Dirty Dalton

Alan, Sir, since you seem to be sticking with me, could you be more specific? I'm going to be in this project for pretty serious money, but looking at it from the 80/20 point of view, to bring this car to 'as new', 'show quality' isn't realistically in the cards. On the other hand, I will not do anything that cannot be 'corrected' with a wrench.

Specific questions:

• Poly bushings. This seems a harmless improvement to me. What am I missing?
  
• Adjustable strut rods. Same thing.
  
• Rack and pinion steering. Pie in the sky, not likely, but if it's just a wrench job...

Still chasing parts - they have a way of migrating into obscure places over 30 years and one move (that's the one that scares me).

Recommendations for a chrome shop in the Mass area? I need to get the rear bumpers redone.

Thank you! Ed

Don Rickles

I love the Plastic Pig!

Keep us posted.

Alan 71

Hi Ed,
I raised the point again because as I've said 70, LT-!, convertibles are very special cars…. certainly one of the few VERY special cars in the 70-72 group; the group that I'm most interested in.
I'd rather see the car start on the road going back towards what it once was originally rather than go even a little bit further down the road of modifications.
While I agree that the 3 items you list are relatively easily reversible, I don't see that there's much gain in doing them unless you're going to be asking more from the suspension and handling now than you have since 1975.
I fully realize it's right for you to do what ever you'd like!
Regards,
Alan

I'd make a small wager that you'll wish you hadn't done the poly bushings because they tend to squeak, and the adjustable strut rods won't get re-adjusted after you have the rear suspension aligned for the first time.

Added after re-reading the post… You can really ignore all of the above because it's all just my opinion!

Dirty Dalton

Thank you, Alan, I'll get Danny's opinion. I appreciate your comments.

But (there's always a but) do you really think I'll hear the squeaking.

Dirty Dalton

Well the parts keep on trickling in. Yesterday, while talking with my daughter, I noted the wiper door, wrapped in a towel, sitting on top of the paint cabinet. I might have looked for that for days. Today I hit the mother-lode:







I even found the item I thought might have been lost in a move. I’m pretty certain that only thing left to find are the seatbelts. They hung for years in the basement, until pronounced ‘in the way’. They are somewhere, in a box…

Also, not shown, are the rear bumpers – they need to be rechromed – I’m looking for recommendations.

Dirty Dalton

Alan, Sir, breath easy. While it won't be 'original', I've been convinced of the error of my ways. I am, however, going to repower it with the engine from a Chevy II I pulled out of a junk yard.

Pictures from the Beauty Parlor:







Bumpers





Double wrapped in bubble pack, with cardboard doublers on the ends.



Jam packed with peanuts.



Taped, and retaped. No rattles within. Shipped this morning to Librandi, expected for delivery Wednesday. Librandi is running 8 to 10 weeks.

Now off to deliver more parts to the Beauty Parlor.

brit vet

Found it

That is certainly worthy of investing some of your daughters inheritance on and I'm sure she won't mind as long as she gets to borrow it now and then..

Blue was my first choice, but I just couldn't find one in the condition I wanted.

Good luck with the Plastic pig.

Alan 71

Hi Ed,
Lot's of the parts in those pictures are the ones that can be quite difficult/costly to replace…. like that small fender trim piece laying in the rear compartment.
Is the rear valance laying in the passenger's side actually broken in 2 pieces or does it just look like it?
I see the flasher unit/condenser and a door ajar jamb switch laying there too….hang on to ALL the small parts and fasteners because if they disappear that's what's going to drive you wacko when you start to reassemble this car!
NICE T-Bird in that picture!
Continued good luck!
Regards,
Alan

Dirty Dalton

Thank you.

No, it's all of a piece.

Small parts - I really hope I have them all, although if I'd known when I started this project that it would take 30 years vs the planned 3 months, I'd have labeled things better. But, it even surpasses my Father's rule of estimating. "Make a good faith estimate. Double it. Go to the next highest unit."

Also, that Cadillac. The plating was done by Librandi.

Dirty Dalton

Delivered more parts to the Beauty Parlor today.



The Plastic Pig is next in line. (That's the boss.)



Anybody recognize this?



And you've seen this already, but before it was in 'primer gray' (with a nod to Cheech and Chong).

Dirty Dalton

Another run to the beauty parlor. Something new.



The white Corvette several pictures up is being painted. No status photos on that; that means that bay will be open 'fairly' soon, and The Plastic Pig will be the next occupant.

Andy Tuttle

Sounds like it's time has come. Enjoy it! Will be following!

Dirty Dalton

Things take time...

But here we are at the Beauty Parlor:







A little mousie activity...

And, the big bummer...



That's the build sheet...

RobWilson

Ed,

Thanks for the update. I've enjoyed following your progress.
Bummer on the tank sticker.

Snoopysvet

Great car, btw whats the story of the Pontiac Formula?

(I got a soft spot for Pontiacs)

Dirty Dalton

Insane Diego, as my good friend Dave called his adopted hometown.

The Pontiac... Something like this, the 'then' owner, for reasons I don't remember, sold the car quite a few years ago, and the buyer kept it in his garage, and never got around to it. The 'then owner' kept pestering the current owner, attempting to repurchase it. This was all in vain for quite a few years. Then one day, a miracle occurred, the current owner called the 'then' owner and asked if he was still interested in buying his car back.

So, now it's back at The Beauty Parlor, awaiting its turn. It likely will be going into storage for a bit as the place is crazy busy.

Thank you for your interest. I have photos of new developments, maybe I'll get to do them tomorrow, crazy busy.

Dirty Dalton

You're welcome, and a major understatement! I couldn't believe it.

Dirty Dalton

Check it out!
















Gonna be great off road!

Dirty Dalton

Photos from recent trip to the Beauty Parlor





Never know what your going to see there.

Procrastination Racing

If you have the original engine, you are miles ahead of many in the keeping it stock side. Of course you have to consider your situation. Will you ever sell it? Will you ever need to sell it?

The more original, the better the numbers will be unless you go hog wild on a resto mod with all the goodies like modern chassis and suspension, LS-? engine, etc. That doesn't entail opening your wallet; that entails selling your house for many.

The poly bushing were all the rage in the late '70s and early '80s since C3s were the current and modern Corvette and were driven to the limits on the street at the time. They raced them, they drove them hard, and they wanted maximum performance. Forget about the penalties that came in the harsh ride. Most on here, and odds are you, too, were in your twenties or early thirties and tolerated a completely different ride characteristic than you do today.

If you aren't riding a sport bike, driving a '60s Chevy pickup truck, and have a '50s Chevy for your daily driver, then odds are you are going to dislike the poly bushings in your Corvette. They can be replaced, but it is a work-intense effort, not just a Saturday morning wrench turning.


Adjustable strut rods - harmless, will change things a bit, but probably not noticeable on the street. Still, those are a Saturday morning wrench-turning if you don't like them. They will allow better alignment of the rear. Go for them if you want.


Rack and pinion steering - you are probably going to like the feel MUCH better, but it is going to be tough going back and any potential buyer is going to consider that. The performance enhancement you get will probably be good, but any C4 out there will blow yours away in handling and with no modification to it. The C5 and C6 even more so.

If you are road racing or autocrossing your car, then maybe you want to do this. For the street and leaving it for your daughter or the strategic sale if worse comes to worse, then you won't be getting much out of the effort. It may even hurt the number of people interested in buying.

Hope that gives you some food for thought.