers matching engine or trans.

You might be able to find an engine and trans with the correct date codes and casting numbers on themand you could get pretty close to the original "numbers matching" car but after all that, it still would not be a numbers matching car.

I would vote that you go the Vette Rod rounte, but then I may be biased.

VT1

 

Thanks for the input I really wish the car came with a block, trans, ect. but for the price i paid, i can't complain too much.

 

With that said what do you want an original appearing car or a hot rod? You can have both. I think you realize at this point the only way you can make the car original is to "restamp" which I am not suggesting or endorsing. Do you want to do that? If you feel you would like the car to appear original you can put in your 383/5 speed and dress the motor to look original with period correct valve covers, air cleaner and ignition shielding (which is not cheap to replace) and you can use a correct shifter handle on the trans. The suspension you can update to handle well with a kit from one of our supporting venders like Van Steel or VB&P. You would wind up with a car that car that "looks" correct except to the Corvette purists but would be a lot of fun to drive. Or if you don't care and you want the car to look like a "rod" you can do just that. There are several here on the forum that are outstanding. Decide what you want. Decide what your budget is (this can get very expensive) and then build the Corvette of your dreams - not ours. Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

It would be a lot more money, time and effort to chase down all the date code matching correct parts. Some people like doing that for fun but it would not make financial sense in this case IMHO. It will cost you more than the difference in value for a base engine model. Restamping is looked down on by many car people so that can work against you as well. You could leave the block as a blank pad but that just means the next owner will stamp it for you later. My advice is to go with the crate engine and enjoy the car. If you do decide you really want the factory stuff I would consider getting the crate 383 to get you on the road. Then you can enjoy the thrill of the chase rounding up the date code matching parts as a spare time and money hobby. Once you have all the parts rounded up you can put it all back to stock. Just a thought.

looks like a great project.

-Mark.

 

With as much stuff missing from your car and the chances of making it numbers matching without re-stamping it, I would do whatever you would like the car to be. A re-stamp will still never be worth close to what a real numbers matching car will be worth. If it were me I'd do a resto mod, you'll spend a ton of money and so much time looking for the correct parts and still may never get it finished correctly. There are so many sick looking 69's out there that it would be difficult for me to want to try and build it stock. Check out this 69, if this doesn't get you motivated to build it the way you would like it nothing will. www.mcspeed.com

 

Thanks for the input everyone! Having read your wise advice i am leaning toward resto mod, I particularly like the back vert from the link above (i want side pipes and large wheels and tires for mine). And if the value of these cars skyrockets, later I can try to trace down a correct engine and trans.

Can anyone provide spec for that wheel and tire package, specifically backspacing for the wheels? and did the owner do any cutting to make it fit?

I took a look around that site. Looks like my vert is in (only slightly) better shape than the one they restored, and the price paid for mine was only slightly higher. All the new badging I got with the car, the rechromed straight bumpers, and boxes of NOS parts, ect. make it seem like I got a sweet deal!

 

Sort of depends on what you intend to do with the car. If she's going to be a garage queen, and you want to do the carr show thing , try to find a close match engine and trans. If youmplan to drive it some, go the crate engine route, you gain the advantage of fort-plus years of improvements in metallurgy, and you can buy parts off the shelf, instead of having to get old ones rebuilt. Just my opinion.

 

Do whats in your heart.
If you search for years and never find the engine then you wont be happy and will look back and say why did I waist all them years. Do a restomode be happy with your work and at the same time keep looking on your spare time for that motor.

 

Resto Mod!!! Get a crate motor and have some fun!! Since it'll never be truly number matching anyway....!!!

 

Lots of cutting to make that wheel and tire package fit. Take a look at this link on Chris' website and the wheel and tire specs are near the bottom of the page.
http://mcspeed.homestead.com/Flare_Install.html
You're not getting much bigger than a 255 tire in the front and a 275 tire in the rear on a stock fendered car without some kind of mods. Even if it's just moving the parking brake cables.

 

 

Excuse me, but there is nothing original about a restamp.

 

"original"...."restamp"??? hmmm...now thats troubling...

 

You're right! I do apologize for that. It was not my intension to suggest that and I edited my post to reflect that.
I'm not suggesting "restamp" is "original". I had taken the words Vettebuyer5869 used out of context not realizing how it would be interpreted because in the remainder of the post I questioned doing that and went on to offer some "resto mod" ideas. That was an oversight that I do regret. :o

 

No worries!!

 

So i'm going resto mod. I have my eye on a ZZ 383 long block, side pipes, Duntov power steering conversion kit, and hopefully a tremec 5 speed. I'm undecided on suspension, still doing my homework. I also have to work up a budget for the build in the near future ( and I know it will cost more than I figure). I have no interest in restamping anything so there is nothing to worry about for the purists among us. Thanks everyone for the great input and advice!

Kelly

 

Its your car, make yourself happy.

Anyone can restore a car, It takes a real man to modify it.
Have fun.