I just became the owner of a 1980 corvette through my sick father inlaw. I am hoping that this site can help me and restoring this car to it's original beauty. It has been sitting for 12 years and is in need of some serious TLC. We have stripped the interior out because it was totally infested with mold and nastiness.

I am not totally clueless about cars but I am not gearhead either, My BF is doing most of the work but I would like to be able to help by finding him some resources and knowledge that he might not find on his own. So any information or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

Welcome to the Forum! This is an excellent source of great information and resources to help you return your car to operational status.

Sorry to hear of your father-in-law's illness. Hope he gets well soon.

Regarding any questions:
One thing we all like, are pictures. They help explain the circumstances plus gives us an opportunity to see the ride. If you need help with how to post, do a search on 'how to post pictures' for explanations already available. Durango Boy (DB) has a nicely detailed one to read.

Ask anything you are interested in; no question is too dumb. We've all been there. At any time, you'll expect several answers from experienced folks. They may not always take the same road getting there but most of the time, end up at the same conclusion.

Good luck and keep us posted on how the car saga unfolds. We're all ears....

 

welcome and good luck. try not doing to much at once.. dont wanna get burnt out. otherwise, enjoy it like no other. its a one of a kind car!

 

Welcome to the forum for sure.

Here is the paper Dustup was referring to. Let me know if you have any problems hosting and posting pics.

http://photos.imageevent.com/durango...g%20Images.pdf

These threads usually work best with a focused question. Is there something in particular that you would like to research?

Also, consider getting an AIM CD from Wilcox, for the year of the Corvette. It's a factory Assembly Instruction Manual that will shed light on most things you don't understand.

 

Welcome to the Forum! Don't worry about any questions you might ask. I've already asked all the dumb ones!

 

Thats a good one.

Welcome Do you have a plan of attack?If so you might want to share it with us.Sometimes doing things in a certain order can save you time,money and frustration.

Oh and someone mentioned pictures,they are very helpful.I think one of you in your bikini beside your 1980 C3 will be appropriate since DB gave up washing his car.Of course your boy friend should be in the pic but waving from inside the car. (dirty old man)
Again Welcome to the Forum its a fun and informative place to hang out.

 

Thanks for the great welcome.

Our plan of attack is to start with the interior just because the mold issue was so bad that you would literally feel sick after sitting in it for a while. We started stripping the inside and the carpets literally fell apart in our hands. Do any of you have a good source for interior components. We are looking to change the color from white to something that wouldnt look so dirty. Maybe a gray or something along those lines. We are going to need everything from carpets to trim. We are hoping to salvage the seats and get those recovered. But any suggestions are welcome.

We are eventually going to revamp the engine but right now we just want to put it all back together and get it running.

We are limited on cash because we werent really planning on a project like this but now that we have it we feel we cant let it keep deterroriating.

 

Wilcox is a very active and helpful member and has some of the lowest prices.He offers some great forum member discounts.
http://www.willcoxcorvette.com/

 

Get with Wilcox about carpet and any trim yo need. Just so you know, it's not hard to dye your existing trim panels if they are not cracked or broken. Just order some dye, clean them up, dye them, and install. They will almost always fit better than reproduced parts.

 

Welcome to the forum, lots of great info on this site, just about anything you can think of has been asked, so don't worry....

I notice you posted you are limited on cash, (Like most of us), I just wanted to mention that restoring a Vette that has sat for 12 years will get costly...

Don't get in over your head!

Have you checked out the frame and birdcage?

 

The frame and body are in good condition... I am not sure what a birdcage is.... But it sat inside a garage in FL so the only things that were really bad were the tires which dry rotted and the interior had mold issues. The engine is taken apart but we have all the parts to get it up and running and improvements will have to come later. Mainly right now we need to get new tires and replace the interior.

 

This is the birdcage.

 

Before you get too far into the project, my advice is to purchase the 1980 Assembly Instruction Manual (AIM) and thumb through it after it arrives. If you don't have a 1980 owner's manual with the car, order a reproduction and read through that.

If you intend on doing most of the work yourself, the 1980 Corvette Chassis and Service Manual will be a big help.

