All,

I just recently bought a 1972 Base model coupe, with matching numbers. Car was last on the road in 1996, and has been shelved since then. It has had a couple non-corvette familiar owners who bought the project and then decided it was more than they knew how to do. The rear-end was shop rebuilt by the first owner starting the rebuild and as far as I can tell that was well done. The second owner had a little body work done before he called it quits. Not so good on the body work, not that it looks bad but it was a front-end hood surround replacement, middle of the wheel wells forward. Hand laid glass glued to the original factory glass at the top of the wheel wheels. Fenders are factory as are the inner fenders although those have been cobbled up a bit.

I'm going through this car completely, ie engine rebuild, tranny rebuild, suspension, brakes, engine wiring (possibly more wiring depending on what I find). Only has a few missing parts, someone pirated the windshield wiper motor and wiper door actuator along the way. Interior will be redone, it's ratted, and of course body and paint. Rear clip is original glass and the doors are tight no sagging hinges. The car had some high miles, you can tell by the steering linkage and the build up of engine grime but from what I can tell has never had a major issue.

Anyhow, it's the front glass that I'm undecided about. Since I'm really going back to factory with this, I'm thinking of pulling the hand-laid glass off and replacing with a factory full hood surround. That's a bit of work and some cost, I think the fenders are salvageable, but the inner fenders may have to be replaced. The question is... is it worth it on this base model? If it was an LT-1 or something else I wouldn't think twice but I'm just not sure on the 200hp base model coupe.

Any thoughts or advice on this much appreciated. I've already gathered a lot of information on other tasks off other threads on this forum, great resources here.

 

You have to define "worth it" for yourself. If you are planning on selling the car for a profit when it is finished for example, or just want the car of your dreams. Many have a finished car that was "worth it" to them, but more money in it than what they could sell it for.

 

I did phrase that poorly. The question is really how important is factory glass versus hand-laid. I realize that is kind of a loaded question too, as that can vary depending on who is buying the car.

This car is an investment. I intend to drive it some, but it'll go up for sale someplace inside of 10 years when I retire. I got it at a decent price and I can do most all of the work myself including body and paint. I spent several years in my younger days working in a Corvette shop, collision work, restorations, and custom builds. We used hand-laid glass in most cases except collision as in those days these old Corvettes weren't "vintage" and people were customizing them to no end.

 

You're funny! There are various investments out there, but this car ain't one of them. (Very few C3's are.)

Accept that this is just a car that you will be throwing your time and money at, and hopefully enjoying it a bit along the way. If you're lucky, when you sell it you'll only lose a little bit.

 

Original panels were press molded. If "factory" is important, go with press molded.

That said, you can get some very good quality had laid panels and save a little on the costs.

Your choice.

I agree middle of the wheels wells forward is not the ideal replacement panel.

 

pictures please.

 

I'd go with the cheapest and easiest route on this one

 

 

Hi gb,
I believe that the closer the rest car is returned to it's original condition the more important an original style front clip with bonding strips becomes.
For some buyers the value of a car with a 'one piece' front clip, or a clip with 'hand laid' parts in it, is reduced by the cost of replacing the clip with a jig assembled clip and painting the car.
For some buyers this applies to all cars not just special cars.
It certainly doesn't matter to many people, but does it matter to you?
Regards,
Alan

 

 

So, it would seem what's under the paint is not so important as the paint in this case. And numbers matching probably means little either then.

I see the ads out there for these running from $8000 to $29,000 (something I'm missing here understanding that wide difference) and figured there is a normal in between. With what I paid originally I've got a bit of money for parts and still not lose money, so the point of the question was really to find out where it was more important to spend the money in this case. I will hire almost nothing done, except for things like turning rotors and some things I don't have the machinery to do, but for the most part I'll do the work and my labor I count as zero, it is after all a hobby.

 

keep it numbers matching... should be easier to sell someday and should add value

 

You have to determine what's important to you. It's your car.

Again, what's important to you? You say in the first sentence of your post that your car is numbers matching. If that was unimportant, why mention it?

 

I was asking about the value of those things as far as resale. They can be important in valuing or devaluing a car. Putting flares on an LT-1 survivor would be devaluing it. Putting flares on salvaged total may even add value as a custom car.

I'm ignorant on what would value or devalue this particular year and model car was why I was asking. I bought it as a project because I like building cars as a hobby, but I do have some rules about what I do with a car. Basically my rules on my car work is that if the car is restorable, meaning it is valuable enough and has enough of it original, then restore it, don't hack it into a hotrod. If it isn't valuable, or is too far gone, then do what you want with it.

From the replies I have seen, there is not a lot of value in the car anyway, it's not a collector item, so keep the numbers matching as it does add some value, but buying OEM factory glass over cheaper hand-laid glass is probably not worth it. I'll turn it into a good clean, original driver, but not a collector piece.

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to attach pictures... I'm not so good at these computer things.

 

Hi GB,
I understand your thinking but:
When you're ready to sell your car a person who is attracted to it because it has it's original motor and transmission is likely to either say "no thank you" or offer you $7500+ less than you're asking because of the hand layer fiberglass.
Sorry, but I believe this is reality.
Regards,
Alan

 

Here is the 1972 project car... I hope

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/atta...1&d=1392762352

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/atta...1&d=1392762603

 

Alan,

I apologize to everyone here because I must really be asking this in a confusing way, but your answer is exactly the kind of thing I am looking for. My thinking was that since this was a matching numbers car, that really is original except for the pieced in front glass work, a hacked in cassette tape player where the original radio was, and the ugly paint, that the way to go with this was go with back with factory parts throughout, including the original color. Everything else on this car is pretty simple to keep to original parts in the rebuild, but the front glass work would be pretty extensive, so I was asking how much anyone who would buy the car would care. (Remember, when last I was seriously working on these cars, the owners were whacking them up and putting those boxy Can-am flares on them!)

I have no problem with doing the work or paying the parts cost to go back to original, in fact I'd rather do that because I am rather a purist. But I'm also pragmatic and if there was no value in doing the glass correctly, then why bother.

But your post tells me that it does matter, and it seriously matters to the guy that is attracted because of the matching numbers, even if it is not a real collectors model. Again, my experience is old, and stuff like hand-laid versus factory glass didn't matter to the buyers I remember, they were more interested in side-pipes and custom paint. That's why I came to this forum, to find out what current thinking is.

I appreciate everyone's input on this, it has been valuable.

 

Hi GB,
I believe it would be good to make CERTAIN that the engine and transmission are the ones this car left St.Louis with.
In addition, there are MANY other engine components, and engine compartment components, chassis and running gear components, exterior trim, glass, and interior components, that will need to be checked to see if they're original to this car in order to get an idea of what it's restored value could be.
I think you need to determine that as a guide to how you'll proceed with what you want to do. Also knowing what the upside value may be will help you decide how much $$ and labor you can sanely put into this car.
Are there any pictures of the engine compartment and chassis?
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks Alan. I am trying to run those things to ground at this point. There is nothing that makes me doubt the engine and transmission, the numbers on the block match the VIN, but I haven't quite figured out how to verify those against any database yet.

The paint code and interior code on the drivers door ID plate matches the Ontario Orange underneath that purple paint and the interior is the saddle leather is says it should be as does the deluxe door panel trim.

I have yet to pull the gas tank out to see if I've got a sticker on top.

I don't have pictures of the chassis and I did just get the engine and tranny pulled this weekend. Tranny is the TH400 expected, but again I haven't verified it as the original transmission.

I had thought that I had read/heard somewhere that there was a website where one could feed in a VIN and get the options the car came with and other verification data but I have not been able to find that.