I disagree with the initial value before the complete restoration. The rust on the frame, TAs, birdcage makes this one a complete project. Is it worth the time, trouble and money? Finacially, no. For sentimental reasons, perhaps.

$80k can easly reach $100k and 5 years sounds about right, as long as they don't get discouraged and either abandon it or sell it as several boxes of parts.

If the OP has a son (or daughter), the bonding of them doing the restoration together is priceless.

 

It's easy to laugh and joke when it's the other guy

 

Thank you so much for the compliment. There is nothing we cant conquer on these cars, no matter how difficult. It's about making something the best it can be. And on that car, it was for all the right reasons.

By the way, In my opinion there is no such a thing as a "lowly" 69 L46 car.

They are all awesome!!! You are fortunate to own one.

 

If money were no object, I would say damn it all and do whatever it takes, but it does matter, which is why I'm trying to get some advice on how to go about this so I can put together as detailed a budget as I can get. If I get done and it just doesn't look anywhere close to reasonable, then I'll have to figure out what to do, but I'm not going to put myself into $100k worth of debt for this car...I can't afford to, unless I want to eat ramen noodles for the rest of my days Ofcourse, this is all a moot point if the generous people on this forum want to donate there time, tools, knowledge, and parts in exchange for beer

 

This is how the fun projects work.

I kept my beer fridge full for the duration of my build and still do for my car buddies.

 

So, I understand where a lot of you are coming from regarding the expense and the time. But, that's not the point of this thread. Ultimately, the decision to spend my money on this or not is mine and I'm sure you understand that. What I really need is advice, lessons learned, and contacts. I can't do this restoration entirely on my own...I'm just not that skilled, but I am willing and able to learn.

So, with that said, what other information can you guys offer up? The way I figure it, the more I can determine now about how I'm going to go about this restoration, the more accurate my budget will be and that's what I need in order to plan this endeavor out (or to not plan, if the budget is outside of my price range). Either way, I'll figure that part out if you guys can help with the details of what will be needed. Some ideas and/or questions I've been thinking about:

What should I use to coat the frame? Powder coat? Por-15 or some other rust inhibitive paint? Something else?

I saw a post about someone who zinc plated their bird cage, sounds like a great idea to me, are there any pro's or con's to that? Are there other items I should consider for zinc plating?

What about the fasteners? Should I try to use stainless in some areas that may be more prone to exposure to the elements and thus more prone to rust? or is it just a waste of money.

Interior components - I have some panels with cracks and random holes from the previous owner...should I try to refurbish them (is it even possible?) or do I just plan to purchase new or used replacements?

The Engine - It's an original numbers matching 350/350 that I'd like to keep in it. What should I do to it to make sure it's in tip-top shape and will be around another 40 years? Any machining that I should do while it's out of the car? Hone the cylinders? Take it to a shop to have it cleaned and/or x-rayed? I'm not much of an engine guy, so I don't know what makes sense to do, but I'm trying to learn what's useful and what isn't.

Anything you guys can offer up is appreciate.

Thanks again,
Andrew

 

If you are going to take the body off, my opinion is have the frame blasted, dipped and powedercoated. Should cost about $800.

POR-15 it if you are only doing a touchup in my opinion. Others may advise you otherwise.

That is a great thought, but to take the birdcage out plate it and put it back would be a tremendously costly adventure unless you do it yourself. This project would not be for the faint of heart! That means cutting the body apart and you better work on your fiber-glassing skills.

There are Stainless kits out there and if I had it to do over again, I would have bought one. I think it would be worth the investment.

You may be able to fix some of the things, and certainly color dye is available to re-color the parts. I think you may be better off with new in a lot of cases as the plastic parts get brittle with time.


This depends on the miles the motor has on it. A bottom end rebuild should be $1,500-$2,000. Then have a valve job done on the heads. Make sure they DO NOT DECK THE BLOCK as that would remove your "numbers matching" engine numbers. another $1,000. for the heads and assembly. You may want to put a new oil pump in, lifters, and rebuild or replace the water pump since it will be easy do to both while it is apart. If you want more HP there are things that can be done that would not affect the visual but improve performance.

