Well I have been reading the forum for like a week now...

I have come up with a few questions.

first lil info on the car. Car is all original as far as I know on everything. Has 66k miles and previous owner was very picky about the car staying stock.. I plan to keep it mostly stock too, except like K&N, and maybe petronics ign.


1. Factory radiator noticed tonight has had a big hole knocked in the upper corner, more like crushed and cracked. So should I try to get it repaired or if I get a newer alum radiator am I gonna kill value of car or even a normal radiator.

2. Gas tank. Been setting for 23 years with same gas... lil rusted. New tank or should I see about factory tank getting cleaned.

3. ignition. I have read about many that have done a MSD ignition and many look down on that, so what about a petronics module that goes in under the cap????

4. shifter. the lift rod got bent and the shifter is pulled out, (4speed) and how bad is that gonna be to get fixed properly and what should I look to run into for problems.

5. Stock am/fm radio. It doesn't work. Who or where should I send it to be repaired?

Thanks for any and all replys! I am sure there will be others, just these are a few in my head that have had me wondering. Whole motor is gonna get tore into and a nice refresh, minus bore.

Still learning about the LT1. I was told should have steel crank, 4bolt mains and forged pistons. Should all this be true??

Thanks for now!

 

I sent my radio out to be repaired and it sounds "ok". Not great, just OK. It probably sounds about as good as when new. It thought that was what I wanted. I figured I would go for the "as it was back then" driving experience. Now that I have experienced how my car was when it was first sold....I wish I had better tunes.
That song from War (LowRider) came on the radio yesterday and I went to crank the radio....it sucked to hear all the cracks and pops.

Check out Custom Auto Sound or someplace similar. They make radios that look factory but sound MUCH better. I am saving my pennies for one myself.

I have talked to many people who have used the Petronics and love what they have.

What do you mean "lift rod"? Are you talking about the t handle thing on the shifter that allows you to get into reverse? If so, that's pretty easy to replace. (at least on my car it was....) The shifter ball just screws off and the handle comes out with a little spring.

23 year old gas is concerning. Probably smells like turpentine. You are probably going to have other issues as well, such as leaking brakes etc. How does all that stuff look?

 

My opinions

Take the radiator to a good shop and see if it can be repaired, if not buy a dewitt's.

Unless the tank has very light rust, I would replace it, they're not too expensive and you won't have to worry about it springing a leak

I love MSD stuff, but I wanted to keep the vette stock so I just rebuilt the points distributor (but I also enjoy tinkering with outdated things like points)

If you want to keep your original radio, I just got mine back from Jerry Rudbeck at electrodesign, he is great to deal with, does nice work, and has fair prices http://www.electrodesign.us/index.htm

I think all that is true of the LT1

Sounds like a good project...any pictures?

Good luck
Jeremy

 

23 yo gas is no longer gas.rust in there too?..better buy a filter as well.23 yo brake fluid...thats looking for something to crash into. Change ALL the fliuds.

 

1. If the radiator is not leaking and if it is keeping the engine at normal operating temperature, leave it alone. Chances are it is just some damage to the outer parts of the cooling fins and there is no significant damage to radiator function.

2. I would recommend that you drain the tank to see what is in it. If it has been filled for those years, does not leak, and you get very little water in what you drain out, go ahead and use it until you have a problem. If the tank is mostly empty, your sending unit may be in bad shape and/or condensation in the tank will show up in the drainage. Then you must inspect the inside of the tank to see how bad it is. If you find lots of rust inside, it is probably better to replace it.

3. There is nothing wrong with using an electronic module...as long as you hook it up properly. If you decide to do so, get clear advice/direction from this Forum on getting the proper voltage fed to it. There is a resistance wire in the coil circuit of your car; some elec units use that...most need full 12vdc. The instructions of elect modules may not clearly state how to hook up properly to your car. You need more info on this one.

4. If the shifter linkage is the only problem with it, you need to buy a shift links and bushing kit. Not very expensive...but it will put your shifter back in good shape [as long as there is no other tranny problem].

5. You might call Elmer Hoeferlin in St. Charles, MO. (314) 277-9333 and see if he can help.

When you begin work on any one thing and need more detailed info, we'll try to help. Good luck.

 

My $0.02 worth.....as well as the above suggestions, I would consider sending the brake calipers out for a rebuild as well as a set of stainless steel sleeves. I know I wouldn't trust calipers that were sitting that long....

 

I would leave the rad alone unless it leaks or your car is over heating. Give it a good flush and maybe pressure test it...replacing an old rad cap and thermostat is a quick and cheap fix for an over heating problem. If replacing the rad check with DeWitts http://www.dewitts.com/ for a factory correct one.

If the gas tank is rusted I would replace it...Quanta makes a good one
http://www.quantaproducts.com/home.asp

I would leave the ignition alone. I've never had a problem with a points setup. If you have an LT1 you have a transistor ignition which I would not replace.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your new ride,

 

100% and if you are going to tackle the brake system, do yourself a favor and buy a full four rebuilt calipers from Vette Brakes @ Products. I had a hell of a time with my 79 brakes for years till I decided to swap out the originals with the stainless steel inserts and rubber 'O' rings in them. From the time I replaced them, I've never had a brake problem since.

