First Vette...Thoughts
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
First Vette...Thoughts
Purchased my first vette last month
let me know you thoughts
1979 L-82 T-Tops....2700
Car had been sitting for about 10 years, was a NC car, engine runs interior needed redone, that is complete now(all new carpet, dash and paper circuits, interior lights, new seat/foam, new sound/heat insulator, new dash).... i need to paint the car. Paint was in ok shape but had some rough spots..
Engine was running, but replaced spark plugs, valve gaskets, starter, spedo cable & transmission gear, flushed all liquids and replaced...
let me know you thoughts
1979 L-82 T-Tops....2700
Car had been sitting for about 10 years, was a NC car, engine runs interior needed redone, that is complete now(all new carpet, dash and paper circuits, interior lights, new seat/foam, new sound/heat insulator, new dash).... i need to paint the car. Paint was in ok shape but had some rough spots..
Engine was running, but replaced spark plugs, valve gaskets, starter, spedo cable & transmission gear, flushed all liquids and replaced...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,940
Likes: 35
From: El Cajon California
bball -
Congrats, you are where I was a few years ago. Mine sat for years on southern Cali hence rust was at a minimum.
First thing make sure it is safe, check brakes and steering.
Second chasing down leaks, get use to it you are going to be chasing leaks. I replaced all the water hoses and belts plus lots of vacuum hoses. The leaks that appeared were power steering ram, fuel pump, brake caliper and valve covers. The leaks were not apparent from the start but occured after starting to drive it a bit. Your gas tank may be rusty, all I had to do was siphone out the old gas but you may need to drop the tank. The fuel filer was not plugged! The carb seemed to develop internal leaks and I got the infamous bog, it is being rebuilt by a forum member as this turned out to be a bigger task than I can do. I replaced lots of hose so the headlights open and close, sometimes I have to get out of the car and give them a gentle tug to get them up.
Third Look for rust, again I was lucky, check the frame and birdcage, my rust was only a piece of metal under the radiator
Four - The interior, you can spend buttloads of money and buy new parts or you can go cheap, like I did. I bought a carpet kit from Wilcox and used BMW seats (recaros) everything else was cleaned with Simple Green, repaired as best as I could and resprayed with vinyl paint. The windows had difficulty rolling up and down and I thought that the motors were bad but I just removed the tracks, cleaned them and lubbed with white lithium grease.
Of course plugs, wires cap and rotor are in order as well
The paint was a ten footer, a good buffing and waxing did wonders.
Outstanding issues are the tach does not work and window wiper motor issues, another thing once it is at a state where you can start enjoying it get new tires, mine had 80% tread but were 14 years old, old tires I learned are a saftey concern and the car rides much much better
Good Luck and be patient with her!!
Congrats, you are where I was a few years ago. Mine sat for years on southern Cali hence rust was at a minimum.
First thing make sure it is safe, check brakes and steering.
Second chasing down leaks, get use to it you are going to be chasing leaks. I replaced all the water hoses and belts plus lots of vacuum hoses. The leaks that appeared were power steering ram, fuel pump, brake caliper and valve covers. The leaks were not apparent from the start but occured after starting to drive it a bit. Your gas tank may be rusty, all I had to do was siphone out the old gas but you may need to drop the tank. The fuel filer was not plugged! The carb seemed to develop internal leaks and I got the infamous bog, it is being rebuilt by a forum member as this turned out to be a bigger task than I can do. I replaced lots of hose so the headlights open and close, sometimes I have to get out of the car and give them a gentle tug to get them up.
Third Look for rust, again I was lucky, check the frame and birdcage, my rust was only a piece of metal under the radiator
Four - The interior, you can spend buttloads of money and buy new parts or you can go cheap, like I did. I bought a carpet kit from Wilcox and used BMW seats (recaros) everything else was cleaned with Simple Green, repaired as best as I could and resprayed with vinyl paint. The windows had difficulty rolling up and down and I thought that the motors were bad but I just removed the tracks, cleaned them and lubbed with white lithium grease.
Of course plugs, wires cap and rotor are in order as well
The paint was a ten footer, a good buffing and waxing did wonders.
Outstanding issues are the tach does not work and window wiper motor issues, another thing once it is at a state where you can start enjoying it get new tires, mine had 80% tread but were 14 years old, old tires I learned are a saftey concern and the car rides much much better
Good Luck and be patient with her!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
bball -
Congrats, you are where I was a few years ago. Mine sat for years on southern Cali hence rust was at a minimum.
First thing make sure it is safe, check brakes and steering.
