Hey fellas..I'm new here to the group. My dad just passed away from cancer last Sunday and he left me his 350 Small Block 79 Corvette. It needs a few things but other than a paint job and some tweaking, it is an awesome ride. In tribute to my dad, I want to get this thing up and running and make it the head turner it was a few years ago. A few things I'm not sure about so I wanted to ask some guru's and enthusiasts like you guys. Any help you can provide me in getting this thing going again would be greatly appreciated.

1. I'm not sure about the type of Brake Fluid it uses. My dad had an old piece of paper that he wrote something about the Silicone type on it. I'm not sure if he meant his car uses it or not. I don't want to add just any fluid to it obviously but I'd like to know which fluid this model takes??

2. Type of Transmission Fluid?? It's an automatic

3. Does it require a certain type of Coolant/Antifreeze?? Someone mentioned to me that it might.

Some of this might sound obvious to you guys but he didn't leave me with much information and this car means the world to me right now so I really don't want to f*ck anything up. Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance...

 

The antifreeze should be the plain old green type you can get at any auto parts store. The trans fluid would be GM dexron, and the brake fluid if it's silicon, should be a DOT 5 fluid and will be purple when it's bled. IF the car has the owners manual, it will tell you all the recommended fluids, however the DOT 5 brake fluid is not what they used from the factory. It is in my opinion what should be used on cars that get driven infrequently and it's what I run in my 79.

 

Welcome to the forum. There are several of us on here right now that have inherited a Vette from their Dad, in different degrees of disassembly and restoration or restomod. There are some making really neat memorials to their Dad in the interior, others with the exterior. I am not there yet. But anyway, be sure and post some pics of your car. It is really great that you will be able to drive it! Make it safe and enjoy! Glad to have you on board! Andy

 

The owner's manual covers fluids and has a suggested maintenance schedule.

C3s did not use silicon brake fluid, but that option is available if you want to that route.

 

Well I topped off some fluids and a few things the other day. Threw a little fuel in the carb and she fired right up!! It was an emotional moment, I'm not going to lie. That's the first time I've ever even started that car. My dad didn't let me near it when I was growing up lol. The engine sounded awesome and it felt incredible to sit in there FINALLY! A few things i noticed...

The brake pedal is going straight to the floor. Hopefully it's something as simple as bleeding everything. Or it could be the lines from sitting for a few years. In what order would I check to find the issue?

I added Trans fluid but the transmission (automatic) wouldn't engage. I tried a quick few times and then put it back in park quickly. After checking, even after adding fluid, it was low again. I didn't have more to add at the time. So, hopefully that's the issue. I didn't see any leaking. What would be the next thing to check if this doesn't work? My dad drove it about 3 years ago and it was fine.

The tires are flat and dry rotted. I'm not sure if they'll hold air or not. I obviously need to get this to the shop to get new tires, so would ratcheting the middle of the tires to get them to seal out be a safe way to get it on a flat bed at least? I don't want to damage the rims, or anything for that matter. It has Center Line Racing rims on it. I thought also that I could jack it up, take them off and throw a set of good rims and tires on it temporarily just for the sake of getting it to the shop, but I don't have a set sitting around and I don't know if I can find one.

I noticed that the automatic antenna was stuck. I pulled it up but I can hear a motor constantly running below the antenna. Is this the motor for the antenna and it's stuck? I don't want to burn the motor up. Any recommendations?

 

The brake pedal is going straight to the floor. Hopefully it's something as simple as bleeding everything. Or it could be the lines from sitting for a few years. In what order would I check to find the issue?

It could be various items, but typically the brake calipers are known to rust/leak. Look underneath the car on the inside of the wheels. Do you see any brake fluid leaking down? Brake caliper pistons tend to rust/leak with age/non-use. If they are leaking, they will need replaced or rebuilt.

The tires are flat and dry rotted. I'm not sure if they'll hold air or not. I obviously need to get this to the shop to get new tires, so would ratcheting the middle of the tires to get them to seal out be a safe way to get it on a flat bed at least? I don't want to damage the rims, or anything for that matter. It has Center Line Racing rims on it. I thought also that I could jack it up, take them off and throw a set of good rims and tires on it temporarily just for the sake of getting it to the shop, but I don't have a set sitting around and I don't know if I can find one.

Jack the car up, take off one wheel at a time and run it to your local tire store where you want to buy tires. They will mount a good tire for you, bring it home and put it back on the car. With a proper size floor jack, you can lift both left or right side tires at the same time.

I noticed that the automatic antenna was stuck. I pulled it up but I can hear a motor constantly running below the antenna. Is this the motor for the antenna and it's stuck? I don't want to burn the motor up. Any recommendations?

Most likely the cable that raises and lowers your antenna is broke internally. I'm not sure if these are currently being rebuilt, but you can always buy a replacement. Just turn off the radio and push the antenna down and the motor should stop. Other wise you can just unplug the motor.