 

So, I guess an NCRS factory correct restoration is not your goal?

 

All of us are shooting in the dark a bit here... could you post some detailed photos of the outside, underside, engine compartment and interior so some informed advice can be given? Generalizations are nice, but if you want specific help with damage assesment we need pictures.

 

If you're going to have the motor rebuilt, you can have the block decked. Just make sure the pad with the #'s on it is left alone.
There have been numerous threads of machine shops decking the #'s off in an oops moment.
The machine shop that did my '71 LT-1 block did a superb job of machining and left all #'s intact.
I know what you're going through, keep it stock or upgrade. There are arguments from both camps.
Good luck,
Tim

 

I can only offer two things for you right now. First, I am including my restoration thread on my 1971 for you to look through and consider.

http://http://forums.corvetteforum.c...barn-find.html

Secondly there are some key decisions you will want to make up front before you break loose your first bolt, or break your first wire, and those decisions are yours and yours alone. I am over restoring the 1971Brandshatch Green Coupe now. It will look and have the feel of its original roots but it will be safer, and better, in many ways. Mine will stay matching numbers but that is a decision I made. As for costs I can only tell you that my original projections have been exceeded in every aspect, that is, cost, timing, and work. Would I chang my mind if I knew a year ago what I know now, no chance. What I have learned so far is invaluable. So whatever you want to do just be determined, have some fun, and live your dream.

If I can help in any way give me a shout, I'll be working on this 71 for a few more months so please join along.

Best regards to you.

David

 

Correct. I'm not going for an NCRS restoration.

 

I will get some pictures this weekend of every nook and cranny I can get to.

Thank you!

 

Mike, I lean more towards the triple, but I'm conservative, and broke...

 

I'm sure a lot of us have overrun on restorations, but what do you think it is due to...

Bad Estimate, schedule overrun, unforeseen issues or parts escalation?

It would be interesting to hear what the forum recommends to prevent this from happening.

 

First question I asked was will this be a frame off restoration or not.
The question alone will help to give guidance on what you may want to consider when laying out your project plan.
If the answer is yes, body is coming off the frame, then consider where parts will be stored, staged, parked, while you are working on the car. I was fortunate to have a four post lift to place and help me with my car. This may not sound like much but I learned that with storage shelves and storage tubs it took two bays in my garage, and four shelves of storage space alone for parts in need of repair, replacement, and staging. If you are going to repair or replace the chassis then you will need a place to store all the parts you remove from the chassis as you get down to that level of attention. If you have to pay for storage then this should be factored into your total costs. There are so many areas we could cover and could spend hours covering just what I alone experienced in the one year since I started mine. I cannot over state that you should absolutely search your car for damage to all the metal. Mine had a lot of damage, all fixed now, but at a cost you will want to understand up front. A thorough inspection of your car is very important and I suggest you get a knowledgeable person to spend a day with you doing just that.
I grew up South of Kalamazoo but no longer live in the area or I would be glad to come over and spend that time with you. With Corvette Central located in Michigan maybe they can recommend some help in your area...it is worth the effort to gain the insight. Maybe a post in the regional area for assistance as well might get you some assistance.
Good luck to you, heading back home to USA now but will check in again soon.
Best regards,
David

 

This is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. Logic dictates that there will be increases simply due to the unknowns of the project. What will I find when I remove this piece or that piece or I thought I could salvage this piece, but I can't. What is it specifically that you all seem to run into? Obviously, I can't plan for every little thing, but I can add a slush fund for things that come up unexpectedly and I can pad my timing with the expectation that issues will arise...

 

This will be a frame off restoration. I imagine that pretty much every part and piece, every nook and cranny will get gone over on some level during this restoration process.

Great information. Thank you, David!

 

Workscope creep is the killer in most cases, or the delusion that we can do it for 50% of cost and hours of what everybody else did it for.

 

Start buying the Corvette reference books and read/learn how others have of done it. Learn the specifics of your model year. Continue to post here. Join a Corvette club. Talk to other owners/restorers.

Knowledge is power. The more you learn, the more you'll be able to answer your own questions, and, questions others have.