A copy of The Corvette Black Book will tell you what you're working with.

 

If you are not familiar with vinyl dye, it is a lot different than paint. It is very thin [watery], dries quickly with little film layer, and covers exceptionally well. It is what the manufacturer uses to color vinyl panels. Pick some up at a local auto paint [professional] supply store; they can mix it to a GM interior color code or can match something you bring in. DO NOT buy any interior panels that are in good shape...it would be a total waste of money. You can re-dye any color with any other color easily.

 

The birdcage is in pretty good shape. There is some rust above the Winidshield.

Thanks for the tip on the vinyl dye. I will look into that

 

It is important that you fully evaluate the car before you begin to work on it. You need to check out that windshield frame thoroughly. If the rust is bad in that area it can be a real expensive and difficult repair to make. Also check the frame where it kicks up over the rear wheels this is an area where rust can render the frame toast. Also remove the kick panels in both the passenger and driver compartments and look at the condition of the bottom on the birdcage.

The last thing you want to do is invest in new interior pieces(rugs, seats, door panels) and then find out the frame or birdcage is rusted through and the car is useless.

You need to think about what you want the car to be. A 1980 is not a very valuable car if you invest a couple of thousand in it you will not recover it if you want to sell it. Also think about what the effects of changing the interior and exterior colors will do to the value. If the car has sentimental value and you want to keep it in the family you have to look at it in a whole different light.

Is the car an investment? Is it a fun car? Is it a sentimental piece? You need to think and plan based upon what you want it to be. Don't throw good money after bad without knowing where you are going.

 

Welcome to the forum,,,

A thorough inspection of the Frame and birdcage NOW will cover you from what might be deal breakers after several thousands of dollars is invested in the car. An 80 with a rusted birdcage is not worth fixing, generally, and the labor on a serious frame repair makes this just slightly less prohibitive. (You have the remove the frame to repair the birdcage ) Windshield frame repair or replacement runs in the 2k-4k $ range. Birdcage more then 4 time what a good '80 is worth, and Frame, more then 2 are worth. The best inspection point is behind the kick panels, everybody has to check these, kind of a go or no go test. It's a good day when you pull the kick panels and everything is fine in there. Pull the kicks, take some pics, and let us evaluate them for you. C.

 

Thanks for the tips on the rust.... I am aware of the dangers of sinking money in a car that isnt going to be worth anything. My BF has done total rebuilds on a Olds Cutlass, International Scout and a MG GT just never a vet. I dont think we will be touching the frame or messing with the rust around the windshield. The interior had to go for health reasons. The mold was so bad you couldnt sit in it without getting stuffy and sneazing. We have stripped the interior out already and everything besides the area above the windsheild looks good. My BF has done this many times and has all the right equipment from welders if it comes to that and paint equipment to finish. The biggest worry we have is getting ripped off by buying from the wrong suppliers. We have talked to many people who have vets and they suggested to get some advice from forums like this for suppliers and parts. So as for the actual work I think my BF has that handled but by I do appreciate and would still love to hear all the tips and warnings you have to give. It is nice to know what problems we may run into.

This car is a sentimental piece. His dad is still struggling with his illness and we are hoping he will get well enough to want to car back and we hope to at least have it running and looking as good as possible with out going broke in the process. We are probably going to buy a roll of carpet and try to redo the interior ourselves... it looks like that will be the best option money wise. I will look into the dyes for the trim and maybe having the seat recovered.

Any other suggestions and opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

I would seriously suggest buying a molded carpet set for the car as opposed to piecing it together from a roll of carpet. There are a lot of areas the molded sets will fit and you won't be able to get the flat carpet to sit properly. Trust me, it's worth the extra money. I have seen a few attempts by people to do what you're thinking of doing.

 

I will print this out and show it to my BF. He is the one who is doing all the work and I hope by getting info like this I can save him some time and frustration. Do you have a suggestion for a supplier for a molded carpet set. I have seen pricing ranging from $200 to over $1000. So I am lost to what a decent price is and what I would be getting ripped off with.

Thanks