Second chasing down leaks, get use to it you are going to be chasing leaks. I replaced all the water hoses and belts plus lots of vacuum hoses. The leaks that appeared were power steering ram, fuel pump, brake caliper and valve covers. The leaks were not apparent from the start but occured after starting to drive it a bit. Your gas tank may be rusty, all I had to do was siphone out the old gas but you may need to drop the tank. The fuel filer was not plugged! The carb seemed to develop internal leaks and I got the infamous bog, it is being rebuilt by a forum member as this turned out to be a bigger task than I can do. I replaced lots of hose so the headlights open and close, sometimes I have to get out of the car and give them a gentle tug to get them up.
Third Look for rust, again I was lucky, check the frame and birdcage, my rust was only a piece of metal under the radiator
Four - The interior, you can spend buttloads of money and buy new parts or you can go cheap, like I did. I bought a carpet kit from Wilcox and used BMW seats (recaros) everything else was cleaned with Simple Green, repaired as best as I could and resprayed with vinyl paint. The windows had difficulty rolling up and down and I thought that the motors were bad but I just removed the tracks, cleaned them and lubbed with white lithium grease.
Of course plugs, wires cap and rotor are in order as well
The paint was a ten footer, a good buffing and waxing did wonders.
Outstanding issues are the tach does not work and window wiper motor issues, another thing once it is at a state where you can start enjoying it get new tires, mine had 80% tread but were 14 years old, old tires I learned are a saftey concern and the car rides much much better
Good Luck and be patient with her!!
Congrats, you are where I was a few years ago. Mine sat for years on southern Cali hence rust was at a minimum.
First thing make sure it is safe, check brakes and steering.
Second chasing down leaks, get use to it you are going to be chasing leaks. I replaced all the water hoses and belts plus lots of vacuum hoses. The leaks that appeared were power steering ram, fuel pump, brake caliper and valve covers. The leaks were not apparent from the start but occured after starting to drive it a bit. Your gas tank may be rusty, all I had to do was siphone out the old gas but you may need to drop the tank. The fuel filer was not plugged! The carb seemed to develop internal leaks and I got the infamous bog, it is being rebuilt by a forum member as this turned out to be a bigger task than I can do. I replaced lots of hose so the headlights open and close, sometimes I have to get out of the car and give them a gentle tug to get them up.
Third Look for rust, again I was lucky, check the frame and birdcage, my rust was only a piece of metal under the radiator
Four - The interior, you can spend buttloads of money and buy new parts or you can go cheap, like I did. I bought a carpet kit from Wilcox and used BMW seats (recaros) everything else was cleaned with Simple Green, repaired as best as I could and resprayed with vinyl paint. The windows had difficulty rolling up and down and I thought that the motors were bad but I just removed the tracks, cleaned them and lubbed with white lithium grease.
Of course plugs, wires cap and rotor are in order as well
The paint was a ten footer, a good buffing and waxing did wonders.
Outstanding issues are the tach does not work and window wiper motor issues, another thing once it is at a state where you can start enjoying it get new tires, mine had 80% tread but were 14 years old, old tires I learned are a saftey concern and the car rides much much better
Good Luck and be patient with her!!
Was it a decent price?
i have replaced valve covers and replaced all calipars, also replaced all spark plugs/wires/distributor cap...working on my tach now, trying to figure it out...other than that she is all ready for some paint, then in the winter time a good engine rebuild
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,940
Likes: 35
From: El Cajon California
Was it a decent price?
i have replaced valve covers and replaced all calipars, also replaced all spark plugs/wires/distributor cap...working on my tach now, trying to figure it out...other than that she is all ready for some paint, then in the winter time a good engine rebuild
i have replaced valve covers and replaced all calipars, also replaced all spark plugs/wires/distributor cap...working on my tach now, trying to figure it out...other than that she is all ready for some paint, then in the winter time a good engine rebuild
http://willcoxcorvette.com/instructi...ed_12_2010.pdf
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 115
From: Yelm Wa
Can't see you getting hurt at $2700.
You would be hard pressed to reap the fun/pride/excitement of any other car for that kind of money.
Paint jobs are all over board, as far as pricing goes.
The fun starts now.
Congratulations.
You would be hard pressed to reap the fun/pride/excitement of any other car for that kind of money.
Paint jobs are all over board, as far as pricing goes.
The fun starts now.
Congratulations.
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 246
Likes: 1
From: Alpine Texas
My 79 was made Sept 18, has 3 compartments, battery behind driver, empty one and the passenger side has the jack under the compartment. The Orig owner told me he lost the jack, he just forgot where it was kept., he rarely drove it. I found it after I read the owners manual. Who da thought? Glad I didn't have to try to find one. My speedometer only goes to 85, not 140. Wondering when the changes were exactly in the compartments and the speedometer? Wish mine went to 140, hard to gauge how fast I'm going without it. Not that I go that fast, of course.
