Hello corvette world,

I havent been on the site in a few months and i veiw it less and less. I have a 1972 cpe. I bought it for 4500 not running and orrible condition (knew nothing about vette's at the time). I currently have close to 10000 in the car and I still have to buy a carb, complete electric fans, electric waterpump, electric fuel pump, new starter, new HEI and can not motivate myself to get it done. Once I get it running then I have a ton of body work... which i cant do due to lack of experience. I am to the point that I will sell the car at a loss but dont want to. I have a 383 stroker with the original 4 spd. I made every decision about the car with no knowledge of what I could do with it. If I could go back I would put ls1 and t-56. I am here now and have to do what i can, Please someone help me. I have taken the car to multiple shops to get it complete. either they dont want to touch it because i already have or they want a tone of money!!! I can do it my self but cant get motivated and am to the point where i dont know where to begin... havent touched the car in over a year and want to drive it so bad!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

Sorry for misspelled words... very manic right now!

 

Well sir I haven't been here long but whenever I have felt completely overwhelmed by my project I just take a step back and try to focus on one piece at a time. I basically bought half of a corvette and have chosen to rebuild it. This is my first corvette so I am definitely learning as I go. If it helps, here is my build thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...ebuilding.html

Best of luck to you. I have bailed out on several projects feeling overwhelmed and always regretted it later.

 

To start with, there's nothing on the car your can't do yourself. Back off maybe a little and go with the cheaper engine driven fan and water pump, mechanical fuel pump, the starter you can get from a rebuilder, hunt around and an HEI (no tach drive) is $80. Carbs are the same way-keep an eye on Craigslist to save a little money now, you can always go back and add those things later.
Even the bodywork- there are a ton of really good books out there on paint & body work- do some reading, jump in there and try a small spot, then another and another. Try to focus on the smaller spots instead of the big stuff.

 

To rebuild a car from the ground-up... you have to have a passion for the car in question. At least that's what's getting me through it. I love the C3 and I'm damn proud to have one in my garage and I feel blessed with the opportunity to restore it from the frame-off. The ultimate reward is the same for all of us, a classic Corvette to own and drive. I can't offer up any thing more than that. Good luck mate.

 

Consider exploring corvette clubs in your area or find a local forum member who could lend a hand. Tackling everything by yourself isn't the way to go.

You can make a new friend and I believe you will see the restoration journey in a more enjoyable light.

Lastly, get a sheet of paper and pencil and prioritize the projects in writing. Seeing them written down might help shift the locus of control back to you.

Best of luck,

 

Thanks for the quick replys. I actually have all the parts that I need aside from the carb I just feel overwhelmed and dont know where to begin. I just need to do it. break it down into small projects and get it done. I just want to do it all at once. I constantly forget that most of the awesome cars on this site took years to get going... I am young (28) and want it now... Thanks again for the input!

 

do you have any other hobbies? take a breather for a while. I have 3 hobbies I rotate through every few years and I will focus on another when I get to feeling overwhelmed. I always come back though, I love Corvettes and will always come back.

 

I love the 72 model year! Beautiful car and so much fun to drive, or even to look at while parked in your garage, but what makes these cars special are the memories of all of the seemingly unsurmountable obstacles that we overcome while bringing them back to our vision of perfection. The things you view as obstacles are actually what many of us crave. It appears that you've already accomplished a great deal of work, take baby steps and get out to the garage with your tool box and a few beers!

I'm almost done with mine and already looking for yet another project... unless I fail at selling the idea to my wife who, (in case she reads this) is the most beautiful woman on the planet and extremely supportive and understanding of her husband's needs.

 

Good advice here, join local Corvette club, lots in Houston. You will find others in the same boat as you, you will get ideas and have fun discussing the project and get motivated. I think best to break into parts, like mechanical or exhaust and do bite sized chunks and then take a break. Best of luck to you and hope this might help.

 

Lots of great advice already. Sometimes I just walk away and take a break. I'll start the next project and just work on it a little at a time until I get it done. Some guys redo their cars in a year and some take 10 years. Looks like I'm on the 15-year plan Make it fun and go at your comfortable pace. These 40 year old vettes take a lot of $$$ or effort or both, but the satisfaction of bringing them back to life can be addictive.

 

Rebuilding a car is just like eating an elephant - one bite at a time. Get it running, then driving forward/reverse, then stopping, then drive the wheels off it. Take your unfinished car to shows. Corvettes attract people, and I've met more helpful people at car shows than in any other location....

So tell me, what's your vision of your finished car.... what would be the perfect day with your Corvette?

 

[QUOTE=SuperBuickGuy;1584200835]Rebuilding a car is just like eating an elephant - one bite at a time. Get it running, then driving forward/reverse, then stopping, then drive the wheels off it. Take your unfinished car to shows. Corvettes attract people, and I've met more helpful people at car shows than in any other location...QUOTE]


And if that don't work, an email to my 73 year old hot rodding buddy around the corner from you in Kent Falls Drive will result in him kicking you up the a$$!!!! Small world!

 

if you need motivation, you need to sell it and get on with your life

 

Some really great advice already posted. The only thing I could add is that you`re not alone! Sometimes it helps to look at where other people are on their projects, and see what they started with. Repeated from above, you HAVE to have a passion for it! Save where you can. These cars are never truly "done". You`ll always want to add or change something.

 

I would add that you should get into a habit of going to car shows. When there talk to lots of people. You will meet some great people and will inevitably here some stories that create emotions like another member posted yesterday....something in the order of crying, bleeding, cursing, praying, begging in the process of doing and failing tasks on the car and then eventually getting it right causing exclamations of profound happiness combined with schwarzeneggerian flexes towards the heavens that to others will make it look like you're bound for 5" 8-point straps in a pastel green room somewhere in a ugly concrete building with beautiful gardens......

Experiencing from others that they have gone through the same on multiple occasions will be the drive that will push you to keep going forward until the day that you have created a toy that works for you.

When eventually you start driving it, it will all make sense. Utmost satisfaction that no one can explain but for those that have shared the same frustrations while in the process of completing their own projects. ......and for some reason you will then want to come back for more of the same frustrations. That V8 rumble while gazing over the steering wheel to those fender bubbles is a drug like no other! Endorphin rushes is an understatement.

 

Sounds to me like you want the car -- in running condition -- but don't really like the work it takes to create it. Rebuilding an old car is not for everyone. You need to get as much enjoyment out of doing the work on the car, as you would when you get to drive it. Otherwise, it just isn't going to happen for you.

Now, if your problem is 'lack of knowledge' or 'lack of mechanical skills', those items can be learned. But, both of them will take significant time to master.

From your initial post, I'm just not getting the feeling that this work is something you really want to do. If not, there is really no way to recover the full expense of what you have in the car right now. It may be best to sell it as a "project car" to someone else. You could try to "part it out" and sell it piece-by-piece; but that's really more work than trying to just put it together.

Good luck with whatever route you take.

 

'Nuff said!!!

 

This is a great way to proceed.
1. Get it running
2. Get it moving
3. get it looking better.

And until then . . .

 

Good advice; I've working on mine for 7 years and not close to finished. Think of it as an education--self taught...