Well I just finished my first restoration/repair project on the car. I replaced the weatherstripping on both doors and window frame. It was sure nice to put things back together and see it finished. Today was a sunny day (in cleveland!!) so I got to drive it and enjoy it.

Not everything came out perfect, the door weatherstripping was hard to get right and it isn't totally correct. The w/s on the front and rear pillars came out great. And I had to adjust the window on the driver side which was tricky. Thank god for the AIM directions on that, they were pretty good.

So now on to something else.... oh yeah, the radio...

 

Congratulations on your successful weatherstrip install and good luck on the upcoming radio adventure.

Les

 

Success breeds success. Now that you know you can really do this, the sky's the limit. I hope you find all your projects turn out well!

 

Feels good doesn't it

 

Just a suggestion:

If you haven't done so already, make a list of ALL the potential projects you have in mind. Then, group them together based on the areas of disassembly that are required. That way, you need only disassemble any particular group of parts ONCE and simplify the work you will have to do.

 

7T1vette is right on with this suggestion. List out the projects then under each project list out the parts that you know will be needed or reconditioned. Since its cold in the winter where I live, I would put the vette on jack stands for the winter. Then take a section or system and rebuild it. I kept the projects small so I could complete it during the winter and be ready to drive in the spring. It took a few years to get through everything but was worth it.

 

My list of things to do when I replace the dash looks like it might take three years to complete.

 

Nate99, please do not take offense; this is intended only as input to the OP...

Many new owners have the same view as Nate99: the C3 is an old car, will be difficult to work on, and will take a very long time to complete.

But, that "ain't necessarily so". The length of time it will take to get your car in operational condition [so that you can actually use it] depends on just a few factors:
1) the available work space and its functionality; 2) the available funds [BTW, just buying new parts for everything that is 'worn' is an absurd concept; reuse everything you can & buy used pieces in good condition & refurbish them, before buying any new stuff]; 3) have the resource manuals available and become VERY familiar with them before starting any work {I can't overemphsize that point}...the Chevrolet Chassis Service Manual and the AIM are the most important of the bunch...if you are going to overhaul any major components/accessories, the Chevrolet Chassis Overhaul Manual is a necessity;

[and the MOST important point] 4) PLAN, PLAN, PLAN...list out all the things that need to be done, then organize them by groups according to the areas of disassembly that will be required so that ALL repairs requiring certain disassembly activities can be done at the same time. Also, categorize all work as being "safety", "operations", or "appearance" related. Perform your work in that order!!! Get the things that risk you and your car's safety done FIRST. Do the engine/trans/accessory work next so that everything works correctly and is reliable. THEN work on the appearance stuff.

Once you have a detailed plan, including the amount of time you estimate for each project, the parts that are needed, and the approx cost of those parts (don't forget the cleaning and refinishing materials!!), you can put together a sequence of work that will match your available work time on the C3. All this will minimize the overall time that it will take to become operational. Then you can actually enjoy using it!!!

 

No offense taken, I am applying my ever expanding list of wants against my own personal situation. Someone with more time to dedicate to the project would have had my '81 done a couple of years ago. I have some self-inflicted delays in my process as well, but it would only take me that long to complete because of my time limitations.

My remark was not meant to apply broadly. This isn't rocket surgery.

 

Good point about grouping projects. I'm already thinking about fixing the bad speedo cable while I"m in the dash area. It was cool that after I got it all put back together, we had a nice day and I got to drive it.

Jim