If the car is close to original, I'd keep all original, if for no other reason than it's going to be worth more when you go to sell it. A matching numbers car is a really good investment.

 

Hi RJ,
72 LT-! NICE!!!!
If I may, I'll suggest you think about buying both the factory ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTION MANUAL (AIM) and the GM CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL for your 72. I think you'll find them both interesting and very helpful. They're both available from many vendors.
Good luck as you get to know your car.
Regards,
Alan

PS: If the car is quite "original" have you thought about having it judged before you begn to change things? That might prove to be interesting and rewarding.

 

Ok Thanks everyone for all the great info so far!!!

I should clear up a few things. This car belonged to my dad, he passed 2 years ago, so I have no plans and I mean NONE to get rid of this car ever. It will be passed to my son.

The car is original as I think you can get, minus tires and few hoses and belts... You know the common things that have to be replaced.

As for the Radiator it does have a hole in it the corner is busted in pretty good maybe a half dollar area and cracks run further.

The factory radio I would like replaced, but dont wanna loose the "original" touch. Sucks to have a car that close and then see a dvd player in it... I love good sounding tunes but at the cost of looking to new kills it....

Brakes were stuck when we first moved it now unstuck but I figured I would have to go thru the car and replace all fluids, lines and hoses.

I did find the original intake and carb, guess I am gonna have to freshen the skills on rebuilding a holley.

The gas tank I can see into and it is all rusted on the sides not sure on sending unit.

The shifter has a rod that sticks below, for the reverse gate, it is the rod that is bent.
Stored here for over 23 years.

On the trailer, ready for ride to new home...

My buddy hooking up to put it in the garage.

open the hood to find this...

Interior...

Exterior.. Tires held air after all those years setting. They were not completely flat.

back shot

Cracked radiator.... grrr

 

Wow, nice untouched car. Think twice before you start restoring or modifying, there's very few originals around these days. Looks like the radiator might have frozen and cracked at one point. It would be worth finding out if it can be inspected and repaired. Do you believe the car is a real LT1? Worth some serious money if so.

 

block is CKY and hood says LT-1. Was all original when it was new sooooo... Thinking it is a all original car. I dont plan a full restore. Want it to run again but need it to opperate safely for driving. I am fine with paint flaws and how it is. Just want it mechanicly safe.

Has alum intake and holley on top. Think that was only a option on LT-1's.

 

Intake and carb. From what I have read the LT-1 was only motor with this option.

 

Look like a great project

 

Maybe you could just get a local radiator repair shop to replace the tank, if the core is still good...

With respect to the "tunes", some of the 'Vette supply houses now sell a replacement center console/dash panel that has an opening sized for a "modern" stereo. You could install one of them, and not have to hack the original one, so you could return to stock in the future, if you ever chose to.

 

Nice LT-1! KEEP IT AS ORIGINAL AS POSSIBLE!!!!
That's a car most would drool over since it's in tact. I'd have any original parts rebuilt. Water pump, brake calipers, distributor, what ever. (Roy) rvasquez here on the forum has a gorgeous fully restored 72 LT-1. There should be a smog pump there as well. If it's missing, costly and difficult to find with proper numbers. These were often removed back in the day.
If you pull the tank the tank sticker should be there. Take pics of it before you remove it & Remove it VERY CAREFULLY & keep it. Often these are also tucked up under the dash, or show up under the carpeting!
Here's some pics of his from a show last summer.
Good luck with it.

 

Thanks for the info and good luck with the project!

 

A good radiator shop can remove the tank on that radiator, repair it from the inside and put it back on the core to make it look almost untouched. Point is, that you should try to keep all original parts if you possibly can. Almost all components on the car can be repaired instead of replaced. And with a car that original, you definitiely do NOT want to start swapping out parts with pieces from "the Zone".

Keep in touch with this Forum on your work. Whenever you want to start a specific project, get advice here about how to go about it before you start running 'blind'. I think I can safely say that the majority of folks on this Forum would want you to keep that car in the original state with the original parts. Even if stuff doesn't work right, we can help you refurbish the parts you have back to almost new [and safe to use] condition...if you allow us to do so. It's your choice...but we would like to help you ,as long as your plan goes along with that approach.

Frankly, I'm jealous. I have a nice "almost original" '71 SB coupe with A/C if you would like to avoid all the "hassle" of rebuilding yours. I'd be interested in discussing how much you would want in exchange for a great condition, working car!

 

Very cool story! Sorry about the loss of your father but as you can see he is still with you! Every time you drive the car he will be there too!

Best of luck returning it to it's glory!

WB

PS: Did you find the cylinder heads too?

 

"I should clear up a few things. This car belonged to my dad, he passed 2 years ago, so I have no plans and I mean NONE to get rid of this car ever. It will be passed to my son."

WB